House Rules

It was the sight of a damp, rumpled towel on the bathroom floor that irritated

Ivan's already frayed nerves. In the three weeks Erin had lived with him, she'd
remembered to hang her wet towel on the bar only two or three times. After putting in
ten hours at the gym trying to get his fighter in shape for the upcoming championship
match, the very last thing he wanted to do was trip over a sodden towel left on the tile
floor.

With a frustrated sigh, he bent down and snatched up the offending linen. After

draping it over the bar, he stripped for his customary evening shower. As he spread
soapy lather over his skin, he tried to comprehend how a woman who normally paid
such attention to small details seemed to overlook the simplest things. If it wasn't a
towel on the floor, it was an empty glass in the living room or a juice box on the bedside
table.

He didn't consider himself a neat freak but he definitely had his ways.

Unfortunately, he didn't know how to talk to Erin about his preferences around the
house without coming across negatively. From the moment she'd agreed to move in
with him, he'd been clear that it was now their home—but did that mean he had to
accept the tripping hazards in the bathroom and the sticky, half-empty glasses littering
the house?

Ivan mulled over that question as he dressed and went downstairs in search of Erin.

He ducked into the kitchen to see what they were having for dinner and found the
ingredients for his favorite salad prepared and neatly stacked in containers in the
refrigerator. The hot pink sticky note attached to the top container made him smile.

Come find me, Tiger. Rawr.
Grinning, he tucked the note into the front pocket of his jeans. Taking down a glass

from the cabinet, he caught sight of the bowl of cereal sitting in the sink. It wasn't
simply the fact that she had left the dirty bowl there instead of walking the two extra
feet to tuck it into the dishwasher that bothered him. No, she'd also wasted an entire
bowl of milk. By the looks of the disintegrated cereal floating in the milk, she'd left
behind a quarter of a cup or more.

Though money wasn’t an issue, Ivan couldn't stand the idea of wasting perfectly

good food. He'd known enough hunger as a child to find the sight in his sink appalling.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he set aside his glass and decided he'd get that drink of
water later. Right now, he had to talk to Erin.

When he didn't find her in the living room, he headed to his office. Along the way,

he shut off three lights and a ceiling fan and spotted two juice boxes on the coffee table.
As he entered his office, he immediately noticed the orange soda can on his desk and
the candy wrapper next to it. The thought of chocolate crumbs all over his desk and
chair and keyboard set his teeth on edge.

"Hey!" Erin beamed excitedly when she noticed him hovering in the doorway. "I

wanted to come up and join you in the shower but I decided to get this FAFSA finished
so we could have the whole evening together."

FAFSA? And then he remembered that she was trying to get her paperwork in

order to start the spring semester MBA program. He'd offered to pay her tuition but
she'd insisted on doing it her way. Not wanting to argue with her, he'd let it slide even
though he fully intended to discharge the loans the moment the first bill arrived.

He inhaled a deep, steadying breath. "Angel, we have to talk."
Her expression morphed from one of happiness to pure dread. "What's wrong? Oh

God! Did something happen to Ruby?"

"No." He crossed the office, stopping next to the desk, and quickly quelled any fears

she might have harbored over her incarcerated, drug addicted sister.

"Oh. Well. Then what? I mean—your face is so serious. You're, like, scaring me."
Choosing to be blunt, he announced, "Things have to change around here."
She blinked. "I don't understand. What things?"
He leaned back against the desk and gazed down at her. "I almost killed myself

tripping over a wet towel. I won't even start on the bowl of cereal you left in the sink
when the dishwasher is right there. You left half the lights on in the house and there are
juice boxes and soda cans everywhere."

She rolled her eyes. "Everywhere? Really?"
"Erin," he said her name in a tone he'd rarely used with her. "I realize you're used to

living alone but you live in my house now and—"

"Your house?" She seized upon his mistake. "What happened to this being our

house?"

Ignoring his bad choice of words, he insisted, "Even if this is our house, you can't

expect me to live like this."

"Give me a break, Ivan. You're acting like I'm a pig. It's a couple of juice boxes and a

wet towel. Stop being so dramatic!"

"I'll stop being so dramatic when you stop acting like a child."
She glared at him. "Oh, so I'm a child now?" Glaring at him, she popped out of his

desk chair and slammed her laptop shut. Snatching it up, she started to storm away
from him. "Whatever, Ivan."

