What the fuck? Why did I care? Sure, he wasbeautiful, but I still fucking hated him.
“Morning, princess. Sleep well?” he asked me, hiseyes taking me in and making me extremely uncomfortablealready.
I immediately scowled at that.
Princess? Bitch, please.
I sauntered over to my assigned seat and satdown.
“I slept fine, thank you,” I replied bitterly. Butmy mood improved a fraction as I noticed a small cut on his lipfrom where my elbow made contact last night. Fucking good.
“Good. Then you should have no trouble explaining tome why the fuck your hair is still wet,” he practicallygrowled.
I felt my stomach backflip and land in a puddled mess, but I wouldn’t letit show.
I shrugged. “I accidentally overslept. I must havebeen that comfortable.”
Fuck him. If he was going to pull me, then I wasgoing to push him right back.
Slowly, like that of a predator, Darren rose fromhis chair and leaned over the table toward me. His eyes blazed withan intensity that I didn’t want to challenge, but I knew I couldn’tback down. I felt my body tense as he stared me down.
“Do you think this is a game, Jaden?” he asked meseriously.
What an excellent question …
I leaned back in my chair, relaxed as fuck, as Ianswered his dumb-ass question.
“Of course, this is a game,” I shot back. “It’salways been a game, and it always will be a game until someonefinally breaks. And I don’t plan on losing.”
He lunged forward, but I was already out of my seat.By the time he walked around my chair, which I had deliberatelyleft in front of him, I was already on the other side of thetable.
“Breaking so many rules already …” He shook his headat me, the promise of punishment in his eyes.
“Yeah, because you’re such a fair player as it is,”I retorted, gripping the edge of the table. This was going to turnugly real quick.
“You were nearly late, your hair is still wet, andnow, you’re running from me again. Please explain to me why Ishould be fair right now,” he challenged.
I squared my shoulders and practically slammed mypalms on the table in frustration.
“Because one, I was not late. I was right on time.Two, my hair may be wet, but atleast, I cared enough about your rules to do something withit instead of leaving it down, and three, if I were running, Iwould be out of the house by now.”
“And now we can add back talk to your list ofoffenses.”
“Offenses?! How about defenses!” I nearlyyelled.
“Enough, Jaden!” he roared, and I felt my insidesquiver as my resolve shrank a bit. His voice could terrify andliquefy me all at the same time. “I’m going to give you to thecount of five to get your disobedient little ass back over hereor you can make your punishment that much worse by making mecome and get you.”
I gaped at him, fear growing in my belly, but myfeet felt like they were stuck in cement. I couldn’t move. I didn’tknow if it was because my body was physically protesting or if fearparalyzed me, but the promise of that threat had my psycheconflicted as fuck.
“One …” he began, tilting his head to the side as hewatched me. I didn’t move.
“Two …” I could hear my heart begin to pound as theblood rushed through my veins, anxiety beginning to spike.
“Three …” My breath felt heavy as I realized I stillhadn’t moved a muscle. I couldn’t think clearly. All I knewwas—punishment or no punishment—I didn’t want to be anywhere nearhim.
“Four …” He emphasized the word, warning me I wasone number away from probably getting my ass beat. I felt my kneesbend in anticipation, and instantly, I knew I was going to make himchase me again.
“Five.”
And just as if a starter pistol had gone off, I ranbecause as soon as the word left his lips, he leaped across the table faster than I thought aman of his size could accomplish. I didn’t even make it out of thedining room before he caught me by the arm and spun me around.
I let the momentum benefit me as I brought my fistup and decked him right in the face as I turned. My knuckles pulsedwith a sharp pain at the contact, but I didn’t even register it asadrenaline coursed through my veins. And apparently, neither didDarren as he ignored my hit and dragged me back toward the table bymy arm and braid.
He slammed me down on the table, face first so thatmy feet dangled, and held me there by my neck while he bent down to my ear.
“What did I tell you about running last night? Whatdid I say would happen?”
I didn’t say anything, just fought against him as Itried to maneuver and wriggle. Nothing worked.
“What did I say, Jaden?” he roared down at me, and Iflinched at his tone.
I sighed heavily in defeat. “That you would catchme.”
“And what did I just do?” he asked vehemently.
“You caught me,” I admitted, rolling my eyes. As ifI needed to say it out loud.
“That’s right,” he said, jerking my body. “And Iwill every time. Running is useless, Jaden, and it will only getyou in more trouble, so I would advise against it.”
He then pulled out his phone. Seconds later, I feltthe tug of the cuffs. I resisted their pull as best I could, butthey connected so fast there was hardly any time to fight them. Mywrists and ankles struck together as the cuffs connected, bindingmy limbs. Darren then wedged his foot between my cuffed ankles andpressed down so that I couldn’t move my legs. And then he liftedthe back of my dress to expose my practically bare ass.
My heart dropped tomy stomach as his warm hand grazed over my flesh, gripping it andsqueezing. I struggled then, trying to pull away, but he wasn’tletting up and I wasn’t going anywhere.
“This is what happens when you break my rules,Jaden,” he said and then smacked my ass with his palm. Reallyfucking hard.
I jolted forward, my breath leaving my lungs in a harsh gasp as I bit back mycries. And then his hand came down harder than the
