Willful Violation (Lawyers Behaving Badly Book 3) (6 page)

J
ayne shot
Maisie a questioning look as they followed Ethan down the hall.

Maisie shrugged one shoulder, feigning confusion.

This was going to be bad. Ethan being pissed at her was one thing, but if he yelled at her in front of Jayne, Maisie was going to die.

And if he yelled at Jayne, if he somehow ended up blaming her, or firing her…

Maisie couldn’t think about that.

“Get the door,” he said when they were in his office.

Both Maisie and Jayne started toward it, but Maisie stopped short. Usually, when Ethan said to get the door, it was because he planned to fuck her.

It was just a normal request.
Get the door
. There was nothing inherently sexy about it.

And Jayne had said that nothing had happened between her and Ethan.

Get a grip
, Maisie told herself.

She’d never been the jealous sort. In fact, she’d even encouraged some of her exes to go their own way, to find someone who made them happy.

Ethan crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“I referred Heather to LB&B,” Maisie said. “Based on previous discussions with Heather, I concluded that she would feel most comfortable if a woman our age was an integral part of her team.”

Ethan’s eyebrows slowly crept up in an expression of profound skepticism.

“I see,” he said. “In that case, Jayne, you’d better get back down there and introduce yourself to the client. Maisie, you were fired.”

Jayne shot Maisie a concerned glance, then left the room at a pace so fast, it was nearly a run.

“Should I close the door—”

“Don’t bother,” Ethan said. “I’m sure the others will be interested in hearing that line of bullshit you just tried to feed me. Go sit on the sofa.” He turned his back to her.

Maisie took a seat. She didn’t unbutton her blouse, and she didn’t pull up her skirt a few inches. It was the sort of thing that worked on some men, but Ethan?

It would have been a waste of time.

“Lotani is a big deal. Don’t you want to try to schmooze a little?” Maisie asked.

Ethan shot her a deadly glare.

Somehow, she found the presence of mind to smile. “It’s a pretty big commission.”

“Keep your mouth shut.” His tone was so curt that Maisie winced as if he’d cut her.

Apparently, he was really pissed.

A few minutes later, Trent and Raphael entered. Upon seeing Maisie, Raphael immediately closed and locked the door.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Trent growled.

“I—”

“Stop. Think before you speak.” Ethan walked from behind his desk to stand between his friends. Maisie looked up at the three men.

They didn’t look horny. In fact, they didn’t look like they wanted to breathe the same air as her.

“Byron Ballystock will never know I was here,” she said in a panicked rush. “I had an interview a block away, and Jayne borrowed a badge to bring me up, so I’m not in the security system as a guest. And anyway the city is out of his jurisdiction. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine, Maisie.” Raphael stared at her, the intensity in his blue eyes like a laser. “What were you thinking?”

Maisie looked from man to man. None of them was the least bit amused.

“Byron plays dirty,” Trent growled. “Is that not obvious to you?”

“If the question of why I returned here comes up, I’ll just say I left some stuff behind. In fact, Jayne’s got a bag of books for me.”

“Why would Jayne have books for you?” Ethan demanded.

Oh, she didn’t want to answer that. It was personal. She didn’t even know if she wanted to go to law school.

But Ethan was expecting an answer.

“For a test.”

“What test?”

“The LSAT,” Maisie stammered. “We’d talked about…”

Raphael raised his hand, cutting her off. “I don’t know why you came back here today, and I don’t care. How can we keep you safe if you won’t listen?”

“How am I not safe?”

“You can’t be associated with us, Maisie,” Ethan said. “For your own good.”

“But I’m not in danger. I was in the city for a job interview—”

“What job interview did you get since we talked to you last night?” Raphael asked. Suspicion dripped from his words.

Maisie straightened up. “A temp agency.”

“You must really want a job,” Ethan said. “Not many people would be so intent on scraping up work when they have a guarantee that all their bills will be paid.”

“My parents raised me to be independent.”

“I have an idea,” Raphael said. He looked at Maisie. “You need to work? I know someone who’s hiring right in this building.”

Ethan and Trent exchanged a confused look.

A wicked gleam glinted in Raphael’s eyes.

* * *

A
n hour later
, Maisie was at Fortune Tower’s security office, waiting for the man with the pierced eyebrow to finish helping the woman in front of her.

She was starting to hate this place.

“You’re back,” he said with a smile when it was Maisie’s turn. “This is why we keep former employees on file. So, who’d you find a job with?”

Maisie pushed the paper with her new job details across the counter.

“Janitorial services,” he read.

He didn’t have any commentary to share after that. In fact, he barely looked at Maisie.

She fidgeted. Her bosses were waiting for her to return.

Maisie knew what they wanted—to witness her disgrace and defeat—but after being informed of her new duties, which included scrubbing filth out of the drains and carrying around heavy buckets of water, she didn’t have the patience to endure their mocking.

