Kiki's Millionaire (4 page)

“Missus Steddenhoffer, you know I’m not like that.”

“Yes, usually. Don’t let this be the start of immoral
behavior, Miss Mackenzie. I won’t tolerate it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She smiled weakly. “We were just going
out. Is there anything else?”

Missus Steddenhoffer raked a judgmental gaze from
Kiki’s toes to the messy topknot on her head. “To a costume party?”

“Er…no. I was going to change.”

“I came earlier than Kiki expected, ma’am,” Jim
offered, approaching with a bright, white smile, oozing charm. “I’ll just go
out into the hall with you while she gets dressed, shall I?”

Looking up into Jim’s face, the landlady smiled and
preened. She nodded and turned away from the door, then turned back, wagging a
finger at Kiki as a parting gesture. “Don’t you keep this nice young man
waiting, Miss.”

“Yes, Missus Steddenhoffer.”

As the landlady turned away, Jim winked at Kiki and
mouthed hurry.

Kiki closed the door and started rushing around
getting ready.

* * *

Jim drove them to San Francisco in his restored 1966
Mustang. Kiki sat demurely, and somewhat uncomfortably, next to him on the
leather bucket seat, worrying the buttons on her coat. He knew she was wearing
a red dress of some sort, but she’d been completely swaddled when she’d opened
the door after their encounter with the landlady.

They chatted amiably during the hour-long drive into
the city.

“So you moved a lot as a child?” he asked, trying to
make her more comfortable by getting her to talk about herself.

“Yes. Every two years or so.”

“Mostly here in the bay area?”

“No. Seattle, Omaha, Dallas, Ocala. All over, really.
How about you?”

“Wow! I’ve traveled a lot in recent years, but my
whole childhood was spent here in northern California. My parents still own the
house I grew up in, in Santa Clara.”

He could hear the gentle smile in her voice when she
said, “That sounds wonderful.”

“Why did you move so often?”

“Oh, different reasons. Mostly, my mother got new jobs
in new cities. She was a library consultant.”

“Was?”

“She died about five years ago.”

Jim knew he was lucky to still have his parents. It
saddened him that she wasn’t lucky, too. “I’m sorry.”

“No need. We had time together.”

He nodded. “Any other family?”

“Nope. My father sort of ran away from home. Moved to
Tibet when I was five or so.”

“Tibet! What for?”

“He became a Buddhist monk.”

He shot her a glance, wondering he she was pulling his
leg. “You’re kidding.”

“No. Really.”

He laughed. “Are you still in contact with him?”

“We write letters sometimes. Not too often.”

There was a long silence, but Jim wanted to learn more
about her so he peppered her with questions. It turned out that she had been a
scholarship student at Berkeley, where she studied English literature. She had
a wonderful command of the cannon of classics, and had written more than a few
published scholarly papers.

“But you’re working in public relations now?”

“English lit doesn’t lead to money, unfortunately. I
got this PR job after I tried journalism and writing children’s books.”

“What happened with those?”

“Well, I can’t interview worth a damn…er… darn.
Journalists are supposed to ask insightful and penetrating questions. I just
wanted to be nice. And the children’s books are sitting on my bookshelf, never
published. I tried to get a publisher to take them, but so far, nothing but
rejections. They must be fu-, I mean feeble garbage.”

He reached out and patted her hands where they sat
idly in her lap. “Don’t give up.”

They talked about less personal things until they
reached the club, then had dinner while watching a comedy show. Jim loved
seeing her laugh. She lit up like a Christmas tree, all glowing and twinkling.
There was a lot that was endearing about her. She had vulnerabilities, but she
was resourceful, intelligent and perseverant.

He walked her to her door when they returned to the
valley. Her body fit perfectly to his as he pulled her gently against him for a
good-night kiss. The smell of her perfume was soothing, warm, like the rest of
her. Jim let his hands slide down her waist and hips, to wrap around and cup
her perfect behind.

“Ow,” she said softly, pulling away a bit.

“Hmm. Want me to kiss it and make it better, honey?”

Her gray eyes roved over his face, lingering on his
lips, but she shook her head. “Yes, and no. I’m going with no this time.”

“Fair enough. We had a deal.”

