Chapter 2

It had all started at the Easter party. I know, what kind of company has an Easter party, right? But for some reason, this year, this lot had decided to. Personally, I think it had just been a really lousy winter and they wanted a reason to celebrate when spring had finally shown up. They’d organised a night out on the 29th and, seeing as we were then off for the long Easter weekend, it was likely to be a big one. I didn’t mind a couple of drinks, didn’t even mind when we’d moved on to the third pub of the evening, but when they mentioned clubbing until the early hours, I knew I’d had enough.

It was at that third pub, The Slug and Lettuce, that I found myself sitting next to Kara. I’m still not sure how it happened, one minute I was talking to Derek, listening to him pontificate over how we should be running the department, and the next, a vision in a black skirt and green sparkly top sat down on my other side.

I’d seen her during the evening, to be honest, she was the only reason I’d stayed so long. She looked a little lost surrounded by so many people, which made sense as she’d only moved to London from a tiny fishing village in Cornwall six weeks ago. I’d kept an eye on her, not obviously, just made sure she seemed okay, was included, had a smile on her face. I’d seen it slip a few times, it was how I knew she was struggling a little. We’d only ever spoken briefly in the office, but I’d hoped to go over to her tonight, engage her in conversation, spend a little more time with her.

As soon as she parked herself next to me, Derek wasn’t even on my radar anymore, his droning instantly tuned out. When she then gave me a quick wink and asked if she could borrow me to discuss a discrepancy in the sales figures, I knew she’d purposely come over on a rescue mission.

The second we were outside, she’d turned a megawatt smile on me. “I hope that was okay, you just looked so bored, I couldn’t bear it.”

Okay? It was more than okay. In that moment, she became the only person I wanted to spend the rest of the evening with. And that’s exactly what happened.

We never did make it back inside. Instead, when everyone had filed out a few minutes later, we both agreed we weren’t really party people and had snuck off to a pub around the corner. It was nice inside, antique brown Chesterfield sofas, beams across the ceiling, panelled walls, and a polished mahogany bar. Small groups gathered around tables and by the fire, quiet chatter and the chinking of glasses the only sounds. It was traditional, cosy, and we’d settled happily on a sofa in a corner, lit only by a couple of wall sconces and a flickering candle on the low coffee table.

That night, I learned Kara Penrose was much more than the beauty who had breezed into work and filled my recently vacated seat with her citrussy sent and captivating eyes. She was sweet, friendly, a little awkward, and so damn cute that it was hard not to lean in on that sofa and put my arm around her. She may have been thirty-nine and perfectly able to look after herself, but I still wanted to protect her, take care of her.

We chatted for hours, it was easy, to the point I wondered why I’d made no real attempt to speak to her at work already, to get to know her. We had pretty much everything in common, clicked in every way, and all with this undercurrent that ran somewhere between teasing and flirting. I’d never felt so comfortable with anyone. I may have admired her from afar for the entire fortnight since she started, but it took me less than three hours to fall in love with her.

I was just about to ask her if she’d like to grab dinner one night when she’d spoken. It was totally out of the blue, but then, I had learnt that was all part of her charm, the random, unfiltered thoughts her mouth let fly before her brain engaged. Often ones at odds with the shy and quiet woman she presented to the world.

“I’m glad we didn’t go on to the club. No offence to our colleagues, but a lot of them are a bit dull.”

She’d stopped herself there and apologised, bit her bottom lip into her mouth as the worry of what she’d said took over.

“It’s fine, to be honest, some of them are a lot dull. All they ever want to talk about is work,” I said, hoping to soothe a little of her worry away.

It seemed to work as the smile crept back across her face, the soft lighting catching her eyes and setting them aglow.

“It’s not just me then? I swear some of them just need to loosen up, have a little fun. Maybe they should have gone on to a sex club tonight instead of some old school dance one.”

Well, that got my attention.

“You think Derek might like a spanking?”

