by Julia Sykes
His fingernails bit into my reddened cheeks, raking tingling lines across my skin. Little sparks spread from his touch to find my core, and my inner walls fluttered, desperate to be filled. The high of his touch had gotten my sex hot and needy, even as my body registered pain.
His fingers dipped between my thighs, swirling in the wetness he found there.
“So fucking perfect,” he groaned.
I whimpered and pressed back against him, silently begging for him to penetrate me.
His hands were back at my waist, flipping my body so that I was cradled against his chest, staring up at him. His eyes bored into mine as he slowly raised his fingers to his mouth. A strangled moan eased up my throat when he sucked them between his lips, tasting me.
When he removed them, he traced the upper swell of my breasts, leaving little trails of wetness there. I shuddered, trapped by the weight of his burning stare.
“Please, Sir,” I panted out the little puffs of air my corset allowed me to draw in. I rotated my hips, begging. “Please.”
His expression turned fierce just before his fingers penetrated me roughly. My ecstatic cry gave voice to the explosion of pleasure that ripped through me when he immediately found that secret spot at the front of my inner walls. His thumb pressed against my clit, rubbing in hard, demanding circles.
“Come for me.”
I didn’t need his order to comply, but the knowledge that my submission pleased him sent me flying higher. My eyes rolled back in my head as I was overcome.
“Look at me.” My eyes flew open, and the savage pleasure I found in his joined with my own, magnifying my bliss. “Good girl.” His praise mingled with my scream as he stroked me through my orgasm.
I was still obediently staring up at him when I came back down. But this time, I didn’t drop. Derek held me up, tethering me to my residual joy. My grin was wide and foolish, and his was lazy and satisfied.
“Thank you, Sir.” The words left me on a shuddering breath.
He tenderly kissed the top of my head. “You’re more than welcome, sub.”
I suddenly became aware of his hardness pressing into my bruised ass, and arousal stirred back to life.
“What about you?” My voice was thick, almost sleepy. I felt utterly drained, but I wanted to give him what he had given me.
His thumb traced the outline of my mouth. “I’ll sink my cock between these perfect lips soon enough, but tonight is about you.”
My breath caught in my throat. Would I ever get used to his dirty mouth?
Grief bled into my happiness. I wouldn’t have the time to find out. Selfishly, I snuggled into Derek. I would savor each of the precious hours we had left before I had to betray him.
Chapter 11
“Can you do me another favor?” I watched Clara in the mirror as she helped me into my corset. My plan relied on her good intentions. I needed to get in Derek’s office again, and having the Domme assist Reed in distracting Derek would buy me more time. Audio picked up by the bug after I had planted it the night before had recorded talk about a shipment. I hoped I might find some of the product in the office.
Clara returned my careful stare as she pulled my corset laces taut. “What do you need?”
“Could you talk to Reed and Derek for a while? I need extra time to get ready.” I gestured to the locker room around us, indicating my need to stay there.
Clara pursed her lips, considering me. She knew I was lying, but I had anticipated that. And she read it in my expression.
After a moment, she sighed. “All right,” she agreed. “But you and I had better be on the same team.”
I nodded. “I hope so.”
With some trepidation, I watched her saunter out of the locker room. In truth, it didn’t matter what team the Domme was on, so long as she distracted Derek.
If all went well, this would be our last night in Decadence. Unfortunately, Derek had been part of the discussion about the shipment. Kennedy was all but certain of his willing involvement.
The idea made my heart hurt. How could the man who had been so intimately honest with me be a criminal? Surely my instincts were better than that.
I can’t trust my gut.
I hardened my heart. I would do my duty, no matter how much it pained me to betray Derek.
Time to move, Silverman.
The product was stored in Derek’s office. I had picked the lock once before; I could easily do it again.
I took as deep a breath as I could manage with the damn corset squeezing my lungs, and headed down the hallway. The end of the corridor came far more quickly than I was prepared for. With every beat of my pulse, guilt oozed through my veins.
