Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Stafford paced back and forth in front of the naughty brat sitting on his bed.
What the hell did she think she was doing?
Not only had she snuck into his room, but she’d stayed and watched him in the shower.
She’d watched while he’d brought himself to orgasm and cried out her name.
Fucking hell.
He’d opened the shower door and barked at her to freeze before pulling a towel around himself.
And now he had to decide what to do with her.
“Am I fired?” she whispered.
He stilled in front of her. Hands on hips, he glared down at her. She bit her lip, staring up at him nervously.
He should fire her.
That would be the smart thing to do. Get rid of her. She was too tempting.
After that kiss, he’d been doing his best to avoid her.
And you’ve been miserable.
Not only did he miss her, but Grandpa Jack was upset with him for upsetting her.
It was a fucking mess.
So getting rid of her would be smart. Things could go back to how they were before.
Right. Where all he did was work. Where his life was cold and boring. Where Grandpa Jack was miserable and alone.
He closed his eyes for a moment. And what would firing her do for her?
She’d end up homeless and alone.
No. Not happening. She worked for him. She was his responsibility. And he wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.
But he also couldn’t let this go unpunished.
Stafford didn’t know where this side of himself came from. Sure, he was a dominant guy, but he’d never felt this need to spank someone for being naughty.
All the spankings he’d dished out had been at his partner’s request. They’d been for fun.
This was going to be pure punishment.
Except . . . should he spank her? Or should he give her a taste of her own medicine?
“Did you enjoy watching me pleasure myself?” he asked.
She swallowed heavily.
Oh, he knew she’d enjoyed it. He just wanted to hear her say it. He could tell from the flush in her cheeks, the way she kept sneaking peeks at him, then glancing away.
She desired him.
That wasn’t in question.
Neither was the fact that he wanted her. Obviously, he didn’t just jerk off to the thought of any woman.
Or cry out their name.
Fuck.
All of that work avoiding her for the last week and he’d just gone and completely unraveled it.
And now he was taking it a step further. There was no going back, though.
She’d watched him jerk off.
And now she’d pay the price.
“Well?” he prompted.
Blakely bit down on her lip harder. Reaching out, he freed her lip.
“Don’t do that. You’re not allowed to hurt yourself. But you do have to answer the question.”
Her mouth felt so soft and wet. And he ran his finger along her lower lip, watching as her eyes widened further. Her breathing hitched.
“Well, baby? Did you enjoy watching me touch myself? Is that why you invaded my privacy like that?” He drew his finger away.
“I’m sorry,” she replied. “I didn’t know you were showering. I was bringing in your laundry and then I . . . well, I saw you and then I . . . then I . . .”
“Then you decided to stay and sneak peeks at me while I was in the shower?” he murmured.
“I, um, I . . . I meant to leave. I turned away and then you said my name. I thought that maybe . . .”
“Maybe, what? That me saying your name meant I wanted you to stay?”
She wasn’t exactly wrong.
The only thing was, if he’d known she was standing there, he wouldn’t have called out her name like that.
“Maybe?”
“Hmm. You don’t sound too sure. But that wasn’t what I asked you, was it, baby? I didn’t ask for your reasons or excuses. Although we will go back to why you are working at ten-thirty at night.”
That wasn’t acceptable.
He thought he’d made it clear that she was to keep certain hours. Obviously he needed to keep a closer eye on her.
It’s going to be hard to keep a close eye on her when you’re avoiding her.
“I was just putting laundry away. It’s not difficult.”
“You’re not to work past the hours I set for you,” he told her firmly. “Do it again and you’ll be in trouble.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “How would you know?”
Stafford narrowed his gaze at her. “I will know. I know everything.”
It was a tall claim.
She scoffed. “You can’t know everything.”
“Wanna try me?”
Fuck. She was biting her lip again. She was killing him here. He could feel his cock hardening. He wasn’t a young guy. He didn’t immediately get hard after coming anymore.
And now he was growing hard again.
While only wearing a towel.
This wasn’t going to end well.
“Stay there,” he ordered, before grabbing a pair of boxers and some pajama bottoms. He moved into his bathroom and quickly put them on, throwing his towel at the towel rail.
It missed, falling on the floor.
He walked out to find her still sitting there.
He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not. Because if she’d left, he’d have had to make a decision whether to chase her down or not.
This is so unprofessional.
You shouldn’t trap her in your bedroom.
But if she really wanted to leave, she could. And she’d been the one watching him.
So he was going with his gut on this.
However, he did walk over and kneel in front of her. He didn’t want to loom over her for this part.
“I’m going to be real clear on something. Are you listening?”
She nodded but wasn’t looking at him. Blakely had a bit of an issue with focusing sometimes.
And she needed to be brought back into the here and now.
Right now, she was staring at his chest, obviously transfixed. So he wasn’t too upset that she wasn’t paying close attention to what he was saying.
Reaching out, he grasped hold of her chin and tilted her face back.
“Blakely, eyes on me,” he said firmly.
She blinked. “What?”
“I want to make something clear and you’re to look at my face while I tell you, okay?”
Her lower lip drooped out in a pout. “Okay, but after, can I go back to staring at your chest?”
He groaned. “You are not helping me here, Blakely.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. What do you need my help with?” she asked sweetly.
My control.
Keeping my hands off you.
Not fucking my employee.
Yeah, all of that was kind of out the window now.
“I need you to listen. If you want to leave right now, you can.”
“Leave the ranch?” she asked.
Fuck.
Now her lower lip was wobbling.
“Baby, no,” he said quickly.
But it was clear she wasn’t listening. Crap, he’d lost her.
“You’re firing me!” she cried frantically. “I’m so sorry! I know it was wrong! I won’t do it again.”
Great. Now he felt like a complete asshole.
“Blakely, you are not fired.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Baby, am I the boss?”
“Welll, Grandpa Jack tells me he’s the boss.”
“He’s not the boss of you.” He lightly squeezed her chin. “I am the boss of you. Say it back to me.”
“I am the boss of you.”
Hmm. Those tears were drying off, and there was a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.
Brat.
“You know what I meant. I am the boss of you. And you best not forget it. But what I am going to say is very important. You can leave my bedroom right now and things will go back to being professional between us. I will forget that you saw me jerk off and so will you.”
Impossible, he knew.
But he’d try if that’s what she wanted.
“Or,” she whispered.
“Or, you stay. And I punish you for what just happened.”
“Why would I want to stay and be punished?” she asked, looking bewildered.
“Maybe for the same reason you didn’t run out of here the moment you saw me naked? Because you want me. You want this. But are you going to take what you want or walk away? Either way, I will not be upset. Understand?”