Chapter Eleven
Lily
‘Good girl, Lily.’
Jackson’s words echoed in my head, sending sugary trickles of desire down my spine as I fled his office and made my way down the hall. My core was aflame, legs trembling, stomach twisting. I hadn’t expected any of this. I hadn’t expected myself to suddenly go for him the way I did earlier, but it was like someone else had taken over my body, pulling my strings and controlling me and my words like a puppet. I couldn’t resist. Couldn’t stop it. He was all I could think about the last few days. All I could dream about. I hadn’t even had the usual nightmares last night, because he was in my head instead. And so I tried….
And failed.
He shot me down again and again. Kept saying no. But then it was like something suddenly changed in him. All of a sudden he was playing along. Telling me to do what he said. Acting like I’d be his if I followed his orders. His little girl. That’s what he called me. Good girl, Lily. There were those words again, playing over and over in my mind. I wanted to hear him say them to me again, so desperately.
I should’ve been upset when he rejected me, only to later tell me he’d actually want me if I behaved the way he told me to. I should’ve frowned and defiantly told him that wasn’t how things were these days. Men couldn’t just tell women what to do anymore. So who the hell did he think he was? But this wasn’t an issue of men versus women by any stretch of the imagination.
This was me versus him. The little girl versus the sexy older man. My new boss. My daddy.
He seemed to like it when I called him that. Come to think of it, that’s what seemed to tip him over the edge earlier. That’s what changed his mind and made him agree to starting….something….between us. I wasn’t sure what it was, exactly. All I knew is that I had to follow his rules and orders, and he’d give me what I wanted. Maybe.
I guess I’d find out.
Part of me still wanted to act out and go against his orders; maybe take my panties off again, just like he told me not to. But I couldn’t. I wanted to please him, and I also knew I’d never have him if I didn’t prove myself to him today; prove that I could be a good girl for him. If I just resisted all these temptations and urges, I’d finally get what I wanted one day soon. I’d get him. Then, and only then, would I be able to act out. I could be bad for a day and see what happened, because I was itching to find out how he’d punish me.
My nipples hardened under my blouse in anticipation as I imagined all the different scenarios. Would he turn me over his knee and spank me, just like he’d said the other day when I went to his house to beg for an internship? And speaking of begging…would he make me beg? Oh lord, I hoped so. I couldn’t imagine anything hotter.
I busied myself in the small kitchen, making sure Jackson’s coffee was perfectly brewed, and when it was done I grabbed some cream and sugar to go with it in case he wanted that. I should’ve asked, but it hadn’t occurred to me. I’d do that next time. I’d be better. I’d be even more of a good girl. My cheeks felt blazing hot at the thought, and it occurred to me that I would do absolutely anything Jackson wanted me to. Anything he needed or desired.
On my way back to his office, I saw a few employees entering the headquarters for the day, and they nodded at me and flashed me brief smiles as they passed me in the hall. I returned the gesture, but I knew it was for a different reason. They were smiling to be polite, and I was smiling because I had a secret now. A secret I shared with none other than their boss.
“Here’s your coffee,” I said demurely, entering Jackson’s office again. “I brought creamer and sugar. And a spoon.”
I set the beverage down on his desk, then stood up straight. He looked at me, then down at the steaming coffee cup, which he slowly picked up, and my stomach twisted nervously, awaiting his response as he took a sip.
“Thank you, Lily. This is perfect. I don’t need sugar or cream, by the way,” he finally said, setting the cup down in the saucer.
I breathed a sigh of relief, watching his lips turn up in the smallest of smiles. He was happy with me; happy that I was doing what he said. He was happy I was so eager to please him as well, no doubt. And I had to be like that. I felt like a puppet being controlled by the strings of my desire earlier, but this was something else entirely. Jackson was so big, so powerful. Not just physically, but in other ways too. He was probably going to be a United States senator soon, for god’s sake. Men like him got things done.
He stopped looking at me all of a sudden, and I turned to see a woman step through the door behind me. She was very tall with bony arms and legs and wispy blonde hair. “This damn traffic. I swear to god…” She stopped in her tracks and stared at me, apparently only just realizing I was standing here. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you had someone in here this early, Jackson.”
He stood up. “Kaye, this is Lily. Our new intern. Lily, this is Kaye, my exec assistant. I told you about her earlier. She’ll be the one showing you around and getting you started today.”
Kaye was studying me curiously, and I had to admit I was doing the same. She looked familiar, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out where I’d seen her before. Perhaps I’d spied her out the window once upon a time, taking a forgotten briefcase to Jackson’s house. After all, she was his assistant. She’d likely been in our area a hundred times.
“Lily, nice to meet you,” she said, holding out a hand. I did the same, and she smiled as we shook, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. I guessed she was just a typical political snob. Maybe one had to be like that to work in this field. “You probably don’t remember me, but we’ve actually met before. You were just a child.”
“Kaye has worked for me for nine years,” Jackson explained. “She came to a few of my summer barbeques, when I used to have them. You would’ve been about ten or eleven at the time.”
“Oh.” Well, that explained why she looked so familiar, then.
“All right. Kaye, you know what to do,” Jackson went on with a wave of his hand. “I’ve got the Hewitson meeting soon, and then I’ll be at City Hall for the rest of the day. I’ll be back here at five to come and get you, Lily. I assume you’ll be needing a ride home.”
I blushed and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
His lips twitched again, and I knew I’d done something right. So he liked to be called sir as well as daddy…I made a quick mental note of that.
“How cute,” Kaye said, her voice syrupy sweet. “Looking out for the little neighbor girl at her first job.”
She let out a sharp bark of laughter, obviously thinking Jackson would chuckle along with her, but instead he frowned and looked at me to gauge my reaction. I simply stayed stock still and didn’t let out a word.
“Apologies, Lily. You’d think my assistant would have more manners,” he said in a crisp, no-nonsense tone.
Kaye’s amused smile faded back to an impassioned expression, but I didn’t miss the glint of disdain in her eyes as she turned around. Ooh, boy. Someone didn’t like me already…
It wasn’t exactly hard to figure out why. Even a blind man could see she had a crush on Jackson. It was obvious the second she stepped in here, flashing that overly-lipsticked smile at him as she wafted that cloying violet scent of her perfume around the room.
“Come on, Lily,” she said stiffly. “There’s lots to be done.”
“Okay,” I said, meekly following behind her.
“Oh, Lily?” Jackson said, interrupting us mid-step. “Just one more thing.”
I turned back to face him. “Yes, sir?”
His eyes flashed. “Remember my rule,” he said. “The office rules,” he added for Kaye’s benefit, so she wouldn’t suspect anything.
“Of course, sir,” I replied, a small smile playing on my lips.
Then I turned on my heel and left the room, wondering about what he said earlier. So far he’d only given me one rule in regards to my conduct, but he’d made it clear there were more. There had to be.
Oh, how I wanted to find out what those other rules were…and what would happen if I broke them.