I shook my head sharply. I didn’t have time for guilt.
The lock clicked open within seconds. I turned the knob quickly and eased through the door.
Shock slammed into me along with the hard body at my back. It propelled me into the office, and a hand fisted in the back of my hair before the door thudded closed behind me. My heart stopped when I took in Ortiz’s scowl. He stood far too close, a wall of muscled chest just in front of my nose.
“I told you la puta was up to something,” Reyes’ deep, accented voice came from behind me. His fist tightened in my curls, and I winced.
To make up for its silence, my heart leapt up into my throat, pounding at a thousand beats per minute. Somehow, I managed to force words past it.
“What are you talking about? I’m here to surprise Derek.” My lie wasn’t nearly as steady as I would have liked. I could stay cool in a tight spot, but I was unarmed and taken completely by surprise.
Ortiz took a step closer, hemming my small body in. He might be considerably shorter than Reyes, but he still had five inches on me.
“I heard you ask that bitch Dominatrix to lie for you last night,” Reyes informed me. “You were gone a long time. And here you are, breaking in where you don’t belong.” He gave another vicious jerk on my hair. “What are you doing here, cusca?”
“I told you. I wanted to surprise Derek.”
Violence itched just under my skin. I craved to take these fuckers out. They were bigger than me, but I knew more than just brawling. I knew how to kill a man with my bare hands. Too bad we wouldn’t be able to question them if they were dead. Not to mention that I would blow my innocent submissive cover if I beat the shit out of them.
Ortiz reached for me. I couldn’t allow them to incapacitate me. They didn’t believe me, and I could tell by the aggression in Ortiz’s flat black eyes that he was determined to torture the truth out of me. He was about to find that I didn’t break easily.
Within a heartbeat, I identified the pressure points I needed. I chopped down on the inside of his arm, just below the elbow. He collapsed forward with a grunt, and I brought my knee up into his chin. I jabbed back into Reyes’ solar plexus, and he released my hair. Pivoting, I slammed my forehead into his nose.
I heard Ortiz rallying behind me, and I whirled to face him.
But leaving Reyes alive had been a mistake. I should have shoved his nose back into his brain and put him down for good. I was fast, but they were big, and I wasn’t fighting at full lethal capacity.
Reyes’ arms closed around me from behind, sending me crashing to the floor. My teeth rattled and the air was crushed from my lungs as his solid weight slammed down on me. It left me dazed for the space of half a minute, and that was all they needed.
By the time I managed to gasp in another breath, my body was thrown on my front over the desk. Ortiz stretched my arms out in front of me and pinned them against the wood with a cruel grip on my wrists. My hips bent over the edge, and my feet dangled inches above the floor.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Reyes select a whip from the wall. He flicked out its coiled length, leering at me when I jumped at the ear-splitting snap.
“You’re going to pay for this, puta.” He gestured at his bloody nose as he approached me. He handed the whip to Ortiz so he could grip my hips wi
th both hands.
I tried to kick out, but Reyes’ powerful thighs pressed against me, trapping me in place.
“I never really got this BDSM shit, but her fear makes my dick hard. What about you, hermano?” He asked his friend with twisted pleasure.
My skirt was so short that his jeans rubbed against the lower curve of my ass. His erection pressed against my cleft, and my fingernails scrabbled at the desk in my fruitless efforts to tear free.
“Derek will kill you for this.” I channeled my terror into a furious hiss.
The two men laughed. Ortiz shoved the handle of the whip beneath my chin, forcing my head up. “Carter won’t do shit,” he told me with a rictus grin. “We’re going to fuck the truth out of you. If you don’t talk, we’ll use the whip. Then we’ll fuck you again, just for fun. And Carter will thank us for it.”
I did the only thing I could do: I screamed. I wasn’t stupid enough to let my pride keep me silent. Maybe Derek would hear. Maybe he would come for me. I couldn’t allow myself to believe what the Kings told me about his loyalties.
Reyes laughed again. “Everyone screams in this place, bitch. No one comes running to save them.”
