Liars and Tigers Read online

  "I wish this was an occasion where I could say it hurts me more than you, but I won't lie," Alex said, as the switch swished in the air before wrapping around the mounds of her bottom.

  Misha lifted her head, her breath caught in surprise. Alex heard her gasp, and waited until she exhaled before swiping another blow upon her taut back end. This time, she screamed out her pain.

  "No more!" she yelled, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

  "That was only two. How many will I need to give you before I am confident you have taken these lessons to heart?" Alex asked, the switch landing across the tops of her thighs.

  "Oh God, please, no more! No more!" Misha yelled. "You are killing me!"

  "No one is killing you. Rodin would react if he thought you were in danger. What are your learning here?" The switch slashed across her mounds in three quick, fiery bites.

  "That you are a vicious man who delights in humiliating me!" Misha screeched, as her anger took over.

  Alex switched her sit spots three more times, and watched her bottom jiggle as she wagged it back and forth to try to cool it down. "Say again, darling?"

  "This is so not fair!" Misha bellowed. "I thought you loved me!"

  "I do love you, which is why I intend to drive my point home," Alex said calmly, running his hand across her bottom and checking for damage. Satisfied that she was unharmed, he raised the stick and swished it sharply again. It broke in half.

  "You broke my switch," he announced.

  "Good! Burn it!" Misha cried.

  "Maybe later. I have another one here, just in case I need to continue."

  "Can't you just spank me with your hand?" Misha begged. "My ass is on fire!"

  "I could, but I won't. How many more do you need before you stop fighting me?" Alex asked, taking aim.

  "None! I learned my lesson! I'm sorry! I swear, I learned!" Misha called out, as the switch kissed her flesh.

  "Then answer my question. Have you honestly taken this lesson to heart? I assure you, I can do this all night if I must."

  "No," Misha slumped, weeping into the back of her left hand, "you don't need to. I am really sorry."

  Alex smiled and flung the switch to the bed, then he helped Misha stand straight. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. "I want your sworn promise to trust that my orders are there for your benefit, and that you will obey them from now on."

  "A-all of them?" Misha whimpered.

  "All of them," Alex responded firmly.

  "I promise," she whispered, hanging her head.

  "Thank you."

  "W-what're you doing? No more!" Misha cringed as he led her by the hand back to the bed.

  "Climb up there next to your kitten. Leave your pants on the floor, you won't need them for a while."

  "But, I'm…" Misha blushed, glancing down at her naked bottom half.

  "Are you going to make me repeat myself every single time I tell you to do something?"

  "Not every time."

  "Mind me. That also means to keep your hand off your rump."

  With a sad sniffle, Misha climbed on to the tall four poster bed, grabbed a pillow and covered her lower half. Alex shook his head and pulled it from her.

  "You don't need that. Lie down on your stomach."

  "This is so humiliating," Misha mumbled as she obeyed.

  Alex climbed up next to her and rested his warm hand on the small of her back. He smirked at the gasp she gave when he placed a dollop of cold cream on her scalded cheeks and began to gently smooth it across. "How's that?"

  "It feels nice," Misha muttered, relaxing under his touch. "You have nice hands when you aren't using them to hurt me."

  "I need you to adjust your vocabulary. I spanked you. I switched you. I did not harm you. The lesson was for your benefit, not just mine."

  "I'm sorry. It's just so foreign to me. Mmm," Misha began to hum as his hands moved under her shirt and massaged the tight muscles of her lower back.

  "Take off your blouse," Alex ordered.

  Misha's skin rose with goosebumps. "Are you going to, you know?"

  "I'm only going to rub your back. Nothing more."

  Misha complied, and tossed her shirt over Rodin's head. The cub's purr, as he nestled in her clothing, sounded much like her own as Alex ran his hands along the length of her back and then down the backs of her legs. His cock strained against his slacks, wanting to be let loose and bury itself in her sweetness. She's a virgin, he reminded himself. Forget about her age, she is still innocent.

