“What do you like to play?”

She shrugged. “It depends. If my partner can’t hold up his end of things, I’d rather not role-play at all. If he’s good, he could talk me into playing almost anything. I’m not into animals, bodily waste, or anything that causes permanent damage though.”

“What about pain?” Ambrose draped his arm over the back of the couch, and without hesitation she tucked in against him. A warm protectiveness stole over him, and he let his arm curve around her shoulders.

“I like it in moderation. Having my ass beaten until it bleeds isn’t a turn-on for me though.” She smelled like a dessert he wanted to put in his mouth and savor. “I like fun and hot BDSM, not cranky BDSM. If a Dom doesn’t like laughing or my bratting, then he isn’t a good match for me.”

There was a wistfulness in her tone that suggested it was an ongoing struggle for her to find partners that suited her. He identified with that feeling a little too well. Most of the girls who took a shine to him were well-behaved submissives who wanted strict Doms who would call them on any breaches in conduct. Ambrose liked to laugh too much for that kind of responsibility—it wasn’t in him to be a rule-monger, and he resented having women expect that of him. So fucking boring.

He also resented women who expected a collar from him after a few good dates. Shae had made him gun-shy, and he didn’t like to feel rushed. Honestly, he doubted any other woman would suit him like Shae had.

Maybe Kate would have, but he’d known from the beginning that wouldn’t go anywhere. Still, it didn’t make it sting less.

“There’s a difference between disciplining a girl and breaking her,” he said. “Some men can’t handle a sub who has a personality of her own, but girls who are always well behaved bore me. Where’s the challenge in that?”

“Do you like disciplining?” she asked sweetly, gazing up at him with a feigned innocence that made his cock twitch. “I get into a lot of trouble, but no one wants to teach me to mind my manners.” Her lips curved into a half smile, daring him.

“And what kind of trouble does a sweet little thing like you get into?”

She blinked up at him. Her plump bottom lip disappeared into her mouth for a moment and came out glistening. What was worse—that he already wanted to kiss her, or that she seemed to be wanting the same thing?

“I sass a lot, I ignore rules if I don’t like them, and sometimes I squirm away or kick when I get a spanking.”

He let his lips hover over hers for a moment, and watched in fascination as her sexy golden eyes drooped shut.

“Do you, now?” he murmured, just loud enough to be heard over the people laughing and talking around them. “I think I know how to deal with a young lady like you.”

“You do?” She opened her eyes again. “People don’t understand that I misbehave to be fun, or because I like being punished. Or they think I’m just playing at being submissive and not the real deal. The last Dom I had wrote out a list of rules. As a joke, I doodled on the page and made happy faces in some of the letters. He was so offended that he wouldn’t play with me anymore.”

He made a sound of disapproval. “Some Doms just don’t get the dynamic. Not everyone is equipped to deal with a little vandal. You just wanted to play.”

Everly nodded. “What would you have done?”

He pulled her knees toward him and shifted her legs over his own. She settled there as though it had been her idea.

“Well, it would depend on whether or not I was offended. It’s pretty hard to offend me, so you might have gotten what you wanted, or you might have gotten what I wanted.”

She scrunched her nose in mock offense. “Hey! That doesn’t sound like much fun.”

“It would be for me.” He grinned at her wolfishly, and she smacked his chest. “Do that again and you won’t like what happens.”

She cocked a brow. “Maybe I would.”

“You could try it and see.”

The wheels in Everly’s head were turning so loudly he could almost hear them. Did she really want to test him this early on? What would she do?

As for himself, Ambrose sorted through his options of how to deal with a brat he barely knew. He wasn’t going to treat her quite the same way he would if they were sleeping together. If he came on too strong, he might scare her off—and at this point he was too intrigued to chance that.

When the penny dropped, he saw it happen. Mischief lurked in her gaze and she raised her hand, threatening to smack him again.

“Are you sure?”

She bit her lip, then swatted him.

Of course.

Taking a firm grip on both of her upper arms, he pulled her to her feet and walked her across the room, where he positioned her face-first in the corner. She tried to back away, but he held her there, moving one of his hands to take a firm grip in the back of her hair, close to the scalp.

She gasped and tried to struggle away, but he didn’t allow it.

“Did I warn you not to hit me?”

There was a sound of disgust, but no safeword. When she tried to pry his hand out of her hair, he smacked the back of her thigh hard enough to make her squeak.

“Be good or I’ll make you like this less.”

“As if you could!”

“If I tucked up your skirt and pulled down your leggings, it might be more embarrassing.”

“I’m not afraid of you. I’ve got underwear on, so do your worst.”

Ambrose chuckled. This girl was perfect. His dick was so hard, he wished he could fuck her up against the damn wall.

“I could pull those down too. Then everyone in the room could see what a bad girl you are and get to see your bare ass.”

Everly swallowed hard enough for him to see the movement of her throat. “I don’t even care.” The words were almost a whisper.

“Maybe I’d spank you while I held you here, and everyone could admire your sweet red cheeks.”

She groaned and shifted where she stood. “Go away. I’ll stand here and take my punishment, but you should shut up now.”

His hand tightened in her hair and he pulled her up onto her toes.

“Ow, ow, ow!”

“Should you be telling me to shut up?”

She didn’t answer. Ambrose growled in her ear and gave her a little shake.

“Answer me,” he barked.

“No,” she said, her tone sullen.

“No, what?”

“No, Sir.”

He lowered his hand so she could stand flat-footed again. “I’m going to let go of you now, and you’re going to stay here like a good girl, aren’t you? Because if you don’t, I’ll do exactly what I said.”

“You wouldn’t!” she gasped.

“Try me.”

God love her, she pouted at him. So many nasty, horrid things he wanted to do to this girl. Slowly, he let go of her, ready to grab her if she bolted.

She stood stock-still.

“See? You can be a good girl when you have the right incentive.” He smoothed her hair back into place, and he could feel her seething.

If she was hating this, though, she wasn’t safewording or telling him off. Instead, he was getting the impression that she liked it and didn’t want to.

“You’re evil,” she said to the wall.

“Maybe a little.”

“No, I mean full-on, mustache-twirling, tie-the-girl-to-the-train-tracks evil.” Her vehemence was adorable.

“Pout at me again. It turned me on.”

“Fuck you, Sir.”

“I thought you just said you didn’t like me, and now you want to fuck me?”

Something that sounded suspiciously like a laugh escaped her. “I never said I didn’t like you. I said you’re evil. There’s a difference.”

This one. This one he wanted to take home and play with. A thinking sub with a sassy mouth and a sense of humor—someone who wanted to be forced to be respectful. His home office rose to mind, along with the big wooden desk. He’d lean her over it, spank her, lecture her. And she would be completely impossible.

Ambrose moved up beside her and grabbed her hair again. She whined and looked up at him with round, nervous eyes. There was a spark there, showing it was an act. She wouldn’t be so easily cowed.