Page 34 of Pierced

The growling settles down to a low, threatening rumble.

“Turn the lights on.”

“Take off your clothes, crawl over here on your hands and knees, and get in the cage.”

“Fuck that!”

I crack the whip.

“No. I’m not doing it. Not until you turn the lights on.”

“You don’t make the rules, I do. That’s the whole reason you came over here tonight.”

“So you can put me in a cage?”

“Would you rather go on the rack? I can handcuff you to the wall and spank you until your pretty ass is bright red.”

He laughs.

“That’s OK,” I say. “You can laugh. But I’m dead serious.”

“OK, hold on. Because some of that sounds… fun, but—”

I crack the whip again. “Do it. Or leave. Those are your choices.”

“Is there a goddamn tiger in here?”

I start walking toward him, the sound of my heels on the floor too loud in the silence. When I reach him, I slide my hands inside his suit coat and press my whole body up to his. “Do you think there’s a tiger in here?”

His head turns, like maybe his eyes have adjusted to the darkness and he can see shadows. “Why wouldn’t I? You have two cheetahs so—”

“Servals,” I say. “They’re servals. And they’re not down here. Do you want me to help you?” I ask, pulling his suit coat down his arms.

“Myrtle—”

“Shhh,” I say, dropping the coat on the floor and starting on his shirt buttons. “The first lesson you need to learn is trust,” I purr. “Tonight is all about trust.”

He stammers out a few unintelligible words but when I reach the bottom button on his shirt, he sucks in a breath.

I really didn’t think he’d get this far, so when my fingertips brush up against the bare skin of his stomach as I remove his shirt, I have to wonder how far I’ll go.

Am I really going to strip my boss naked and put him in a cage?

Oh, you betcha.

I might not have a job tomorrow, but one thing’s for sure. Pierce Chevalier will never humiliate me again.

“Myrtle,” he says, hands gripping mine when I reach for his belt.

“Yes,” I whisper.

“There isn’t actually a tiger in here, right?”

“Where would I get a tiger?”

“Fuck if I know. You have those… cats upstairs. And the gate. The security. And—”

“Do you want me to stop?” I ask. “All you have to say is…”