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Slap!

She froze.

What. The. Heck?

All right, so they’d just been talking about spankings . . . but she didn’t expect him to actually do it!

And certainly not in public! That was just rude.

“What do you think you are doing?” she cried.

“Stay still, Immy. Or there’s more where that came from.”

They stepped outside and the heat of the sun beat down on them. Then he came to a stop and let her down slowly. She was still a bit dizzy and had to take a half-step back to catch her balance.

“What was that about? I could walk!”

“Immy, do you know that guy?” he asked.

“Who?”

“The guy you were scolding in there,” he said, sounding exasperated.

“Who? Dev? Yes, of course I know him.”

“Didn’t seem like you did.”

“Um, well, we’re not best buds or anything,” she said.

“That right there tells me that you don’t know him well.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because a guy like that doesn’t have best buds. That guy has enemies. He has people he hates. And then he has people he doesn’t hate but is indifferent to. You do not want to be one of the people he takes notice of. It won’t end well for you.”

“How do you know that? How do you know Dev? You just met him. I’ve known him for months.”

“Sweetness, he didn’t even remember you. I don’t know why he’s hanging out at the same bar. But you will not be going back there.”

“You don’t get to decide that.” Immy went onto her tiptoes to glare up at him.

He glared back at her.

Rude.

“I do get to decide that.”

“I’m not in any danger. Pretty sure I don’t need an escort.”

“You do. You have one. And you’ll do what I tell you to do.”

“Urgh! You are so infuriating.” She stomped her foot on the ground. “You don’t even know Dev. How can you decide that he’s not a good guy?”

“Because I’ve met a few guys like Dev and I can tell you that they’re dead inside. There’s no soul left in there, Immy. Looked into his eyes, it was all darkness. And you will not be around him.”

23

Jenner glanced up as the door to his studio slammed open.