My eyes pricked painfully, a crawling sensation overtaking my body in shuddering waves, and it only intensified with each passing second. I was so close to crying out loud like a child.
My ass is boiling!
Oh god. I’m gonna lose it! It hurts so bad that I can’t think straight. I can’t complain, or even excuse myself.
The board meeting had started, and significant figures were present, all dressed to the nines, and the air held deadly silence, so whimpering to subdue my pain was out of the question.
I’m in deep shit.
And it only got worse because Ares was watching me the entire time, never breaking concentration as if he was waiting for me to slip or something.
He had an entire board of members speaking about a ton of things that concern his multi-billion-dollar company, yet he chose me as his priority, and I do not feel good about that.
May his eyes burn.
I mentally prayed for the meeting to end, but I was at a big disadvantage because the clock was moving far too slowly for my liking. It was almost as if I were in college, where time was your worst enemy.
I clenched my fist so tight to redirect the pain or maybe focus less on my hot ass.
"How about you present the statistics for us, baby?"
Huh?
I snapped my gaze to Ares as if he had magically grown a second head. I glanced back at the congregation, and they had their eyes on me, waiting for me to take the wheel.
I shot Ares a glare. He can’t expect me to speak in my condition, did he?
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
I pushed to my feet, the chair legs scraped loudly against the marble floor, drowning out my thick groan of pain.
Fixing the best fake smile on my lips, I walked to the front, opened the file, and spoke as professionally as I could.
Their full engagement made my palms sweaty, and my hoarse breath made it seem as if I was whispering most of the time.
Ares’ stare grew intense but I ward him off as best as I could, and focus deeply on the topic, responding to a few questions thrown at me. Moving to describe the graph on the display was torturous.
After harrowing three hours, I covered everything without errors. Their nodding heads and proud stares gave me more courage.
The meeting was over.
I gathered my files snappily, whilst slicing a cold look across the room. Ares was smirking.
Furious, I stormed out of the room, seething, and everyone who approached me parted away like I was a disease.
"Mrs. King!"
"Not now, Gary!" I yelled back, my heels making sharp noises as I forced open the office door.
I dropped the stack of files on my desk, turning with far too much force when Ares stepped in as calm as a sea before the storm.
I want to claw that look off his face. He came towards me, and I stood my ground, arms folded as I leveled my anger at him.
"What was that about?!" I snapped. "Are you trying to humiliate me or something?"
"You handled it well."
"I barely did, Mr. King," I gritted. "I suggest you don’t put me in such a position again."
He tipped his head slowly as a spark of amusement danced in his eyes. "I was testing your pain tolerance."
"You—"
"I have never seen anything more beautiful in pain..." His hand covered my throat, but he barely touched me. "...and poise."
His words do things to me, and the way he uttered them was as if he were mesmerized by me, like he couldn’t believe what I was made of. It felt wonderful.
"Maybe I should have cried out. How about that, Mr. King? It sure would have been better for them to know what you did to your wife on that table."
His eyes darkened. "Watch your tone."
A shiver coursed through me, and I’m eager to get under his nerves, make him feel the way he made me after he spanked me senseless.
"What are you gonna do about it?" I murmured huskily, as I stepped closer and placed my hands on his chest. "Fuck me right here into submission?"
His grip nearly stole the air completely, and my body locked in place in full alert.
"I’m gonna enjoy taming you." His eyes held promises, and I was so close to saying the two words right here and now.
But I was tongue-tied when Ares pressed against me, and I felt something steel-like poking into my abdomen.
Our noses touched, lips almost brushing, but what came off was our heavy breathing as we just stayed there, just to feel the heat rise between us until it felt like we were both on fire.
"You’re holding back..." I uttered in a ragged whisper.
He leaned and spoke sharply behind a growl. "You should be thankful I am."
I pulled back, going on my toes, and he held me in place as our bodies squeezed hungerily.
Ares moved to press his lips against mine, and my body sang in joy, awaiting the taste of that mouthwatering flesh, but his fucking phone rang, and whatever tension had built crumbled to pieces and vanished in thin air.
My chest tightened when Ares released me and pulled out his phone from his suit pocket. He picked, and I caught a glimpse of an unpleasant look plastered on his face, and it only seemed to deepen when I heard someone on the line.
I licked my lips as the awkwardness grew, and I thought about bolting, but Ares’ other hand was still pinned on my waist.
"Bring it." He ended the call, seeming lost in thought for a moment.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, worried.
A knock came after, and Ares answered. I didn’t see who it was, but Ares took something, a card that looked like an invite.