And if they wanted sex—no way. It would be too humiliating.

“Here’s your badge,” the man said, sliding it across the counter. “Congrats on the new job.”

She didn’t even have the energy to laugh.

What if she simply went home?

No, that wouldn’t work. Her bosses were too creative in their punishments. They would show up at her door, and they wouldn’t be very understanding.

Her heart heavy, she took the elevator back up to the top floor.

W
hen the elevator doors opened
, Maisie was treated to the sight of Mrs. Donahue, arms crossed, disapproving scowl fixed in place. Her gray-streaked dark hair was pulled into a severe bun.

The slightly glazed look in her eyes told Maisie she’d had a couple of drinks already.

Maisie tried to walk past her, but Mrs. Donahue cleared her throat. “Follow me.”

Great.
Now she had Mrs. Donahue breathing down her neck again.

“Follow you where?”

“I’m to take you to Mr. Brennbach’s office.”

“I know where it is,” Maisie said.

“No one said you didn’t, but this is a law office. We can’t have janitorial staff running around unsupervised.”

Maisie felt her blood pressure spiking. “Really? So, who empties the trash cans?”

“They have special security clearance.”

Are you fucking kidding me?
Maisie almost screamed. “Fine. Do you want to put me in handcuffs?”

“Don’t blame me,” Mrs. Donahue said. “You’re responsible for your own mess. Learn to make better decisions if you don’t like how your life is turning out. This way.”

Maisie crossed her arms over her chest as she followed Mrs. Donahue.

Ethan’s office door was open. Mrs. Donahue insisted on walking her right to the entrance and making sure that Ethan saw her.

“Thank you, Mrs. Donahue,” Ethan said.

“I feel like a criminal,” Maisie said once the older woman was gone. “I want to go home.”

“I’m not interested in your opinion,” Ethan said neutrally. “Trent is downstairs, getting something for you to wear.”

Her mood lifted slightly.

The time Trent had bought her clothes, he’d been extravagant. A new outfit or two wouldn’t make up for the humiliation of being demoted to a cleaning job, but at least it would be something she could feel good about.

Raphael entered. “Trent’s not back yet?”

“I don’t know that they keep Maisie’s size in stock.”

Maisie’s smile faltered. Sure, she was curvy, but most women were. What kind of boutique wouldn’t carry her size?

A moment later, Trent entered, carrying a black trash bag. Maisie could smell the plastic. He closed and locked the door.

“What’s that?” Maisie asked.

“Strip,” Ethan said.

The one word she normally craved hearing, but at the moment she was so annoyed that she wanted to tell him to fuck himself.

“If you’re not going to obey, then use your safe word,” Trent said.

Maisie slowly began unbuttoning her blouse.

Ethan went to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out two metal rulers. “Bend over.”

Her mouth went dry. “What did I do?”

“Maisie, we’re not going to keep repeating ourselves,” Trent said. “Bend over.”

Stiffly, she bent over and braced her hands on her knees.

“Open.” Ethan shoved one ruler into her mouth. “If that ruler touches the floor, I’m going to punish you with it until your ass is covered in welts. Do you understand?”

She nodded, eyes wide. “Yeth, thir,” she said around the tangy metal.

Ethan’s strict, disciplinarian side always made her hot and wet.

Raphael pulled up her skirt, and Ethan walked behind her with the second ruler.

“The next time we give you an order, you are to obey immediately.”

He struck her across the backs of her thighs.

It stung so much that tears blurred her view of the room, and she had to clamp her jaw to keep from dropping the other ruler.

“What do you say when one of your doms gives you instructions?” Trent asked.

“Thank you, thir,” she said. “Thorry.”

“Better. Now, finish undressing.”

Maisie started to remove the ruler from her mouth, but then she remembered what Trent had taught her: if a dominant man had put something around her neck, then she had to wait for him to remove it.

The ruler clenched between her teeth was likely governed by the same rules. Better to leave it in place, then.

Without delay, she shed her clothing, then stood before her bosses, her body bare, the ruler in her mouth causing her to drool slightly, and her muscles quivering. The room seemed cold, though when she glanced down, she didn’t see any goosebumps on her arms.

“Much better,” Ethan said. “It seems you only lacked proper motivation. I’ll make sure to keep a ruler on hand from here on out. Trent, will you do the honors?”

Trent walked to the sofa and dumped the contents of the plastic bag onto it.

At first, all Maisie saw was dreary gray.

A thick-soled black sneaker rolled off the pile and tumbled to the floor. Maisie shook her head as understanding dawned.

“This is your new work uniform,” Ethan announced.

Maisie shook her head even harder. No, no, no. They couldn’t do this to her.

Ethan ignored her wordless protest. “At the moment, the janitorial staff has no free lockers, so you’ll need to wear your uniform to work.”

