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My request comes out as a half sob, half whisper, but I think Bastien got the point. His voice rumbles in my ears, oddly comforting. “I’m not asking you to stop, Birdie. I’m asking you to let me help. The florist is our surest bet, but they must be closed by now. If this guy is smart, he would have paid cash anyway, so there’s no point in trying to run cards on their payment system. We’ll handle the florist tomorrow as soon as they open. For now, I want you to relax and catch your breath.”
“But—”
“No buts. Stop working.”
The part of me that isn’t used to being bossed around wants to say something, but I don’t. The other part realizes how nice it feels to have someone looking out for me. Softly, I give in to Bastien’s caring demand. “Okay.”
Then, because I can’t help it, I copy the video and log files as quietly as I can, bookmarking the section where the driver is seen. All this will need to go to Detective Cooper.
“I can still hear you tapping your keyboard, Little Bird. Change this to a video call. You’ve got five seconds to shut down your computer.”
Hovering my mouse over the search button, I hesitate. Bastien’s voice comes low and lethal. “Birdie, I may be a hundred and fifty miles away, but I could still drive there, spank your ass, and be back before morning.”
His warning gives me good shivers, but I release my mouse and hit the video button on my phone screen. Bastien’s face and all-black Knot uniform come into view as he walks from a large conference table into a bedroom. The door closes behind him, and he sets the lock. “Is that them?”
The flowers are visible in the selfie image of my office. “Yes.”
“Put the card in your desk, but don’t remove it from the envelope. We’ll need to have it checked for prints.”
I do as he says, and his voice drops down low. “Good girl. Now, get up and lock your door.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to settle you down so you can sleep tonight.”
As I move to obey, my shivers give way to a flutter in my stomach—way beyond butterflies—waiting for Bastien’s next order. We’re talking albatross flying around in there. “Take off your clothes, Birdie.”
Bastien’s shirt is already off by the time I’m in front of my phone again. He’s releasing his belt, and the fire in his eyes means he’s one hundred percent serious. “But I’m in my office!”
“Are there cameras in your office?”
“No.”
“Everyone is gone, right?”
“Yes,” I squeak.
“I heard your door lock engage, so take off your clothes.”
Bastien sits on the bed and removes his boots before sliding off his tactical pants. “Do I need to repeat myself?”
Fear and embarrassment have blood rushing in my ears, but excitement is also there. Reaching for the hem of my shirt, I grumble, “If I get caught and fired, I’m going to be pissed.”
I reposition my phone so Bastien can watch me instead of my computer screens. The move puts the flowers in my line of sight and the selfie box, meaning Bastien can see them as well. Nope. I let go of my shirt, pick up the vase, and set them on the floor outside my office door. When I reach my office chair again, Bastien is down to his boxers, sitting in a club chair in his dimly lit hotel room. I don’t know if I’m stalling or what, but I turn on my lamp and rush back to the door to turn off the overhead light.
With the flowers gone and the light off, I run out of excuses. All that’s left to do now is strip.
Bastien
Birdie is slow in returning to the camera after flipping off her primary office light. “I hope you’re not trying to hide that beautiful body from me.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing,” she says. “Couldn’t I just go back to the dorm real quick?”
She finally comes back into view, and I wonder if I’m screwing up by making her do this. I forge ahead only because of her words to me yesterday. “No. I want you on edge and on fire to the point you forget everything else. Like you said last night, if I let you leave, we’ll just have to start all over again later. Now, strip.”
Birdie grumbles as she pulls down her leggings, but I don’t miss the sparkle of excitement in her eyes. I’d rather see her angry than quivering in fear like she was a short time ago, but I’ll take adventurous Birdie all day long.
Her shirt goes next, and I’m already hard by the time her tits jiggle free of the sports bra she was wearing. “Sit in your chair and lean all the way back. Good girl. Now, spread your legs for me.”