She sighed. “Yeah.”

“Tomorrow is the third date.”

“I can’t go out tomorrow. I have other plans.”

“Oh. I won’t be nosy, but, of course, I’m curious.”

She grinned. “I’ve got to watch a football game.”

That was intriguing. He was more a hockey guy himself,
but it was interesting to know she liked football. “Your favorite team is
playing?”

“Not really. I have a bet with a guy, with someone at
work, I mean. And I want to watch to see if I win.”

“Ah. I thought you didn’t have any money.”

She pulled away. “I don’t.”

Jim could sense her discomfort. “Kiki, what did you
bet?”

“Nothing really.” She dug in her purse for her keys
then fumbled with the lock. “It’s been a lovely evening. How about if I call
you in a few days so we can do the last date?”

“I don’t think so.” He held her hand still on the key.
“What did you bet?”

She gently disengaged Jim’s hand, and, fingers shaking,
continued to fight with the lock. “Goddamn- I mean gosh darn key.”

Jim took the key and slid it into place effortlessly.
“Let’s go inside. I have a feeling this is going to be a lengthy explanation.”

Sighing, she turned the doorknob and they entered the
apartment. Kiki hung their coats in the tiny closet behind the door, and then
hurried into the kitchenette, her red skirt swaying in a perfect infinity sign
as she walked away. “Coffee?”

“No. But an answer would be nice.” He sat on one of
her two elderly chairs. “Stop fussing and come sit down.”

She looked positively glum when she joined him. “It’s
just a simple bet. You’re making more out of it than it deserves.”

“Am I? What did you bet?” His instincts were screaming
Danger, Will Robinson! Danger! like an old TV show.

“A date.”

The similarity to his own arrangement struck him
sharply. Did she have less integrity than he’d given her credit for? Was she a
slut? “A date. What kind of a date?”

“You know, pizza and beer at Antonio’s Pizzeria.”

She wasn’t looking him in the eyes and that bothered
him. “How well do you know this guy?”

“I really don’t see that it’s any business of yours.”

“I’m making it my business.”

Her eyes narrowed on him. “It’s a bet. I’m going to
win anyway.”

“And if you don’t?”

“Then I eat pizza with Gary. No big deal.”

“Gary.” He didn’t like the guy already. “Have you
known him long?”

She stood and began straightening the stack of papers
on her table. “He’s been…” Kiki paused, catching herself. “I think it’s time
you went home.”

It was obvious that she was hiding something. But
what? A protective instinct swept over him. He got up and took her by the
elbows. “Tell me.”

Squirming in his grasp, she finally dropped her chin.
“All right! He’s a new guy at work. We have a football pool. I have a strong hunch
who’s going to win the game, but I didn’t have any money to put into the pool.
So Gary and I made a side bet. I’ll go out for pizza with him if the Steelers
lose tomorrow’s game.”

“Just pizza?”

She bit her lower lip and pulled away. “And a drive
around the reservoir.”

“Alone.” Alone where the guy could take liberties.
Alone where no one would hear her scream if Gary pressed himself on her.

Nodding, she fixed him with a defiant stare, her
feistiness returning. “What I do and who I do it with are not your concern,
James Chesterfield.”

It really wasn’t his business, he knew, but at the
same time, he didn’t like it one bit. She was dating him and everyone else
could go hang. “How long have you known him?”

“About two weeks. He’s a new guy.”

“So you basically don’t know anything about him. He
could be an ax murderer and you wouldn’t know.”

She scoffed. “Bullshit.” Realizing her mistake, she
put her hand over her mouth, her eyes growing wide.

Gritting his teeth, he let his heart speak for him.
“Cancel the bet.”

“I can’t!”

“You’re putting yourself in danger, Kiki. You don’t
know this guy. I forbid it.”

“You… forbid!” She confronted him angrily, hands on
hips. “Why you egotistical, arrogant, son of a bitch!”

“I can also see I haven’t taught you enough of a
lesson about your language.”

“No more lessons. No more dates.”