"No." He captured her easily and plucked the laptop from her hands. Setting it

aside, he forced her to meet his gaze. "Are we going to talk about this like adults? Or are
you dead set on running upstairs and pouting like a five-year-old?"

Not about to back down, she squared her shoulders. "Why don't you just go ahead

and finish your lecture so you can spank me and send me upstairs without my dessert?"

Though she snapped that remark so sarcastically, Ivan couldn't deny that he found

the thought of bending her over his desk and smacking her sweet little ass rather
enticing.

She must have seen the interest in his face. Bemused, she asked, "Really?"
He cleared his throat and shifted his stance to hide the growing erection pushing

against the front of his jeans. Playing along, he shrugged. "If that's what it takes to get
you to pick up after yourself…"

That mischievous glint in her green eyes was the only warning he had that their

argument was about to take a very exciting turn. Stepping away from him, she walked

to the side of the desk, placed her elbows on the flat top, bent over and presented her
bottom. She arched one eyebrow rather saucily. "Well?"

Raging lust streaked through his lower belly. Wanting to be absolutely sure she

understood what she was asking for, he warned, "Angel moy, you're playing with fire."

Holding his gaze, she reached out and flicked the soda can off his desk. There was

just enough soda left in the can to cause a minor eruption when it bounced on the
hardwood floor. The orange syrupy sweet fluid splattered the wall. "Oops."

That impish smile of hers rocked him to the very core. Suddenly, his irritation with

her over the untidiness was forgotten. He shoved off the desk and strode behind her
before she had a chance to change her mind.

Gripping the hem of her skirt, he flipped the striped fabric up around her waist to

reveal those skimpy hipster panties he loved so much. He gripped the lacy band and
jerked them down her hips to the tops of her thighs.

She gasped in shock as he bared her plump cheeks. "Wait. What are you--?"
"Hush," he ordered gruffly. "You wanted to be spanked? Well—that's exactly what

you're going to get."

Placing his hand between her shoulder blades, he gently held her in place as he

prepared to deliver the first blow. His palm cracked her backside and she yelped.
Before she had a chance to recover, he smacked her other cheek. The sight of his bright
red handprint blossoming on her skin did crazy things to him.

But it was the whimpering gasp and the way she lifted her backside higher that

really inflamed his lust. Even as she said no, she wiggled her bottom as if daring him to
spank her again.

So he did.
His hand bounced from cheek to cheek. Though he delighted in marking her soft

bottom and heating up her skin, Ivan remained mindful of his strength. He had no
intention of harming her. He'd die before he ever hurt her.

No, this was playful but never violent. The way she whimpered and cried out made

his cock ache. A few times, he'd allowed himself to be rough with her in bed. She'd
reacted so beautifully and with such enthusiasm whenever he'd held her wrists or taken
her as if he were some feral beast overcome with need. Judging by the goose bumps
breaking out on her skin and the shuddery, excited breaths ricocheting off the desk,
Erin found this experience incredibly arousing, too.

"No more juice boxes or cups littering the house." He whacked her bottom. "No

more towels on the floor."

"Ow! Oh!" But even as she yelped, Erin rose on tiptoes to meet the falling smacks of

his hand. "Oh! No! No!"

"Yes." He moved his hand to the nape of her neck. "You deserve this. You've been a

very bad girl."

"Yes." She squirmed helplessly. "I'm such a bad girl, Ivan."
His lips curved with amusement as she embraced the role. No longer interested in

spanking her, he smoothed his palm over her bright red ass. "What happens to bad
girls, Erin?"

Eyes dark with desire, she gazed over her shoulder with a hopeful expression.

"Their big, sexy Russian boyfriends teach them a lesson they'll never forget?"

A rumbling chuckle escaped his throat. "Da."
Gripping her by the waist, he spun her around and set her on the desk. Their

mouths crashed together in a hungry kiss. The mewling, kittenish sounds she made
traveled straight to his dick. The need to bury himself in her tight, wet heat consumed
him.

