My Love Forgive by Anna Antonia Page B

didn’t have to engage in sophisticated flirtation, all following the same script.
    “All right.” She uncrossed her arms and hissed in agitation, “Now you have to get out of here before someone catches you and gets you fired.”
    “Would you care?”
    “Of course I would! I’d probably get fired too for fraternizing during business hours!”
    “Very well, little girl. I’ll be by later to organize your file trees.”
    Risa’s shy gaze met mine. “I wasn’t really serious about that.”
    She likes me calling her little girl. I’ll have to make sure I call her that often.
    “Lucky for you I am. Your messy system is going to cause you problems. It’s best to take care of it now.”
    “Maybe I like my system.”
    “Maybe you’ll like mine better.”
    She capitulated rather easily. “Oh, okay. I guess it’s worth trying.”
    Indeed. Her cheeks bloomed in a becoming shade of pink. I wondered if she knew how easily she blushed in my presence. “Risa?”
    “Yes?”
    “There’s just one more thing I need from you before I let you out.”
    “What is it?”
    “I went looking for you last night and couldn’t find you. I called you and couldn’t get a hold of you.”
    “Yes, I know. You told me this already.”
    I reached out and brushed the back of my fingers against her collarbone. “You put me in a terrible position, Risa. I was very worried about you and that’s simply unacceptable.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry.”
    “I’m sure you are but that’s not enough, little girl.” The otherness of me was rising ever-stronger to the surface.
    She fidgeted and struggled to ask me, “What do you mean? I don’t understand.”
    “I need something from you in return for all the aggravation you put me through.”
    Since the moment I met you actually.
    “What if I buy you lunch?”
    “No.”
    “Umm, okay. Dinner?”
    “No.”
    “What do you want then?”
    I leaned down and whispered against her neck, “You were very bad, Risa. You were just a little girl out there in a very big world. What if a bad stranger decided to make you his little girl whether you liked it or not?”
    Risa’s nervous giggle echoed charmingly in my ear. “You’re being silly. I’m a big girl, Damian. No one is going to do anything to me. Besides, it wasn’t that long of a walk.”
    “Really? Well, then how come this much bigger man just locked you in a public bathroom without your permission? And just so you know—it was so very, very easy, little girl.”
    “Damian!” Risa stuttered breath wheezed against my neck. “Stop trying to weird me out.”
    “Am I frightening you?”
    “N-No!”
    Liar. You are scared. Good. Maybe next time you won’t walk alone at night.
    “You’re not afraid of me?”
    “Of course not!”
    “Good. Since you’re not afraid of me then you must know my feelings about your recklessness come from a good, nonthreatening place.”
    “Sure.”
    “So as a nonthreatening, much larger man who’s locked you in a public restroom, I need you to know that you really shouldn’t be in here with me.”
    Risa’s palms half-heartedly pushed against my shoulders. “I do not agree.”
    “I didn’t think you would.” I stepped back from her and ordered, “Turn around, hands on the counter, and bow your head.”
    “What? No way!”
    “Do it now, Risa.”
    “No!”
    Her defiance whetted my appetite for dominance. My voice lowered, deep and menacing beneath the edge of calm. “Yes. Do it now or things will get that much worse for you.”
    Risa squeaked my name. I noticed her fingers tangling and re-tangling themselves.
    “You can’t be serious.”
    “I am. Do it.” I punctuated my command with a placid smile.
    She bit her lip and swayed in indecision. Just when I was sure I’d have to force her, Risa turned around and did as I instructed.
    “You’re such a good girl.” I stepped closer, aware of her panicked fixation on my mirrored reflection. “I promise this won’t take long.”
    Risa’s spurt