Their Forever - Chloe Kent Page 0,22

himself.

“Liam?” In all her wildest permutations of her upcoming punishment, she would have never guessed this one. Had Liam lost his mind? The last man who tried to touch her had suffered a broken arm all in the view of every guest at one of those fancy dinners they went to when he’d probably unconsciously placed his arm over Olivia's shoulder.

Liam had asked the newcomer into their circle once to remove his hand, and the man, a little tipsy already, had said he meant nothing by it; it was just a friendly gesture and did it again, this time slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her into him. Before Olivia could even jerk out of his grasp, Liam was there, and a few seconds later the man lay writhing on the floor of the marble tile with Liam down on his haunches delivering his warning, that the next time he would break his neck.

No one touched her, not as long as she belonged to Liam Stone.

Her inability to understand what was happening had her standing there dumbfounded for a few precious moments.

“Liam, what are you doing?” she asked, coming to her senses. Desperation made her voice husky. Her body trembled uncontrollably as Kade stepped farther into the study. He wore the chauffeur's suit with such casualness, she hated that he seemed to be disrespecting the attire John had worn with such pride. His hair brushed back with his fingers again still looked a little damp from his shower.

She took a step back as she stood next to Liam. Except for the same height, they shared nothing else. Where Liam was a kingly lion with his liquid-brown eyes and aura of charismatic charm and wealth, Kade was a green-eyed beast of another category altogether. His beard was scruffy, his hair too long, his attitude to brazen, and he was only the help.

Was he blackmailing Liam? Is that why Liam was giving him such liberties? Her husband lived a dangerous life; she was well aware of that. He had more enemies than he did friends.

Yet even as she thought of it, she knew it was impossible. Liam would never put himself in a position to be blackmailed, and if he were, he had other methods to deal with it. Also, she didn't quite understand it, but she was right about there being a familiarity about them, and Liam, for some weird reason, seemed to like this Kade Tremayne. He trusted him with his life. With her life. Why? What was happening?

“Liam, you're not serious?” she whispered, losing ground. Liam never minced words or made empty threats. And she considered this a threat. She couldn't explain why, but the thought of Kade touching her punctured her resolve to smithereens. What was wrong with her. Why was Liam doing this to her?

“I am completely serious, my little one. And it would be in your best interest to take your punishment with the grace and decorum I’ve taught you. Or have I failed you as a Master?”

Everything tripled in intensity for her. Her quaking nerves sizzled under her skin; her panties were properly drenched now at the tone of Liam's authoritative voice. He had trained her well. So well the idea of being retrained turned her on all over again, signifying the strange craving Liam had allowed to blossom inside her.

He was her protector. Her owner. Her master.

And there was nothing she couldn't do for him, wouldn't do for him. But this… anything but this.

She closed the distance between her and Liam, clutching his pristinely cut suit. She opened her mouth to plead with him.

“Are you going to obey your master, sweetheart?” Liam cut her off before she could utter her first word. He curled his large hand around her nape, his grasp firm and unapologetic as his thumb stroked her jaw. The power of his touch surged through her.

When he held her that way, she was instantly reduced to nothing and everything all at once.

Under any other circumstance, she would have bent over backward to please him, to do whatever it was he asked of her. She would have acquiesced unquestioningly. Done his bidding, no matter how big or small.

But today, in this instance, how could she? She shook her head.

“Liam, please don't do this to me,” she whispered, soft enough that she hoped it was only for his ears even though Kade stood by closely. Yet as she beseeched him, she understood this was indeed her punishment for being rude.

“Olivia?” Just