Free My Naughty Little Secret by Tara Finnegan Page A

Was it really too much to ask for a bit of discretion? I wanted to roar at him that it’d only been one date, that I had no idea how I felt about him and I really didn’t want to play the whole relationship out in full view of the entire Banbury staff—if you could even call it a relationship. How many of them would be waiting to see me fall flat on my face? He followed me down to the office and shut the door behind him.
    “Good God, you’re one hot-headed woman,” he thundered. “Don’t walk off on me like that again. I was just trying to explain that I think something good is starting here. I can see I’m going to have to spank some of that temper out of you.”
    “How dare you…” I started when I heard the door opening.
    James was looking for Myra. He took one long look at both of us and asked me if everything was ok. Great, now Michael has brought it to his attention too. I was getting more vexed by the second. Things were definitely not going according to plan.
    “Just go away, Michael. Right now I don’t ever want to go out with you again. I asked for one thing, privacy, and already it seems the whole damn store is looking on. Just forget about it, all of it,” I spat.

Chapter Seven
     
     
    It was one hell of a long afternoon. Why did I have to lose my temper? Now I had called off the date and I couldn’t back down. It seemed that was that. And he was right; there was something different about this. Damn him, damn work, and damn my hot head. I kept my head down for the afternoon and tried, quite unsuccessfully, to concentrate on the job at hand. I was running the month-end payroll and really had to focus. Every time my extension rang with the updates to the timesheets, my heart leapt. I was hoping it would be him. But why should he ring? I’d just given him his marching orders. I could just pick up the telephone myself, but that would mean admitting I was wrong, and even worse, admitting that he had gotten to me.
    The minute five-thirty came round, I was out that door as fast as my legs could carry me. And the worst thing was there would be no sympathy from Claire; she had already made it clear that she thought I was off my rocker. And Tara just didn’t do sympathy—men were chew toys to her. The tube journey was hell on wheels. People were crammed up against me pushing and shoving. I was tense and irate. I needed to go for a swim or a workout or something before I flipped my lid. The aqua-aerobics, I decided; water always calmed me.
    As I got my things out of my locker after the class, I saw three missed calls from Michael’s number and the first thing I felt was relief. At least he had tried to contact me. I dressed as quickly as I could and listened to my voicemails. The first two were pleasant, asking me to return his call. The third was more irate.
    “This is getting ridiculous, ring me!”
    “Jeez, can a girl not go for a swim in peace?” I greeted him as he answered his phone.
    “Shiv! Hi, I thought you were ignoring my calls.” The relief in his voice was evident.
    “I’m sorry, I was a bit unreasonable,” I volunteered. What? Did I just apologise to a man? Uh oh, that was a really bad precedence to be setting. I had to regain my standing urgently. “But I warned you I didn’t want anyone to know, and you just wouldn’t listen.” I accused. Phew, good recovery; he was back in the wrong.
    “Crumbs, yesterday I was shocked that I spanked you, now I can’t help but feel if ever there was a woman in need of a damn good spanking, it’s you. Are you always like this? I’ll have my work cut out for me.”
    That was the second time today he threatened to spank me and yet again, I was getting hot and aroused at the thought of it. I liked the no-nonsense tone; it sent shivers down my spine. I knew I was going to back down about Wednesday. He anticipated me:
    “As it happens, I can’t make Wednesday, I forgot I have a prior commitment.”
    Disappointment struck me like a thunderbolt.