She’d laughed out a ‘no’, but it had left her giggling so much that she’d overbalanced as she crossed her legs, had fallen against my chest.

With her body against mine, those eyes darting quick, embarrassed looks up at me, and the alcohol coursing through my veins, I couldn’t help but carry on the conversation.

“And what about you?”

She’d kept her head tucked down, but from the angle she was at, I could see her profile, see the blush creep up her neck, the nibble on her lip and the quick tilt up of the corner of her mouth.

Interesting.

She’d pulled herself together at that point, put her hand on my thigh and pushed herself upright. “Never mind me, Mr Kinsella, what about yourself? You strike me as the kind that likes to hand out the spankings rather than take them.”

Well, fuck me. It was like she’d walked straight into my mind, rooted around, and come back out with the one thing I’d let no one see before.

It sobered me slightly, so much so that I couldn’t answer, just ran a hand over the back of my neck and excused myself on the pretence of getting more drinks. What I actually did was go to the bathroom and rearrange myself, the seam on my jeans rubbing against my hard-on and making it just that bit worse. When I got back, she’d nestled herself into the corner of the sofa, angled so she’d be in no danger of falling against me again. When I sat down though, it meant her knee was now pressed up against mine, and in an instant, I wasn’t a forty-eight-year-old man anymore, I was a horny teenager again.

Walking her home, it became rather apparent we’d both had a little too much to drink. We were unbalanced, laughing at everything, and it made her link her arm through mine. I wasn’t complaining about having her so close, if anything, I wanted her closer. The conversation hadn’t stopped all night, and the slow walk along the river didn’t change that.

Arriving at her front door did.

“Well, thank you for a lovely evening, Mr Kinsella,” she’d smiled.

Mr Kinsella. Damn. The formality gave me shivers, tightened my balls, made them fizz. They were still cartwheeling when I replied, “You’re very welcome, Miss Penrose, and thanks again for running interference with Derek, I’d have still been there now if you hadn’t saved me.”

“All in a day’s work, sir.”

Fuck. Now she’s done it.

The part of me that had awakened earlier, the part she’d been right about, stirred within me, heating my blood to molten levels. It emerged from the shadows, banished there for so long, like a dragon waking after near eternal slumber. And it did it all with a thunderous roar.

“You want to be careful who you call sir, you might just get that spanking.”

I hadn’t been able to stop myself, was consumed by her, by the fire raging inside, and when she’d answered, I was lost for words.

“I think I’d be okay with that … Sir.”

Fuck. Me.

It’s a good thing I couldn’t find the right words at that moment because I needed my mouth for something else. It crashed down on hers with a savageness I’d never let escape the confines of my mind, had backed her up inside the brick archway of her porch, her back to the wall as I held her in place. She kissed me back with just as much hunger, her arms wrapping around my neck, her body arching, pressing herself even closer. As my left hand pinned her hip to the wall, my right took a run up her thigh, gathered her skirt and made my way to the strip of cotton I was looking for. And it was soaked. Perfect.

The moment I ran my finger along her slit, she whimpered, the tiniest sound, but fuck, it did something to me. Tormented my cock mainly. And so, in retaliation, I teased her, back and forth over her folds, the thin scrap of fabric getting wetter and wetter with each pass. I kept it up until her breathing became ragged and her head tipped back. It was only then I slipped a finger inside those wet panties, into her heat and over that hard nub. She squeaked out a ‘please,’ twisted her body to get the angle she wanted, and bit her lip to keep from crying out. I brought her right to the edge, had her pleading over and over, and then with a final pinch of her clit, I took my hand from her underwear.

Confusion flashed across her darkened eyes, lust-hazed and glassy. She opened her mouth to speak, but I smeared her lips with her own juices and kissed her again, this time slowly, reverently, taking my time, our tongues dancing with one another, sharing her sweetness. And then I pulled away.

“I like it when you beg, but only I say when you come. Goodnight, gorgeous,” I said, and with every ounce of willpower I had in me, I walked away.