Page 18 of Dr. Bad Boy
Max
Istare at Violet. She can't be serious.
She stares right back, completely serious.
And even though it's not a scene, she's used her safeword and I need to back away. I get up, every cell in my body protesting, because we have unfinished business.
But we'll have to deal with that another day.
Red.
Fucking hell.
Without a word, I take the chocolates I'd bought for her out of the bag and drop them on her desk. As much as I want to slam the door behind me, I don’t even bother to close it. I saunter toward the elevator without a backward glance. I’m not quite sure how to process the shit-show that just took place. Gavin’s the next best thing to useless to me right now. He’s in happy-ever-after fairy tale mode and I need someone who can tell me straight-up where and how I've fucked this up.
I pull my phone from my pocket and call Lachlan, Gavin's chief of security. He's a good guy, and more to the point, he's into kink and would rather die than disclose a secret.
He answers on the second ring. “Hey Max. What’s up?”
The office is dead quiet and I know Violet will have no problem hearing my conversation. I pick my words carefully because I'm a bastard. “I need to see you. Are you free?”
Lachlan sounds surprised, but agreeable. “Sure. When?”
“Fifteen minutes?”
“Grab pizza and make it forty.”
I force myself to smile, knowing it'll carry in my voice. “Can’t wait.”
The elevator doors open and I step inside.
* * *
Beth is just packing up ready to leave for the evening when I arrive at Centre Block, a visitor badge hanging around my neck.
Lachlan's sitting in a chair near Gavin's office door, watching her ignore him. This is the first time I've seen the weird tension play out between her and Lachlan, although I've heard about it from Gavin and a bit from Lachlan himself, and it's just fucking pitiful.
He wants her. She wants him. What the fuck are they waiting for?
I mentally shake my head and give Beth a great big grin. “Hey gorgeous. What do you say I blow off the big guy here and you and I schnork back this pizza and go bowling?”
Beth blushes a little. She’s cute as fuck, all Miss Fisher like with her silky dark hair all curled under, twenties-style. All she needs is a sexy little flapper dress. Lachlan is a prize idiot for not claiming her. Clearly the man needs a wake up call.
“Thanks for the kind offer, Max, but I already have plans for the evening.” She shoots me an exaggerated wink. I know that wink. We're co-conspirators in torture.
Lachlan’s practically shooting steam from his ears. It’s all I can do not to laugh. She’s playing him, and he fucking deserves it.
Maybe I should have called her about my Violet problem, although I'm pretty sure if I told her more about that situation, she'd be on Violet's side. Fucking hell.I'mon Violet's side. I want her to have as many orgasms as she wants. Italian bread in between sex-fests and whatever other rewards she might like if she's a good little sub for me.
Is that really too much to ask?
No, I can't involve Beth in this. As far as she knows, I'm an adorable rake. It's the image I cultivate because the sadistic bastard doesn't go over nearly as well.
I lean down and peck Beth’s cheek. “Have a fabulous evening. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
“Carte blanche, then. I can work with that.” She shifts her gaze to the other man in the room, the only one she really cares about, and gives him a look even I can't decipher. “Goodnight, Lachlan.” Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she flounces out of the office.
I drop the pizza box and a small stack of napkins on the little table next to Lachlan. He flips open the lid and grabs himself a big slice and folds it half.
