Page 16 of Caged By the Stranger (Bad Decisions #1)

“All right.” He nods, finally.

I’m holding my breath again for some reason. Now that he’s conceded and I no longer have to do battle, I don’t know why I don’t feel more relieved. Maybe it’s because I still have this damn thing on my cock.

Yeah. I’ll feel relieved once it’s gone.

Warily, I watch him walk over to his desk chair and toss his towel over the back of it. Turning back around, he sets his hands on his lean hips and smiles.

“I take it that means you want to settle up for your violation now, then?”

“Violation? What are you talking about?”

Frowning, he moves to a sideboard and turns down the music. Opening a hatch, a small bar set up is revealed, and he proceeds to mix himself a drink.

“You broke the rules, Charlie. Three to be exact. No talking. No soliciting. No breaching the barrier. You violated the club agreement that you signed, and part of that agreement states that any violations are to be recompensed by a punishment of the club owner’s choosing.”

I didn’t know it was possible to nearly swallow one’s own tongue.

As I stand here trying not to choke on my reaction to his new barrage of ridiculousness, I remember with clarity those absurd rules.

I did talk to him. I asked him to come back, soliciting .

And I stuck my fingers through the portal, breaching the barrier .

But…what the hell did he care? Clearly, he enjoyed it!

“Yeah, I fucking doubt the club owner will care if we settle our differences outside the club. Cut the crap and just go get the key.”

A soft chuckle has the muscles on his stomach rippling in a way I shouldn’t notice as he brings his glass to his lips. Taking a sip, his eyes twinkle as he looks at me. Shrugging, a coy smile turns up at the corner of his mouth.

“I like to diversify my business holdings. What can I say? My father always said not to put all my eggs into one basket.”

I think something in my brain actually detonates at this point. I’ve gone from not breathing to hyperventilating to fuming all in a matter of ten minutes. Of course, he’s the fucking club owner. I fell right into this trap; hook, line, and sinker.

Clenching my fingers into fists, I try to keep my voice even. “Get it the fuck off me. Right now.”

Setting his drink down, he places his hands on the sideboard and leans back on them. It elongates his torso, showing off every single bit of definition of his muscle tone. As if he couldn’t look more smug, he crosses his long legs at the ankles and smiles.

“I’m glad you’re willing to settle up so quickly. I do appreciate an admirable man who can admit his errors. Failure is only failure if you don’t own up to it.”

This prick. He has a screw loose. I swear. He’s not going to make this easy for me, no matter what I say.

“What do you want?” I grit out each word slowly, so he knows just how unfreely I’m giving my compliance with this bullshit recompense.

There’s that pitying look again. “You were new to the club, so I do sympathize with your predicament. You let your feelings get to you and forgot about the rules, I assume.” A soft laugh. “I was there. I remember how…overpowering our exchange was.”

Fuck him. Fuck…him. Don’t let him goad you, Charlie.

“So…” he sighs, standing up and folding his arms. “How about I make this easy on you, since it was your first violation?”

First? He’s fucking dreaming if he thinks I’m ever going back there.

“You came there for pleasure. I have to say, I still find it irresistibly adorable how particular and private you are, so I don’t think a flogging on one of our group flogging nights would be an appropriate repayment for you.”

Flogging? Group flogging? Is he fucking serious?

“I’d hate to see that special charm in you I found so precious to be tainted,” he continues like this is some normal everyday conversation or, worse, a fucking business negotiation.

“Club life isn’t for everyone. You were brave to try it, and I admire that—a man who goes searching for ways to answer his hunger.

So, in light of our…chemistry and your preference for privacy, I think I’ll just ask you for what you came to the club for.

” Lifting his hand to his mouth, he whispers conspiratorially, “No need to send a customer away unsatisfied, even if he did manage to break all the rules in one session.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You wanted to get off, Charlie,” he says casually, walking past me toward the bed. “But you need someone else to do it for you.”

How can he possibly know that? I didn’t tell him. I’ve never told that to a soul.

“Am I wrong?” he asks when I don’t answer.

“I can get off just fine on my own.”

