"Yes, you do." His eyes were smiling. "I compensate very well. You would be my a.s.sistant, answering my calls, handling my correspondence and taking care of my professional and personal needs during the day. Would you be interested in such an arrangement?"

It wasn't the promise of money or the poshness of his office, or even the fact that he was the head of one of the richest fashion companies in the world-it was the way he looked at her, with nothing concealed or disguised. His eyes saw directly through her, and there was no smugness in the way it appeared as if he had her figured out, because he had. They both knew it, and there was only one answer she could give him.

"Yes." She squeezed her hands together-her legs, too. "Sir."

He nodded. "Good. I think we'll both be satisfied with the arrangement."

Opening the top drawer of his desk, he withdrew a large white envelope and slid it across the blotter. Heidi didn't know if she should take it or not, so she kept her hands clasped, just looking from him to the envelope.

"This contains general information about Kaiser, which you have already, of course, since you are essentially already in my employ," he explained. "There is also a contract and information about duties as well as your salary and benefits."

She nodded, looking at his hand, the buffed, square nails, resting on the stark envelope. Her bottom tingled, remembering how red his palm had been after he spanked her. Shifting in her seat, she crossed one knee over the other, trying to make herself more comfortable with the yearning ache between her legs.

"If, for some reason, you read those over and change your mind..." He nodded toward the envelope. "You simply need to tell me, and you will consequently stay in your current position."

"I can't imagine why I would object."

"No." He smiled. "I don't imagine you will. In spite of the apparent haste of my offer, I actually choose my a.s.sistants quite carefully."

Standing, he leaned his palms on the desk blotter, his eyes moving down the front of her t-shirt, looking at her hands in her lap. "Now, there is just the matter of your tardiness."

Her heart leapt and she met his eyes, feeling faint. "My...tardiness?"

Mr. Kaiser reached underneath the desk and Heidi heard the door behind her lock. The sound made her mouth go dry.

"One of the things I cannot abide is lateness." He reached down and unbuckled his belt. She felt faint as she watched it slipping through the loops of his pants. "And you will find that I am quite unorthodox in my methods of discipline."

He snapped the belt in his hands and she jumped, gasping, her hand going to her throat as she stared at him. Doubling it over, he slapped it against his palm, the belt whistling and then smacking his flesh. Heidi sat and wondered how much it would sting as she wiggled her bottom against the chair.

"It's a Vincente." He gave her a small smile. "Italian. Calf-skin, medium weight. Makes a nice sound, doesn't it?" She couldn't speak, she couldn't move, all she could seem to do was stare at the belt in his hands as her whole body flushed with a trembling heat.

"Heidi?" He c.o.c.ked his head, reminding her. "I asked you a question."

"Yes, sir." She drew a shaky breath.

"Come here," he instructed. She recognized the tone immediately and obeyed, moving around to his side of the desk, amazed that her legs were holding her weight at all given how much they were shaking.

"You remember this?" He tilted her chin up and she met his eyes, nodding. "Everything pulled down and bend over."

Heidi turned her back to him, knowing this was what she came for. She didn't understand it and she didn't try to, she just slid her shorts and panties down for him and bent over the desk as she was told. Her body was tight and tense with antic.i.p.ation and she closed her eyes.

"Take them off," he directed and she looked back at him, wiggling them the rest of the way down and stepping out. "And spread your legs." She moved her thighs apart, feeling the cool air against the moist heat there, and gasped when his hands pressed them open even further.

"Put your hands flat," he told her. "Fingers open." Doing as she was told, she splayed her hands on the dusty rose colored blotter with its sharp maroon corners.

"Since you will now most likely be continuing in my employ..." He put his hands on the edge of the desk on either side of her, leaning his weight against her. "...I want you to understand that discipline will only be used when you have violated the rules. In terms of tardiness, you will receive one lash for every minute you are late. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Kaiser." She closed her eyes and longed to wiggle back against the hard flesh she felt teasing her thigh. She resisted the urge-barely.

"You will count it out."

She bit her lip as he moved away, wanting the heat and weight of him again. The belt caressed her skin at first, tickling over her lower back and down between her cheeks and thighs. She didn't expect that and it sent shivers up her spine. Under her t-shirt, her nipples stiffened against the blotter. It went on for a long time, the thick feel of the belt tracing patterns on her skin, until she was breathing hard and had goose b.u.mps and was straining up on her toes towards the sensation. Just when she thought she couldn't stand the tension another minute, the belt came down-CRACK-over her a.s.s, making her gasp and moan.

"One!" she yelped, the bite of the belt creating a line of heat that radiated over her behind. The sting was incredible, much worse than his hand had been.

"Good." He praised her, bringing the belt down again in the same spot.

"Two!" she gasped, trying to remember how late she had been. Three minutes? Five? She couldn't think anymore as he delivered another blow, this time to the other cheek.

"Three!" She moaned, her hands curling into fists as the fire spread over her a.s.s. The moment they did, his hands covered hers, the weight of him leaning in as he pressed her palms flat.

"Open," he reminded her firmly.

"Yes, sir." She gasped, nodding as he backed off and brought the belt down again, smacking her a.s.s hard, the sound of it filling the room.

