(Liam's POV - Tue. 10 December 2013)

A/N: Jumps one week after their Tuesday in NY

"I know you were not in the company when that house was built! But this is your job now and I want some answers!" I startle when the door to Joshua's office flings open and his loud growl echoes to my ears just as Devon Hawler walks out.

"I'll get to it..." the man stutters.

"I want an action plan in two hours Howler, so put your teams on it and get some answers!" Joshua shouts as his visitor shuts the door.

"Fuckin'..." Devon begins to mutter under his breath before he remembers that he is not alone. He hurries to the lift and seconds after he has disappeared, Joshua's door opens again.

"Liam, please get me Conrad immediately. I want him in my office in less than five minutes!" Joshua says, peeking out his office quickly before he slams the door shut again, apparently ready to take another call. Oh my God... he definitely looks like a bear with a sore head today...

Conrad Dorskey is the General Manager of Pierce Works, the subsidiary of Pierce Construction that occupies the 11th and 12th floors of the building. Thank God, the man answers right away and three minutes later, he shows up on the 21st floor. Conrad is a kind guy, in his early fifties and very discreet. I don't know the man much but every time I get to see him in meetings or when he has lunch on the first floor, he always leaves me with a good impression and I feel sorry for what he is about to endure.

Joshua has been in this fury since 9:00 am this morning when Megan, from Legal and Kelly Sykes, from Marketing & Communications left his office. I don't know what happened exactly since there has been this intensive ballet of managers in Joshua's office ever since. Each time one left, another came in, not even allowing him some time for lunch, and it's already 2:00 pm. I just heard something about a Pierce House and an incident that happened over the night, but I don't know anything else yet. If only I was able to read on lips, I could have gotten an idea about the situation since he kept the windows unfrozen. Well... I guess that if he wants to meet with Devon again in two hours, we are going to stay late in the office. A few minutes later, and since Conrad is still with Joshua for another long moment I guess, I get up and head toward the lift.

Since we came back from New York last week, work has been quite crazy and I haven't allowed myself too many breaks with Elena. When I reach her floor, I am glad to see that it is pretty quiet and free of the tense atmosphere that has been reigning on my floor or on the operations floor.

"Hey buddy! How are you? I haven't seen you at lunch!" she says when I enter in her office.

"Hi Elena! No I brought my lunch in and had it quickly before noon... Are you available for a coffee?" Liz, Joshua's housekeeper, had actually prepared some sandwiches for Joshua and me this morning before we left, probably having a sixth sense that it would be a hard day. I have really gotten to like this woman; she is such a sweet heart... I haven't been in my apartment for nearly three weeks now and I often stay a bit with her in the evening while she finishes her duties in the house and while Joshua works in his study. Professional as she is, I haven't learned much from her about Joshua's childhood, but I like to talk to her and listen to her warm and motherly voice.

"Sure!" Elena cheers, leading me to their little coffee room. "I saw Ally yesterday evening! Sun will be released from hospital on Thursday! She said she would call you either today or tomorrow to see if we can have lunch out together sometime next week if the weather's not too bad."

"Oh that's cool! She must be so happy to finally go back home!"

"You bet! If she has to stay for another week, I think she's gonna go nuts... And Sun is so adorable!" Elena coos with a sigh.

"Well you know what you have to do..." I chuckle.

"Look who's talking... Ally told me how you were in awe with Sun when you visited her..." she accuses.

"I have to admit that he's really cute... but I'm still young... much younger than you..." I tease her, knowing how she always complains about never finding the right guy to marry and start a family with.

"Yeah, you don't need to remind me..."

Elena and I keep on talking for a while and I soon forget about all the tension at the top floor of the building, relaxing a little... That's until I finally notice that my phone is vibrating in my pocket. Oh damn!! I have been here for more than half an hour already and the messages displaying on the screen of my Iphone freeze me for a few seconds. I apologize to Elena and hurry back to the lifts, reading the messages Joshua sent to me over the past twenty minutes. I completely forgot that I was supposed to prepare a report and he has been requesting it by email, through a voice mail and in many texts... Texts and calls that I haven't answered as I am supposed to and I don't even have a good reason to justify myself... I'm screwed...

