Colin. Soon, however, I may require you to take off more than just your shoes when you step through that door.”
She gulped and couldn’t look him in the eyes.
“I love that.”
“W-what?” She thought he was going to say something about her promise, so when she heard his answer, she got lightheaded.
“I love to see your head bowed and your gaze lowered to the floor at my feet.”
Fuck yes. Her down-tilted head sent a bolt of heat to his cock and a jolt of pleasure to his brain. If he wanted to make it a trend, he’d have to earn her trust. From her past experience with John, who he could cheerfully strangle, he knew that wasn’t going to be easy.
“This morning I want you to do your blog. I have to go out for a couple of hours but when I get back we’ll have some lunch and then I thought we’d play a game.”
Chaste and demure went out the window as she snapped her head up. “Game?”
“Yes.” He stepped forward, loving how her upturned face told him all he needed to know at the moment. She was wary but intrigued. “Do you play chess?”
She nodded.
“Good. We’ll have a game this afternoon and by then I’ll have dinner figured out. Any dietary concerns I should be aware of? Anything you are allergic to or something you can’t stand to eat?”
“No allergies. I can eat pretty much anything but I hate kale.”
“You’re not allergic to it?”
She frowned. “No, but I won’t eat it.” She emphasized her point by doing a coughing gag. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. Kale’s a favorite of yours?”
He ignored that and asked, “You eat meat and fish?”
“Yes.”
“Great. As I said I have to go out for a few hours.” He stalked back to his desk and took out a note pad. Jotting down a number, he gave it to her. “If you need anything, give me a call.”
“I usually do my blog in the afternoon.”
He was heading for the door and stopped. Turning back he said, “And?”
“So our chess game might have to be pushed back.”
“Absolutely not. Your blogging will have to be pushed forward. I’ve given you,” he looked at his watch and estimated, “three and a half hours to get your work done. I’ll want to read it when I get back. Before lunch. So get started.”
“I can’t just blog on a whim. It’s a creative process, you know.”
“What I know is that you’re wasting time.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What do you usually do in the mornings?”
“I have my coffee. Read the news. Watch Judge Judy . Feed my cat.” She shrugged. “That kind of stuff.”
“Wasting time. Aside from the cat. I assume you have someone watching your pet for you.” At her nod, he continued. “Good. As for the rest of those things, break time, television and yesterday’s happenings, they are a waste of today’s productivity. Do your blog first and if there’s time left between finishing that and lunch, you’re free to do whatever you like.”
“But first I have to do what you like?”
Apparently she was going to fight him every step of the way. “Yes.”
“Why?” She shook her head and held up her hand before he had a chance to say anything. “Never mind. Don’t answer that. I know why, I just don’t know why I said that. This submission thing isn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be.”
She looked so upset with herself that he couldn’t help smiling. “Colin, come here.”
Her hangdog expression made his smile deepen. When she stopped in front of him he chuckled and lifted her chin. “We haven’t started the ‘submission thing’ yet. Are you okay?”
“We haven’t?”
He shook his head.
“Then I’m definitely not okay.” She shifted from one stocking foot to the other but he refused to give up his grip on her chin until finally she whispered, “I’m a wreck.”
He examined the light dusting of honey-colored freckles on her nose and sighed, “You’re an adorable one. Where are your glasses?”
“The black ones? I only
She gulped and couldn’t look him in the eyes.
“I love that.”
“W-what?” She thought he was going to say something about her promise, so when she heard his answer, she got lightheaded.
“I love to see your head bowed and your gaze lowered to the floor at my feet.”
Fuck yes. Her down-tilted head sent a bolt of heat to his cock and a jolt of pleasure to his brain. If he wanted to make it a trend, he’d have to earn her trust. From her past experience with John, who he could cheerfully strangle, he knew that wasn’t going to be easy.
“This morning I want you to do your blog. I have to go out for a couple of hours but when I get back we’ll have some lunch and then I thought we’d play a game.”
Chaste and demure went out the window as she snapped her head up. “Game?”
“Yes.” He stepped forward, loving how her upturned face told him all he needed to know at the moment. She was wary but intrigued. “Do you play chess?”
She nodded.
“Good. We’ll have a game this afternoon and by then I’ll have dinner figured out. Any dietary concerns I should be aware of? Anything you are allergic to or something you can’t stand to eat?”
“No allergies. I can eat pretty much anything but I hate kale.”
“You’re not allergic to it?”
She frowned. “No, but I won’t eat it.” She emphasized her point by doing a coughing gag. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. Kale’s a favorite of yours?”
He ignored that and asked, “You eat meat and fish?”
“Yes.”
“Great. As I said I have to go out for a few hours.” He stalked back to his desk and took out a note pad. Jotting down a number, he gave it to her. “If you need anything, give me a call.”
“I usually do my blog in the afternoon.”
He was heading for the door and stopped. Turning back he said, “And?”
“So our chess game might have to be pushed back.”
“Absolutely not. Your blogging will have to be pushed forward. I’ve given you,” he looked at his watch and estimated, “three and a half hours to get your work done. I’ll want to read it when I get back. Before lunch. So get started.”
“I can’t just blog on a whim. It’s a creative process, you know.”
“What I know is that you’re wasting time.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What do you usually do in the mornings?”
“I have my coffee. Read the news. Watch Judge Judy . Feed my cat.” She shrugged. “That kind of stuff.”
“Wasting time. Aside from the cat. I assume you have someone watching your pet for you.” At her nod, he continued. “Good. As for the rest of those things, break time, television and yesterday’s happenings, they are a waste of today’s productivity. Do your blog first and if there’s time left between finishing that and lunch, you’re free to do whatever you like.”
“But first I have to do what you like?”
Apparently she was going to fight him every step of the way. “Yes.”
“Why?” She shook her head and held up her hand before he had a chance to say anything. “Never mind. Don’t answer that. I know why, I just don’t know why I said that. This submission thing isn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be.”
She looked so upset with herself that he couldn’t help smiling. “Colin, come here.”
Her hangdog expression made his smile deepen. When she stopped in front of him he chuckled and lifted her chin. “We haven’t started the ‘submission thing’ yet. Are you okay?”
“We haven’t?”
He shook his head.
“Then I’m definitely not okay.” She shifted from one stocking foot to the other but he refused to give up his grip on her chin until finally she whispered, “I’m a wreck.”
He examined the light dusting of honey-colored freckles on her nose and sighed, “You’re an adorable one. Where are your glasses?”
“The black ones? I only
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