Spanking Sydney by Paige Tyler Read Free Book Online Page A

sun, or frolicked with each other. Sydney watched in wonderment as they made a game of climbing on top of their fellow sea lions, only to go sliding off the docks and into the water with a big splash.
    Laughing at the sight they made, Sydney half turned to look for Max, and found him standing right behind her. He was so close they were almost touching, and she had to tilt her head back to look up at him. His dark eyes were so intense she caught her breath. For one wild, exhilarating moment, she thought he might kiss her, but to her dismay, he took a step back.
    “They’re amazing, aren’t they?”
    “Yes,” she murmured, turning back to the sea lions.
    They watched for a while before he cleared his throat. “We should probably go to dinner.”
    Although the seafood restaurant Max took her to was crowded, they didn’t have to wait long to be seated. After they’d looked over the menu and given their order to the waiter, Sydney sat back and sipped her drink.
    “I’ve never been to San Francisco before.”
    Max took a swallow of his beer. “I used to come up here all the time when I was in college.”
    “Where did you go to college?”
    “Stanford.”
    Impressive. “Are you from California originally?”
    He shook his head.  “Texas, actually. The Dallas area.”
    Her lips curved into a smile. “I thought I detected an accent.”
    Max flashed her a smile. “We call that a drawl where I come from, Ms. Davis,” he said, drawing out the words and deepening his accent so his voice has a distinct twang to it.
    Sydney laughed, waiting until the waiter set down their plates before continuing. “Did you ask for the transfer to the Seattle office, then?”
    Max reached for the pepper. “I didn’t exactly ask for it, but since it came with a promotion, I wasn’t about to turn it down.”
    Lucky for her.
    The conversation came just as easily throughout dinner. They talked about everything, including her life in Seattle and his in Dallas, and she was surprised to learn that they had a lot of things in common. Surprisingly, there weren’t any of those awkward silences that usually accompanied so many first dates she’d been on, either.
    She caught herself. Whatever this was, it was most definitely not a date, no matter how much it felt like one. And it did feel like one, especially when Max asked if she wanted to walk down the pier and check out the sights after dinner. The only thing that would have made the evening better was if Max had slipped his arm around her.
    As they drove back to the hotel a few hours later, Sydney had to admit she was a little nervous. Not about being with Max, but about what she hoped they’d do once they got to their room. If this were going to go any further, she was going to have to make the next move. Heck, she’d probably have to make the one after that, too. She could tell Max was interested in her, but apart from the spankings he’d given her, he’d been the perfect gentleman. Come to think of it, he’d been the perfect gentleman while he’d been giving her those spankings, too. Even after she’d bent over the desk and flipped up her skirt. A lot of men would have taken advantage of that particular  position. Not that she would have minded if he had.
    She couldn’t blame Max for not making a move on her sexually. He’d told her he had worked long and hard to get where he was in the company. One inappropriate advance toward her, and that would all be over with. Which meant she was going to have to make sure he knew that whatever happened between them, it was because she wanted it to happen.
    “Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?” she asked when they got back to the room.
    He tossed the key card on the dresser. “Go ahead.”
    Bending down beside her bag, Sydney took out the shorts and cami-top she’d brought to sleep in, but then hesitated. So far, Max hadn’t responded to any of her other subtle hints. Maybe it was time to do something a little more