The first thing that I notice when the doors slide open on the 21st floor is that the windows are now frozen, which means that I am probably in for a punishment and that it won't wait till we are back home. Then I notice the little note on the screen of my laptop when I go to sit at my desk, saying: if you ever deign getting back to your desk, please bring me the report. J. Okay... so that doesn't sound that bad, but I still decipher this sarcastic undertone and I already know that it doesn't sound good either. I had already printed the report, so I get the stack of sheets from the printer and just need to bind it with a comb. With a heavy sigh, I head toward his office - knowing full well that he must have been watching my every move since I got back - and try to get myself ready for a lecture. Maybe if I look repentant enough he will give up on the punishment? I really don't feel like being spanked here in the office.

When I walk in and shut the door, I find him sitting at his desk, his expression blank, his headphones on and his arms folded across his chest. Not wanting to disturb him while he is obviously in a conference call, I begin to turn around and leave, but he gestures for me to sit down across from him so I just obey and patiently wait until he finishes his call.

"I am fully aware of that Mr. Salters and we will do our best to compensate for the damage..." "........." "Of course, I am conscious that it could have been much worse..." Wow... this is the first time I hear Joshua speak in such an... apologetic tone... ".........." "The whole leadership team is working on it at the moment, Mr. Salters and you have my word that everything will be done with this in mind. I should be able to call you back in a few hours and provide you with an update and an action plan." ".........." "Of course. I will call you back." Joshua then hangs up the phone and tosses his headset on his desk. He looks exhausted, but his eyes suddenly turn to a darker blue... the dark blue which means that it is my turn and that I am in trouble.

"Here's your report," I say with a raspy voice after a long minute of silent staring, putting the binder on his desk.

"Thanks. Where were you?" he asks sternly.

"Hmm... having a coffee... with HR... I'msorryIdidn'tseethetimepassandIdidn'thearmyphoneandIknowit'sallmyfaultI'msosorryand..."

"If you could repeat that in a clear voice and articulating, that would be helpful," he hammers, articulating each word exaggeratedly.

"I'm sorry... I didn't think I stayed away for so long... and I'm sorry that I didn't hear my phone... and I know you were expecting the report... it's all my fault."

"You do not have any valid excuse for not answering me when you know that you are supposed to answer immediately?"

"No, I don't... I'm sorry..." I reply sheepishly, because I know that even professionally speaking, I really fucked up. Trying to lie certainly wouldn't help and I secretly hope that my honestly will soothe his anger.

"Being sorry won't be enough, Pet. Stand up and go to the corner over there," he orders, pointing at the space between the wall of his private bathroom and the couch as he stands up. I frown and go to stand there, hearing him lock the door of his office. Oh God... What does he have in mind? Well at least the door is locked and the windows are frozen... I am also sure that he would be able to come up with a good excuse if someone arrived and knocked on his door. I watch him head back to his desk and perch one buttock on the edge of the table, hands in the pockets of his fitted trousers. "Take off your jacket..." he suddenly orders. "Just put it on the couch, Pet, you're not going to keep it your hands... Now pull your pants down to your ankles..." Now I get an idea of what he has come up with and I don't really like it... "Face the corner... Spread your legs shoulders width, Pet... then lace your fingers at the back of your head and make sure that your elbows touch both perpendicular walls."

So this is what I thought... As I do so, my shirt lifts up and reveals my backside and I am grateful that he let me keep my boxer briefs on. Ed, or maybe was it Mick, told me it was one of his favorite punishments. Now I remember; that was Mick. He said that he feels such humiliation when he gets cornered that he rarely repeats the same mistake twice and yet, it never misses to arouse him. Well for now, it doesn't arouse me at all... On the contrary, I'm sure my cock has never been so limp. Joshua comes to stand behind me to adjust my position: with a soft tap of his shoe on the interior of my ankles, he makes me spread my feet a little further apart; he runs a finger along my spine so that my back straightens; and he pulls my elbows slightly higher.

