She looks around the room, trying to see into the dining room-turned-nursery. “Where’s Kate?”
“Across the hall in the other room.” She opens her mouth to say something, probably about checking on her, but I put up a hand. “Ashleigh, stop. She’s fine. I’ll bring her back at the end of the night, she’ll sleep with us tonight. I had the babysitter checked out, she’s got the milk, she’s perfectly safe.”
“OK, sorry. I’m kinda nervous.”
“Why?” I ask as I touch her elbow and lead through the door and down the hallway to the elevators.
“I don’t know what to expect.” The elevator doors open and I put a hand on her bare back and guide her inside. “What are we doing?”
“We’re having a night out. A slow, quiet night out.”
She looks up at me and her eyes are wide and uncertain. “What about after?”
I think this through for a moment because I’m starting to understand what has her so edgy. She’s scared of me. Of what I might do to her tonight. Of what I might expect of her tomorrow. I pull her in front of me and put my arms around her waist, then lean down into her neck. She’s a few inches taller in her heels so she’s easily accessible. “You can say no anytime you want. Stop. Enough. No more. All these are words you can use if you want to. I would like it if you trusted me to take care of you, but you’re not my prisoner. You can sleep in the room across the hall if you’d like. I won’t be mad.”
“You won’t?” She looks over her shoulder at me and I impulsively bite her earlobe.
“I’ll be disappointed, but not mad. If it’s not fun, there’s no point in doing it.”
“So those ten spankings—”
“Will make you scream my name five times, I promise you.”
She lets out a long breath as the elevator doors open. There’s a crowd of people waiting but she doesn’t move and neither do I. The other guests stare at us as Ashleigh tilts her head up and says so everyone can hear. “So for every two spankings I get an orgasm? It’s a two-to-one ratio?”
Snickers from the audience and I guide her forward. “For that outburst, Miss Li, you’ll get an extra swat.”
She laughs and takes my hand. “I can do that, you know. Hold your hand. I requested it and even though you said you don’t take requests, you lied.”
I pull her towards the valet area and chuckle. “You’re working on number twelve now, Ashleigh.” Our car is waiting and I open her door. She slides in and I get in after her.
“So where are we going?”
“Patience.” I put my arm around her and the driver pulls out, but we don’t exit onto the Strip, instead he turns right and we take the hotel access road around the property. “Are you excited?” I ask, leaning down to bite her ear again. I’m having a hard time keeping my mouth off her body right now.
“A bite is a kiss, right?”
“Yes.”
“What if I want a real kiss when the night is over?”
“What if I want a promise when the night is over?”
“What kind of promise?” She looks up at me and her nerves are back. I can feel her heart thrumming inside her chest as she leans into me.
“What kind of kiss do you want? A small peck to say thank you? A romantic one that says I care? Or a passionate one with some bite mixed in that will make you come in the hallway?”
She inhales and swallows. I’m really making her nervous now. “I’m not sure yet.”
“I’m not sure what kind of promise I want either. Something small, maybe—a phone number? A little more serious perhaps—another date tomorrow night at my house in Bel Air? Or maybe you just never leave and we give it a real try?”
The car stops before she can answer, but she takes those few seconds before the driver opens the door to steal a look at me. “I can’t think about tomorrow.”
“Then don’t. Forget about tomorrow. Tonight it’s only you and me and no one else exists until this date is officially over.”
The door opens. I get out and reach for her hand, pulling her gently to her feet. She looks past me into the lobby and smiles. “OK. I’m all yours.”
Damn right, I muse.
I lead her inside to the elevators and we take it up to the top floor where the restaurant is. Our table is waiting when we arrive and the maître d’ guides us to a private semi-circle booth that faces the Strip and has an absolutely stunning view. “I said sushi, but the sushi bars in Vegas are not intimate, so we’ll have to make do with this tonight.”
She hunches her shoulders a little and gets excited as she looks over the menu. “Wow, f**k the sushi—I’m getting lobster.”
I close my eyes and shake my head slowly. Oh, dear lord. She’s going to drive me insane with her antics. “Why must you try me like this?” I ask as I open my eyes.
She laughs. “Ford, you think I’m adorable, you said so. How much fun would I be if I just did everything you said and behaved myself?” She looks up at me and bats her eyelashes. “You’d never have your dirty way with me if I was compliant. And by the way, your package looks so good in that suit.” She looks down and then up and waggles her eyebrows.
“I take it you’ve settled into the date, then? Your nervousness has passed?”
She sighs and nods. “Yes. You’re too wily for me, Ford. You think of everything. Why fight it?”