Page 13 of Inconveniently Matched

Chapter Eight

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Haley

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Heart pounding likea berserk horse let loose in my chest, I cross my fingers and will my universe to give me what I want.

Heads.Heads.Heads.

Their heads are on my chopping board.I manifest calmly, bravely, and ladylike.My universe never works when she’s harassed.

I need this win.

Dean leaves the room and comes back with a coin.I hold my hand out for it.He hesitates for a second, then gives it to me.I prefer to hold my destiny in my own hand, thank you very much.

Without thinking, I kiss the coin and toss it into the air.I catch it and place it over the top part of my hand.As regal as a queen with luck on her side, I remove my hand and...

What the actual fuck?Fuck.Fuck.Fuck.What the fucking hell?

I stare at the coin in disbelief.How did I lose?Raising my chin, I look them dead in the eye.

“Best of three.”I toss the coin, but Dean catches it midair and puts it in his pocket.“That wasn’t covered in the initial agreement, so it doesn’t apply now.We win.”

Dammit.I’m on the verge of begging for mercy until I realize this is all for show.Fine, I’ll play along.Let’s see how far they go.

Wesley drapes his jacket over the backrest of a chair before loosening his tie and rolling up his sleeves.My mouth dries at the sight before me.Tingles ignite under my skin, and my body pulses, making me hotter and more embarrassingly wet.

Why can’t I get a grip on these unnecessary physiological responses?Is my entire system just out of whack?Must be.

Wesley unbuckles his belt and pulls it through the loops of his pants.A full-scale tremor wrecks me.Suddenly, I can’t breathe.I’m just too hot.I’ve thoroughly soaked my panties, and a thousand butterflies swim around my stomach, pulling taut on my muscles, making me clench in both apprehension and exhilaration.

It’s like I want them to spank me, but I also want to dive into the pool of fear that surrounds it.Since when did I become sodifferent?

I’m on the verge of telling them I made a mistake.I don’t want to play anymore.Then I calm down because surely, they’re not actually going to spank me.

“Would you prefer to lie across my lap or go on all fours on that table over there?”Wesley asks.

I pull my coat snugger around me, but I also don’t want to show them any weakness.

“You’re not chickening out, are you, princess?I was dying to see your sweet ass all red and hot,” Camden says, and I want to tell him to shut up so I can have my existential crisis in peace.

“Absolutely not,” my mouth says before my brain can negotiate a better response.

I am not getting onto a table on all fours.Too exhibitionist.

“I’ll take Wesley’s lap, thank you.”How much longer were they going to play this game of scaring the crap out of me?

Wesley takes a seat on a wide, armless chair.I shrug off my coat, take a deep breath, and awkwardly as hell drape myself over his lap.This is preposterous, but I’m determined to outlast them.They’re going to be the first ones to crack because spanking me is just utterly ludicrous.Any minute now, they’re going to say, “Haha, gotcha!You didn’t think we would actually spank you, right?”

“Just get it ov—” I say as I dangle over Wesley’s lap.

But he doesn’t give me a chance to finish my sentence before his palm lands on my butt.

A frown settles on my face as I try to grasp what just happened.Wesley spanked me is what happened.

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