"Corner time is a good punishment. It will allow you to reflect on how I worried about where you were. The report was not too much of a problem. Neither was the fact that you took a long break because I don't mind as long as you are timely with your tasks and let me know where I can reach you. Only the fact that you didn't respond to my calls and texts is a real problem. I need to know where you are, Pet, or else I worry; and when I worry, it gets on my nerves; can you understand that?"

"Yes, Sir..."

"Good... now you're going to be cornered for as long as I deem necessary. Since this is your first time, I'll let you keep your briefs on and stand, but next time you get that punishment, I will make things more difficult," he explains, reaching for my crotch as if to check if it is hard. "I don't want to hear a noise while I work," he concludes and leaves me in my corner.

Great... How am I supposed to take this...? I know that he has locked the door, but... this is still humiliating to stand in a corner with my trousers pooled at my feet and my hands at the nape of my neck. I think it is even worse than being spanked while lying across his knees, and yet I can feel my cock twitch a little at the thought that he may be staring at me. All this BDSM concept is doing weird things to my mind and body but I can't deny that I love it... something I would have never thought possible a few months ago.

It is like going to the club. I have never been a great fan of nightclubs. I used to go once in a while, but I was mainly aiming at pleasing Shan and I just wanted to spend time with my friend. However this Black Diamond is something else. I don't know whether it is the all kinky atmosphere of the club or the emotions that are exalted and heightened by the sole concept of the lifestyle, but I have never enjoyed myself more than at this club. I love every minute that I spend there, from the moment I step into the Subs' room to the time I spend on the dance floor and to the hours I spend at the VIP area with Joshua and his friends. Or maybe this is simply because I have found the true me and that I feel comfortable among people who are like me and share the same lifestyle...

Even last week-end was great and yet all I did was spend an hour with the guys in the Subs' room and then directly joined Joshua at the couch where he left me kneeling by his side for at least an hour before he took me on his knees to watch the show. But the great thing was that I wasn't alone because Master Gary spent the evening with the Big Four, as people call them, and he was sitting between Aaron and Joshua which means Jeremy was beside me all the time. Although we kept our eyes cast down all the time, it was nice to feel each other's presence.

Oh God... How long is he going to make it last? Probably not for hours since he is expecting Devon to come back... I just don't know how long I have been there already... maybe ten or fifteen minutes...? Maybe more...? Argh, I should have known better than to leave my phone in the pocket of my jacket when I was with Elena. I know that I can't really feel the vibrations of the phone when it is there unless it gets really persistent. As annoying as Joshua's need to know where I am at all times may be, this is something I can easily cope with most of the time, and it shouldn't be that difficult to keep my phone within earshot. Maybe I can increase the intensity of the vibrations or else make sure that the sound is activated... or else leave it in the pocket of my trousers and let it vibrate on my groin... Oh Gosh... where did this thought come from?

A finger brushing along the top of my right thigh and slipping between the fabric of my boxer briefs and my skin brings me back to Joshua's office, especially as it runs around my thigh to my front and stops in my groin. This is when I realize that I am quite hard and I can't tell if this is due to the naughty thoughts I have just had or to the whole situation of standing at a corner of my boss's office with my pants down while he is groping my crotch.

"I'd love to know what kind of naughty thoughts went through your head to make you hard, but unfortunately, Devon will arrive in the next few minutes. I might ask you later tonight..." Joshua says as he bends down to grab my trousers and pulls them up. "Let your arms down, Pet, so that I can tuck your shirt back in properly," he orders. He applies himself to smooth my shirt inside my pants and a few seconds later, he spins me around to wrap his arms around my waist. "Have you had enough time to think about what you did?"

"Yes... Sir... I'll make sure to reactivate the sound on my phone when it is in my pocket from now on. I'm sorry you had to worry..." I reply, keeping the rest of my thoughts to myself.

