by Raine Miller
“Jason, I’m okay. The team got me out. I wasn’t raped. I had some bruises and a broken pinkie, that’s all.” He lifted her left hand and gently rubbed her finger, which had a slight bend at the second knuckle. She’d told him the details of her brief capture, torture and rescue, but he never quite seemed reassured.
“I know.” He released her hand and paced around the bed. “When I heard you were coming to the White House, I thought you’d be working with me overseas or as a Secret Service agent. I thought this would be my chance to show you I’m finally over that.” He abruptly stopped.
“It’s okay,” Zoe consoled him. “You didn’t think I’d be working as an archivist for top-secret documents.”
“No, I thought you’d be collecting intel overseas with me. I didn’t realize they had another position in mind.”
“Not archivist.” She hoped he didn’t hear the edge to her voice. She stood and faced him. When he moved to draw her to him, she pulled away. “What then? What was I hired to do?”
He let out a breath. “To take part in similar scenes like the one you watched.”
She didn’t respond for a long time, because she wasn’t sure what he meant. “Who was the guy? What do they do with the tapes?”
“The president from Chad,” he said. “And they plan to blackmail him into signing the peace treaty.”
She shoved away from him. “Are you crazy? You’re saying President Bryson is blackmailing a foreign delegate with sex tapes?”
“Several foreign delegates,” he said.
“You can’t be serious.” Hands on hips, she glared at him. “That’s unethical. It’s political suicide. Is it working? Oh my God.”
“When you deal with unethical people who become allies with terrorists and build immense personal wealth at the expense of their own people, conventional methods of diplomacy don’t work.”
“Where do I fit in?” She folded her arms across her chest. Somehow, she didn’t think she’d like the answer.
“You’ll be one of those making the videos.”
“Running the cameras?” She smiled but knew that’s not what he meant. He didn’t answer. “Forget it. I don’t know how to do that stuff and whip someone. Why did they pick me?”
“Because you’re the perfect female type they need. Blond, tall, attractive and intelligent with a high-level security clearance. The target they have set up for you likes to hire blond women, such as international lawyers, translators, economists, to work as his aides and consultants. Then he makes them his personal slaves, literally.”
She groaned. “Against their will?”
“There’s evidence that he’s murdered some, sold others into the slave trade market, and still others are being held against their will. We intend to get them out in addition to getting him to sign the treaty. Now are you interested?” He edged closer, and she was torn between wanting to run out of the room and wanting to fall into the embrace of his arms. Either way, she wanted it all to go away.
Her stomach rolled, and she didn’t say a word for a while. “I don’t know this lifestyle. He’d know. If I screw up the mission, I could get those women killed.”
“You’re skilled at role-playing. I can train you. Melissa can help. She was a professional Domme.” He took both her hands. He held her gaze and smiled. Damn him for looking excited about this.
“What if I say no?”
He squeezed her hands. “No would be a very bad choice. This is a national security issue. There will be other people in the room, so it won’t get out of hand. You’ll be safe.”
She narrowed her eyes and studied him. “Why are you training me? Are you into this lifestyle? You weren’t when we were dating. At least, you never told me.” She trembled at the idea of Jason performing the acts she witnessed the other night, making her both uneasy and horny.
Seduction. The room reeked of it. Not torture. But an odd, twisted kind of kinky seduction, and Zoe felt her body responding to it. Heat rushed through her, and her breasts felt heavy. Between her thighs, she was throbbing and wet. Why was she getting aroused by this? Did this turn him on?
“What are you thinking?” His mouth twitched in amusement.
“I don’t know, really. Maybe I am a little curious, maybe I missed you. I just don’t want to screw up.” She almost said like last time. What if he was thinking that?
His eyes turned dark and intently focused on her. Beneath his lowered gaze was a raw hunger, pure male sensuality smoldering behind his blue eyes, reminding her of the desperation of his last kiss. The way all his kisses were, as if each was going to be their last. That was why she couldn’t resist him even though she was still pissed at him. “Good. I wasn’t sure what your reaction would be.”
A smile curled at her lips as she began to consider the possibilities. Striding over to the table, she picked up a whip and swung it in a circle, attempting to hit the bench but almost hitting herself instead. “Who’s into this kinky stuff besides the first lady? The president? Does he make the videos, too?”
“No, he doesn’t. Careful with that or you’ll hurt yourself.” He pulled it from her hand. “Stand over by the cross, and I’ll demonstrate.”
“No, thanks. I’m not into pain.”
“You will be.” He grasped her arm and walked her over to the cross. “Take off your blouse, and I’ll give you a brief demo.”
“No. Jason. Someone could walk in on us.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him as he swung the flogger in a circle.
“No one will come. The door is locked, and I know the schedule.”
“Schedule? What schedule?” she whispered.
“Some questions will be answered later. And you don’t have to whisper. The room is completely soundproof.” He pressed her shoulders and back against the wooden frame.
“Can’t we do this at my place?” she pleaded.
“This is where you’ll be trained and where you’ll give your presentation. This isn’t about us in here. Go with it for a minute.” His hands went to the waist of her pants and tugged on her shirt.
