Page 4 of The Billionaire Submissive
I would have been face down on that desk in another few moments if she hadn’t pulled away.
He took her arm and drew her firmly to his side as he led the way out of his office. The corner of her mouth quirked and she gave him a knowing sideways wink that made his cock twitch in his pants. Yeah, he led the way.But only because she’s letting me.
Which was the crux of his issue. He wasn’t the kind of submissive who would whine and beg and crawl to his Mistress’s feet and kiss her toes. No. Donovan Morgan wasn’t going down without a fight. The difficulty was finding a Mistress who’d relish the fight as much as him. Someone who was strong enough mentally to bend him to her will, even when he hated every minute of it. Even if he swore he was never coming back. Never giving her what she wanted. She had to be strong enough to make himwantto bend his pride to her will. He had to want to surrender.
Lilly Harrison might just be strong enough to make me beg.
The thought should have alarmed him. It certainly made him tighten his grip on her arm. He was probably hurting her, but he couldn’t let go. He was afraid she’d slip out of his office and out of his control before he could pin her into an agreement. He hustled her past Miss Wruthers’s desk without pausing, even when his secretary called after him waving the phone. As soon as the elevator doors whisked shut, he flattened his back against the wall and hauled Lilly against his chest.
The little minx laughed at him. “Mr. Morgan, I fear you’ve lost your balance too.”
“You have no idea.” His throat rasped painfully. “You must accept this commission.”
She tipped her head sideways and gazed up at him with a solemn weight in her eyes, chilling the fire in his blood. “I don’t believe that’s a very good idea, Mr. Morgan.”
“You must.”
She arched a brow at him. “I don’t believe I must at all.”
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
She laughed, a deep, husky chuckle that made him think of velvet and leather and silken sheets tangled around him. “No doubt you’re used to throwing money at everyone to get what you want, but I’m not that easy, Mr. Morgan.”
He shuddered and pulled her closer, deliberately arching his hips into her so she’d have no doubt of his reaction to her. It went against every stubborn arrogant bone in his body, but he forced the word out anyway. “Please.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Release me this instant, Mr. Morgan.”
Her voice was pleasant enough. She didn’t use her words like a whip to lash him into compliance. She didn’t even give him a stern look from those stunning eyes. He’d thought them more blue than gray, but this close, her eyes gleamed like polished silver.
“Now.”
Again, her voice remained level and almost sweet. Certainly feminine and far from mean and nasty. He didn’t want to obey. He wanted her to get angry and harsh with him, to wrestle him into sweaty submission, but again, this wasn’t the time and certainly not the place. Frustrated, he let go of her and made no objection when she straightened and put a polite distance between them. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, allowing the noise of the plaza level to separate them even more. Running his hand through his hair, he fought to keep his mouth shut. His ridiculous, obstinate behavior certainly wouldn’t help convince her to accept his commission, let alone open her mind to pursuing a more private relationship with him. Good submissives obeyed the Mistress without question. They certainly didn’t manhandle the Mistress against her direct order.
Which is why I’m not a good submissive and I have no Mistress.
She turned her head slightly, whispered, “Good boy,” then stepped out of the elevator, leaving him to follow in her wake.
Stunned, he had to throw up a hand to keep the elevator doors from shutting and taking him back upstairs. People waited to get on, and here he stood with his mouth hanging open and his pants tented like a randy teenager. Lilly paused, looking back over her shoulder with a wicked little smile dimpling her cheek, all innocence and saucy attitude that made him crazy. He wanted to make her lose her calm amusement. He wanted to hear her voice crack with fury, her eyes sharp and cold as she punished him. Not winking, silently laughing at him for still standing on the elevator like a dumbfounded idiot.
Grinding his teeth, he pushed his way out of the elevator and stomped after her. His face was on fire, blazing with humiliation and yes, relief. He’d managed to please the Mistress, at least a little, despite his stubborn pride. Even though obeying a simple common-sense command made his spine bristle and his stomach churn. The whispered praise gave him hope she might consider his offer despite his numerous failings. And he had no doubt that his failings as a submissive would give her significant pause.
If I must trick her into accepting me at least for a while, I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes. Even if I have to blackmail her into accepting my contract.
Somehow, Mr. Morgan knew exactly what kind of woman she was. Maybe he’d asked around at a club? Though she hadn’t done the club scene in years. She hadn’t needed to, not with her own steady clientele. Could one of her subs have broken her rules and told someone else about her? She’d been very careful in the contract she’d had each man sign. Referrals were allowed, but only if he spoke to her about the interested party first before ever giving her name to anyone else.
Lilly quickly ran the list of her acquaintances through her head, trying to see if any of them would be the type to go behind her back. She didn’t think so. She’d been with them all at least a year without issue, except for the Hamiltons, and trusted their loyalty without question. But if Mr. Morgan had waved enough money around…
Anyone would talk.
Sick to her stomach at the thought one of her trusted subs had betrayed her, she slowed and allowed Mr. Morgan to take the lead again. She had no idea where he wanted these windows, so charging around just to prove a point would be beyond stupid. She wanted to ask him who’d told him about her, but that would put her at a disadvantage. If he knew she wanted something, he’d have leverage.If I give him an inch, he’ll take a mile and keep right on steamrolling me into the ground.
The tips of his ears and his cheeks were red and he avoided making eye contact. Maybe she’d misjudged him. Maybe the little whisper of praise was too much for a man of his pride. Good. Problem solved. He might change his mind about this so-called commission, but it’d be worth it to avoid entangling herself with this kind of rich and powerful man. The kind of man who’d track down her clients and pay them to betray her.It wouldn’t surprise me if he’d stoop to blackmail too.
He led the way to the side exit providing access to the new light rail depot. Steady foot traffic passed between the buildings, though the frantic flood of workers heading to lunch had ebbed. “Since the building’s exterior is an art-deco style, I want something similar for these windows.”
Her stomach quivered like she’d just jumped off a cliff. Staring up at the soaring glass, she tried not to let her mouth hang open or her hands tremble. Two full stories of glass a city block wide, visible from both the ground and skyway levels, separated his building from thousands of potential viewers using the new trains. She spared a glance at his face to see if he was serious. “The whole wall?”
“Top to floor,” he replied levelly, a hint of challenge glinting in his chocolate eyes. “Is the job too big for you?”