Angry and frustrated, he pulled her toward him and
kissed her fiercely. She melted against him after a moment of stiff resentment.
He deepened the kiss, enjoying her reaction, then coaxed her to expose her
long, graceful throat for his kisses and nibbles. She whispered his name and he
thought about how he might like to take advantage of her sensual mood, but he
tightened his resolve to treat her with respect. Even if she was the most
maddening woman he’d ever encountered. Maddening and rebellious. Rebellious and
headstrong. “You deserve another spanking,” he pointed out softly as he rimmed
her delicate ear with his tongue.

“No, I don’t. You made me mad on purpose.”

He chuckled, running his hands up her slender arms and
cupping her face so that he could kiss her soft mouth again. “Pull your panties
down, Kiki.”

She gasped. “You agreed to no sex.”

Hiking up her skirt slowly, he reached for the side
strings of her thong and pulled it down her hips, his eyes never leaving hers.
He could see her warring with herself, deciding whether to let him have what he
wanted or argue with him more. She had every right to say no and throw him out.
And, if she did, he’d go. He was stubborn and opinionated, true, but he knew
when he was being rejected. The way her body wriggled, helping him coax that
thong down her long thighs told him that she was genuinely interested. “Yes, I
agreed. I’m not going to have sex with you. I’m going to spank you.”

“Again?”

He nodded. “You know you deserve it. For your
language. For making such a foolish bet. Honestly, you could put yourself in serious
danger.”

Her lower lip trembled. “I’ll cancel the bet.”

“Yes, you will.” The loosened thong dropped down her
legs and onto the floor at her feet. “Put your hands on the bed.”

“I wish you wouldn’t do this.”

He turned her around and gave her a small nudge toward
the bed. “Do you want me to leave? Really leave?”

Hesitantly, she answered, “No.” She stepped out of her
thong and approached her bed.

“Hands on the bed, Miss Kitten Kimberly Ann
Mackenzie.” There was power in using a person’s full name, and Jim wanted to
apply maximum pressure.

Reluctantly, she bent and put her palms down on it,
her bottom rising appealingly behind her.

Discipline spankings were totally frustrating. All he
really wanted to do with that gorgeous bottom was to hold it still while he
sank deep into her femininity and lost control. But she needed to learn to
behave. She would learn it, even if it gave him blue balls. He knew spanking
her with his bare hand was effective, but it was also so personal that it would
likely lead to caresses and destroy the punishment value. Looking around
quickly, he spotted a wooden hairbrush. Jim smacked it on his palm a couple of
times, gauging how hard he ought to spank her. He didn’t want to damage her,
just teach her a lesson.

The first few swats made her squirm and wriggle, and
Jim had to put a hand on her back to keep her still—he didn’t want to
move off-target and harm her. The next few smacks made her cry out softly, but
she got louder as he plied the brush to her sit spots and upper thighs. Her
skin was bright pink in all the right places.

“No more bad language,” he reminded her. “And no more
dates with strangers.”

“B-but, you were a stranger, too!” she pointed out
between sobs.

“My good reputation precedes me, and I know it. You
know it too.”

She didn’t try to argue. “Ow! This is killing me!”

“It’s making your butt pretty red, but I don’t think
anyone ever died from a hot ass.”

When she lowered her head to the bed to stifle her
squeals of pain, Jim knew that she’d had enough. He tossed the brush down on
the bed and gathered her up in his arms. “I wish you’d just behave, Kiki.”

She sniffled. “I think you’d still spank me.”

Well…yes. “Probably, but I guarantee it would be a lot
more fun.”

He got a small giggle in response, and that was enough
to make him smile, despite the raging heat in his pants.

Soothing her, rubbing his hand up and down her back,
he waited for her to calm. When her sobs had died out, he tilted her head up
for another kiss, a tender kiss that made no demands on her. “Tomorrow night,
Kiki. Then you’ll be rid of me, if you want to be.”

She nodded.

He thought he might be falling in love with her. She
was a termagant, but so genuine that he couldn’t resist being around her as
much as possible. He wanted to make love to her and to spank her for fun. He
knew she’d enjoy it. Jim could smell her excitement, even if he couldn’t do
anything about it without breaking his promise. And he wouldn’t do that. He had
to be a good example for her as well as holding himself to a high standard of behavior.
His parents taught him early on that personal integrity was irretrievable once
lost. It was a lesson he took to heart.