Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Addison, I’m only going to ask you one more time…” His voice was a low, menacing growl. “Who did this to you? And where can I find him?”
“What? No!” She exclaimed. “No, you…you have the wrong idea, Commander!”
“These are marks of torture—of a severe and brutal beating,” he growled, glaring at her. “What other idea can I have? I know you have no male in your life to protect and avenge you, Addison—I’ll seek out the one who hurt you and make him pay. Just give me his name.”
“His name is nothing—I mean, I didn’t really get it,” Addison said quickly. “He was just some guy I met in a club. I don’t know who he is or where he lives and I got away from him as soon as I could. Now will you please let me pull down my dress?”
Courick released her dress at last, but he remained looming over her, glaring.
“What else did he do to you? Did he force you?” He demanded. “I know human males have no honor. Did he take what you weren’t willing to give?”
Addison bit her lip—she didn’t want him to think she’d been raped, which she hadn’t—but she also didn’t want him to think she slept around with any old rando she happened to meet at the club. In fact, hardly any of her encounters ended in sex. She didn’t feel safe enough to leave the club with anyone and besides, what she needed, even more than sex, was just to submit. Commander Courick was so naturally dominant he probably didn’t have a submissive bone in his body. He wouldn’t understand her need at all—she was sure he wouldn’t.
“Look, it started out consensual and then things got…kind of out of hand,” she admitted. “But he didn’t, uh, force me. He just…he just whipped me too hard. That’s all.”
The big Kindred’s eyes went wide again.
“Why was he whipping you at all in the first place?” He demanded. “What kind of a club was this place you met him at?”
“That’s none of your business!” Addison snapped, glaring up at him. “And neither are the marks on my ass! What I do once I leave the office is private.”
Commander Courick took a step back, his eyes going cold.
“You’re right, of course,” he said stiffly. “Forgive me for overstepping. I was just…worried about you. You’re so small…no bigger than a child.”
“I am too bigger than a child!” Addison exclaimed—although to be honest, she did still have to shop in the juniors department in most stores.
“Forgive me,” he said again and handed her the letter. “You can retype this at your own desk. Bring it to me to sign when you’re done.”
And with that, Addison realized she was abruptly dismissed. Taking the paper from his hand, she turned and marched back out of his office. But inside, she was writhing with shame. Who knew what the big Kindred thought of her now?
Sure, she’d always fantasized that he would notice her and then want to become her Dom, but she knew the Kindred weren’t well suited to the BDSM lifestyle—they didn’t like the idea of hitting or hurting women at all. If her boss found out that she went to a club and willingly allowed herself to be whipped and hurt, what would he think?
He’d think I was sick, she told herself and she knew it was true. Even worse, what if he found out that what she actually wanted wasn’t just a Dom but a Daddy Dom? A lot of people didn’t understand Daddy play—they thought it was sick and twisted. He would probably be disgusted if he knew what she really wanted from him.
Well, you’re never going to get it now, she told herself as she bent over her keyboard and began to retype the letter. Because now he thinks you’re some kind of weirdo and any interest he ever had in you is long gone.
She had no idea that she was completely wrong.
2
COURICK
Courick frowned as he watched his tiny assistant leave the office with a flounce, her long silky hair flying over one shoulder. Addison Davis was driving him crazy and though he’d been trying hard to put her out of his mind, now he had a new mystery to unravel with her in the center of it.
He sighed and sank down behind his desk. What in the Seven Hells was going on with his petite assistant and who had hurt her like that?
He didn’t believe the welts and bruises he’d seen on her tender bottom were consensual—how could they be? They were the result of a vicious beating—Courick was sure of it. And the idea of anyone hitting or hurting the curvy little redhead made his blood boil!
Right from the start, Addison had gotten under his skin, as the humans said. She was just too beautiful not to. With her full, curvy figure and her long, silky red hair and those big, green eyes she was completely bewitching. He never should have hired her as his assistant in the first place, but he hadn’t been able to help himself—she drew him like a magnet drew a lump of iron ore.