My heart pounded so hard, I prayed he couldn’t feel it against his abrupt, dominating hold. The simple touch of his arms around me had me weak in the knees and my body stiffening. I wasn’t expecting him to do that in front of them.
What is he doing?
“If she’d give me half the chance, I’d make her mine tonight.”
My breath hitched. Not only could he feel my hesitation, but he could also read my mind.
I tried to step away from him, but he wouldn’t let me. Holding onto me tighter. Thinking quick on my feet, I turned around in his arms and set my hand on his chest, trying to make it look like there wasn’t anything going on between us.
There wasn’t.
Was there?
The last thing I wanted was for Jude and Beck to start rumors and people thinking we were anything besides professional with each other.
Using the best enthusiasm I could muster in the awkward situation, I announced, “Boys, get ready to invest in a sure thing. Someone is going to be making a huge announcement next week.” I winked at them while Julian tensed, abruptly letting me go, and I instantly felt the loss of his touch.
Autumn, stop.
After I said goodbye to the guys, Julian wasn’t happy.
When was he ever happy?
In a stern tone, he ordered everyone at the bar to leave us. Thank God it was only his employees and not his guests.
Why was he pissed? Was it because of how they’d treated me or—
“Why would you share that private information with them?”
I guess that answered my question. Why was I disappointed?
Before I could give it too much thought, he sneered, “I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
My eyes snapped to his. “Stop treating me like I’m an employee. I don’t answer to you.”
“Actually, you do.”
“Listen, you condescending asshole. I didn’t say anything. I hinted. So before you go crazy, I’m fully aware insider trading is illegal, but I’m simply doing my job, and they’re going to be the best marketing you can get. Jude and Beck are going to tell people, those people are going to tell other people, and so on and so on. We want people talking, rumors like this are your best friend. By the time you actually announce, thousands of people are going to be chomping at the bit for you. What you should be saying is thank you.”
Everything happened so fast. One second we were arguing, the next he roughly gripped onto the back of my neck and tugged me close to his mouth.
My breathing hitched.
“I don’t like to be taken by surprise. Everything and anything gets approved by me first, understood?”
I tried to shove him away, but it was no use. He didn’t budge.
In a dark, heady tone, he rasped, “Next time you’re a bad girl, you’ll give me your panties and face the wall with your legs spread, or I could throw you over my lap instead.”
“Julian!”
“Yeah, sweetheart, you’ll scream my name just like that, except it’s going to be from me spanking your ass raw to teach you a lesson you won’t soon forget.”
I shoved him again. “Fuck you.”
The next thing I knew, he spun my body and pinned my chest to the bar where I couldn’t move. I huffed out a breath, instantly realizing I was at his mercy, and for a brief second, I thought there was no way he was going to do this. I was a grown-ass woman for fuck’s sake.
“What the—”
He didn’t hesitate.
SLAP.
Walloping my ass so hard, I instantaneously stood on the tips of my toes in my already six-inch stiletto heels.
“You rat bastard! Don’t you fucking dar—”
“Talk back to me one more time, and I’ll lift your dress, pull down your panties, and slap your bare ass instead.”
My ass burned, and my pussy throbbed. I wanted to raise hell, although I wasn’t an idiot. He’d follow through on his threat.
“Now,” he bit. “Am I making myself clear?”
Going against all my instincts, I reluctantly agreed, “Yes.”
“Great.” He let me go, and there was no wavering on my part. I spun around with my hand shooting straight toward his face, but he caught it mid-air.
Holding onto my wrist, he yanked me toward him. “While we’re on the topic of you being a very bad girl, I also highly suggest you make damn sure your future encounters with men don’t provoke me again. You won’t like me when I’m angry.”
I jerked my hand away. “I don’t like you right now.”
“Prove it,” he challenged all in one breath. “Spread your legs and show me you’re not wet.”
I glared at him. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Tell me, Julian, what are you trying to accomplish here? What do you want from me?”
He stepped toward me, and I stepped back, putting my hand up.
“I thought you wanted to know what I wanted. I was just about to show you.”