chloe continued

He also took off my shoes.  I was silently grateful for having Izaak in my life as I dozed into a fitful sleep.  Nightmares of getting caught and being kicked out plagued me.  Mr. Winters recognizing me and showing evidence that I did all of those shitty things to him.  Being homeless in Detroit or worse, prison.

I was almost grateful when Izaak woke me up, but had a pounding headache and a horrible taste in my throat.  He handed me a mug of hot tea and plate of toast with hardboiled egg.  

"You're already dressed for work... What time is it?"

"Seven-thirty."

"Exercise club is already over?" I sat up placing the mug on my side table and taking a big bite of the toast.

His face remained stoic and unamused.  Purple half-circles rested under his annoyed eyes.  He probably hadn't slept at all.  "We didn't go."

I pushed the comforter out of the way and patted a spot next to me for him to sit next to me.  "I *am* sorry for last night, ya know, I was just... wasted."

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be, ya know."

My body trembled, a nervous shiver tracing down my spine.  "I know I agreed to this and all, but it seems like you're spanking me everyday.  Isn't that a bit much?"

As I'd hoped, he gave a light chuckle.  "It seems like you're also misbehaving everyday.  How many cigarettes did you smoke yesterday?"

The number was much higher than any other day since this whole stupid agreement started, but I didn't want to admit it because I knew the question to follow would be regarding other mind-altering substances.  Violet was a party girl and had offered me almost everything under the sun... I should get some credit for only caving to the peer pressure with one of those drugs.  But I'm sure Izaak would see it differently.

"Answer me, Chloe.  How many cigarettes?"

"Twelve," I admitted, taking a bite of my toast but suddenly losing my appetite.  "But just socially to keep up with the others."

"That's including the cigarettes you snuck off to smoke before and during paintball?"

I blushed and nodded.

"How much did you drink?"

"That wasn't one of your conditions..."

He stood up frustrated, now using his tall-ness to intimidate me.  "Answer the question."

I took another bite of my toast, staring at him hard as I chewed.  His arms folded, patiently waiting for my response.  But I was more patient than him, not caring about my job and definitely not as much in a hurry.

"Something tells me this would move along quicker if you were over my knee."

"No no no... none of that before work, I have to sit most of the day... and I'm hungover... and eating!

"Then answer me, Chloe."

I grumbled my response to him, then answered his question about how much money I spent.  "It feels like I'm in an interrogation room."

"Nah, criminals don't get a meal while we chat."

My eyes rolled.

"I think you know the next question I'm going to ask."

He allowed me to play dumb for a few seconds before putting on his most serious face and hands on his hips.  In that moment he looked so authoritative it was sexy.  The thought of the power that he has as an FBI agent excited me.  If he were on my side and knew the truth about my past, we would be such a terrific power couple.  Super criminals.  He'd be the double agent for me.  The perfect love story.

But not us right now.  "You want to know about the coke..."  Eyebrows raised, he beckoned me to continue.  "I did some, just a little.  Not as much as the others."

"Does this have something to do with your past that you haven't told me yet?"

An icy pit formed in my stomach, creeping up through my chest and finally to my throat.  Did he know more than he was letting on?  "I mean... in the past I did like to party and it's not the first time I've done drugs..."

"This morning you're going to receive the hardest spanking I've given you, Young Lady.  Drugs are absolutely not tolerated for a lot of reasons.  At the very least it destroys what we're working on right now.  I don't want to think a worst case scenario, seeing you in a situation like some that I see at work."  He shook his head at the thought.  "I want you to feel this and think of it during the day.  You're old enough to know better than this.  We won't have this conversation again, understood?"

I gulped and nodded, putting the half-eaten toast aside and taking a sip of my tea.  My throat was dry from nervousness.  

"Finish your breakfast and come to the living room.  And be prompt, please.  If either of us are late to work, we'll have to repeat this tonight."

"Izaak... come on, don't you think this is a bit harsh?"

"It will be as harsh as it needs to be to make sure that you won't continue with this behavior."

Rolling my eyes, I stood, too.  There had to be a way to get out of this.  "This is starting to feel like too much for me.  I can't do this agreement we made."

His head cocked to the side, curiously questioning the sincerity of my statement.