Page 94 of Sugar

“Come here.”

She must’ve known she’d pushed it far enough because she immediately closed the distance between us.

“When did you hide this?”

“Last week,” she admitted.

I looked down at her as I held out the black card. “I’m not going to tell you again, Madeline. This is yours. Use. It.”

She took it and slipped it into her faded purse that’d seen better days.

I made a mental note to send June on another shopping trip that would undoubtedly include more items for her, but it could wait.

Maddie couldn’t.

Despite her silent compliance, she kept her gaze averted. I didn’t like that.

Gripping her chin, I tilted it back so she had no choice but to look at me. “Whatever the voice is that’s filling your head with bullshit, ignore it. I want you to use it, and that’s all that matters.”

“Got it,” she whispered.

“Do you have schoolwork?” At her headshake, I narrowed my eyes. “Actually no or your version of no that means not until the last second?”

That finally got her to smile. “Actually no.”

“You’re still spending the rest of the day here.”

“I figured,” she said. She started to head for her favored chair, and I let her get a couple steps away before gripping her wrist. Like every time I did it, her wide eyes shot to me.

And like every time I did it, her response shot to my dick.

“I want you next to me while I work today.”

Her lips curved down and her brows lowered. She didn’t voice her clear confusion, though. She reached for the chair opposite my desk with the intention of dragging it around to my side like she’d done when she’d used her big fucking eyes to get me toshow her my system—minus any of the confidential stuff, much to her chagrin.

“I didn’t say anything about the chair,” I said, using my hold to tug her back.

Releasing her, I moved across the room to grab one of the decorative pillows from the couch. It wasn’t as large as the cushions at Gilded, but it would work. I held her gaze as I dropped it on the floor next to my chair.

It was a stupid fucking demand—particularly when I was so busy. If she laughed in my face and left, I would get nothing done. But if she sat? I would spend the day painfully hard.

And still get nothing done.

If I was smart, I would forced a laugh I sure as hell didn’t feel before telling her I was kidding.

I didn’t.

I sat like her obedience was a foregone conclusion when it rarely was. At least not without a thousand questions first. I waited for her to launch in with them.

Or the laughter.

Or maybe for her to use my sharp letter opener to stab me in the dick for suggesting it.

Instead, she pulled her cell from her back pocket and gracefully dropped to her knees.

I didn’t say anything. I did, however, reach behind one of the decorative bullshits in my office to pull out the iced coffee I’d hidden out of view.

She gave a happy gasp. “Thanks.”