As soon as the door closed Cainan spoke, his tone rigid and unfriendly. “What are you doing here?” He walked over to his desk adding, “I don’t remember calling you over so you shouldn’t even be here.”
Jasmin stared at him, remembering exactly why she was here and what it was he had done to her and her cheeks heat up as a result. “You didn’t need to call me over, your actions called over.”
His brow rose, “What actions?”
She hissed and rolled her eyes, she couldn’t bite around the bush, she didn’t have the time or patience to, so she cut straight to the reason she was here. “Please spare me the long games, Mr Inferno. You told me days ago that you were going to get back at me for going against your words and doing exactly what I had in mind. You said when rules are broken there are punishments and this is it, you’re punishing me for not doing what you told me five days ago.”
“What are you talking about, lady?”
“I’m talking about you getting George Ajayi fired from his job as punishment for what I did!” her voice rose and she couldn’t help it.
He moved towards his desk, his hands buried in his pocket, his voice calm but unapologetic, “I told you there will be consequences for breaking the rules.”
Her hand clenched, “That’s the whole point, I broke the rules, I should be punished but taking it out on those I care about is cruel!”
“It teaches you to know your place!” He seethed through gritted teeth, turning to her with blazing eyes. “I will not be made a fool of by you or your friends.” He pointed his finger to her, “You signed the agreement after we went through it and you heard all the terms and agreed to follow every single one without rebellion and five days ago you broke that agreement!”
His anger suppressed hers and turned it into fear and her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as she stared at him, “And for that I am sorry, but doing this does not only hurt me, it hurts those that knew nothing about what I did.” Her voice was calm and apologetic, “Anita never wanted me to tag along, she believed you were not going to support it, but I did anyway, but I told her you were okay with it.”
“You lied to your friend and told her I was okay with it when in fact I wasn’t.”
She closed her eyes and bit her lips in regret. “Yes, so you see why no one deserved to be punished but me?”
He walked towards her, his eyes locked on her full lips, concentrating on the bottom lips which were rosy and puffy from being bitten on. Her bottom lip was pushed out as she asked the question and something stirred in him. She had pushed him, she had thought him weak five days ago and therefore chose to be rebellious and he wanted her to know he wasn’t going to take it.
Could he blame her? The first day he saw her she was running away from the police because she stole a diamond necklace and after he helped save her, she stole his Rolex in return. She was the walking breathing definition of rebellion, stubbornness and chaos, he didn’t expect her to follow every rule he set out, but defiling him the way she did made him want to put her in her place.
His better sense warned him he was tempering with fire when he offered her the deal of being his girlfriend, the woman assigned to steal his heart, but she sparked something in him the first day he saw her at the building which was now Riá-no head office with her back against his office door and her eyes closed. He hadn’t felt a spark for anyone since Neriah died, and so even though she was a thief and had also stolen his Rolex, he wanted to find her and when he did, he moved to offer her the deal which was what had brought them to this point.
“You’re right,” he reached where she was beside the shelf after a few steps, his eyes not breaking away from her lips and he heard her drag a sharp breath as his finger grazed over her chin. “You’re the one that should be punished.”
Her big brown eyes lifted and locked in his and it took all his restraint to not pin her to the wall and have his way with her.
Honesty was in her eyes as she apologised, “I am really sorry about what I did that night, but I ask that you give George back his job and I promise you I will listen more attentively to your words from now on.”
The corner of his lips lifted and a smirk took charge of his face, “It’s nice to see you finally humble and obedient but the deed has been done and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
He almost lost his vision the next moment as Jasmin palm wiped against his face and he was shocked and stunned at the same time. She had slapped him and his cheeks burn as a result of it.
His teeth gritted and gripped her upper arms, pushing her roughly until her back was against the wall. His eyes darkened and he saw the panic that flashed in her eyes at his action.
Good.
“You are so fucking good at pushing all the wrong buttons in me, Ms Whyte.” he sneered angrily in her ears.
“Let me go.” she hissed and glared at him while she struggled to set herself free.
“The more you struggle with me the harder it would be for me to let you go.” he pushed her harder against the wall until her back flattened against it. “I am bigger and stronger than you and there’s no way you’re going to break free unless I let you.”
She stopped struggling and her gaze lifted into his, anger brewing in them and he couldn’t help smirking at it.
“Let me go, Cainan, I didn’t come for this,” she stated with a rigid tone.
“I don’t want to, somehow I like you this way, calm and quiet and realising that you will never win when you fight me.” he couldn’t get enough of staring into her stormy eyes, watching her jaw clench and unclench in an effort to control her emotions. He wanted to be gentle with her, especially because of her condition, but something about her just kept pushing him past his limit.
He let go of one hand and with his free hand, he trailed her face and he felt her shiver in response and her breath cut. This seemed to have surprised her as well because she gasped out and looked away from him.
He felt a stir in himself again and having their body pressed against each other, he knew she felt it too.
A look he couldn’t wrap his fingers around came into her face and not soon after a mischievous look took over. “Give George back his job and you can have what you want.”
His brow rose as he gave her a funny look, “And what would that be?”
“Me,” she replied, very certain of her words.
“Whatever made you think I want you?” he asked, giving her a ridiculous look.
She didn’t hesitate with her response, “Because I see the way you look at me, I see the lust in your eyes whenever you look at me, I see it whenever you hold me near and I see it even now.”
Her free hand took hold of his belt and she flattened her palm against it and slowly moved it down and touched him through the fabric of his clothing, making him throb into her hands and then she grinned at him, “There you are.”
He growled and his eyes fluttered, wondering how she quickly turned things against him.
“I can’t.” he began to speak causing her hand to stop moving against him, yet remain and his eyes flew open with panic in them.
“You’re Cainan Inferno, of course, you can.” she hailed and resumed work and he wanted to argue and stand firm but her hand felt good, and though it was over many layers of clothes, he felt very hot for her.
“Fine, I will have him reinstated.” He growled, not wanting the feeling to end but just as the words left his mouth, she withdrew her hand from him.
She tried to slip out of his hands but he held her in one place, “Don’t play with me” he warned, his eyes looking just as hard as his tone.
“Or what?” she asked, lifting her head and staring at him dead in the eyes, daring him to do his very worse.
His hand lifted and he gently stroke her cheek, the look he had a moment ago disappearing into a dark smirk, “Or you wouldn’t like what you see.”
“It can’t be worse than what you did to me when you took away George’s job.”
He let her go and stepped away to his desk. She was right, he had taken it too far just to prove a point. He stopped being that type of man a long time ago, but he needed her to learn.
He sat down and stared at her closely, from head to toe, “George will have his job back. But you are in much bigger trouble now, Ms Whyte.”
She grinned as though expecting his exact words, “That’s exactly what I expect to be in.”
Good, Cainan thought. Her attitude towards the challenge was just what Cainan needed in order to exact the right amount of punishment on her, he knew she was wild as she was stubborn and bending her to his will every way possible was going to be something to look forward to.