"Four!" She whimpered, feeling the sting of tears and blinking them back.

"One more, Heidi." His hand moved over the fiery, red skin of her behind, a cool caress.

The belt came down with a tremendous THWAP and she arched, crying out, gasping, "Five!" as her eyes closed and her jaw clenched. The sting and burn was different today, a more localized, tender thing, rather than an overall heat. She bit her lip, waiting, listening to him breathing behind her and wishing there was a mirror here, so she could see his face.

"Turn around."

She faced him, watching his belt slip back through the loops in his pants with an intense fascination.

"Take off your shirt."

She lifted it over her head, exposing herself to him, braless again today, this time in antic.i.p.ation rather than neglect. His eyes burned their way over the swell of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, down the soft slope of her belly and hips, lingering between her legs at the soft, downy blonde hair there.

"You liked it, didn't you?" He leaned back in his chair. "Yesterday in the bathroom?"

She swallowed, fighting the urge to cross her arms over her chest. "Yes, sir."

"Did it make you wet?" He shifted in his chair and Heidi wondered if he was hard. She longed to find out.

"Yes, sir." She was unable to stop the slow flush in her cheeks at her admission.

He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping her form, meeting her eyes. "Did you touch yourself after I left, Heidi?'

She lowered her eyes, biting her lip, feeling that delicious throb between her thighs. "Yes, sir."

"Show me." He leaned forward in his chair, eye-level with her little triangle of fur. "How did you do it?"

Heidi closed her eyes against his gaze, sliding her hand down between her legs and parting her swollen lips with her fingers. Her c.l.i.t was throbbing, aching to be touched, and she worked it in slow circles, her breath coming faster, knowing he was watching.

She heard him gasp when she turned, bending over the desk and moving her other hand over the red, raw skin of her behind, the fingers between her legs still moving around and around between her wet slit.

"Mr. Kaiser," she whispered, her eyes still closed, lost in the sensation, showing him how she had touched herself in the little bathroom, bent over the counter and rubbing herself raw as she thought about him.

She heard the shift of his chair, the sound of his breath. Her fingers moved faster, her nipples grazing the cool surface of the desk as she rocked, her other hand making soft circles over the red, tingling surface of her behind.

"Yes, Heidi," he murmured, and she felt his hand, then, smooth over the other rounded globe of her a.s.s cheek. She gasped and moaned, arching as she rolled her hips to meet his ma.s.saging hand. "Do you like that?"

"Yes, Mr. Kaiser." Her thighs trembled as he squeezed and gripped her a.s.s.

Her fingers were moving in a fast, blurry circle, sending her on a tight upward spiral. His hand came down on the red skin there with a smart SLAP, making her gasp and shiver. She moaned when he did it again and then again, his hand covering a larger area, making the tender spots where the belt had fallen on her a.s.s tingle. He rocked her against the desk with the motion of his hand and she couldn't stand it, her p.u.s.s.y throbbing as he spanked her behind into a fiery red ma.s.s of flesh. Arching, she felt his hand fall lower, grazing her lips, and she gasped, spreading her thighs.

"Yes," she whispered, feeling his hand slapping her v.u.l.v.a. "Oh G.o.d, yes, Mr. Kaiser!"

The feel of his fingers smacking against the swollen lips of her p.u.s.s.y was too much, and it sent her shivering over the edge, sailing through the waves of her o.r.g.a.s.m as she rolled and bucked against his desk. She moaned and spread and went up on her toes with it, rocking back against the force of the hand still spanking her between the legs. She didn't move. She couldn't. She gasped and panted on his desk, her hot cheek pressed to the blotter, stuck there, her fingers still moving slowly in the sticky mess between her thighs.

"Get dressed," he said after a moment and she thought he just might be struggling to keep his breathing under control.

Standing, she found her clothes on the floor, pulling her shirt back on, then her panties and shorts, using his desk for balance. Her ears were ringing with her o.r.g.a.s.m, and her bottom was nothing but heat against the seat of her shorts.

"Have a seat, Miss Bauer." He nodded toward the chair on the other side of the desk.

Heidi was shocked to hear him say her last name, realizing he must have looked her up-of course he had. She worked for him, after all. Making her way around the desk, she sat down, wincing when her bottom touched the leather. Her p.u.s.s.y was a mash of pulpy, trembling wetness between her thighs and she squeezed her legs together as if to contain it.

"As I was saying... before your punishment..." He leaned forward in his chair. Heidi looked at the hand hovering over the white envelope and saw his fingers were glistening. That's me, she thought, staring, fascinated. "I would like you to take these materials home and review them."

"Yes, Mr. Kaiser." Heidi reached her own still-wet fingers out, brushing his as she took the envelope. He jerked his hand back as if she had burned him, his eyes dark as he looked at her.

"Nine a.m., Miss Bauer." He stood and reached under his desk and she heard the sound of the door again, unlocking now. "Don't be late."

"Thank you." She stood and picked up her backpack and started toward the door. She stopped with her hand on the doork.n.o.b, looking back at him and adding, "Sir."

