17. New Perspective
NEW PERSPECTIVE
Marlon.
I walked in to hear the loudest, worst singing of my life.
“Fuck, this movie is so good! Again!”
“We already watched it twice, Ms. Rodriguez,” the TaskRabbit guy said, slouched into my couch like he paid bills here.
Rory stood in front of the TV, one hand on her hip, the other waving dramatically at the screen.
“But you are not getting the context of the movie!” she snapped, turning on him. “You have to understand the complexities of Tiana being a Black woman at the time and what it meant for her to open up a restaurant with no help! From her own damn pockets!”
“We understand that, Ms. Rodriguez—” Lavender tried, standing near the armrest with a blanket folded awkwardly in her hands.
“Do you see what they said about her background?”
“Yes. I—”
“What the fuck are y’all three doing in my house?!”
My voice cut through everything. Rory turned immediately and smiled.
“Oh good! You’re home! I was just about to restart! Wanna watch?”
I stepped further in, taking in the mess with a slow sweep of my eyes—blankets on the floor and pillows thrown around.
“Aurora,” I said, voice flat. “Why are you in my house? And why in God’s name is the place a mess?!”
“We were looking for blankets,” she waved me off. “In here is freezing. Plus Chewy needed a place to nap.”
I looked in the corner and sure enough, the rat was on my blanket, snoozing away.
“I know you ain’t got that Goddamn dog on my shit.”
“What was I supposed to do, Marlon? The two of us were cold after you hosed us off!”
I looked her over and she was definitely in something new. “Cut the bullshit. I know you showered after that. You just wanted to fuck with me because I told you no.”
“I told her not to come here sir but she wouldn’t listen—” Lavender added quickly.
“If I were you, I’d shut it.”
Her mouth closed immediately, eyes dropping.
“Rude!” Rory snapped, turning back to me. “How would you like it if someone spoke to you like you speak to her?”
“You shut it too,” I said, stepping closer. “All y’all clean this shit up and get out!”
“I don’t get paid enough for this,” the TaskRabbit guy muttered, already grabbing the things off the ground, throwing them on the couch next to Lavender and heading out the door. Lavender started folding immediately.
“I’m not your maid,” Rory said, folding her arms.
“You made the mess!”
“Calm down, Marley.” She walked right up to me and poked me in the chest. “None of this would’ve happened if you let me come over when I asked.”
Usually, this was a kind of foreplay for us. I let her get away with a lot of brattish behavior but she took it upon herself to invite an audience. And this audience worked for me. I couldn’t just let my staff see me give her special privileges. Actions have consequences.
“Aurora.”
“What?”
“Why are you touching me?”
“Why can’t I?” she shot back, chin lifting slightly.
“You know why.”
She tilted her head, dragging it out just to irritate me. “Hm. I don’t remember you telling me why. Can you remind me of the setting in which you told me this particular fact about yourself? I can’t recall.”
I closed my eyes for a second, breathing in through my nose, forcing myself not to react how I wanted to.
“Lavender.”
“Y-yes?”
“Go home. Now. And expect a write up tomorrow.”
“Yes sir.”
“Wait—you can’t write her up,” Rory cut in immediately, stepping between us slightly. “It was my idea and she was just doing as I say.”
“Even worse. She abused her position as my assistant to grant access to my house without permission. She’s lucky she’s only getting a write up.”
“It’s fine. Really,” Lavender reassured Rory.
“I said no to the write up.”
“I don’t care what you say, Aurora. My mind is made up. End of discussion.”
She held my gaze, unblinking, pushing right back at me.
“Lav,” she said, still staring at me, “me and Mr. Sinclair are having sex.”
What. The. Fuck.
“Multiple times at this point. So if he ever feels the need to threaten punishment, kindly remind him that my father will not approve of that fact.”
“AURORA.”
“Let’s call it job security,” she added, finally turning to Lavender. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“I—um… I can’t— I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye. Goodnight, Mr. Sinclair.”
She rushed out, closing the door behind her. I stood there for a second, staring at the door. Then I looked back at Rory. She was smirking.
Wide. Proud even.
Like she had won or something.
And that made a smile pull at my mouth before I could stop it. Then it broke into a laugh.
Light at first before getting deep.
And as I laughed, I watched her expression change. The smirk faded and confusion replaced it.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Hm.” I stepped toward her slowly. “Seeing that you so bravely self-sacrificed for Lavender… I’m assuming you’re ready to take her punishment on top of your own?”
A blank stare.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“On top of my own? What did I do?”
Seriously?
“Let’s see.” I kept closing the distance between us. “Broke into my house.”
“I was let in.”
