But he caught her about the waist and tossed her into the leather armchair. He braced himself against the arms, caging her in. “Suddenly you don’t seem to need money so badly.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Do all rich people think they can just toss around big numbers and expect they can awe us into getting what they want?”
“Okay. How about I offer something else instead?”
He slid his hand up her skirt and along her thigh, making her jump.
“Like I said, I don’t know anything.”
Dammit. Her words had come out shaky.
He leaned in closer. “That’s a lie, Kimani. Do you remember what I do with lies?”
CHAPTER TEN
Ben stared at Kimani, warmth stirring in his abdomen despite his present vexation with her. She was a good liar but not a perfect one. What were the chances that the Tribune reporter who had approached Ezra was her Sam? And was Sam whom she had met with at the coffee shop? He was ready for answers, and he was going to get them one way or another.
Scooping her up, he threw her over his shoulder and stalked into his playroom.
“What the—what are you doing?” she asked, trying to wriggle off him as if she had somewhere to go.
Once inside the playroom, he set her down. “You like to rack up the punishments, don’t you, pet?”
She tried to brush past by him to get to the door.
“Now is that the way for a good pet to behave?” he asked, thrusting her from the door. He wasn’t usually this obstinate, but he’d never had a sub try to escape before.
“False imprisonment is a felony,” she threatened.
He raised his brows but decided to call her on her threat. He stepped away from the door, allowing her access. “Go ahead. But if you decide to come back, your punishment is doubled.”
She stared at the door.
To his surprise, he grew uneasy about his gamble. His pulse quickened, and he wondered if he ought to have provided her an out so soon. He didn’t want her to leave, but he suspected she had reasons to stay.
Turning her head, she glared at him. “You know, I was just trying to be helpful. There’s no need to make a mountain out of a molehill.”
He felt relief. She wasn’t leaving. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to go through with his punishment.
“I’m the one making a mountain?” he returned. “There a reason you won’t just tell me what you know?”
She returned his stare in silence. He could see her thoughts churning.
“Right,” he muttered to himself.
Stepping to her, he whipped the shirt over her head and pulled it down her arms, stopping at the wrists. Her baps bounced enticingly at him. He twisted the shirt into a knot, locking her wrists together.
She gasped. “Ow! That’s tight!”
With one hand on her, he reached over and flipped a switch on the wall. A hook descended from the ceiling.
Her eyes widened. “What’s going on? What are you planning?”
He hooked her wrists above her head, causing her to stand on the tips of her toes. Seeing her lithe yet supple body stretched like that, his cock throbbed. Taking a fistful of braids, he yanked her head back so he had easier access to her mouth. His lips descended on hers, hard, devouring. He poured his lust and frustration into the kiss. She couldn’t keep up even if she were trying.
The heat and wetness of her mouth set him on fire. The problem with feasting on her was that he only got more ravenous.
But lest he scare her too much, he backed off, softening his kisses, gently biting and sucking on her lips, teasing her with his tongue. To get her where he wanted her to be, he needed to coax her there.