"That sounds good, Baby. And you're forgiven. Next time, please just leave me at least a message on Lync. Now get back to work. I shouldn't take more than an hour with Devon and then we'll go home," he informs me, pecking my lips.

"Okay... Will you tell me what happened?" I ask shyly as I put my jacket back on and Joshua goes to unlock and open the door before he unfreezes the windows.

"Yesterday evening, a fire started in an electric sheath in a house we built about two years ago. It happened that the owner was in the basement at that moment and he was able to put it out immediately, but it could have been dramatic. Since the works were done by one of my subsidiaries, we are trying to figure out what went wrong. That man has four little kids and I can't imagine what could have happened to the whole family if the father hadn't been there at the perfect moment."

"Oh... that sucks..."

"It does indeed... I'll see you in an hour, please call Devon to let him know that I'm ready to see him."

* * *

"Liam, be careful with this knife please... I don't want Mr. Pierce to reproach me with letting you use sharp knives and get a bad cut..." Liz motherly tells me, which makes me chuckle.

"I can cook Liz... and I do use knives when I'm at my place..." I try to reassure her with a chuckle. On our way back to his house, Joshua continued to work on the action plan that Devon proposed and discussed with him, and he is now in his study finishing this before he needs to call back Mr. Salters, who is the owner of the house where the fire started. I already changed into comfortable sweat pants and a tee-shirt and I am now helping Liz to cook dinner. It required a bit of convincing so that she would let me help, but I managed, promising I'd be cautious.

"Yes, but what happens at your place is not under my responsibility; here it's different."

"Why do you call Joshua Mr. Pierce, Liz?" I suddenly ask, which makes her laugh.

"It's just a habit I have when I need to mention him, but most of the time when I address him, I call him Joshua. I have known him since he was a toddler, you know... but I still call him Mr. Pierce at certain times. Why that question...?"

"I was just wondering... It's weird hearing you or Tony call him like this since you've known him for so long..." I explain.

"Oh, I actually started to call him Mr. Pierce when he became a teenager; a request from his parents. You know, these families have some traditions..." she chuckles.

"But his parents were not as wealthy as he is now..." I argue. "So... were they like... did they think that the sun shines out of their..."

"Shhh... something like that, yes..." she scolds me kindly.

"Oh I see..." I mumble. For a moment we both work in silence, then I decide to try another approach about something else before she leaves since dinner is ready and the table already set in the dining-room. "Liz, what are you and Tony doing for Christmas? Do you usually visit your family?" I ask innocently, hoping that she will give some clue about what Joshua does for Christmas. I still haven't asked him and I really need to book my flights to Los Angeles soon now. Liz first finishes wiping the last pan before she answers me, and puts it back on the counter.

"We usually stay here and celebrate Christmas; just the two of us. We don't really have family anywhere so we just stay together and this is totally fine with us," she replies with a warm smile. I suddenly wonder why Tony and Liz never started a family of their own, but...

"How about you, Baby...?" Joshua suddenly asks, dropping a kiss on my cheek as he circles his arm around my waist from behind, making me startle as once again I didn't hear him arrive. "What are you planning to do for Christmas?"

"Hmm... I... I was thinking about visiting my parents..." I say as I turn around to face him, wishing my voice was a bit more confident.

"Were you?" he replies, and I am not sure that he is faking his surprise this time; and yet, I already mentioned the fact that I always spend Christmas with my family some time ago. The only difference this year is that I have a job and that I need to ask my boss for some time off.

"Joshua, dinner is ready. You two had better go and eat while it is still warm," Liz intervenes.

"Thank you Liz. We'll see you tomorrow," Joshua tells her; meaning you're dismissed for tonight. We both move to the dining-room and sit at the table after Liz has left. Joshua does the service and once both our plates are filled with veal cutlets and green beans with potatoes, I begin to pick at my food. "When were you going to tell me?" Joshua asks after a good ten minutes of silence. I could play it stupidly and pretend that I don't know what he is talking about but I don't think he would appreciate.