“Not by me,” I stepped closer. “By my assistant, who you told our business too.”
“To be fair, you never said I couldn’t tell anyone. You said I got a terrible habit of not keeping my mouth shut. But you didn’t really say I had too. I agreed not to tell my dad but we never discussed not telling anyone else.”
“It was implied.”
She shrugged. “You should’ve gotten it in writing.”
My eye was doing the Harlem shake.
“Oh, so you think you smart,” I took another step closer and she backed up. “And what about the mess you made in my living room?”
“It was already like that when we got here.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Wanna add lying to the list?”
“N-no.”
“Right.” I took another step, close enough now to see her thinking. “And who could forget touching me?”
I watched the playfulness drain from her face.
“Uh-oh?”
“Uh-oh.”
She sighed, shoulders dropping just slightly.
“Can I at least get a head start?”
“You can. Running makes it worse though.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“Ten seconds.”
“Fifteen.”
“Five.”
“Fuck, really?”
I held a finger up. “One.”
She took off running, down the hall and up the stairs, like she actually thought she had a chance.
I stayed where I was for a moment, letting her go, shaking my head slightly. I even gave her a few extra seconds as I checked on the dog.
Then I pushed off and followed.
Didn’t matter how fast she ran.
Didn’t matter where she tried to hide.
I found her within the minute, just past the guest room, pressed up against the wall like that was supposed to hide her.
She peeked around the corner, saw me, and sucked her teeth.
“Damn. You fast.”
I walked toward her, giving her time to run again if she wanted.
She didn’t. She loved this game too much.
“You give up?” I asked.
She folded her arms, “I mean… you caught me. What else you want me to do?”
I stopped right in front of her. Close enough that she had to tilt her head up to look at me. No heels today.
“Don’t play with me, Aurora.”
“I’m not playing,” she said, but her tone said otherwise.
I reached out and caught her wrist when she tried to shift past me, pinning it lightly against the wall beside her head.
Her breath hitched.
“Okay,” she pushed. “So what… you gonna lecture me?”
That slick mouth. That attitude. Her breaking in here after I said no. It’s like she was craving punishment. I stepped in closer, closing the space between us completely.
“Nah.”
Her back pressed flatter against the wall.
“Then what?”
I took her other wrist, bringing both down in front of her, holding them there in one hand.
Her body stilled.
That was the moment she realized this wasn’t just talking anymore.
“Ass or face?”
She looked at me like a deer in headlights.
My grip tightened slightly.
“Choose.”
“Face.”
I was a bit surprised myself.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
The slap came quick. She winced but took it, looking me dead in the eyes after. I gave another one. Same thing. Again and again. Slap after slap, ‘til her face turned red and she bit her lip.
“You want me to stop?” I asked.
Her brows pulled together like this didn’t faze her. “Stop what?”
“This,” I said, holding her there. “You want me to let you go, you say it.”
She went quiet.
“…no,” she said after a second.
I held her eyes.
“You sure?”
She nodded once. “Yeah.”
That was all I needed. She tensed but didn’t fight it. I thought I should stop, even though it wasn’t slaps that used all my strength. Still, I shifted my grip again, firming it enough to leave no question about who was in charge in this moment. The last one cracked against her cheek, loudly.
Her reaction was quick.
A sharp inhale, then a break in that steady attitude she kept so tight.
“Still think I’m playing?” I asked.
She shook her head slightly, lips pressing together now.
“Good.”
My hand stayed even as she shifted slightly under my hold.
“Next time,” I said, voice lower now, “you don’t run your mouth like that in my house. And don’t you dare do something after I told you no.”
She didn’t argue. “Yes, Marlon.”
That was new. I eased my grip slowly, giving her the chance to pull away.
She didn’t. I used that opportunity to bury my hand in her underwear. Just as I expected, they were soaked.
“Rabbit.” I held her dark eyes. “You ever heard of fisting?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think you could do that? For me?”
She nodded. “I’ll do anything for you, Marlon.”
I grinned a wicked grin.
“Anything?”
The next few hours were brutal.
I had her tied down to the bed, legs open as I gave her orgasm after orgasm, all while making her count them out loud.
“How much are we at now?” I asked out of breath.
Rory raised her head weakly. “Twenty-one.”
“Hm.” I cracked my neck. “I like my shit done by fives so we going to thirty.”
“Thirty?!” Her head shot up then. “Why can’t we go to twenty-five?”
It was a trap, and she fell for it.
“You questioning me, Ms. Rodriguez?”
I smirked at her face of realization.
“Fuck,” she muttered under her breath.
“Ass or face?”
“Ass.”
SMACK.