Richard's Reign (Book 6): Enthrall Novella #3 (Enthrall Sessions) (6 page)

I could have had Chrysalis’s official driver pick me up from Cameron’s, but I’d spent New Year’s Eve drinking with him.

Cam had invited Leo, myself, and Mia back to his place for a late night soiree after Andrea Buckingham’s party had gone south when Zie had turned up.

Too tipsy to drive home, I’d shacked up for the night in one of Cam’s guest bedrooms. Leo had promised to retrieve my car from Doheny Drive.

I had no plans on ever going back.

Oh no…

I vaguely remembered sweeping up Andrea in a whirl of passion and inappropriateness for a first meeting.
That’s right
, my addled brain caught up,
she wants to be your sub for a few weeks.
Or perhaps I’d dreamt that in a haze of
Piper-Heidsieck
Champagne that I’d quaffed a little too much of last night.

What was post-asshole etiquette? Sending flowers? A note? A phone call? Hell, chances are I’d never get put through to her phone.

I scrolled through mine and caught sight of my conversation sent via text to Andrea last night while partying at Cam’s house.

My frown deepened.

Reading my messages, I saw I’d delivered a virtual spanking to Andrea, apparently. That would be the last time I’d hear from her then.

I really was fucking up in all departments.

Note to self: Hanging out with bestie and his new girlfriend - who used to be my girlfriend? Bad idea.

My lingering hangover worsened.

Closing the front door behind me, I heard Winston’s paws patting toward me.

That familiar sound of home - my dog’s toenails tearing along the hardwood floors.

My English bulldog made sure I never felt consumed by the vastness of my four bedroom home in Malibu. Its generous living room had a long glass wall overlooking the pool, and beyond the well-tended garden lay a path that led down to the golden sandy beach - that rejuvenating ocean a minute’s walk away.

Memories of Mia flooded in.

I shook my head to clear them.

At nine in the morning the brightness of the place was blinding, and though I’d had enough time to sober up, I still needed my sunglasses. An ocean-sized ice-cold glass of lemon-water, pancakes, coffee and a morning swim would clear my head.

I beat
Winston to the kitchen, only to hear his paws do a 180, as he turned the corner fast and leaped into my lap. I nuzzled against his silly face and ran my hands up and down his fur.

“Hey, Winnie.” I laughed at his enthusiasm.

Most owners would never be able to leave their pet alone when fireworks were set to light up the night sky, but nothing bothered my goofy mutt. He merely napped soundly until I got home.

I felt startled when I saw that his water bowl was full. Usually he’d have the thing sucked dry by the time I’d gotten home.

I sprang up.

A young woman stood in the shadows.

What the fuck!

Her black complexion was flawless, her physique pure athlete, her khakis and matching T-shirt suggesting military - her severity only barely softened by her prettiness.

Winston barked. My head pounded with a rush of blood. I reached for my sunglasses to better see, but they flew off and skidded across the floor.

“Hello, sir,” said the woman calmly.

“It’s okay, buddy,” I said, calming Winston.

My body felt frozen - I couldn’t move, couldn’t run. My mouth stuck shut and my brain flew into overdrive.

Her gaze darted around the kitchen, as though assessing any possible danger.

“Did I scare you, sir?” she whispered, raising her hand to reassure me.

I wanted to say, “
Who the hell are you?”
But I didn’t. I forced my expression to remain calm. “Good morning.” My heart thundered as I tried to slow my breathing.

A million possibilities ran through my head: she worked for one of my father’s enemies and they’d found me? Her family had lost money because of mine? Perhaps I’d stumbled in on a burglary?

She seemed so composed.

Shit.
Where were the others?

And how many?

Had she been expecting me?

Her smile was out of place. “I’m Emma.” She held out her phone. “Mr. Gardner’s on the line. He wants to talk to you.”

“You work for him?” My voice sounded strained.

Glancing down at Winston, I suddenly realized with horror that he’d been alone with her in the house.

My hand shook as I grabbed a Smartphone off the counter, doubting the wisdom of closing the gap between us.

I snapped the phone to my ear. “Shay?”

“Hey there, buddy,” he clipped back merrily.