He nodded, standing now and leaning his palms on his desk as he watched her. "Oh, and Heidi," he said as she opened the door. She looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes questioning. "You've made quite a mess of my blotter. We'll have to deal with that tomorrow."

Her breath caught, her a.s.s clenching as she met his eyes. "Yes, sir," she breathed before closing the door behind her.

Chapter Three.

The rain was coming down in sheets and she could barely see through her windshield, even with the wipers on full blast. The parking structure was nearly full and she had to squeeze her Honda into a too-small s.p.a.ce, carefully slipping out so as not to chip Mr. BMW's paint job. The walk to the Kaiser building was short, but it didn't matter, because the rain made quick work of her hair and make-up, soaking her to the skin in a matter of moments.

Umbrella, Heidi, she admonished herself as she pushed the b.u.t.ton for the elevator, wiggling uncomfortably in her rain-soaked attire. She had worn what the dress code requested-a skirt, no lower than 2 inches below the knee, and a blouse and jacket. Pantyhose weren't allowed-stockings were required to be worn, with garters, and heels couldn't be lower than three inches high. No pants, pant suits, trousers or jeans allowed. And definitely no shorts.

The elevator opened at floor forty-eight and Heidi stepped out, staring at the desk in front of her. My desk. The clock overhead read 8:35 a.m. She had made sure she left with plenty of time to get here. Mr. Kaiser's office door, to the left, was closed and she didn't know if he was in it. She wanted to go exploring down the other hallway, but thought it best to just sit and wait.

Stashing her purse under the desk, she took out the signed contract and other information she would have to turn in to personnel, smoothing the folds out over the surface. There was a computer and a multi-line phone, the usual pens and various office supplies tucked away in the drawers, and a huge filing cabinet behind her.

She puttered the minutes away, trying to ignore the b.u.t.terflies in her stomach, and was bending a paperclip into shapes when Mr. Kaiser stepped off the elevator. She saw his eyes sweep her, felt the heat of his disapproval, and then his gaze fell to the twisted paperclip in her hands.

"I was just... waiting." She stood, still holding the bent metal form. She held it up, giving him a little smile as she made it dance. "It's a dog."

He nodded, raising his eyebrows. "Delightful. Now, if you're done wasting office supplies, perhaps we can get to work?"

He motioned for her to follow him and she did, waiting while he put down his briefcase and hung his umbrella. His suit was impeccable, dry as a bone, and a Jon Green, Heidi noted, her eyes moving over the lines of his broad shoulders.

"I forgot an umbrella," she admitted as he sat at his desk.

He glanced up at her. "You look like a drowned rat."

She flushed, her hand smoothing her hair. "I know. I'm sorry."

"You should always be prepared, Heidi." He leaned back in his seat, looking over her outfit. "I a.s.sume, since you're here, that you have decided to take the job?"

"Yes." She nodded, eager, perching on one of the maroon leather wing-backed chairs. "I brought my paperwork."

"Good." It was the first smile of his that she had seen today and it thrilled her, although it was brief. "You'll take it down to personnel later today. Fourth floor. I will take you on a tour of the building myself before lunch and get you acquainted with most of the staff."

Heidi looked over her shoulder, noting that he had closed the door. "On this floor... who else is up here?"

"No one." He tented his fingers. "There is a board room down the hall, and several other offices, although they are for training and meeting purposes and are unoccupied most of the time."

"We're the only ones up here, then?" She felt her heart skipping in her chest.

He nodded. "I like my privacy."

She watched as he leaned forward in his chair, shrugging his shoulders out of his suit coat. He held it up carefully, nodding to her. "Hang this up in the wardrobe, Heidi."

She came around the desk to retrieve it, letting her fingers linger over his a little longer than normal. The look in his eyes said he noticed.

"I like to be comfortable in the office," he explained as she opened the wardrobe door and took out a wooden hanger. "So I keep several changes of clothes here."

Noting the myriad colors and fabrics of suits and sweaters hanging in the closet, she slipped the suit coat in on the end, next to a large, thick, grey zippered bag similar to the one she had carried in from his car on that first day. It seemed a million years ago, somehow, but her bottom clenched at the sight of it.

"Oh, and those are for you." He leaned forward. "You're a size five, aren't you?"

Heidi stared at him. "Yes."

"Appearances are important." He stood and came around the desk. "You are the first thing people will see when they step off that elevator, and I want you to make the best possible first impression you can." He sighed as he fingered the ends of her still-damp, flattened hair. "So, we'll start with the clothes. Take those home with you tonight."

"That's... very generous of you." Heidi looked from him to the grey bag, now feeling like a little kid at Christmas, waiting for morning.

"No." She saw his jaw tighten. "You will have a great deal expected of you here, Heidi. This isn't an easy job, nor is it a free ride. Do you understand that?"

"Yes." She swallowed and gave him a nod. "Sir."

"No." He smiled then, shaking his head, his eyes moving down her damp blouse. "You don't understand... yet... but you will."

His cryptic words actually gave her goose b.u.mps and she hugged her arms across her chest, feeling the heat of his big body standing next to hers. He seemed to understand her body language, but he didn't back off. Instead, he moved a little closer, making her tilt her chin way up to meet his gaze.