Page 44 of Promise of Punishment

“What do you mean?”

I squeeze the towel, cringing as I speak, “I might have ended things after the Lord gave me an orgasm.”

“Oh hell no.” She straightens and plants her hand on her hip. “Did you at least give him one back?”

“No.”

She draws in a calming breath. “Let me get this straight. He gave you an orgasm last night, but I interrupted before you could do more, and he gave you another one tonight—I’m going to want to know the details—but you left him high and dry?”

I close my eyes. “When you put it like that, it sounds really bad.”

“Because it is bad. You don’t leave a guy—let alone a Lord who’s your boss—with a hard-on after he gets you off.”

“I… I didn’t get the chance. He got mad, and I got worried.”

“Wait.” She raises her palm, looking confused. “Why was he mad at you?”

I glance around to see if anyone is watching us, talking as we clean. Everyone looks busy. “He asked how many guys I’d kissed. I said two and explained they weren’t my boyfriends. Then he got mad and asked if I ‘fucked them’.” I make air quotes.

She cracks up laughing.

My gaze darts around the room, my nerves crackling. I walk to her. “Stop.”

She sobers. “We can laugh while we work. But girl, you’ve been too sheltered, living like a hermit and cleaning houses with old folks. He wasn’t pissed. He was jealous.”

“Jealous? I did not get that.”

“Everything he’s done is unusual.”

“What do you mean?” I clean a nearby table.

“The Lords make an offer, and the person they choose meets them in a guest room. If it’s staff, you have to inform Camila, and she gets someone to cover for you. We always have one or two servers on standby. If it’s a guest, it’s the same, often when the party is nearing the end. Sometimes they leave early with a guest, but it’s rare.”

“What about the serpent and Nefertiti? Camila. I don’t know why we’re not using her name. She’s not even here.” I glance around to double-check.

“She left right after you came back.” Noah fluffs the chair pillows and cleans up more plates.

“To see the serpent, you think?”

“Probably.”

“To discuss me?”

“Or to fuck him since you didn’t.” She winces. “Sorry. That was harsh.”

“But true.” I blow out a breath and stare out the door. “I wish I could go to him to make things right.”

“Maybe you can. He did things differently with you. Ushering you from the room, all protective, like he was declaring you as his. Kicking everyone out of the Crimson Chamber so you could be alone. Tracking you down to your bedroom, where you have a pet. Instead of questioning you about the cat, he gave you an orgasm. Do you see how abnormal this is? My Lord was super attentive and kinky in bed, but we didn’t talk much. I met him in the room like everyone else does. When we were done, we both left, and it never happened again. Your guy ditched his usual lay for you after seeing you without your mask, which, by the way, is romantic as hell, like your face bewitched him. He’s giving you orgasms with your clothes on. All mine did was tie me to the bed after he had me strip.”

“He tied you to the bed?”

“Yeah.” She gets a look of nostalgia on her face.

“Do you think I would like that?”

Her brows arch the way a teacher’s would when asked a stupid question. “Why don’t you ask your Lord to try it out and see for yourself?”

“You think he would?”