“That wasn’t about us in the closet?” she asked.
He made a face and didn’t answer.
She huffed. “Okay, okay, a little test.” She started unbuttoning her blouse. “Jason, we’re in the White House. You’re not going to do—”
“Anything kinky? You didn’t seem to mind last night. I seem to remember an agent who got horny when she was in danger.”
She swallowed and glared at him. A thrill passed through her. He was right. Sex was hottest when they were in danger. Last night they’d almost had sex in the White House. “That was different. It was very late, and we were in a hidden passageway. We were spontaneous.”
“We were out of control,” he added as he pressed her back against the wooden X.
“Sex is always out of control for us.”
He didn’t argue. Tugging on her blouse, he yanked it over her head, not even bothering with the buttons.
Zoe fought to keep her breathing under control. His gaze lowered to her breasts, and his fingers traced around the lacy cups of her bra. “Pretty and sexy.”
Reaching out, she gathered fistfuls of his shirt and tugged on his, too, but he grabbed her hands. “Why not?”
“Not until I say.” His hands slid over her bare skin around her waist, and his lips lowered to her neck. The warmth of his breath, the hot wetness of his tongue as it glided along the delicate curve from her ear to the base of her throat was maddening. Her breasts swelled, and she wanted his hands there, his mouth there. She wanted him everywhere, now.
“Jason. Can we do the demo on the bed? This cross is kind of creepy.” Her gaze widened as the clasp of her bra opened, and the garment slid off and fell to the floor.
“You have to follow my instructions without questioning them, without making suggestions.” His mouth moved to her jawline, and she shuddered and let out a little moan. She leaned into him like a cat stretching out her body for a good scr
atch. Why wouldn’t he touch her breasts? Again, she reached out to him, and just as quickly he grabbed her wrists and pressed them behind her back, making her breasts stand up even higher. Her nipples were tight and sensitive now. “Keep your hands here. Don’t move them until I tell you to. This is a lesson in control, power exchange, sensuality, trust.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Go with it. You will. Because that’s what this room is all about.”
She nodded. “It’s not about us.” Her throat tightened. How could she possibly keep them out of it while she stood before him half-naked or if he touched her intimately?
He leaned back enough to look at her, and his eyes had darkened with flaming desire. His jaw flexed. Was he struggling with controlling his passion, too? Who was being tested here?
“I’ll go along with it,” she whispered.
“You need to do more than go along. You need to convince a Dom that you’re a submissive.” He kissed her mouth, deeply, slowly, but she kept her hands behind her back as he asked. When he pulled her into an embrace, crushing her body against him, she moved her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers in his hair. The kiss abruptly ended. He growled.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“You moved your hands.”
“What?” She laughed.
“I told you not to move your hands.”
“Oh, come on, Jason. Can’t you just tell me the plan and what I’m supposed to do? And skip all this?” She crossed her arms over her waist.
“No, it has to be done this way. Just like there’s no shortcut for any other kind of training.”
“Fine then.” She was getting annoyed and horny at the same time. That ticked her off more.
He hesitated for a minute, gazing at the table of torture devices. “This is a lesson. Make your assessment after.”
“All right.” She put her arms at her sides, awaiting for his direction.
He moved closer, taking her hands and moving them behind her back. Then he palmed her breasts, pinching her nipples until she moaned. Lowering his mouth to one nipple and drawing on it, rubbing the tip with his tongue, made her aware of the wetness and throbbing between her thighs. She couldn’t refuse him anything after that.
“Tell me what to do.”
“Do exactly what I tell you without argument.” He stroked her bare shoulder. “If I ask you a question, answer it with a yes or no, sir.”
She frowned but said, “Okay.”
He stepped back. “Take everything else off and face the cross.”
She opened her mouth to object but saw his one eyebrow raise, daring her to object. She stopped herself and slipped off her shoes, pants and underwear, placing everything on the floor.
“Beautiful,” he said.
She felt exposed but resisted the urge to cover herself. Her nipples instantly became harder, sensitive to the cool air in the room. His hungry gaze raked over her body. Maybe they’d make love after all.
“Face the cross. Hold on to it if you like.”
Sighing, she leaned against it, then spread her legs to fit into the foot rests and raised her arms. The intersection came just below her breasts so they pressed against the two arms of the structure. “Are you going to strap me in?” Her heart fluttered in her chest. Something about that excited her. She kept her smile cool, without emotion, the stoic working face she used when she was about to make a connection during a dangerous overseas operative.
“Not unless you want to be. You can just wrap your arms around the cross.”
In position at the cross, she let out her held breath. “Now what?”
He didn’t answer at first then placed a hand on her shoulder. He pressed his mouth to her ear. “You can stop this at any time by saying the word red. Understand?”
“Yes, yes, sir.” Her body was shaking, and she wondered if he sensed that.
He rubbed her shoulders, massaging them, then her arms and back. “Relax, you’re too tense.”
She giggled a little. “Because I don’t know what the hell you’re up to.”
“Fair enough.” He walked over to the table, sifted through a number of items. Finally, he selected one. “I’ll use the flogger and go easy on you.”