“Start talking,” I seethed.

“Happy New Year.”

He was close to getting a
fuck you
. “Why is there a stranger in my house?”

“Emma works for me. We upped the security while we were in London, remember?”

It was too late to pull back on my frown.

I spun round and faced the wall. “Shay, you speak to me before setting something like this up. I nearly had a goddamned heart attack.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Next time I see you…”

“Calm down and let me explain—”

“A text would have been nice.”

I yanked open the fridge door. Reaching in, I grabbed a bottle of water, twisted the cap open with my teeth and spat out the lid. I gulped down the water like I’d been trapped on a desert island for weeks.

I kept the phone crushed to my ear.

“Are you still there?” said Shay.

“No.”

“Cameron gave me the night off. I’m in Santa Monica Harbor, remember? I did invite you. I took the yacht out with Arianna and Henry. How was your evening?”

“Does everyone know where the hell I was tonight?”

“Just me.”

“And your team?”

“Obviously.”

“Might want to change your business name from CyberVape to Stalkers-Are-Us.”

He chuckled. “So how was the party?”

“I want a complete list of all your staff. With photos. By this afternoon.”

“Sure.”

I glanced warily at the woman. “Did Cameron set this up?”

“No.”

“Explain then.”

“Is your phone dead?”

“Might be. Might have turned it off so everyone leaves me the fuck alone.”

“There was a breech in your security. Emma followed protocol.”

“Breech?”

Emma tilted her head toward the hallway that led to the south bedroom, and I followed her gaze.

Andrea Buckingham stood in the doorway - wearing one of my shirts. I assumed she was completely naked under it. She blinked at me as though she’d just woken up.

“She broke in?” I muttered.

“Hi, Richard,” said Andrea sheepishly.

“We thought it best to let Andrea stay,” said Shay. “She told us you’d be okay with it. Still, we didn’t want to leave her unsupervised. Might want to give her a key next time.”

“Good to know,” I said, feeling dazed.

“Richard,” Shay whispered, “how the hell do you have Andrea Buckingham in your bed?”

“Goodbye, Shay.” I offered Emma her phone back.

She took it. “So, we’re all good, sir?”

“I can handle it from here,” I said. “Sorry if I seemed a little—” A tilt of my head said the rest.

“No problem.” She gave Andrea a wary glance.

“Emma’s promised me her discretion,” Andrea called over. “She won’t tell anyone I’ve been here.”

“Maybe you could learn a thing or two from Emma,” I said dryly. I turned around to thank her, but she was gone.

Winston stared up at me.

“Let’s take you outside,” I said.

Andrea looked worried.

I patted my leg. “Here, Winston.”

“Shall I make you a drink?”

“Stay put. When I get back I’m going to throw you over my lap and I’m going to spank you.”

“Not talk first?”

I gave her a look and stormed out.

Winston trotted around the garden taking his time to find the right spot, which gave me time to come up with the best plan. Andrea might have been every man’s wet dream, but she’d broken into my home and forced a meeting.

What bothered me more was how my cock didn’t seem half as irritated. It was pressing against my pants, firm and willing to be freed like a honing device ready to target that actress pussy waiting for me inside.

This was insanity.

“Spoiled brat,” I muttered, leaving Winston in the garden as I stomped toward the hallway.

Andrea wasn’t in the bedroom so I moved on to the bathroom.

She sat on the toilet. “I’m having a pee,” she said, stating the obvious.

Folding my arms, I leaned on the doorframe.

“Do you mind?” she said.

“This is my house.”

“Can’t go with you standing there.”

“I’m waiting.”

“What for?”

“For you to fall to your knees and follow me.”

“Very funny. Can we go back to bed?”

“No, sub, we can’t.”

She pulled several sheets from the toilet roll. “I thought it would be a nice surprise. Didn’t think you’d set your guards on me.”

“You do realize breaking and entering is illegal?”

“But we’re seeing each other now.”

“Not like that.” I regretted saying it when her face fell.

“Mr. Booth, we have a two week agreement, remember?”

“Like I could forget.”

“So I figured it would be okay.”

“Not okay, Andrea.”