“Hm. I’d like to see that,” he murmurs. “But, let me guess, it’s not quite as fulfilling as when a stranger does it. When another person is involved.”

“Yeah.” I throw my hands up, turning around to face him. “Not at all like most of the other people on the planet. What an enigma I am,” I huff. “Such a punishable offense.”

Chuckling, he reaches into his nightstand drawer and pulls out a hairband.

I watch his fingers comb through his long black hair, pulling it into a short ponytail at the back of his head.

I have to say I prefer it left loose, but that’s neither here nor there since what I’d really prefer is to have this conversation be over with.

“Not really,” he agrees. “That’s why I think helping you get what you came for will be the most fitting way of settling your debt.” Leaning to the side, he pats the mattress. “I’m ready when you are.”

I gape. Nothing he says should surprise me by now, but he can’t possibly mean what I think he does.

“What?” I scoff.

“I’ll consider your violations cleared if you can give us one little orgasm.”

I laugh. Not a chuckle. Not a scoff, but a full-on belly laugh. And then I laugh some more.

“You’re completely fucking mental, aren’t you?”

“Three violations, Charlie,” he says, turning back to his nightstand. “Settled by the very thing that you came to the club for. I think I’m being more than reasonable.”

He is absolutely out of his damn mind. Now I do scoff. “Even if I agreed to settling up your bullshit violations, which would never hold up in court, there’s just one problem—I couldn’t fucking come in this stupid contraption even if I wanted to.”

He turns back from his nightstand with a bottle of lube in his hands, making my breath catch.

How does he keep doing that to me? I’ve never been so taken by surprise by someone this many times.

I stare as he opens the cap and dribbles some on his index and middle fingers.

The fucking gall on him, acting like I’ve already agreed.

“You should make sure to read contracts more thoroughly if you’re considering the promotion.

My legal team is very thorough, Charlie.

You really don’t strike me as the kind of person who’d want to go to court over your wrongdoings, but,”—he lets out a sigh—“if that’s the way you prefer it, I’ll respect your decision.

” Closing the bottle, he sets it back on the nightstand, looking at me so innocently, I almost want to laugh again.

Why does he have to keep saying my name like we’re…

close? It gives me gooseflesh each time he does.

And what’s with dangling the promotion in this fucked up conversation?

Like I even have a chance or even want to work directly under him after this evening.

And, no, I didn’t read the stupid fine print on whatever I signed to get into his club.

I still highly doubt that making someone come as compensation for a private club violation would even be entertained for a court hearing.

He’s right about one thing, however, I sure as hell am not going to push it that far.

No one but us is going to know about this, if I can help it.

“I can’t fucking come in this thing,” I grit. “I…tried. Okay? Now, just go get the fucking key. I’ll pay whatever you want.”

I can’t believe I’m falling for blackmail, but I’m so over this.

And watching him rub the lube together with his other fingers has me trembling.

Not in fear. I wish it were in fear. My body remembers the last time he had lube on his fingers and how good those fingers felt, making my cock twitch inside its barrier. What the hell is wrong with me?

“It makes me so sad that you believe that,” he whispers tenderly.

“I came in mine so many times. They were some of the best releases of my life. You’re missing out, truly.

That alone is worth a try; forget that it’d leave you even with the club.

Think of it as a gift in exchange for the one you offered to me that day you called through the portal. ”

When he takes a step closer to me, my lungs lock up from a punch of unexplainable lust that hits me in the abdomen. Yeah, I asked him to come back, but…but that was before I knew it was him.

How can I be turned on right now? It’s Rory. Rory, who locked me up and didn’t tell me he was my CEO. Never mind that it’s also Rory who has a magic mouth. He’s still a dick.

Me and my stupid fucking kink of being aroused by the unknown.

I’ve never been this turned on face to face with someone, though.

Dark clubs and dark bedrooms, maybe, but never when I have to hear and see a potential partner this much.

Never when I know the guy as much as I’ve come to know Rory. It’s too…personal.

“I…I’m not…you…you’re not fucking me,” I manage, hating the building pressure in my already strained balls.