A little laugh escapes her, effervescent as if she’s had something to drink. “I thought you might be asleep. I was trying to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake you up.”

The bed is impossibly empty without her. The entire house impossibly cold. Doesn’t she know she’s the goddamn beating heart inside me? “Doing a little light reading.”

She comes over to look at my book. “Advanced Analysis of Financial Markets. Only you could call that light reading. Is it interesting?”

I set it aside and pull her close. She smells like weed. “You’re interesting. Did you share a joint, sweetheart? You have that sweet smoky scent.”

A giggle. “Maybe. Are you mad at me?”

I’m not angry, but I’m other things. Possessive. Jealous. Turned on. “No. Yes. You haven’t done anything wrong, but I still want to punish that beautiful body of yours.”

A shiver runs through her body. “Punish me?”

“Of course,” I say in a stern voice. “You’re home after curfew. And you did drugs. I think you need to be punished. I think you deserve it. It’s the only way you’ll learn your lesson.”

She goes still. Of course she has no curfew. And she’s allowed to smoke a joint if she wants, too. It’s a game. A role-play game where I’m the father. She processes the idea, and I hold my breath. It skates a little too close to our age difference, but it also makes my cock hard. Though if she doesn’t like it, I’ll stop.

I’ll still definitely have sex with her. Either way.

We’ll only play the game if she wants it.

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jane Mendoza

My breath catches in my throat.

If I would have guessed, I’d have thought the sex would get tamer. It would get tamer the more we did it. Now we have our own house together. By some standards, we’ve settled down. Shouldn’t the sex start to get routine?

This isn’t routine.

We’ve never played this particular game before.

I’m not even sure it is a game, at least the way we’ve played other ones. It feels more stark. More taboo, even as it more closely matches who we actually are. He’s older. I’m younger. He’s a self-made billionaire. I’m just starting college.

My voice comes out plaintive. “I was only a few minutes late.”

“Late enough, young lady.”

Maybe it’s the drag of weed that I took. Or maybe it’s the loosening inhibitions that come from trusting a man fully. Whatever the reason, I curl myself against his side. “Please don’t spank me,” I say, my voice breathless. “I’ll do anything you want.”