Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Ashley stuffed herself, eating too fast. She leaned back against the seat, suddenly exhausted. “Where are we going?”
“First to my sister-in-law’s, then to see a guy who might be able to help.”
“Like those guys back there?”
He gave her a dark look. “I made a mistake,” he said. “I shouldn’t have left you with them. I’m sorry.”
For some reason, his apology hit her with a pang. She hadn’t expected any concessions from him, and it was easier to steel herself against his dark allure when he was being a jerk. Still, she’d known he was sorry. He wouldn’t have attacked that other guy if not. And while the display of violence had been somewhat nauseating, it also left her feeling more than vindicated.
“Listen, Ashley… I should have warned you before we went in. Never get mouthy or disrespectful with a wolf. It’s taken as a challenge to the power structure, and swift, physical retaliation will always follow to re-establish order.”
“Is that why you spank me?”
“Yes.”
“You enjoy it, don’t you?”
His eyes slid sideways, the corners of his mouth turning up. “I might enjoy some of it, yeah.”
She flushed, two parts angry and one part something else. Something slithery and fluttery that moved in her belly. “Heathen,” she muttered, moving her attention out the window.
“Ashley,” he said, looking serious. “I mean it—don’t offend anyone else. I know Brian asked for it, but this is important. If one of them had left a serious mark on you, I might have killed him. And then I’d have the whole pack coming after me, and consequently you. So it’s a big deal.”
I might have killed him. That piece of information made her slightly lightheaded. He did have a thing for her. She knew it.
“Okay.”
“Yes, sir,” he corrected.
“Yes, sir,” she said, only slightly sarcastically.
“Thank you,” he said.
She considered how much their relationship had changed in less than twenty-four hours. If it didn’t go forward, could they go back? Working at Stone Tech seemed like a completely different world now.
“Ben?” She didn’t know when she’d started calling him that. But considering she’d seen him naked and in wolf form, and he’d spanked her with her panties down, Mr. Stone didn’t seem right anymore. “Do you mind when I call you that?”
She glanced at his chiseled face, the stubble growing on his jaw making him even sexier than when he was clean-shaven.
“No.”
Would the man ever give more than the monosyllabic answer? His little speech about being respectful to wolves might be the longest he’d uttered.
“Do you think we’ll ever return to work?”
“Yes.”
“I mean… will I still be your assistant?” She held her breath. She wouldn’t blame the man for firing her. After all, she had stolen from him and planted a bomb that could have killed him.
“Yeah,” he said, but his throat sounded tight, as if he might be lying. Did he plan to fire her? Or worse… kill her? He had told the pack members that he would ‘take care of’ the fact that she knew about them. Was he just keeping her alive to arrange the meetup with the men who wanted him dead? Did he plan to kill her when it was all over? From what she could tell, he was a dangerous man.
“Will you still spank me if I get out of line?” she asked, trying to lighten her own tension, if not his.
It worked. Ben’s shadow-smile appeared, that little hint of amusement that crinkled his eyes and touched the corners of his lips. “You like talking about getting spanked,” he said.
Her pussy clenched involuntarily at his words. She held her breath, trying to ward off the blush she felt creeping up her neck. She plowed forward, though. “Who else have you spanked? Have you spanked Karen?”
“No,” he said, sounding surprised. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Then who? Your girlfriends? Lovers? Were they wolves?”
“You were my first,” he said.
Why did that answer please her so much?
“You were my first, too,” she said, knowing she sounded like a little fool.
He actually smiled, which made her heart do strange things in her chest.
“So spanking is a wolf thing?”
He shrugged in the dark car. “It’s a common practice. It’s an easy show of dominance without causing any harm.”
“So basically wolves are sexist pigs who think they’re better than women and deserve to spank them?” She held her breath, expecting his irritation, but he smiled.
“No. I think some relationships fall more equally. But I’m a natural alpha. I don’t think I’m better than women. I just need to be on top.”
She considered that, remembering the words that had been tossed around at the warehouse. “I thought they said you weren’t alpha.”
It took him so long to answer she’d given up hope of a response, but at last he said, “I refused to lead my brother’s pack. I just didn’t have it in me.”