Grasping the neck of her dress, he jerked hard and ripped the fabric. She gasped at

his display of strength but the bright flush of excitement creeping up her neck and into
her cheeks told him she liked it. He pushed the fabric down her shoulders and left it
gaping at her waist. Making quick work of unhooking her bra, he tossed it over his
shoulder. He yanked her tiny panties the rest of the way down her legs.

While he peeled out of his shirt, Erin's shuddery breaths echoed in the quiet office.

Fingers trembling, she reached for the front of his jeans and unbuttoned them. His
zipper was lowered and her hands slid between the denim and the tight-fitting cotton
of his boxer briefs. She slipped her hands inside his boxers and cupped his bare ass.

Peppering ticklish kisses along his torso and chest, she nipped at his skin and left a

few love bites. He hissed as she marked his muscled pec with her teeth and lips. There
would be no hiding that tomorrow at the gym during his usual workout.

He clasped her nape and tilted her head back. "Don't you think I have enough

marks on me?"

She ran her finger around one of the tattoos on his chest. "I'm just making sure

everyone knows you belong to me."

He laughed softly and traced her mouth with his fingertip. "They know."
But her playful remark had him thinking about putting her name on his body. Of

all the many tattoos decorating his skin, her name would be the one he cherished most.

Her hand glided along his hip to grasp the hard length of him. He watched the flash

of need brighten her green eyes. Biting back a groan, he enjoyed the feel of her soft,
small hand stroking him.

She pressed her bare breasts to his chest and latched her mouth onto the curve of

his neck. After nibbling that tender spot that made his toes curl, she whispered, "I think
it's time for you to finish teaching me that lesson."

Growling with desire, Ivan shoved his jeans and boxer briefs out of the way.

Dragging her bottom to the very edge of the desk, he allowed her to guide his throbbing
cock right to her slick entrance. There was no stopping his groan of pleasure as he
sheathed himself in her snug pussy. "Angel…"

Clasping her hips, he thrust into her slow and deep. She clawed at his sides as he

picked up the pace. Putting a hand on her belly, he pushed her flat on her back. She
reclined willingly and lifted her lean legs until her heels touched his shoulders. Turning
his face, he kissed her ankle and continued to pound into her.

He loved the sight of her perky breasts bouncing with every hard thrust. Later,

when he got her into bed, he intended to lick and suck and teasingly teeth her nipples

until they were pink and sensitive. He'd use his long fingers to penetrate her and drive
her crazy while he tormented those sweet tits.

The feel of her pussy fluttering and gripping him brought him back to the present.

Licking his thumb, he held her gaze. The moment his thumb touched that pink pearl
peeking out between her delicate folds, Erin tipped her head back. "Ivan!"

He'd never tire of hearing his name falling from her pouty lips. "Come for me, angel.

Let me hear how much you want me, how much you need me."

"I do." She gripped his forearm. "I need you. I want you."
He rubbed her swollen clitoris while driving his cock into her faster and rougher.

The desk rattled beneath them. He was taken back to that first time they'd been together
here in his office, when he'd feasted on her cunt and she'd used her hands to bring him
release. Even that first time, he'd known they were inextricably linked.

"Ivan." Her breaths deepened and grew almost panicked. The pretty pink flush that

spread across her belly and breasts heralded the arrival of her orgasm. "Ivan!"

"Da." He swirled his thumb around the tiny nub with unwavering speed. Arching

her back, she cried out again and again as the waves of pleasure rippled through her.
Watching her come undone filled him with such a strong sense of pride. To know he
did this to her, that it was his hands and his cock that drove her nearly delirious with
ecstasy, proved to be potent and intoxicating.

Clenching her thighs, he began to chase his own climax. Their gazes clashed as she

hovered on the edge and scratched at his sides. With every powerful thrust, her heels
bounced on his shoulders. He turned his face and bit her calf, not hard enough to break
the skin but enough to make her yelp. The quicksilver flash of pain pushed her over the
edge.

This time, he came with her. Grunting her name, he slammed deep and squeezed

his eyes shut as the searing jets of cum rocketed through his shaft. The wild sensations
made his stomach tremble and his toes tingle.

Panting and still buried inside her, he gathered her tightly to his chest. He dropped

down into his desk chair hard enough that the momentum carried them back to the
bookshelf sitting behind his desk. Their tongues tangled in sensual kisses.