The door flew open and hit the wall with a deafening bang. Before any of us could register what was happening, Derek slammed into Reyes. Their solid bodies hit the floor with a resounding crash. Ortiz’s hands left my wrists to face the challenge posed by Reed, but my partner knocked him to the ground before he even got his fists up.
I shoved myself up. Reed could handle himself. He had the same training I did, and it didn’t look like he intended to curb his lethality.
I scrambled to my feet to go to Derek, but he didn’t appear to need any help, either. He had Reyes pinned, and his fist slammed into the King’s face, sending a spray of blood across the floorboards.
The King shook his head hard and grinned up at Derek through a mouthful of blood. “Charlotte will suffer for this, Carter. We’ll take turns.” Derek snarled and pulled his fist back for another punch. “I’ll make sure to tell her you chose your whore over her.” He jerked his chin at me, and Derek’s gaze followed his.
Derek’s features twisted into something tortured, fury and loathing tempered by fear.
“Fuck!” Derek raked a hand through his hair and shoved off Reyes. He backed away, watching the King as though Reyes was a cobra who might strike at any moment. I didn’t fail to notice that he placed his body between the threat and me.
“Reed!” He barked when Ortiz moaned. “Get the fuck off my bartender.”
Reyes pushed himself up, grimacing. He glared at me. “She almost broke my fucking nose. Give her to me, Carter. The whore needs to learn her place.”
Reed was suddenly beside Derek, and their bodies formed a wall between Reyes and me. “I’ll teach you your place, motherfucker,” Reed ground out. “Get out unless you want me to actually break your nose. And if you touch her again, I’ll break your fucking dick.”
Reyes paused, sizing Reed up. He glanced over at Ortiz, who was moaning on the floor. His fists clenched with barely restrained violence, and he spat blood.
“I’ll send Charlotte your regards,” he hissed at Derek.
Derek’s face turned stony, almost cruel. “You still don’t understand how this works, Reyes. Sharon is mine to punish. She’ll get what she deserves. Leave Charlotte out of this.”
My breath caught in my throat.
What?
Reed tensed beside Derek, but he realized what was happening at the same time I did. Derek was saying what he had to to get the Kings to leave. And to save Charlotte. Whoever she was.
“The bitch broke into the office, Carter. She’s up to something. You’d see that if you could look past your dick.”
Derek twitched as though he wanted to turn to me, but he kept his focus on the threat. “I’ll question my sub, Reyes. I can always tell when she’s lying. She’s a stubborn little thing. Trust me, she won’t tell you anything.” He took a step back so he was standing beside me. His hand found the nape of my neck and squeezed. My shudder wasn’t entirely faked. “I can handle her. Now leave so I can get on with it.”
Reyes’ red smile was condescending. “You’re a perverted motherfucker, Carter.” He grabbed his crotch and leered at me. “Let me know if you need any help.”
“I’ll be here if Derek needs assistance,” Reed said coolly, arrogance dripping from his six foot four frame.
Fuck fuck fuck.
I hoped to hell this was truly the ploy I thought it was. The idea of being interrogated by Derek and Reed was almost as terrifying as being pinned between Reyes and Ortiz. I could resist the Kings’ torture, but Derek knew just how to break me.
I shook my head to clear it. Of course Derek and Reed weren’t going to torture me. Well, Reed wasn’t going to. Derek was another matter.
Reyes shot me one last evil grin before he went to help his bloodied friend to his feet. He half-dragged Ortiz out of the office. Reed had fucked him up good. I found vindictive pleasure in that.
My pleasure drained out of me as soon as the Kings left the office. Derek immediately turned to Reed.
“You can go, too.” He squeezed my neck again, making it clear that he intended for me to stay.
Reed stiffened. “I’m not going anywhere. Not without Sharon.”
Derek tensed, his aggression resurfacing. “You can leave this office now, or I can have you banned from my club. Sharon and I need to talk.”
