Instantly, she was rewarded with more soothing rubs. “Very good,” Matthew praised her. “But there’s more, not related to your job. What are they?”
Jilly shook her head. “I honestly have no idea,” she admitted. “I really don’t. Please don’t punish me for something I don’t know,” she begged.
Matthew stilled the ruler against her. “This isn’t a punishment, little girl. This is just a reminder to be good when I’m gone. Remember that you belong to Daddy.”
Matthew slotted the ruler in between her bottom cheeks. “Hold that there,” he commanded. He leaned his body over hers, his thighs trapping her hip against his desk, his rock-hard abs resting against her back. He reached forward and brushed her hair back off her face, his mouth so close to her she could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck. “The last rules are perhaps the most important.” He spoke low into her ear. “You need to look after yourself properly, little girl. No missing meals. No running yourself ragged. Make sure you get enough sleep.”
Jilly couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. It was nice, having his body so close against her like that, and it was even nicer the way he thought of her wellbeing and tried to make it into a rule. It was completely unrealistic to expect her to be able to follow it, but it was sweet, nonetheless.
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered. “I will try.”
His hand clapped against the lower part of her left buttock, his fingers stinging the top of her thigh, in a swat hard enough to make her jump. “You will do more than try, little girl,” he growled. “You will do it. You are important, and taking care of yourself is important.”
“I’m a single mother,” she reminded him. “My daughter comes first in my life. Providing for her takes everything I have. I’m way down the food chain.” Especially now that we’re about to be homeless, she reminded herself. Tell him! the sensible side of her inner voice urged. He might be able to help! She clenched her fists against the desk and gritted her teeth. No. She wasn’t going to tell him. She’d learned the hard way not to rely on a man; she wasn’t going to risk learning that lesson all over again. Just because he said he wanted to take care of her... He meant in small, superficial ways. Not in the things that really mattered. Besides, finding a house for her and Lily was her responsibility. Nobody else’s.
“Stand up.” He tugged at her arm, pulling her up off his desk and turning her as she stood so she faced him. Her skin prickled where he touched her, electricity sparking up and down her arm. Her skirt fell back into place and she jumped slightly, startled, as the ruler clattered to the floor. He cupped her face in his hands. “I don’t think you’re listening to me, little girl,” he growled, his voice deep, low, firm. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t do your best in anything else you do. Your work will suffer. Your health will suffer. Taking care of you is important.”
She wanted to roll her eyes. She knew all this, she truly did. But it wasn’t realistic. Sometimes, she didn’t have a choice but to turn up to work sleep-deprived and hungry. It was part of being an adult, a parent.
Instead, she swallowed her reaction and focused on the rough skin of his hands on her face, the tender way he held her, the passion sparking in his eyes when he spoke. She wanted him to hold her forever. Now that she’d been in his arms, and been taken so roughly and erotically in his office, how would she survive the next two weeks without him?
“Yes, Daddy,” she murmured. “I will take care of myself.”
“Good girl,” he crooned, his deep voice making her insides quiver. “Now back to work. Daddy will see you after trial is over.”
“I’ll miss you,” she whispered, feeling a pang in her heart.
“And I’ll miss you, little girl. But I’ll be back before you know it.”
Chapter Eight
Jilly held her breath as she opened the email from the rental agency. This company was her last hope. If they didn’t have anything suitable, she was screwed. They would be homeless.
Nothing in your price range... Been paying well below market rent for years... Unable to help... The words leapt off the page at her. She didn’t even read the rest of the email; those were the only words she needed to know. She had tried everywhere. She had failed.
She dropped her head to her desk and her shoulders slumped forward in defeat as tears welled up in her eyes. Despair filled her. What was she going to do? She’d tried so hard and still it wasn’t enough. She was out of options.
“Jilly, are you okay?” Vanessa was crouched next to her. “What’s going on?”
Jilly just shook her head. She couldn’t even begin to explain. The two women weren’t friends outside of work, and Jilly had never divulged much of her personal life. She preferred to keep her personal life private.
“Housing troubles? Oh, Jilly. Why didn’t you say something?” Vanessa’s voice was full of concern and she touched Jilly’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “And now the battle-ax approaches,” she whispered.
Jilly was too numb to care. All her resources were exhausted. She and Lily were going to be homeless. She was a failure as a mother.
“What’s going on here?” Janice asked as she approached, her nasally voice sounding distinctly critical, rather than merely curious. “Checking personal emails on work time, are we? You know that’s against the rules, Jilly. Is it important?”
Something inside of Jilly snapped. She felt it, and then it felt like she was floating up at the ceiling, looking down, watching herself lose control yet powerless to do anything about it. Jilly shrugged off Vanessa’s hand and rose to her feet.
“Yes, I’m checking personal
