fingers into me and puts weight behind his drive, holding himself deep. My legs begin to wobble, and just when I’m about to defy his insistence on keeping quiet so I can bellow my desire, he pulls free of me harshly and slaps me clean across my arse. I jerk forward, making the huge door rattle on its hinges. ‘Mine,’ he growls, beginning to rub some life back into my burning flesh. ‘If everyone remembers that, then no one will get hurt.’ He pushes his lips to my temple and breathes through his kiss, caging me in from behind as he pulls my knickers into place and my dress back down. I’m dazed, still turned on, and absolutely staggered. There’s a huge part of me that’s thrilled he’s staked such a violent claim, but I can’t ignore the tiny piece of me that’s worried. His promise, and I have no doubt that it’s a promise, isn’t referring to him or me getting hurt. He isn’t speaking of emotional damage to either one of us. He’s talking about physical hurt. I need to avoid Brent Wilson at all costs.
I allow him to turn me in his arms until I’m facing him, my eyes rooted on the knot of his tie. I’m worried about what I might see if I look into his angel eyes, but I’m given little option when my chin is tipped up to meet his face. ‘I love you,’ he says clearly, softly, a million miles away from the threat of his voice a minute ago.
I laugh. I can’t help it. And God love him, he frowns at my reaction to his swinging mood.
‘Have I said something funny?’ he asks, stepping back, injured.
The tips of my fingers meet my forehead and press into my skin. ‘No.’ I shake my head, thinking better than to try and explain. He’s a total novice at affection.
‘Then why are you laughing?’
‘You’re behaving like a Neanderthal.’
His cute head cocks when I glance at him. ‘Explain.’
‘Possessive. Are you going to spank me every time you feel under threat?’
‘I’m not under threat.’
‘No?’
‘No.’ He snubs my claim and puts his hands on my hips, hunkering down to get his eyes level with mine. ‘Because you love me.’ He grins, and I mirror it. ‘Don’t you?’
‘Yes.’
‘And you love me spanking you, don’t you?’
‘I’d love it more if you made me come when you spank me.’
His grin stretches, spanning his entire handsome face. ‘You didn’t answer my text within five minutes.’
I gape at him, outraged. ‘You can’t punish me in our private life for something I do in our professional life.’
‘I can,’ he counters, reaching past me and pulling open the door. ‘We’ll call it a job incentive.’
I’m speechless as he ushers me from the library. Taking my hand, he walks us down the corridor leisurely, peeking down at me with that adorable grin. ‘I’m loving the new dynamics of our working relationship.’
I shake my head. He’s such a juvenile sometimes. ‘You’re a twat.’
Becker laughs and straightens the frame of a picture as we pass. ‘Yes, a holier-than-thou one, apparently. And you love me.’
Chapter 12
The following Tuesday, I stroll into Becker’s office to discuss the upcoming sale of a Dalí, finding the elaborate space empty. I take a seat at his grand desk and try calling him, but it rings off, and I lean back, wondering where he could be.
My eyes cast over to the bookcase where his secret room is beyond, and I bite my lip, slowly rising. It helps him relax. A couple of times over the weekend he disappeared for a few hours. And a couple of times I found grey smudges on his face. Is he relaxing now?
I narrow my eyes on the bookcase where I know the entrance to be, as I round the desk tentatively and edge towards it, listening for any sounds beyond. Nothing. So I feel up the bookcase, finding it flush. I pout, edging away, slowly taking myself back to his desk. I lower to the chair, thinking. How long did it take him to masterfully craft that fake? How long was he plotting to rip off Brent Wilson and clear the path for his treasure hunt?
The home screen on his computer seizes my attention. The Google search bar is empty. Begging to be filled. Curiosity and intrigue seems to growing in me by the day.
My fingers are tapping before I can stop them, and I hit enter. The page loads with various articles, and I scroll through them,