"Tonight... I was going to mention it tonight... I need to book my flights as soon as possible now... and my mom has been bugging me about it for a couple of weeks so..." I explain, which is the truth. My mother sends me texts almost every day to ask if I have been able request a three-day leave from work.

"A couple of weeks...? And you're only telling me this now?" Joshua scolds me, putting down his fork on the table.

"Well... I... wasn't too sure about how you would react..." I mumble, realizing my mistake right away. Wrong answer, Liam, wrong answer...

"So you have worried yourself for two weeks about how I would react if you told me that you want to spend Christmas with your family?" he asks, clearly upset.

"I wasn't thinking about it all the time..." I mumble.

"Of course you weren't! Otherwise I would have noticed! But you should have told me immediately. Please remind me the duties of the Submissive related to Communication, Pet."

"The Submissive must always express his worries and concerns to his Dominant in order to let the latter help him. The Submissive shall always reveal his feelings, thoughts and desires without hesitation or embarrassment. The Submissive is allowed to vow his opinions as long as this is performed in a correct and respectful manner," I recite by heart.

"If you don't communicate, I can't help you, Liam. These are useless worries! I am not a monster and I wouldn't prevent you from seeing your family. Whatever your worries are about and even if you feel that I won't agree, you have to talk to me and we can compromise. In this case, this was more than useless because I definitely wouldn't keep you here if you want to go and visit your parents!" Now that he mentions it, his reasoning is quite logical and I now wonder why I have been so reluctant to tell him about my plans. I was really stupid here and I can't even blame it on his moods because he has been really affectionate with me.

"I know... I'm sorry..." I apologize sheepishly.

"You can be sorry, because you're gonna get spanked for that, Pet. While we are at it, is there something else that you need to tell me?" Huh... is this the right moment to add some tension...?

"Hmm... well... I'd like to... spend next week-end at home... I mean... my apartment..." I whisper, glancing at him and back to my plate after I see his frown. "Shannon is coming back on Saturday morning... and I'd like to see him a bit..."

"Can I ask how long you have known about this or is this going to upset me as well?" he asks very coldly.

"I guess you don't need to know then..." I whisper in answer. I am definitely screwed now. I don't dare peeking up at him this time as I hear him sigh loudly through his nose.

"This evening, I made plans with the guys for the week-end, Liam. We were supposed to have dinner with the guys and Gary as well as Jeremy in Aaron's meeting room before we'd go to the Diamond on Saturday," he explains.

"I'm sorry..."

"You're a lot sorry today... but I am not sorry for your ass because this spanking is well deserved. Finish your dinner and your dessert, then go get prepped."

Although I am not really hungry anymore, I still empty my plate and eat the delicious chocolate mousse that Liz prepared, not willing to stir up Joshua's disappointment. The rest of dinner goes very silent, him probably brooding over his thoughts, and me doing the same. After a quick clean up of the table and the kitchen, Joshua heads back to his study while I go get ready upstairs. Once I have cleaned myself inside out, determined to please him, I directly go to the playroom, stark naked and kneel at display in the center of the room. As difficult as it seemed to me, I should have spoken to Joshua about the Christmas holidays and now that I am ready to be punished, I don't even know why I was so reluctant. Even if he is strict and controlling, I am fully aware that he is no monster and wouldn't keep me from visiting my parents. It just sounds ridiculous to me now because I do know the rules and should have respected them.

I am not quite sure about how long I am waiting for him in this position, but I eventually hear some shuffling in his bedroom and soon enough, the door of the playroom closes.

"Go to stand and face the cross, Pet," he orders, his tone firm but not harsh. I stand up and walk to the cross as told, place my feet on the little platforms and within a couple of minutes, my wrists and ankles are restrained in the cuffs and I find myself spread-eagled and standing. Joshua immediately proceeds to warm up my bum with his hands, his fingers kneading the soft flesh and parting my buttocks. "I'm going to spank you twenty times, Pet, with a paddle. Do you know why you are being punished?"