Reed took a menacing step forward. “And who’s going to throw me out? Ortiz?” He scoffed at the man’s name. He had shown Derek and the Kings just how much damage he could do. None of them would be able to make my partner leave without getting the shit kicked out of them in the process.
I couldn’t allow Reed to antagonize Derek. If they fought, we would never be allowed back in Decadence. The op would be finished, and we would be no closer to taking down the Kings than we had been when we first started. We could arrest Reyes and Ortiz, but no way were they going to talk. And Derek was protecting someone named Charlotte. It seemed he wouldn’t do anything against the Kings because it would put her at risk.
One truth penetrated the tangled mess in my mind: Derek was being coerced. I had been right all along. He didn’t want to work with the Kings. They controlled him through threatening Charlotte.
Any irrational jealousy I might have felt towards the woman was drowned by my relief at his innocence. I wasn’t going to let Reed ruin my chances at exonerating him.
“Leave us, Reed,” I said, my voice deadly calm. “I can handle myself.”
My partner rounded on me. “No fucking way. You’re coming with me, Sharon.”
“No. I’m not. I need to talk to Derek.”
Reed glowered at me. He knew what I wanted to do, and his expression told me that he thought I was a reckless idiot. The taut lines of his body let me know he was barely containing himself from throwing me over his shoulder caveman-style and carrying me out of Decadence.
“I’m staying, Reed. Respect that.”
His nostrils flared with anger, but he read my meaning. Respect me. I’m an FBI agent, not just a submissive.
“Fine,” he snapped. “I’ll be in the bar.” His dark stare was significant. I’ll be here if you need me.
I nodded in thanks. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the office. As soon as the door closed behind him, Derek released his hold on my neck. His hand slid forward to cup my cheek. He gently turned my face, studying it intently.
“Did they hurt you?” His voice was rough with lingering fury.
“No,” I said softly. “Not really. They just scared me.” I touched his cheek lightly. He was unharmed on the outside, but he was bleeding on the inside. The loss of control over his life was killing him. “Who’s Charlotte?”
He flinched away from my touch at the mention of her name, but I resolutely pressed my palm to his cheek, keeping him in the moment with me.
“My little sister.” The admiss
ion was tight with pain.
My heart twisted for him, but I pressed on. I had to. The truth was the only way to save him.
“Why would Reyes threaten to hurt her?”
Derek’s expression began to close, shutting me out. I couldn’t stand the sight of it. I needed him, needed his nearness. Despite my bravado, I was deeply shaken by what the Kings had almost done to me, and I craved for Derek to hold me. More than that, I craved to heal the raw anguish he was so desperately trying to hold inside.
My fingers speared into his hair, pulling him down as I pushed up on my toes. I pressed my mouth boldly to his. He froze above me for a moment, but he quickly responded, growling as he shoved his tongue between my lips. His hand closed around the back of my head, and the other pressed against my lower back, pulling me against him so that no air separated us. As he consumed my mouth, my body went supple in his hold, molding to his. I moaned into him, grinding my hips against his rapidly hardening cock.
At the sign of my wanton arousal, he tore his lips from mine.
“No, Sharon.” His refusal was strained, as though the words pained him. “This is wrong. I can’t do this to you. Not after what just happened. I can’t be this person.”
His handsome features were tortured. He needed to possess me so badly after seeing their hands upon me. He needed to control me to somehow counteract the chaos in his life. But he didn’t want to be the man he had claimed to be in front of the Kings. He didn’t want to be the sadistic bastard who punished me to put me in my place.
“It’s okay, Sir,” I assured him softly. “I know you need this. Let me give it to you. I know you won’t hurt me.”
His expression turned fierce just before his lips crushed down on mine. He took my mouth with a new savagery. There was no finesse or careful seduction in this kiss. There was only raw need and possessive hunger.
When he finally broke away from me, I gasped in air as the world spun around me. His hands were at my waist, lifting me up. My knees came down on something cushioned, and my body folded forward when he pressed a firm hand into my lower back. It took several puzzled seconds for my brain to catch on.