Page 10

Jeez, give a guy a break!

Coffee in hand, he made it to the front door, encountering no one else. He blasted out Novra on the car stereo, letting it and the coffee boost his tired brain. By the time he reached the office, his brain was firing on all cylinders and he was ready to grab a Red Bull and get started.

The week away at the ranch had pushed several important spreadsheets of figures to calculate for the next board meeting to the side. Math was where his brain excelled. English had never been easy, but give him complex figures and he could see the patterns easily. Numbers were his friend.

He took off his suit jacket and slung it over the back of his chair. He went to the small refrigerator Lennon stocked for him and grabbed a can, heading to his desk.

It didn’t take long for him to lose himself in the numbers. It was sometime later, judging by the sunlight coming through the window, that a sound caused him to glance up. His nose twitched at Lennon’s familiar scent as the man stood in the doorway looking fresh and smelling of the sweet fragrance he favored.

Kodi leaned back in his seat and found himself feeling awkward at being unable to get a read off Lennon. He still hadn’t come up with how to address the vampire bat in the room. He coughed to clear his throat, only nothing came to mind that sounded casual enough to not give away how much he wanted to try another spanking.

Lennon moved into the room with purpose, closing and locking the door behind him.

Kodi eyed the door, then Lennon, his pulse skipping a beat at the unfamiliar light in Lennon’s eyes. Dressed as smartly as usual in navy slacks, a powder blue shirt, and a navy bow tie sat, he looked the same as usual, yet there was something different about him. Kodi couldn’t help but stare in fascination, then it struck. It was the air of confidence rolling off the man coming towards him clutching a bag Kodi initially had not noticed.

“Good morning.” Lennon spoke softly and came to a standstill in front of Kodi’s messy desk. He placed the black bag on the desk between them, on top of several files. The unusualness of the action got him coming forward, watching Lennon carefully, like one would watch a hissing snake.

Kodi’s gaze traveled from the bag to Lennon. “Morning. What’s with the bag?”

Lennon tapped on it. “This bag?”

Kodi’s lips tugged into a playful grin. “Yep, that one.”

“This bag holds Kodi’s Keeper inside.”

Blinking repeatedly at the finger tapping on the bag, his smile disappeared, and a frown replaced it, not getting the reference. “My keeper?”

His voice came out a little squeaky when a wicked smile graced those deliciously plump lips. Lips he might have once or twice thought about doing some naughty deed to, that the smile suggested was possible. He was a red-blooded male, so sue him.

“Yes. I’ve a proposition for you—”

“Is that so?”

Lennon’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded. “We can’t continue the way things are, Kodi. You are making this job a misery for me.”

That told me.

His brows arched up and his expression turned serious. “I’m sorry. I know I can be a lot to handle.”

“You can, but sometimes it’s like you’re doing it on purpose to gain a reaction from me. That’s hurtful,”—Kodi went to interrupt, and Lennon shook his head—“I know you’re going to say it’s not done on purpose. It’s how I feel, and it’s why I’ve come up with a solution that might work after our little… experiment on Friday.”

Was that what they were calling it?

Kodi’s stomach was dipping and diving with the motions of the conversation, a rocky boat ride that made him nauseous at thoughts of where they were headed. But excited too, about a possible new destination. Yet, the way Lennon was talking, he could have been discussing the weather. Just that wicked light dancing in his eyes made Kodi’s dick pay attention, and the mention of the spanking.

Was Lennon suggesting he do a repeat? Was he letting him off the hook from having to ask for it? It looked like it. A shiver ran down the length of his spine and more blood filled his cock.

“A solution?” he enquired.

Whatever else he planned to say fled like a spooked horse at the sight of the black paddle pulled from the bag. The light hit the black, shiny surface as Lennon lifted it up to admire it.

Lennon slapped it against his palm. “I was going to quit last week because your behavior was the worst it’s been. It was the reason for the spanking I gave you because you pushed me to the brink of insanity, it seemed.” He came across as matter of fact, but there was hurt under the words and Kodi was back on the boat with a stomach roiling in protest.

Lennon slipped around the side of the desk, his eyes pinning Kodi to the chair with the full focus of his attention.

Had anyone ever looked at him like that before, seeing him, warts and all, besides his family? He didn’t think so.

“We have a couple of options here, but first can you tell me how you felt after I spanked you?”