"Yes, Sir... I lacked communication with you and... I'm sorry if you need to change your plans..." I mutter.

"Exactly, Pet..." I suddenly feel his tongue at my entrance as his hands part my ass cheeks widely apart. The sensation of his wet muscle licking and poking my little hole is amazing; I just can't suppress a whimper and my cock begins to swell. All too soon this short teasing is over and I brace myself for the spanking. Joshua takes it easy in the beginning I believe, allowing me to get used to the padded paddle that slaps my backside, but the last seven or eight whacks are a bit harder to take, making me whine as I count them out. Once over and after he has praised me on taking my punishment well, he gently applies the soothing lotion that immediately refreshes my warm bottom before another cold substance is smeared between my buttocks. I gasp as two fingers penetrate my tight hole, making me moan in pleasure.

"Two punishments in the same day, you broke your record... Will you be better at communicating now, Pet?" he murmurs in my ear as another finger joins the other two digits already stretching me.

"Yes, Sir... I promise I'll be good from now on..." And please let me come tonight!! His fingers are amazing but I want more... I want his cock inside me... I want him to relish in my hole and forget how I disappointed him today. And I also need some realease. The warmth of his bare chest against my back and his hand wrapping around my hard-on feel so good that I don't even try to refrain from moaning anymore.

"Good boy..." he whispers in my ear as he pulls his fingers out of me. They are quickly replaced by his hard cock that he slams into me, causing me to groan and moan. I only get a few seconds to adjust to his girth before he starts to thrust in and out of me; the pace of his pounding into me soon increases and the room fills up with grunts and moans and the smell of our musk. I have gotten a better control on my orgasms but if he keeps on hitting my prostate like he does, I won't be able to hold it for long... I can feel his anger and disappointment in the way he groans and through the hard pounding. The fact that he can let go of his stress using my body only arouses me, bringing me to the verge of ecstasy. "Cum for me, Pet!" The permission comes a few minutes later, while his hand is wrapped around my length, and the fire that has been building inside my lower abdomen finally sets free, the clenching of my hole enhancing his own release. Oh God... I love it when he takes it rough on me like this...

* * *

Despite the soothing lotion that Joshua applied on my backside, I can still feel the warmth and sting caused by the paddle, so I am lying on my stomach in bed, waiting for him to join me. He eventually gets out of the bathroom and comes to lay beside me before he switches off the light, and I snuggle to his side, resting my head on his shoulder and my hand over his heart. I have come to really like these cuddling moments before I fall asleep at night; I am feeling safe in his strong arms and his smell just relaxes me to the deepest.

"How's you butt doing?" he asks as his hands begin to caress my arm and my back.

"It stings a bit, but that's okay... I guess I deserved that..."

"Hmm you did. I hope you've learned your lesson?"

"Definitely..." Joshua releases a heavy sigh.

"So you're going to fly to LA? How long will you stay there?" he then asks.

"Hmm... that depends on how many days off my boss will allow me to take..." I whisper sheepishly.

"Oh you haven't asked your boss yet?" he replies sarcastically. "I should hope for you that he doesn't spank you for such a short notice..."

"My boss is a kind gentleman and I'm pretty sure that he'll accept my request for holidays if I promise to be available in case of emergency... I'll have my laptop with me anyway..." I argue with a chuckle.

"A kind gentleman...? Maybe I should get jealous...?"

"You should... Besides he's really handsome," I add, making him chuckle.

"How many days do you need, Liam?" Joshua then asks, back to his serious self.

"I don't intend to stay there for very long..."

"How long?"

"Maybe three days... My parents might not want me to stay for much longer anyway... once I have told them that I'm gay..." I whisper in a barely audible voice.

"You're going to come out to your parents at Christmas?" he then asks dubiously.

"Hmm... nice present, huh?"

"I believe it is actually. I know that my family is not a good example, but for any parent, seeing their child happy should be the most important thing in the world, no matter what their sexual orientation is. Your parents may not be extremely close to you, but from what you have told me, they seem to be rather understanding and supportive, right?"

