My head hangs down his back. and the blood rushes to it, my temples pounding with humiliation. The blood whooshes in and out of my ears as I try to lift my head. My hands rain down on his back, not like in the movies where the heroine beats uselessly at the man with her tiny fists; I really go for it.

Slapping him was idiotic, but him hauling me up the stairs like I’m a child is beyond what I’m willing to accept. Tomorrow, I’m speaking to Daddy, and he’s sacked.

“Quit it,” he orders.

“Fuck you,” I scream as I add my legs into the mix.

Whack.

The sound rings out, and I freeze as burning pain shoots across my ass cheeks.

Holy fuck, did he just spank me?

I’m not moving anymore as I’m too shocked to process what just occurred.

“That’s better,” he says. His voice is steady as he kicks open my bedroom door.

He places me on the bed, and I stare up at him, chest heaving.

“Are you done?” he asks.

Am I done? Oh, you fucking asshole, I think. I haven’t even begun.

4. Samuel

Chapter 4

Samuel

“Am I done?” she says incredulously when she finally gets her breath back enough to speak. “Tomorrow morning, you’re fired.”

I cock my head as I watch her. Her cheeks are red, her breath is coming in ragged inhales, and she’s knelt on her bed, watching me warily. The woman is fuming, but she’s also wary. Wise choice. Anymore of her shit, and I’m going to be tempted to tie her to that fucking bed.

“Fine.”

“What?” She shakes her head. “No, I don’t work for you, I work for your father, crap?”

I shrug. “You want to get your father to fire me, go ahead.” I take two steps into the room. To her credit she doesn’t flinch or move back on the bed. “I can guarantee you, though, no one else he can hire will protect you as well as me.”

“If you think you can … can … spank me, like a child, and keep your job, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“If you don’t want to be treated like a child, stop behaving like one.” I think this is a reasonable response, but it seems I’m wrong because she screams and launches a pillow at me.

I dodge it easily but watch her unravel, and something unexpected occurs. It tugs on a place I thought long dead. The thing is, I’ve watched this woman on TV. Short clips for sure, but she is normally a person in control of herself and her surroundings. Right now, she’s right out there on the ledge, emotionally.