Maisie pulled the ruler out of her mouth. “Please don’t do this, sirs. I know it was wrong of me to come here, but I was very, very careful, and—”

“You disobeyed us,” Raphael said as he snatched the ruler out of her hand. “From the beginning, we had doubts about your suitability, Maisie. You are ignorant of how little you know, and you lack the wisdom to curb your impulsive nature. The very nature that attracts us to you, granted. However, that’s no reason for us to be lenient.”

Lenient? Was he insane? These men were nothing but demanding.

Good thing it turned her on.

“Part of being a good dominant is taking responsibility for our errors. Your lack of obedience can, and will, be remedied.” Trent held out his hand. “Ethan, may I?”

Ethan handed over the ruler.

Maisie took several steps back as Trent approached her.

Displeasure lit his eyes. “Come here,” he ordered. “Accept your punishment like a good submissive.”

Tears overflowed her eyes and coursed down her cheeks. The room was silent except for the sound of the little sobs she tried and failed to repress.

Her legs shook so violently that she doubted they could hold her weight. Her first step almost sent her tumbling to the floor.

Her bosses made no move to catch her.

Maisie understood. This was her punishment, and she would have to face it alone.

She didn’t know where she was drawing the strength from, but somehow she managed the short but arduous distance.

When she was within reach, Trent pulled her sideways into his arms.

The reason was obvious, of course: he planned to simultaneously brace her and spank her.

“It’s going to be all right,” Trent murmured. “After we finish your training for the day, then we can all move past this. Isn’t that better than harboring resentment?”

“Yes, sir,” she whispered as she looked up at him. The tears on her cheeks were drying, and her skin felt cool. Trent was so handsome. So intelligent and powerful.

She loved the idea that through punishment, she could be forgiven for her sins.

But also, it turned her on.

He slammed the ruler against her ass, and the shock of the impact made her kick her feet in desperation. She tried in vain to wriggle out of his firm grasp, but he was too strong.

“Feet flat on the floor,” he said.

The second she obeyed, he spanked her again. The ruler was a cruel instrument; it had no soft edges. It was hard and relentless.

Each strike seemed to resonate like thunder in her ears, and the pain felt like streaks of lightning ripping across her skin.

Three strikes on one buttock, two on the other.

“Do you know why I had to do that?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.” She nodded and raised a hand to wipe away her tears, but Trent pushed her arm down.

“No. You’re beautiful when you’re messy and crying. Tell me why I had to spank you.”

“Because I was supposed to keep the ruler in my mouth.”

“It’s because you disobeyed. Now, get dressed.”

Sniffling, she walked to the pile of monstrous clothing on the sofa and picked up the shirt. It was a horrid, stiff thing, synthetic fabric, and at least three sizes too big.

She only had to undo the top two buttons, and then she was able to pull it over her head. The fabric was already making her skin itch.

The pants fit a little better, but that wasn’t saying much. The outfit didn’t even reach the level of
frumpy
. She’d always taken pride in her appearance, and now she felt like some essential part of her identity was slipping away.

“Building regulation code is that the shirt must be tucked in,” Trent said, “and you will have to wear a belt. If you’d like to wear an undershirt, that’s acceptable.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said dully.

Ethan lifted her chin. “You don’t seem very happy,” he said. “Isn’t this what you wanted? For all of us to be in the same building so that you could check up on us?”

Heat shot up Maisie’s face, like a match touched to a pool of lighter fluid. She couldn’t hold his gaze.

Brushing his thumb over her lower lip, Ethan said, “You have a lot of maturing to do, Maisie. We talked about this on your first day of work. We’re fond of you. But you need to start acting like an adult all the time and not only when it suits you. If you don’t, this relationship will be nothing but empty sex, and it will fall apart.”

Her chin was quivering, which Ethan could surely tell because he was touching her. A choking sob rose up in her throat.

“When you’re at your best, you’re intelligent, witty, and kind,” Raphael said. “Because of your potential, we extended a certain amount of trust that you hadn’t yet earned. You need to earn this.”

Maisie had never felt so humiliated before in her life. The thought that the three of them had discussed her personality and concluded that she was immature was devastating.

Worse, she was disappointed in herself. Her bosses had only pointed out the shortcomings she’d been ignoring.

Emotion overwhelmed her, and she burst into sobs.

“Ok,” Ethan said uncomfortably. “Are those real tears or a submissive’s play tears?”

“Real tears,” Maisie wailed.

Raphael shouldered Ethan out of the way and took Maisie into his arms. “It’ll be fine,” he said as he sat on the sofa with her. He smelled faintly of coffee.

Her tears slowed.

“It will be fine,” Raphael repeated, rocking her gently. “We’re here for you. Prove to us that you’ve learned this lesson, Maisie. Earn this. That’s all we ask.”

She nodded. It felt good to have someone holding her so tenderly.

“That’s our girl.” He cradled her and stroked her hair for a few more minutes.

And then, instead of fucking her, they allowed her to change back into her nice clothes and go home to lick her wounds.