  "Alex?"

  "What baby?"

  "Will you lay down next to me? I need you to hold me." Misha's request held a childlike quality, and Alex felt his heart leap for joy.

  "I will hold you as long as you need me. I promise."

  Chapter 11

  Misha woke to the smell of eggs and bacon. She opened her eyes, stunned, as Alex placed a tray on the lap table.

  "What?"

  "Breakfast in bed. I made your favorite," Alex said, holding out a cup of freshly brewed coffee for her to take. "Eggs, over medium; bacon light crispy, and sour dough toast with 'real, not fake,' butter."

  "I'm confused. I thought you were mad at me," Misha said, wincing as she eased herself into a sitting position. She pulled the sheets up to hide her naked breasts and took the mug from him.

  "I don't stay angry, darling. That is the beauty of this type of relationship." He took a strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. "Once you pay the price, you are forgiven and the slate is clean, remember? Only you will bring it up again, not me."

  "I really don't want to revisit it. You make the best coffee. Thank you."

  "I called Jack and told him that we will be staying home today. There is nothing pressing for either of us at the facility, and I think we both could use a day off after last evening."

  "I could use a week off after last evening," Misha grumbled, reaching under to rub her tender bottom. "My ass must look like an antelope after a lion attack."

  "Let me see."

  "No."

  "Turn over, Misha," Alex said, taking the tray from her and making a rolling gesture with his finger.

  "I hate you," she muttered, obeying.

  "Please don't say that. It really hurts my feelings," Alex said softly, as he ran his hands over her tender mounds. He was pleased to see that the only visible reminder of the switching was a sprinkling of tiny bruises on the right side of her cheeks from where the tips had landed.

  "Sorry," Misha muttered. "Where's Rodin?"

  "In his crate. I wanted to have a few minutes alone with you, and knew he would not only want to climb into your lap, but also steal your bacon."

  "I don't know what you see in me, Alex," Misha sighed, turning over and covering her breasts again. "I'm broken beyond repair."

  "No one is broken beyond repair. And you," he took the sheets from her hands and pulled them down to expose her breasts, "are everything I ever wanted. Even when you're naughty."

  Misha blushed as his hand traveled from her hand up her arm, his fingers grazing delicately over her skin. She moved her eyes to follow his stroking as his fingers trailed across her shoulders, down the length of her throat and between her breasts. Alex paused and slowly drew back.

  "It's not right. Not now. Excuse me," he said, his voice choking as he quickly left the room. He closed the door behind him and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. What was he thinking? She was too vulnerable right now. What an idiot I am!

  "Alex?" Misha opened the door and peeked out. She was wrapped in a sheet and her hair was in disarray. She had never looked more beautiful. "Why did you leave?"

  "I can't do this to you, baby. I love you. I want you to come to me because you love me, not because you feel forced or manipulated. I'm sorry."

  "Sorry for what?" Misha asked, standing in front of him and looking up with golden-specked eyes. "For playing the game that we both started? I knew what you were doing, and I suspect that you wer
e aware of my knowledge."

  "I'm sorry." He looked away.

  Misha lifted her hands to touch his face, letting the sheet fall to the floor. "You were on a hunt to capture me. I allowed myself to be captured. I love you, Alex. I love you."

  "I don't want to hurt you, Misha. I don't want to be the overbearing, arrogant jerk boss of yours. I want to be your husband one day."

  Misha stepped back, picked up the sheets from the floor, and wrapped them around her body, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and surprise. "You want to marry me?"

  "Yeah, I want to marry you. We are good together, Mish. We haven't fought one time since we got to know each other. I don't go off the handle like I used to, and you are calmer and more self-assured than I have ever seen you. Where are you going?"

  "To my room. I need to think. Alone," Misha said, running from him as fast as she was able.

  Alex watched her departure and sighed deeply. He'd blown it, possibly for good.