She rose and strolled over to the sink, turned on the faucet and washed her hands. “Your security’s pretty tight. I think it might be better than mine.”

“We have a great team.”

“You and Cameron?”

“The business.”

She dried her hands on a towel. “Your clients are high-end?”

“If you’re not careful I’ll be dropping you off at your cousin’s place this morning. The man with the big mouth.”

“Ethan?”

“Yes, he should know better.”

“He knew I was desperate.”

“Well, that makes me feel better.” I narrowed my gaze on her. “Have you ever considered acting classes?”

“I’m here because…”

“Go on.”

“Ethan told me you do exceptional work at Enthrall.”

She looked so fragile and it reminded me why I never took on untrained subs, even if she had stepped out of her comfort zone by risking a break-in and getting caught. The consequences could have included a night in jail and one of those celebrity arrest photos shared by every news outlet.

I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling conflicted.

I had a block when it came to taking on the responsibly of bestowing the right balance of pleasure and pain to an innocent unsure of her own limits - even if Andrea seemed willing to try anything.

She’d tipped her hand by mentioning her aversion to pain and if I was going to extract myself from this precarious agreement this might be the chance I needed. Although I felt curious as to the cause of her subconscious block, I, unlike Cameron, had no interest in diving into her psyche and unleashing the kind of drama I usually avoided.

I’d made a mistake promising to take her on. A glint of light at the end of the escape tunnel appeared, and I settled into the intuitive. It was time to bail.

Push away.

Piss her off and end this debacle.

Hadn’t I already tried that once?

“What are you thinking?” she whispered.

“Disobedient subs are always punished.”

“You’re going to spank me, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

CHAPTER 8

FRESH BREWED BEANS poured from the coffeemaker into the glass pot.

“You’re having coffee first?” said Andrea nervously.

“Apparently.”

“We can’t get it over with?”

“You make is sound so unappealing.”

Her gaze swept the kitchen.

“How did you get in?” I said.

“My bodyguard picked your lock.”

“And my alarm?”

“Deactivated it.” She shrugged. “He’s ex-secret service.”

My fingers twitched for my phone to call Shay back.

“Bill has a connection at the security company,” she said.

“Bill’s your bodyguard?”

She nodded. “He made a call and they turned off your alarm.”

“I could sue the lot of you.” I ran my hands over my face. “Maybe I’ll just hire Bill.”

“I’m your consolation prize!”

I leaned back against the kitchen counter. “Do you run?”

She smirked. “Why? Am I going to want to run away from you?”

I smirked back. “You know that high you get when you’ve hit that fifteen minute mark during a run?”

“Usually kicks in after twenty for me.”

“That’s the high you get from spanking.”

She looked surprised. “I’ll like it?”

“Not only will you like it, Andrea, you’ll enjoy it so much you’ll beg me not to stop.” I lifted the pot and poured two coffees, marveling how I was still drinking any Cole beverage after the crap Cameron had pulled lately.

“Is that the case for everyone?”

“Yes. We teach spanking to couples at Enthrall.”

“How long have you worked there?”

“Rule Number Two. We never talk about me.”

“Why?”

“Because our focus will be entirely on you.”

While I spank your pale ass into oblivion.

She narrowed her gaze. “I’m not the kind of woman you think I am.”

“And what kind is that?” I handed her a mug.

She wrapped her hands around it. “I’ve had to claw my way to the top. The competition’s fierce. Same with Ethan, he’s had to work hard too.”

“I know. About the competition, that is.”

“And staying at this level—”

“The coveted A-List.” I took a sip.

“You make it sound stupid.”

“There’s a superficiality to it.”

“You really don’t care for my work, do you?”

“Kind of, sort of.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I appreciate acting as a craft. Marlon Brando, Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis.”

“Any females in there? And don’t say Meryl Streep.”

“Meryl Streep.”

She gave a thin smile. “The publicity is how we maintain our careers.”

“You risked bringing the press here. I don’t want to have to move after we’re done.”

“I wore a wig. Bill used his defensive driving technique.”

“They could have followed you.”

“I have an agreement with my neighbor. They let me use their driveway.”