Under His Command (For His Pleasure, Book 17) by Kelly Favor

at her disdainfully, but eventually rolled it down. “What?” he said.
    “Can we talk?”
    “I don’t see the point, really.”
    “You obviously came here for a reason.”
    Easton looked at her, his gaze hard and cold and flat. “That no longer applies.”
    “Are you upset because I went out to eat with my neighbor?”
    Easton scratched his cheek. “On the contrary, I hope you two had a fabulous meal.”
    “Easton, please. I’m trying…I’m trying to talk to you. Why did you come here if you didn’t even want to talk to me?”
    Without warning, he opened the car door and got out. Kennedy stepped back, stumbling a little on the curb. Easton caught her before she could fell, his strong hands holding her arms tightly. “Is he going to hold you like this?”
    His touch was burning her, lighting her on fire. “Not if you tell me you want me,”
    she said.
    Easton gazed at her, his intensity overpowering. “You shouldn’t need me to say it.” He let go of her.
    “I’m s—“
    “Don’t,” he warned, pointing at her. “Don’t say it, Kennedy.”
    She looked down. “You can’t expect me to read your mind.”
    “And what do you think it was, what happened between us today at the office?”
    he asked. “You think I do that with everyone I work with?”
    “I don’t know,” she replied, meeting his gaze and refusing to back down. “I have no idea what you do or don’t do.”
    He smirked. “I think you damn well knew, and I think you didn’t care. You wanted to have your cake and eat it too.”
    “Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black,” she retorted.
    “You think so? Have it your way, then.” He turned and got back in his car, and within seconds, his headlights were disappearing down the street, and the sound of his car engine had faded into the rest of the sounds of the city.

    ***
    The next day, Easton wasn’t in the office. Kennedy had been given access to his calendar, but when she tried to log into it that morning to see where he was, she was denied.
    A cold fear shot through her as she stared at the computer screen uncomprehendingly. At first, Kennedy thought maybe she’d just rushed through typing in her password, but after another couple of tries, realized that in fact she’d been intentionally locked out.
    He’s going to fire you now, she thought. Her shoulders slumped.
    Anger nearly overwhelmed her.
    How dare he think he can take all of this out on me? I didn’t do anything wrong.
    As the day drew on, Kennedy waited and waited for Easton to come back, text, email or call her. She had almost nothing to do, so she spent her day cleaning out the refrigerator and cabinets, then going to the store and restocking them on her own dime.
    She knew it was ridiculous and inappropriate to spend her own money getting stuff for work, but she had almost nothing else to keep her busy. And Kennedy wanted to do something to prove to Easton that she wouldn’t give up, wouldn’t crumble simply because he’d withdrawn his approval.
    After a couple of hours, Kennedy was putting the last goodies in the cabinets for snacks and arranging the boxes, when she heard Easton finally coming back to the office.
    She turned and looked at him, and he looked at her. His expression was neutral, not at all surprised or even curious. “I’m leaving for the day,” he said. “You should finish whatever it is you’re doing tomorrow.”
    She put her hands on her hips. “Whatever it is I’m doing? I went out and spent my own money, of which I have little, to get food for our office.”
    He squinted at her, his brow furrowing. “Why would you spend your own money on that? We have petty cash for that kind of thing.”
    “Oh. Well, nobody told me,” she said, “and you weren’t here all day. I had to do something so I tried my best to be productive.”
    Easton shook his head. “You’ll be reimbursed tomorrow from the petty cash.
    Did you keep receipts?”
    “Yes,” she said, tears suddenly springing to