Page 122 of The Morally Grey Billionaires Boxset

Cade

"This is stupid." She laughs. The sound is nervous, and she must hear it, too, for she sobers. "Isn’t it?"

"You tell me, Sparrow. You threw water on my face—"

"Because you were being a jerk."

"—and now you have to pay. Fair is fair." I shrug out of my jacket. Without taking my gaze off of her, I loosen my cufflinks and pocket them, then begin to roll up the sleeves of my long-sleeved shirt. Fucking suits, I hate them. But I hate the sound of a lost opportunity more.

I needed to put on my game face, when I was off-field, and impress my potential investors into parting with money.

Of course, the Seven are no fools. And Sinclair Sterling is the most cut-throat of them all.

But he saw the potential in my plan. He, Michael Sovrano, and JJ Kane listened to my plan and agreed on the spot to put in the seed capital I need.

Not that I don’t have my own money, but one lesson I learned a long time ago is that I only ever take a punt with someone else’s money, and never my own.

A belief that’s served me well. One I'm not going to veer from.

Especially not, when it comes to raising funds for my ventures.

I have power, have enough fame, thanks to my status as a leading sports figure.

But what I really crave is the means to hold sway over people’s minds—in other words, use entertainment to influence.

I’m no fool. I’ve been playing for England since I turned nineteen.

I’ll be thirty in three years. If I’m lucky, I can continue playing for another decade, but my body will never recover as quickly as I did in my early twenties.

I need to leverage my reputation and my ability to hold sway over people’s opinions to launch companies that can double, even triple, my investment.

Hence, my decision to pursue an entertainment company, as well as a tech startup, for an idea that will be ground-breaking.

Sure, there's an element of risk in both, but if I can’t stomach that much, then I don’t deserve to make any money.

I finish rolling up both sleeves, then look up at her.

"Giving in then?" I take a step forward.

She yelps, then scampers to the side. I move forward, and she races around the breakfast counter.

She runs toward the door, and I let her.

Just because I can. Because I prefer to play with my prey before I capture them.

Nothing like the aromatic scent of fear to make the chase more exciting.

She darts out of the kitchen, and I follow her.

She races into the hallway and into the bedroom.

In half the time it took her to get there, I’m in the room, past the bed, and headed toward the ensuite bathroom, which she’s stepped into.

Before she can shut the door, I plant my foot in the crack, preventing her from closing it.

She stumbles back, and I shove the door open, then plant my hands on both sides of the frame.

"Ready for your punishment?"

She swallows. "You’re crazy."

"But you knew that already." I smirk.

"I never should have allowed you inside the house."

"Too late." I’m in, baby, and I’m never leaving you alone again. I reach forward, and she yells and backs away, but this time, I’m too quick for her. I grab her and throw her over my shoulder.

"Let me go," she screams and wriggles about, so I slap her gorgeous ample butt.

She freezes, then in turn, brings down her joined-up palms into the small of my back. "Unhand me, you…you oaf."

"That the best you can do?" I prowl over to her bed, sit down, then place her across my lap. She squirms about, trying to get free, but I secure her with an arm over her upper thighs. I lean my weight on her, and her movements slow.

"Wh-what are you going to do?" Her voice is breathless.

"I’m going to spank you for what you did."

"D-don’t do it," she pleads.

"Worried you’ll enjoy it too much?"

She scoffs. "I… I’ll tell Knight about this."

"No, you won’t."

"How can you be so confident?"

"Because I know you, Sparrow. You’re not going to run to your brother with complaints about me, not when he’s busy training for his next tour of duty."

Yep, Knight joined the army. He had a chance to join the national cricket team with me. He is, in fact, the only person who I’ll concede is better at the game than me. Not that I’ll admit that to anyone. But he turned down the chance at the big bucks, for a chance to serve his country.

Unlike me. I chose the money.

He chose the honorable way forward. Typical Knight. Of course, when you come from wealth, like he and Abby do, you tend to take it for granted. I didn’t grow up poor, but there was enough lack in my early years that I was determined to make the pursuit of money my passion.

