Page 35 of The Sadist and the Brat

She bit back the wince. She’d spent most of James and Amanda’s Halloween party playing hostess to Rebecca’s friend, as promised, and had a brief spanking scene with an old lover. When the scene was over, she realized Jack had watched the whole thing, and not wanting a confrontation, had thought it prudent to avoid him for the rest of the night.

Apparently, she’d just postponed it.

“Fine,” she muttered. “Wait here.”

She shut the door in his face and, ignoring the laugh that drifted through the door, went down the hall for her phone. She thought about stepping into the bedroom for a bra—in fact she was tempted to take her time getting ready just to see how long he’d wait for her. But she was too tired for games, so she shoved her feet into her snow boots, grabbed her coat and purse, and opened the door again.

“That was fast.”

She dug out her keys to lock the door and tried to ignore the fact that he was standing way too close. “I want pie.”

“You forgot your package,” he said, holding it out.

She took it, feeling the distinctive shape of a bottle through the padded envelope. Probably the almond massage oil she’d ordered for one of her clients, she thought, and shoved it into her purse. Shrugging into her coat, she bypassed the elevator and headed for the stairs.

He fell into step beside her. “My car is parked around the corner.”

“It’s two blocks,” she pointed out, making her way down the stairs.

“Walking it is,” he said and followed her down.

Jack studied his companion. They’d passed the two-block walk in surprisingly companionable silence, and though Sadie hadn’t seemed entirely comfortable, she’d been at least somewhat relaxed. She’d greeted the waitress with a smile, addressing her by name, and they’d been directed to a corner booth. By the time they’d shed their coats and settled in, the waitress had appeared with two steaming cups of coffee. She engaged in a bit of small talk, eyeing him with undisguised curiosity, and took their orders before disappearing to deal with her other customers.

“You come here a lot,” he guessed, and tried not to salivate when she shrugged, making her breasts bounce under her shirt. She hadn’t put on a bra, and the well-worn cotton didn’t hide much.

“A few times a month,” she confirmed. “Usually for breakfast. They make a good omelet.”

“I’ll remember that.” He picked up his coffee and took a sip, eyeing her over the rim. She shifted in the booth, wincing, and he remembered just what she’d been doing at the party instead of talking to him. “Sore?”

“I’m sorry?”

“From your spanking earlier,” he elaborated, and watched her cheeks go pink. “Nate looked like he did a thorough job.”

“Do you know Nate?” she asked warily.

He shook his head. “Met him tonight. Do you?”

She shrugged, toying with the handle of her coffee cup. “We hung out a little last summer.”

So James had informed him after the party. He set down his coffee. “He seemed fairly preoccupied with the new girl. Kit, was it?”

“Yeah.” Some of the tension went out of her as she smiled. “She’s Nick’s secretary. I think they’ve got a thing going.”

“Well, if they didn’t before, they do now. They were in the mirror room for almost an hour.”

“I know.” She grinned, her whole face lit with delight. “I have to remember to call Rebecca tomorrow and get the scoop.”

“Hmmm,” he said, and bit back a smile when her eyes narrowed. “So.”

“So, what?”

He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a small flask. “You said you haven’t decided if you want to play.”

She nodded slowly. “That’s right.”

He twisted the cap off the flask. “What’s your hesitation?”

She didn’t answer, just watched him add a splash of amber liquid to his coffee. “What’s in the flask?”

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