Page 8 of Bitter Lies

Her excitement makes me want to do this right and ensure she enjoys it.

“Spank me.”

Fuck.

Gripping her face, I kiss her hard, then draw my hand back and deliver three firm smacks to her arse.

She yelps, then groans into my mouth with each swat, but doesn’t retreat.

I’m so lost in the moment I don’t hear her team approach until cold metal presses into the back of my head, snapping me straight back to reality.

“Step away from Princess Isabel or I will shoot you.”

She warned me, but I didn’t listen.

Keeping my voice low, I growl in her ear. “You’ll pay for this later.”

Hands in the air, I step back.

“Isabel, time to go.” The woman, not holding a gun to my head, places herself between us. “Get in the car. I’ll grab your purse.”

“You two suck, you know that?” Izzy rolls her eyes but does as she’s told and walks away. “Aiden?”

I don’t move. “Yes, beautiful?”

“Next time you threaten to spank me, make sure my detail knows you’re not a threat. Would’ve saved you all this trouble, and we could’ve continued.” She tilts her head and tosses out a dare. “Call me. Unless they scared you off and you’ve decided not to cash in your raincheck.”

That’s when it clicks—Izzy set this up. She’s curious to see if I’ll crack.

Jokes on you, sweetheart. I don’t scare easily.

“I look forward to cashing it in.”

And I do. It won’t happen as quickly as I’d like, but I’ll deal with that little stunt in my own time. When she least expects it, I’ll be there, ready to finish what we started.

Chapter 4

Isabel

The sunlight streaming into my room has me hiding under the blankets. The last time I drank so much was during my second year of university when my floormates talked me into playing a drinking game. When they heard I’d never played those games, they took it upon themselves to teach me all of them in one night.

That same evening, I learned what it meant to worship the porcelain god. I’d slept on the bathroom floor, using my towels as a pillow and blankets. It was easier that way.

Fortunately, today is my day off. I’d go mad if I had to suffer through Dr. Grieves’ constant yapping in my ear. I’d likely lose my shit giving him another reason to remind me why he believes I don’t deserve a spot in the program.

Trying to encourage moisture to invade my mouth, I smack my lips together. It’s as dry as the Sahara Desert. I should’ve hydrated better last night, but my mind was on the lingering aches in my backside from Aiden’s handiwork.

Who knew something that sounded demeaning could feel anything but? Not me. I never imagined I’d enjoy having my arse spanked, let alone by a man as mysterious as Aiden.

Beyond him being Jen’s cousin, I don’t know him. But the way he looked at me made it feel as if he already knew me.

He watched me the way a hawk does, ready to swoop in the moment I grabbed the mic and started singing. I should be embarrassed that he was forced to suffer through that performance. When I finished and gave the microphone to the next person, I waited for him to hunt me down. He didn’t, much to my disappointment.

That’s when I told Jen I was ready to go. No need to embarrass myself more before forgetting I couldn’t dance any better than I could sing by mistaking our table for a stage. Thankfully, she chose not to test that theory and agreed it was time to call it a night.

I don’t even recall what we were laughing about when we stumbled out of the bar. My two assigned guards, Lynette and Sasha, hadn’t found it funny. I distinctly remember them rolling their eyes before telling us to stay put while they grabbed the vehicle. When Jen spotted her cousin emerging from the shadows behind the Mad Hatter, they weren’t there to intervene.

One look into his eyes, and I knew I shouldn’t want him. That I should keep my distance. Walk away.