So why am I here instead? Why am I not on the pitch practicing my game, or in another boardroom consolidating my next multi-million-dollar sponsorship?

Or fucking the woman—the one I'd been en route to meet? Why am I in this tiny, one-bedroom flat with my best-friend’s sister sprawled over my lap with her sweet tush in the air, ready and waiting for me to introduce her to the erotic effects of spanking?

I cup her arse cheek, and she shivers. I squeeze her rounded flesh, and her entire body jolts. The muscles of her back are so tightly wound, she’s going to get a headache.

"Shh, relax now." I drag my palm up her spine toward her neck. "Loosen your shoulders."

She does.

"Good girl."

She draws in a sharp breath. Interesting.

I do believe she liked it when I said that.

I continue to caress her, from her lower back to below her head, and again.

The tension drains from her muscles. Inch by inch, her body grows heavier.

Her hair hangs down either side of her face, covering her features.

That’s when I raise my hand and bring it down on her butt again.

She gasps. "Why did you do that? Why did you wait until I was all relaxed?"

"Because it hurts more then." It’s not true, but I know it will aggravate her.

"What the—" She begins to turn her head, but I grasp the back of her neck and hold her in place.

Then I bring my palm down on her arse again.

She huffs. I spank her again and again, alternating arse cheeks.

She tries to wiggle away, but I tighten my hold on her until she stills.

I continue to wallop her, until finally, she yells, "Stop that. Let me go, you big bully."

"Okay." I release my hold on her, then stand up so she hits the ground on her hands and knees.

"Ow!" She stares up at me from where she’s sprawled out on the floor. "That hurt, you jerk-face."

"Good." I straighten my shirtsleeves, then pull out my cufflinks and refasten them. I turn and head toward the door…

"Stop, where are you going?"

I continue out of the bedroom, toward the main door of the apartment, when I hear footsteps. The next thing I know, she brushes past me, turns around and bars the exit. "That hurt, you wankface."

"Not as much as you hurt me."

She looks away, then back at me.

"Why did you track me down, Cade? I don’t hear from you for years, then here you are. Why?"

"Just because you didn’t hear from me, doesn’t mean I didn’t know where you were."

She blinks, then shakes her head. "What do you mean? Were you keeping track of me? Did you have me followed, were you stalking me?"

Yes. I allow my lips to curl. "Don’t flatter yourself. I’ve kept in touch with Knight. Clearly, he didn’t mention it to you."

Her forehead crinkles. "You speak with Knight?"

"At least every other month. We meet from time to time, too."

Her shoulders slump. "He never told me."

"Not my problem." I slap my palm against the door, then lean in close enough to fill my lungs with her sweet, innocent scent. Not that innocent, though. Not after what she did to me in high school. I was fooled by the clarity of her eyes, by her angelic looks, by her pretense of being someone I could trust. Turns out, I couldn’t. I’ve never forgiven her for it.

And I never will. And now, she's going to pay.

"Out of my way, Sparrow."

She gulps, then tips up her chin. "And if I refuse?"

"Do you want me to stay? Do you want me to find out how aroused you are from that spanking I gave you? Or maybe you want me to spank your pussy this time and make you orgasm from the pain?"

Her breath hitches. Her pupils dilate. She parts her lips and stares at me, the look in her eyes both stricken and turned on.

"Well damn"—I search her features— "apparently, the poor little rich girl grew up to be naughtier than I expected."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"I’d love to stay and explain. However, I have places to be, things to do; and none of them involve denying my best friend’s little sister an orgasm."

"Deny me?" She blinks. "Why would you deny me an orgasm?"

"Because I’m not going to let you come, baby.

I’m going to tease you, and taunt you, and bring you to the edge.

I’m going to touch you all over, squeeze your nipples, pinch your clit, toy with your back hole, and maybe your slit, too, if I feel like it.

I’m going to raise you to a fever pitch of wanting, and then—"

"Then?" She swallows.

"Then…nothing." I grip her waist, lift her, and place her aside. I push the door open, then turn. "Oh, be ready at six p.m. tomorrow; you’re coming with me."