“Right.” A wave of sadness moved through her thoughts. What if this club was more than an assignment for him? What if he wanted this lifestyle? That would explain why he hadn’t kept in touch with her when he left Langley. They weren’t sexually compatible. Why hadn’t he told her?
“I’m going to try a few passes across your back and see how you do. All right?”
She swallowed.
“Respond to my questions, Zoe.”
“Yes, all right. Have at it.” She swallowed again. How had she missed this side of him? What a fool she was. Damn it.
“That’s not how you answer a Dom. You would get punished for that.”
She tensed at his harsh tone. “Yes, sir. I’m ready.”
The flogger bit into her upper left back with a crack, and she jumped and yelped. He paused for a moment then repeated on the other side. When she didn’t protest, he struck her over and over, the sting penetrating deep. She would take as much as she could. She had to know why he needed sex this way. She partly believed him about the taping and partly believed the first lady had an adventurous sex life. Blackmailing and manipulating foreign policy seemed farfetched. Then he stopped.
His hand gently stroked the areas he’d worked. “How are you doing?”
“Okay, I think.” Her body was oversensitized to his touch. Her pussy throbbed and ached for him. He hadn’t struck her there, but she wanted him to, just to see how it felt. “Should I turn around, sir?” If this was where he expected their love life to go, she didn’t know if she wanted to find out.
“No, this is fine for now.”
She ached for his hands to pleasure her the way she remembered, then she wanted him to take her to the bed and make love. Didn’t he want her that way anymore? Her throat tightened.
He smoothed his hand over her back. “Your skin is warm and pink. Remember, you can stop anytime.”
“I know. I’m not ready to stop.” Her body heated up and tingled. Her nipples were ultrasensitive, and her pussy felt wet. Did their lives have to be in danger or have to incorporate hard-core kink in order for them to get turned on? Tears and unexpected emotions threatened to burst out, but she dammed them up inside. He’d said that in this room it wasn’t about them. But wasn’t it? He couldn’t shut her completely out emotionally, sexually while doing this, could he? If he didn’t care enough.
He struck her ass this time, and that stung. “Ouch.”
He didn’t stop. The strikes got more intense, and his breathing deepened. He groaned through a few strikes. They weren’t groans of pleasure. She knew all of Jason’s sounds, and he sounded angry.
Something inside her started liking the pain. After each hit, the pain rattled her, but then she rode it out like a kayak gliding over a rough wave. Again, her thoughts returned to the two of them making love. Him holding her after that bad time in Turkey, and many other times. And now this.
“Too intense?” His voice was hoarse and husky.
“No, sir.” She bit her lip. The throbbing between her thighs intensified, and her clit plumped. Then the thongs whisked between her legs and snapped against her pussy. The sting made her yelp, and at the same time, a mixture of pain and pleasure shot through her. God, that was good. A groan pulled from her chest. “Yes.”
He swung again and smacked her.
She had to admit, it was a turn-on. Then why did she feel so emotional? Her throat tightened as tears welled in her eyes. The pain from the flogger hurt now, but a good hurt. She wouldn’t stop. Maybe the pain outside would make the pain inside go away.
“Still okay?” he asked, slowing his momentum but not stopping.
“Yes, sir,” she snapped. “Fine.” Tears slid down her cheeks, and she was glad he couldn’t see.
�
�No, you’re not.” He put the flogger down and stood behind her. “Are you hurt?”
“I told you, I’m fine.” The words had a quiver to them as much as she tried to hide it.
“You’ve had enough.” He reached around to take her hand and release her from the cross since she hadn’t let go.
“Give me a minute.”
“Zoe?” He turned her around, and his eyes widened. “God, no, honey. I’m sorry.” He scooped her up in his arms and took her over to the bed. He sat her down and reached under the bed, opening a drawer and reaching in for a soft cotton blanket. After wrapping her in it, he took her in his arms again and cradled her against his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me to stop when I started hurting you? Why didn’t you call out your safe word?”
“You weren’t hurting me. I’m fine,” she said, tears still flowing.
“No, you’re not fine. You’re upset.”
“I’m not sure why I’m crying,” she snapped. Why couldn’t she get herself together, damn it? She shoved away from him, got up and put her clothes back on.
***
He sat on the bed and watched her as she dressed. He’d really fucked this up. Their friendship, the job, possibly the operation. “I’m sorry.”
“Just tell me one thing, Jason. When the hell did you get into this bondage stuff? We only broke up six months ago. We worked together for three years, dated a year of that. What kind of agent was I if I didn’t have any idea you were into this? Why did you waste your time with me?” She picked up the flogger he’d dropped on the floor, and for a moment he thought she was going to hit him with it, or throw it at him. Instead, she slammed it on the table.
“We’re trained as agents to play roles. I wasn’t hiding anything.”
“Were you playing a vanilla role back then?” She threw a pair of handcuffs across the room.
“No. I wasn’t into BDSM when we were dating. I’m not into it now.” Was that the truth? He wasn’t entirely sure. He stood up but stayed out of range of flying objects. There were knives on the table.
“How can you say that after what you just did?” She spoke each word with her teeth clenched. “I know you. You were into it more than just for the job.”