Page 32

RUBY
“Fuck It”is an official destination, and I’m walking straight into it with my head held high.
I’ve been caught spying, red-handed, so I proudly march toward Axel’s office. If I’m about to be fired or have charges filed against me or god knows what else a mafia king masquerading as a powerful lawyer can do to me, I’ll at least keep my pride.
“Please,” Axel gestures calmly toward his sofa, “have a seat.”
“I’m fine standing.”
“Sit!” he barks.
Arrogant dickhead.Like he owns me? Like he can train me? Like I’ll follow his command, so…
“Woof!” I bark back, letting my heels drop to the floor.
“Don’t bark if you won’t bite, Ms. Jones.” He glowers with lust swimming in his eyes. “Fight me, and I will put a collar on your neck.”
The zip of lust to my clit is sudden.
Me, wearing acollar for Axel?
Holy hounds of hell, I didn’t know I had this kink, but I do, hiding it with a roll of my eyes. “In your dreams.”
I turn around, hiding my blushing cheeks.
The thought of kneeling for Axel, of obeying his orders, rearranges my entire being, and that can’t happen.
So, instead of sitting like a lady, all prim and proper, and about to be punished for breaking his rules, I recline like the Queen of Sheba, sideways and lazily draping my arm over his sofa … because I don’t give a damn about his rules.
But I do suddenly give a damn about Axel, and it’s making me mad. All he made me feel watching him still thrums through my veins.
Casually, he sits across from me, leaning back and lifting his chin. Spreading his hulking legs, he slowly drums his tatted fingers over the arm of his chair as his icy eyes narrow. He licks his bottom lip, and … okay, he needs tostopinducing orgasms when he seethes.
“Where do I start with you?” He coldly scolds, “You’re like a wildfire burning out of control.”
“Easy: you don’t start and can’t control me.” I shrug. “This is the end. I quit.”
“You can’t quit.”
“Okay, Ted Lasso, I don’t need a pep talk.”
“I won’tletyou quit.” He smirks. “I have too much power over you now.”
Breathe. Breathe. Do NOT freak out.
“What do you mean by ‘power over me’?”
“Trespassing. Illegal use of electronic surveillance. Invasion of privacy. The unlawful practice of the law. But I must add my favorite: the intentional infliction of emotional distress.” He says drily, “You finally saw my dick. Congratulations.”
I nod, desperate to hide my hammering heart. “I’ll give you that last one. It was distressing.”
He cocks a brow. “That’s not all it was, Ms. Jones.”
No, it was big, hard, and pierced, and I will NEVER be the same. You wear dick jewelry for the woman you love. Lucky bitch.
“Okay, fine,” I huff. “I was spying. So, how do we unfuck this?”
“Unfuck this?” He stifles a chuckle. “Oh, Ms. Jones. I haven’t even started fucking with you.”