Page 43 of The Toy Maker

Most of Pink Cherrie’scustomers had already purchased their naughty toys and left by the time I arrived the next day. As always, the door chimed when I entered and alerted Kitty of my entrance.

“Welcome home,” Kitty greeted me from behind the desk.

I shook my head with a grin. “You really know how to make a girl feel special.”

Kitty’s bangs fell over her face as she laughed. “All night long, darlin.”

I looked through the pile of new toys by the desk.

She added, “You’re not scheduled to work today.” Kitty looked away from the computer and watched me shrug.

“Yeah.” I met her curious gaze. “I figured I should see what Jason wanted last night. I blew him off right before I left.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, he didn’t like that.”

“He didn’t look too happy,” I confessed, “but I’m here now.”

“Let’s see if that makes a difference.” She winked and went back to crunching numbers while chewing on a pen. The calculator crunched under her fingertips, the sparkling pink paint on her nails nearly distracting me.

I thought back to Ethan’s question and wondered how Kitty ended up working at Pink Cherrie. I opened my mouth to ask, but Jason cut me off.

“Tara,” his voice echoed through the room, “I need to speak to you.” He stood by the back hallway, watching me jump from his sudden appearance.

Jason strolled over to me with no recognition of Kitty watching from her desk.

She whistled, “You’re going to get a spanking.”Am I?I had spent most of the night wondering what happened during their meetings, only to perk up at the mention of being alone with him again.

The closer he came, the more I believed Kitty’s prediction.

“I need to see you in my workroom,” he said a little louder so I couldn’t pretend to not hear him.

“What’s the magic word?” I turned to face his pale green eyes and challenge his commands.

Kitty stifled a laugh while Jason rolled his eyes. “Now,” he demanded.

Someone must have forgotten how to use the word “please”.

I sighed and followed His Majesty back to his domain. The door creaked shut behind us, and I stayed alert of my surroundings. The only light in the room came from a bronze lamp sitting in the corner, basking the sofa in a warm glow.

Jason took a seat in the office chair by his desk. While the workshop resembled the aftermath of a hurricane, his living space was painfully tidy.

“What did you want to talk about?” I tried to speed up our meeting.

Being in a secluded room with his wandering eyes did nothing to prevent the naughty scenarios threatening to pollute my mind.

His eyes met mine. “There’s another toy I want you to test.”

“That’s all?” I pursed my lips.

“What were you expecting?”A firm smack to the ass.

“An apology.” I knew if I kept lying, I would give Pinocchio a run for his money.

“For what?” He blinked, playing dumb.

I couldn’t help but scoff, “Forget it.”

Jason held back a chuckle, making frustration boil inside me. My overactive temper bubbled and twisted into an ugly shape. Instead of plotting my inevitable revenge, I swiveled on my heel and headed for the exit.