Page 49 of Draco's Defiance

“Has been disabled.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone. “It’s easy enough to control with an app these days. You’re going to have to do a lot better.”

“Shit.” The word slipped from her, her brow creasing as she met his gaze. “This is ridiculous, Draco!”

She was never going to be able to outrun him, but if he was going to play dirty and cut off her escape routes, then she wouldn’t outwit him, either. This was Draco’s place. He knew the layout and all of the potential hiding places. Standing there, she acknowledged for the first time just how futile her mission was.

“You’re not playing fair!”

She loathed how petulant she sounded. Hadn’t that been the precise word he’d used to describe her only a moment before, and yet there she was, playing right into his enormous and strong hands. Yet, how could she help it? The last thing she wanted was another ordeal under the tutelage of those palms. Not only didn’t she merit one, but she’d never survive the onslaught. Just the thought of being held down and made to submit as he tipped her over him was too much to bear, although she couldn’t deny the warm throb it inspired between her legs.

“Am I not?’ He feigned surprise as his amused smirk lit up his face. “Well now, we can’t have that, can we?”

“How am I supposed to run if you won’t let me?” There was no choice left but to appeal to his ego and see if he’d relent. Perhaps if she played the sullen victim well enough, he’d concede and let her use the elevator. At least then she’d stand a fighting chance!

“I suppose that’s a fair point.” His brow rose. “It’s not much of a chase if I’m already on you, is it?” Less than a couple of feet from her, he edged closer, his expression knowing.

“Exactly.” Her hands rose to her hips in an effort to assert her authority, but deep down she sensed they both knew she had little. The little dance they were engaged in was nothing but foreplay. The outcome was inevitable, and it would involve her bared behind and his punishing palm. A shiver of energy raced along her spine at the mesmerizing idea.

He was going to spank her again, and she’d both hate and love it, but in the end, she’d cede because ultimately, she longed to yield. That was Draco’s power as far as she could tell. He made the loathsome seem magnetic.

“So, what should we do?” Her heart galloped in her chest as she waited on his verdict.

“We shall go our different ways.” His lips twitched as he pressed a button on his phone. Right on cue, the elevator lurched into life behind her. “You’ll take the elevator and I, the emergency staircase.”

“You’re l-letting me go?” It sounded too good to be true, and if Moira had learned anything in law, as in life, it was that if the deal sounded too good, it probably was.

“I’m letting you use the elevator.” He ushered for her to go inside as the doors slid open to her rear. “I thought that’s what you wanted?”

“Yes.” Swallowing hard, she nodded as she moved inside the mirrored cubicle. “Thank you.”

“Sir,” he reminded her as their gazes locked. “You should call me sir because the next time I see you, you’ll be in big trouble, little girl.”

“Sir.” Fuck, he made the demand sound so scintillating that while his arrogance irritated, she was more preoccupied with the heat burning at the apex of her thighs.

“That’s better.” He signaled inside. “You should make your choice now. Don’t worry, I won’t watch.” Turning his head, his grin was just visible before her gaze scanned the silver buttons inside the elevator.

Which do I choose? He’ll expect me to go down to the ground level and flee, which means he’ll fly down those steps and probably beat me there. Her gaze darted back to him, recalling how easily he could be reading her thoughts. Whatever she did, he’d find her.

This was a game she was destined to lose and yet she couldn’t recall being so excited at the prospect.

“Have you decided?” He didn’t turn to see her as he asked.

“Yes, sir.” Her finger was already in motion as she reached for the button she wanted. Pressing the cool metal, she waited as the doors glided closed. The final thing she saw before the gray doors closed was Draco’s twisted smirk.

Chapter Twenty-One

Draco

HE DIDN’T NEED TO READ her mind to know where she would go. It didn’t matter that the elevator had no panel revealing its destination on his side, nor even that he could have ascertained its end point based on hearing the mechanism’s route alone. He needed neither prompt. Her hesitation and growing sense of excitement conveyed the answer with ease, and as the elevator whirred into life, he wanted to howl with pleasure.

Moira was more than a handful when it came to play. She protested and pretended to be the victim, and yet when push had come to shove it hadn’t been the ground-level exit she’ sought, but, as the humming elevator confirmed, the upstairs of his vast apartment.

Heading for the door that led to the staircase, he bolted up the steps two at a time until he came to the next level. The only thing that remained to be seen was whether she’d taken the ride straight to the roof terrace, or, as his instincts suggested, she was already on the floor that contained his bedrooms.

He pulled back the door to the new floor and glanced toward the elevator. The doors were closed, implying that she’d either already made her way out of the cubicle or it had indeed taken her to the roof.

Brows knitting, he stepped into the hallway and strained his senses.

Where are you, little girl?