Page 42 of Wild and Bright

“You guys,” Lauren’s voice is notably softer now. “This isn’t about Hunter’s drinking. This is really just between me and Cam.” She glances in Hunter’s direction, her expression warming, and I wish I didn’t hate him for it. I wish I could get this petty jealousy under control. “Why don’t you go check on Cadence for me? She’s been too quiet. She might be in Cam’s studio destroying his fancy equipment for all I know.” As she turns to me, her lips twinge. “I almost hope she is.”

I roll my eyes as Hunter saunters away, his chuckle echoing in the hallway.

For several seconds, Lauren and I stare at each other in silence. I couldn’t find the words if I tried. Now that I’ve lashed out, I’m living in a jealousy hangover. I recognize my irrationality but still feel the jealousy too acutely to apologize.

“So…” she starts.

“So…” I repeat, looking away from her.

“It’s obvious you’re terrified to have a conversation about what happened between us.”

My throat grows tight, my pulse starting to race. “‘Terrified’ is a strong word.”

“Okay, honey.”

“I don’t feel like talking about it. It’s not a pleasant memory.”

Her smile fades. “Don’t you think that’s even more reason to talk about it? How can we have a healthy relationship—”

“We don’t have a relationship. Did you forget that?”

When she jerks back as if I hit her, I want to reach out and touch her, but then her gaze hardens, and I think better of it.

“Well, whatever we are,” she says. “I absolutely cannot live like this. I cannot have you accusing me of cheating on you every time I’m in the general vicinity of another man. I can’t have you trying to dictate my every move.”

I clench my jaw. “That’s not what I’m doing.”

“Really? Because I’ve only hung out with two guys since I moved in—one of them I didn’t even end up hanging out with. So far, you’re two for two. You just ordered my best friend to stay away from me, which is unacceptable.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “I quite simply won’t allow it.”

My gaze snaps to her face. “I’m in charge here. You agreed to that.”

Her eyelids flutter. “I agreed to be your mistress, honey. Not your little bitch.”

Heat washes over my face, my nostrils flaring. She’s always been this way with me—both sassy and dismissive—and it pulls up an ancient urge I remember from when I tried to boss her around in our childhood. I couldn’t understand what it meant back then. All I knew was that I wanted to reach out and grab her, but not out of anger.

Now I know.

I want to fuck her into submission.

“I think we should settle this in the bedroom,” she says, as if reading my mind.

My eyebrows shoot to my forehead. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I think we could have an excellent Dom-sub relationship. I’ll be a brat, obviously, because I just can’t be anything else. It’s not in my nature. But it’ll be okay because you can punish me for it.”

“How would I punish you?” My voice is breathless.

She shrugs. “However you want. You can bite me, flog me, spank me. I’m down for any and all of it.”

Her words wash over me like a drug, making me almost dizzy. Oh God, does she have any idea what she’s doing to me? As I imagine slapping her bare ass, hot shame creeps into my cheeks even as my dick grows hard. I shouldn’t be repulsed with myself when she offered it up like it’s nothing. She clearly wants it, but it’s hard to wash away years of being taught not to lay a hand on a woman.

“Spank you,” I say, my words just above a whisper.

She looks like she’s holding back a smile. “Is that what you want to do to me?”

“Yeah.”

Her eyes grow hooded, her smile slow. “I’d enjoy that.”

---