Chapter One
His mood black, Brandon entered the smoke-filled bar. His mind was set on locating the sexy little redhead who had turned his life upside down in a matter of months. He spotted her immediately and growled low in his throat. He knew the little minx had no intention of obeying his orders, but he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. It was to his shame it had taken him this long to find out she’d gone against his wishes.
“Get out of that bar,” he’d demanded two weeks ago to the day. Callie had promised to hand in her two week notice yet here she was, decked out in the snug fitting white tank top and black shorts each barmaid was required to wear in order to work at the Tavern. Her tiny feet were adorned with a pair of red, fuck-me stilettos showing off her long, sleek legs. She flitted around the tables as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Brandon didn’t condone lying for any reason and she knew from the start there’d be physical punishment involved if she was caught. They were currently engaged and had agreed on a Head of the Household marriage only she wasn’t keeping up her end of the contract. He might as well give her a prelude on how it was going to be when she became Mrs. Brandon Clay. When he got his hands on her, she was going over his knee for a spanking she’d never forget.
Brandon plowed his way through the crowd and strode to the bar where he folded his arms across his chest and planted his feet wide apart. His scowl deepened further as Callie strolled past him, oblivious to his presence. She appeared to be having difficulty walking while trying to balance a tray of drinks poised high above her head. Her full breasts bounced with each step, drawing quite a bit of attention to her lush curves which further fueled his irritation. Brandon’s hand itched. Those perfect swells of flesh belonged to him. Before this night was over, she’d learn to heed his orders.
The moment their eyes connected Brandon was awarded with an oops, I’m in trouble expression. He arched a brow. She stumbled but righted herself. He’d caught her off-guard but he didn’t give a damn at this point. He loved this woman with all of his heart and she was placing herself in danger. Brandon simply wouldn’t tolerate it any longer.
****
Sweat trickled down the front of Callie’s shirt and settled between her breasts. What the hell was Brandon doing here? He should be working late tonight. Shit. She set the tray down on the table and handed each customer his preferred drink. She ignored the low whistles and made a beeline in the opposite direction, away from the dark, brooding man whose piercing gaze followed her every move. All she needed was some time to come up with a reasonable explanation for being in a place she’d promised to stay away from. Maybe one of her co-workers might be able to distract him while she made her escape. Either way, there was going to be hell to pay but she’d cross that bridge when she came to it. The last thing she wanted was to have Brandon angry with her. She loved him to pieces. He was a huge man with broad shoulders tapering down to a lean waist and long muscular legs. Black hair curled at the nape of his neck. Thick dark brows hooded striking blue eyes. He possessed a perfectly cut nose, firm chin and the sexiest pair of lips she’d ever seen on a man. He knew exactly what she needed and when she needed it. Whether a hug, a good fucking or a spanking, he was right on cue. He was her rock, but the urge to see her letch of a boss behind bars was consuming her alive.
****
Brandon raked a hand through his hair and narrowed his gaze. Callie and her best friend, Colleen, had their heads together. Clearly, Callie was thinking up a plan. He knew his little lady oh so well. If she thought she could sneak out of here without him knowing, she was dead wrong. The question was, would Colleen be easily swayed to help her? With the grace of a panther, he weaved in and out of the crowd and took a seat by the men Callie had just served. Callie being such a caring person was one of the many things he loved about her. She was beautiful and so full of life, but cornering her boss by herself was asking for trouble. If only she’d step back and calmly access a situation instead of diving in head-first. But that was his Callie. He should have known her quick acquiescence was too good to be true. She had readily agreed to quit her job and he’d fallen for it. Brandon wouldn’t be caught with his pants down again.
He gritted his teeth and sighed. He didn’t mind her working, but not for a sleazy boss who required his servers to wear such skimpy outfits. Her bra did nothing to conceal the flesh straining against the thin fabric of her shirt. Her large, pink nipples were visible for all to see. Hungry looks were written all over the male customers’ faces which made Brandon scowl. Obviously, he wasn’t the only one focusing on those tits. And if her black shorts got any shorter, everyone would know her flame colored mane didn’t come from a bottle. His dick pressed against his zipper. Down boy. Now wasn’t the time to think about fucking. It was time to administer some good old-fashioned discipline. But first he needed to get her out of here. No matter how angry he was, he refused to embarrass her in public.
****
Callie’s thoughts turned to Brandon while she waited for Colleen to decide whether or not she was going to help Callie get out of the bar. There was a back exit but she’d have to cross the brooding man sitting near it to get there. She needed someone to distract Brandon. She shouldn’t have agreed to quit her job until Harry Bailey was caught and thrown in jail. Brandon offered to ask some of his friends in law enforcement to look into her suspicions and Callie had been too happy to agree. But two weeks had passed without result. Unfortunately, things were moving way too slow for Callie’s peace of mind. Harry Bailey needed to be stopped now.
Colleen blew out a breath. “Honey, why don’t you let that handsome hunk of a man you’re about to marry take care of Bailey? Christ, you haven’t even given your two weeks’ notice yet. Brandon’s going to ream you a new one.” She pushed back a strand of hair from Callie’s face. “You did say he knows a couple of detectives, right?”
Callie sighed. “He does.”
Colleen shrugged her shoulders. “Then let it go.”
Callie crinkled her nose. That’s exactly what she should have done in the first place. Now it was too late. She’d been caught red-handed and her backside was going to suffer the wrath of Brandon’s anger. Her belly clenched and her pussy throbbed. She’d always been able to twist men around her little finger. Be it her father, a school teacher or any man of authority. Her father had never spanked her and she often wondered if he’d truly cared for her as a result. A father who really loved his daughter would mete out discipline when needed, wouldn’t he? Callie had a unique way of talking herself out of any situation. Oddly, she had always been disappointed when her father gave in to her. So far Brandon hadn’t fallen for any of her shenanigans. He was the perfect man for her and she considered herself lucky to have him in her life.
Although he’d yet to administer a hard spanking, Brandon’s form of playful discipline made her weak in the knees. He’d haul her across his lap and administer a few slaps then they’d make love. Sometimes she’d purposely push his buttons just so he’d spank her. She craved his dominance and trusted him not to physically harm her, but this time she knew it was going to be different. She worried her bottom lip, inwardly cursing her impulsiveness. Confronting her boss on her own was a stupid idea. When would she ever learn? She chanced a glance in Brandon’s direction and swore sparks were shooting out of his eyes. It’d only be a matter of time before he stormed to her side of the room, threw her over his shoulder and carried her out.
She couldn’t wait any longer. “I have a plan,” Callie said and frowned as Colleen shook her head even before hearing her out.
“It’ll have to wait.” Colleen grabbed the tray the bartender slid toward her. “I need to take these drinks to my table and you have to cover your own section. Bailey’s shooting daggers at the two of us. If you would have handed in your notice when Brandon asked you to, you wouldn’t be standing here suffering the bastard’s glares anymore.” She smoothed her shirt and patted her hair. “Besides, Derek would skin me alive if he knew I helped you.” With that, Colleen left Callie standing at the bar.
Callie groaned. Yeah, Derek would have a fit. He had his hands full trying to convince Colleen to quit, but the tall, independent woman refused to bow to any man’s orders. If Derek would act as if he didn’t care, Colleen would be out of here in a heartbeat.
The men waving the empty bottles of beer in the air at her were the same ones she had just served. Worse yet, Brandon was sitting directly beside them. There was no way she could avoid him any longer. Taking a deep breath, Callie charged forward into the crowd.