Trailing his finger down her cheek, he murmured, "I love you."
Her sweet smile warmed him. "I love you more."
"I doubt that." He'd never dreamed he could love anyone this much but this

woman—this beautiful, sweet, silly and often aggravating woman—had shown him a
depth of love and patience he'd never imagined possible.

Rubbing her supple bottom, he asked, "Did I hurt you?"
She shook her head. "Was it painful? Yes. Did you hurt me? No."
"I wasn't sure. I tried not to use my full strength on you."
"I know." She nestled her face in the crook of his neck. Her enticing scent enveloped

him. "I trusted you not to take it too far. It was just a silly, playful thing, and I knew you
would never cause me harm."

Squeezing her bottom, he asked, "Do you think you can remember to pick up your

towels now?"

Erin giggled. "After that wild experience? Not on your life! If you're going to punish

me like that every time I'm untidy, I'll never pick up after myself again."

Groaning, Ivan realized he'd just created a monster. Nipping it in the bud, he

decided, "From now on, only very good girls get this type of discipline."

Her head popped up and she pouted at him. "No fair!"
He shrugged. "It's your choice. You can be a good housemate and tidy up after

yourself—in which case I'll reward you—or you can be a bad housemate and this little
episode will never be repeated again."

"Ooh! You're slick." She tried to look annoyed but couldn't stop the cheeky little

smile curving her pretty mouth. "I think this might qualify as blackmail."

"Nonsense. Think of it as positive reinforcement."
She laughed. "Any other house rules I should know about?"
He touched the ripped shreds of her ruined dress. "When I ruin your clothes, you

get two new replacements."

Her eyebrows arched with surprise. "Do you plan to rip my clothes on a regular

basis?"

"Do you plan to be tidier?"
Her eyes flashed with excitement. "I do now!"
He laughed. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Um…really dirty things?"
"No doubt."
"And really wonderful things?"
"Absolutely." He ran his fingers through her short hair. "Are you hungry?"
"Famished." She climbed off his lap and shimmied out of her ruined dress. Playing

the sex kitten, she bent over slowly and snatched his shirt off the floor. He tilted his
head and enjoyed the sexy view of her still-red bottom. "But, first, I think I should pick
up after myself."

He watched her slide into his shirt. "That's a good idea."
Plucking tissues from his desk, she crouched down and wiped up the spilled soda

before chucking the can and other trash in the bin under his desk. Still crouching down,
she placed her hands on his knees and gazed up at him. "I really am sorry I'm sort of
messy. I don't mean to be. I just forget or get side-tracked."

Ivan cupped her cheek. "I could probably ease up a little on my need for neatness."
She shook her head. "I'm a big girl. I'm old enough to pick up after myself. Just, you

know, tell me if I’m doing something that bothers you."

"I don't ever want you to feel unwelcome here. This is our house now."
"Ivan, I've always felt welcome here."
He wasn't so sure she actually did. "Then why haven't you started decorating?"
She frowned with confusion. "What?"
"I've seen the magazines around the house. You've got pages marked and notes

jotted down on them." He swept her bangs aside. "Why haven't you started tackling
some of those projects?"

She looked uncomfortable. "Well…I mean…I've only been here for a few weeks. It

seems kind of presumptuous to start painting walls and changing your bed linens and
switching out those awful curtains in the living room."

"How is it presumptuous? This is our house. That means you can do whatever you

want." He paused and considered some of the notes he'd seen in her magazines. "Within
reason, of course. We're not knocking down walls or tearing out the floors."

She laughed. "Fair enough."
He thought about what she'd said. "What's wrong with the living room curtains?"
"That gaudy floral print?" She shuddered. "Ivan, I've seen nursing homes with nicer

curtains."

He decided not to tell her he'd picked them himself. "Then we'll buy new curtains."
"And different throw pillows and a new rug."
His eyebrows rose. "Maybe we should discuss a budget during dinner."
Running her finger over one of his tattoos, she asked, "Is there anything I can do to

earn an increase in that budget?"

Bending forward, he slid his hands down her back and under the shirt. Squeezing

her bottom, he nuzzled their noses together. "I have a few ideas."

She giggled. "Only a few?"
Certain their evening was about to get very interesting, he captured her lips in a

teasing, erotic kiss. "For tonight…"