  ***

  Misha closed her bedroom door behind her and dropped the sheets to the floor. She looked at herself in the large mirror over the dresser and shook her head. Her eyes and nose were still slightly swollen from the tears she'd shed the night before, and her blonde hair looked as though she had walked through a wind tunnel. Her skin was pale gold and, being an avid user of sunscreen, she was spared the 'farmer's tan'. She had a slender build, but the soft curves of her hips and breasts were very womanly. Her stomach turned, realizing that she had stood naked before a man for the first time since Carlos had sculpted her all those years ago.

  Panic seized her. If she didn't do what Alex wanted, she would lose her job—and Rodin! But she couldn't afford her own place, not yet. She studied her body in the mirror. She had matured since her time in Vegas, and her body was softer, more subtle. She glanced at Rodin sleeping in his crate. He was small enough to transport, and feeding him was not expensive just yet. Maybe if…

  "Hello?" a thickly accented man answered the phone.

  "Carlos? It's me, Misha."

  "Misha? My Danaid? Someone bought you from me. How I miss your likeness gracing my studio."

  "How much did you get for that piece, Carlos?"

  "Mon chère! To ask such a thing?"

  "I ask because it was bought for me. What is it worth?" Misha asked.

  "The man, he paid twenty-five for it."

  "Twenty-five hundred?"

  "Twenty-five thousand. It is unique, one of a kind." There was pride in his voice.

  "I want you to buy it back."

  Carlos was quiet. "Does this man know you wish to sell her?"

  "He gave it to me and I can do with it as I please. I need the money. I need to buy myself a ranch."

  "Come work for me again. I pay you well, yes?"

  Misha hesitated. "You don't even know what I look like now. It's been years since you've seen me."

  "Your beauty goes beyond the flesh, my Misha. Please, come and talk. We can make something beautiful together again."

  "I have nowhere to stay." Misha glanced at the cub. "I also have my cat."

  "I have a big house outside the city with plenty of room. You can stay as long as you like. Bring your cat. Maybe I make him into a beautiful piece too, yes?"

  "He is lovely. I don't know…"

  "We can let him chase mice and squirrels. He will be happy, and so will you. Please, come. I am alone here and would like your company to grace my table once again."

  "Let me see what I can do. I have several weeks of vacation owed me…"

  Misha avoided Alex for the rest of the day, remaining in her room and not answering the knocks on her door except when he brought food for Rodin, and took him for a walk so the tiger could relieve himself. Alex had little to say to her as well, not even trying to start a conversation.

  Misha could not understand why she was so angry. Or was it hurt? She refused to admit that it was pure fear that made her want to run. That, and the secret hope that he would come after her. She leaned her forehead against the wall and tried to sort out the big knot of confusion that consisted of her thoughts and feelings.

  She waited until the sun set, listening for the tell-tale signs of Alex readying himself for bed. The front door closing loudly, the beeping of the house alarm, the sound of his loading the dishwasher; and finally, his heavy footsteps ascending the stairs. Her heart ached when she realized that he was not even going to try to say good night to her. It was the first time since she had lived there that they had not spent any time together, even just talking.

  ***

  Misha woke at four in the morning and packed her backpack. Guilt plagued her as she left a note on the coffee maker, telling him that she needed some space and was heading up north for a few days. She had signed it 'with love', and said that she hoped he would understand that she could not give him what he wanted—that she was too broken to make him, or anyone else, happy. After disarming the alarm, she slipped outside with her backpack slung over her left shoulder, and Rodin in his crate weighing heavily in her right hand. She watched the house for lights, holding her breath as she started her truck. Silently, she drove away from the place she had called home, and the man she was hopelessly in love with.

  The drive to Las Vegas took less than four hours and she followed the directions to Carlos's adobe house, which was located just outside of the city. After walking the tiger cub, she approached the heavy wooden door and knocked.

  Her heart pounded as she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Would he send her back home once he learned that she had run away?

