splashing around and playing in it. She wouldn’t sit still while I scrubbed her fur
clean with the puppy soap, and she made the biggest fucking mess every time she
shook the water from her fur.
Once I felt she was clean enough, I turned off the mobile showerhead, and
Camaro shook more water from her fur. I tried to block it with a towel, but she still
managed to get more of it on the tiled walls behind the tub. Picking her up with the
towel, I knelt on the floor and rubbed the towel up and down her little body while
she fussed and whined. I let her go for a moment so I could plug in my hair dryer to
finish the drying process, but by the time I turned back around, she was already
chewing on the door to the walk-in shower.
“Goddammit, Camaro, stop that!” I yelled at her, bending down to pick her up.
That was when I felt a swift hard smack on my ass. Jolting upward and turning
with the fist of my good arm ready to connect in the air, it was met with the tight
grip of a very large, warm hand. My heart beating out of my chest from surprise and
my ass pulsing with heat, I turned to find Darren standing behind me, holding my
wrist in place with a very stern look on his face. I felt myself blanch. I hadn’t even
heard him come in.
“What are my rules, Jaden?” he asked calmly, but his face was anything but.
I bit my tongue so hard then.
“No cussing,” I answered on a quiet breath.
Darren took a few steps toward me, his tight grip still on my wrist, and I couldn’t
stop myself from retreating from his advance.
“Just because I’m not around does not mean this rule doesn’t apply.”
I felt myself begin to shake inside, fear coursing up my spine as I tried to find my
voice to plead for his forgiveness.
“I know. I’m sorry. It slipped,” I said cautiously.
He took another step closer, his dark blue eyes glowering down at me and
making me feel small. I could feel my core contract with need as heat and fear filled
it up.
“And what do you think I need to do to ensure you no longer ‘slip’?” he asked
darkly.
I gulped. I did not want to recommend a punishment for myself. That was way
too fucking embarrassing.
“I … I don’t know.”
He sighed, and it almost sounded like disappointment.
“If you can’t seem to control that smart mouth of yours, maybe I should elect
not to take you into the city today.”
I looked up at him both confused and surprised.
“You were going to take me into the city today?”
Darren’s expression softened, looking as though he really did want to take me
somewhere.
“That depends,” he said. “Do you think you deserve it?”
I sighed in defeat. If that was the question, then the answer was probably no.
I was quiet for a moment before I finally answered him in a small voice.
“Have I not suffered enough for you?” I whispered, my eyes not even brave
enough to look him in the face.
Darren stepped in so close; my nose almost touched his chest. I could feel his
body heat soaking into me, warming me all over while his scent put my senses into
hyper drive. The tip of Darren’s finger slipped under my chin and lifted my gaze to
him. He spoke softly.
“It has never been about how much you suffer for me, princess. It’s always been
about how much you please me. You seem to have forgotten that.”
My gaze fell away from him for a moment as I recalled his words. I was supposed
to please him … like the good little slave I was.
“You’re right,” I admitted quietly. “I have forgotten. I’m sorry.”
Second apology, Jaden. Knock that shit off.
Darren released a satisfied breath. “Well, I’m glad that’s settled because it
would please me very much to take you into town so you can see Anchorage for
yourself.”
My eyes instantly found his in shock. “Really?”
Darren’s hands lifted to my face and held me still.
“Really. And it would please me even more to see this beautiful face of yours
smile for once.”
I wanted to cry suddenly. Why the fuck did I want to cry?
“Okay,” I said with a nod.
“Can you be ready in thirty minutes?”
I turned my head to look at myself in the mirror and nearly cringed. I looked like
a wreck.
“I think I can manage that,” I said, my eyes assessing the stringy wet ends of my
hair that were clinging to my jaw and neck.
“Good,” Darren said with a smile and kissed my forehead. “I’ll see you shortly.”
He then left me alone with a still damp puppy and a slightly damp pussy.
Damn him.
After taking ten minutes to get Camaro’s ass dry with the hair dryer, I unclipped
my stringy damp hair and braided it into a loose braid down one side of my neck.
After applying some light makeup, I rushed into the closet, ignoring Camaro as she
playfully nipped at my ankles. Changing out of my wet black leggings, I switched
for another similar pair and a long dark burgundy sweater dress and black knee-
high boots. Grabbing my black wool pea coat, leather gloves, and begrudgingly, the
stupid purple poofy hat, I laid everything on the bed and placed Camaro in her
crate. She whined and barked while I