"They are, but how much understanding and supportive... I don't know... Well, I guess that I will soon find out. Do you mind if I take off Tuesday to Thursday at Christmas? I'd fly out on Monday evening after work and back on Thursday evening..."

"That's fine with me."

"What are you doing for Christmas?" I finally ask the question that I have been dying to ask.

"Not sure yet... I might fly to New Jersey for a couple of days with Mark to spend Christmas with his parents. Camden might join too, but Aaron won't..." he sighs.

"You're not going to visit your mother?" I almost immediately regret this question, feeling him tense beneath me.

"No. I don't need a repeat of last summer where she will organize another of these society parties with the Who's Who of Boca Raton while she tries to marry me off with this or that lady," he says bitterly.

"Would she do that?" I exclaim.

"She wouldn't... she does! She already did in the past, she did it again last summer, and she will do it again."

"Well then I'd rather you go spend Christmas with your friends then... if Mark cooks as good as the food he serves in his restaurant, at least you'll get a great Christmas feast..."

"He's the best... and his father is great too. His parents own a little restaurant quite close to Philly and his father is a great cook. I'm sure to have a good dinner indeed..." he trails on. "Last annoying subject... Are you sure you can't spend the week-end here?" Now this is my turn to tense.

"I haven't been at my apartment in three weeks..."

"Don't you like it here?"

"I do... but you know that this is not what I mean... Shan is my best friend and I haven't seen him at all in three weeks and we need to celebrate his birthday too which was two weeks ago..." I explain, feeling the tension shift back from my body to his.

"What are you planning to do as a celebration?" he asks warily.

"I... I don't know... but whatever we do, I'll behave... I promise... Shan will probably want to go out though..."

"Why don't you take him to the Black Moon? At least I could keep an eye on you..." he grunts.

"No way!! I'm not a child!" I rebel, rising on my elbow and slamming my hand on his chest. "And I don't want Shan anywhere close to the Black Diamond... so forget about the Black Moon..."

"Thousands of people go to the Black Moon and never notice the Black Diamond. It's quite concealed..."

"I know... but I'd rather we go to another club..."

"Then go to the Lost Paradise..." he proposes.

"Yeah... so that you can have one of Aaron's guards watch my every move... Thank you, but no thank you..." I exclaim in annoyance, but he pulls me back into his chest and drops a soft kiss on my head.

"I don't need Aaron's guards for that... I can watch you myself from the VIP floor..." he then says with a smug tone.

"Argh... you're impossible..." I grumble, trying to disentangle from his hold. Unsuccessfully of course...

"Watch out your tone, young man..."

With a squeeze on my warm buttock, he then orders me to sleep. This conversation is certainly not over, but at least I get to spend the week-end with Shan and it is all that matters. Besides, contrary to what he thinks and what I promised, I may not have learned my lesson fully well tonight. There is another annoying subject that we will need to discuss shortly, but that should wait until next week and I will easily make it pass as a sudden decision when I finally get to tell him about it rather than something I have been brooding on for several days... I can't be sure, but he might not like it.

Published on 14 Oct 2016

Two more chapters before the end of the second part of the book... And then we'll start the more "bumpy" part of the story! By the way, the next few weeks will be very busy for me so I'm changing the schedule of updates. I'll publish one chapter at a time, like today, as often as possible, i.e. every 2 days if I can. Therefore it's up to you to wait for more chapters to be published if you don't like cliffhangers, especially after chapter 42, when we get into a bit more action/events. Anyway, I'll try my best to post often enough.

And in the next chapter, you'll get some confessions from Joshua, just a few revelations on his past.

The picture above is that of the 21st Floor that I had already posted, so nothing new ;)

And finally, Wattpad is messing a lot with my notifications so my apologies if I reply to your comments or messages with delay and only when I take the time to look at my emails where I get a copy of them. I'm really trying to reply to as many as possible but it's much easier when notifications work properly...