  "Misha! It is good to see you. And this? A cat?" Carlos proclaimed, hugging her and looking down at the curious cub. "He has a name?"

  "Rodin. Thank you for letting me come see you. I needed some time to clear my head."

  "Of course, of course! Come in. Can I get you something to eat? You need some meat on your bones, my Misha. Men like softness and curves," the artist tsked, twirling her around in front of him, appraising her. "Your buttocks have rounded out nicely, and your breasts are still quite high. Yes, I can make a creation that will bring the Gods to their knees, and have them tremble in awe when they look upon its beauty."

  "You said that eight years ago when you sculpted me. Just coffee please. And some ice for Rodin. He's excited, and I don't want him puking all over the place," Misha laughed.

  While Rodin explored the enclosed back yard, Carlos inquired about Misha's life since he had last seen her. He steepled his fingers, watching her eyes as she spoke of school, her job and Rodin.

  "Hmm, your mouth says one thing, but your eyes, another. Who is this man? The one who bought you from me."

  "He bought the Danaid as a gift for me because he know that Rodin was my favorite artist."

  "The wounds!" Carlos dramatically held his hand over his heart. "I thought I was your favorite artist."

  "You are my favorite living artist, Carlos."

  "I want you to pose as Iris for me," Carlos said bluntly.

  Misha paled. "Rodin's Iris? Carlos, that would be, well, obscene! The whole piece focuses on the, well, you know!"

  "A woman's garden is as beautiful as the sunrise. There is no shame in the human body."

  "Are you going to cut off my head and my arm? And that position," Misha shuddered. "I am not a pretzel."

  "Iris is to be sculpted, not displayed. You need money, no?"

  "No, I mean yes, I need money. I need to buy my own place so that I can keep Rodin. That is, if Alex doesn't take him from me for leaving," Misha said sadly.

  "Why did you leave this man? You love him, no?"

  "Oh Carlos, how can I even begin to tell you how I feel about him? He's smart, and handsome and generous," Misha lamented. "He makes me feel alive and beautiful. He is strong and secure, and won't allow me to do stupid things."

  "Like run away?" Carlos asked wisely.

  "Yeah, like run away. I lied to him and said I was going up north, to throw him off."

  "But he is
intelligent and cunning, yes?" Then, when Misha nodded, "He will find you then. And when he does, will you return to him?"

  "He blackmailed me into falling in love with him."

  "Ah, Misha," Carlos took her hand in his. "Does it matter how love happens? No, it only matters that it does happen. You've searched for love your entire life. Your friend, Jack, gave you a taste, as did I. But this type of love, the one between you and this man, is a gift."

  "I don't know what to do, Carlos," Misha broke into tears. Rodin raced to her and jumped in her lap to comfort her. "He wants to marry me. I can't do that to him."

  "Do what to him? Love him? Marry him? Have his babies? My girl, these things come in time. Don't waste precious moments worrying about something you cannot change. You are, what is the expression for when an infant becomes connected with its parent?"

  "Imprinting?"

  "Yes, you are imprinted on one another's hearts. Give your mind a chance to catch up to what your heart already knows."

  "What if it's too late? My leaving will hurt him." She sniffed.

  "What does the tiger do when he wishes to mate?"

  Misha thought about it. "He sniffs out a female in heat and takes her."

  "Trust that your tiger will sniff you out, mi amore," Carlos winked, "and that he will take you as his, whether or not you are prepared."

  Chapter 12

  Alex's hand trembled as he read, and re-read, Misha's letter. He did not know whether to be angry, hurt, frightened, or amused. Of course he'd expected her to react poorly to the thought of commitment, but this move was a rash one.

  "Jack? I need your help," Alex said, his chin holding the phone in place as he threw some clothes into a gym bag.

  "Sure, Boss. What can I do you for?"

  "I need you to come to the house and keep an eye on Kena and the pups. The breeder is coming tomorrow to check them out but I won't be here."