And on the crest of the wave of that came a possessiveness that he could barely contain. He felt a rumble in his chest, and he realized he actually growled.
He stepped in her direction but stopped when a massive hand clamped down on his shoulder. Rome turned to tell whoever it was to piss off when he found himself staring at a very amused Micah.
“Might want to play a little harder to get there, Carino.”
“Fuck off.”
Micah just laughed and patted him on the back. “Happy hunting…and be careful.”
He nodded, knowing that Micah was just as worried about the operation as Rome was. The partners had agreed, but both of them were worried about Callahan’s safety.
Rome started off in her direction, again determined to make sure she understood that her behavior wasn’t even close to acceptable. And if she didn’t understand that, he would take her some place private and make sure she did.
Chapter Five
Maria could feel something invisible brush the back of her neck. It tingled as if someone had slid their fingers over the fine hairs, but she knew no one was touching her. Which meant people were watching her. Someone in particular. Fighting the shiver it caused, she took a sip of her virgin Lava Flow and looked around the room as casually as possible. She didn’t recognize anyone other than the few people she’d talked to. Something had her looking over her shoulder.
Rome.
He was bearing down on her little group of men. She couldn’t fight the heat that flared low in the belly, or the way her heart turned over at the sight of him striding through the club. In a place where there were Doms aplenty, people stepped out of his way. He didn’t push or shove. He just walked, and something in their subconscious told them to move. The closer he got, the faster her pulse raced.
She turned her attention back to the group surrounding her. Getting her bearings straight to do the investigation was important. She’d worked undercover, so she could hide her discomfort with the gathering, but it was hard. Never before had she attracted this much attention. May had introduced her to two men and then left her alone as soon as the other men descended.
“So, Maria, you’re not from the islands?” a man asked.
She focused on him, or tried to. He was tall and lean, with a hint of public school British accent. From her training, she picked up on the fact that it was fake, as were his capped teeth and sun-tipped hair. He probably had paid a fortune to a stylist to get it to look that natural. Dammit, she couldn’t remember his name. She needed to because it was part of her job. But knowing Rome was on his way to her had her brain scrambled.
“No. I’m just here for a week or two visiting. I heard about Rough ‘n Ready from a friend in DC.”
Her father had taught her how to lie. Make sure you wrapped it in truth so you don’t screw up and reveal something more about yourself.
“I thought I hadn’t seen you before,” he said as he inched closer, not noticeably, but enough to make her uncomfortable. He was good looking, but there was something very calculating in his brown eyes. Something that told her that he had more interest in her than was healthy. Dammit, she needed to remember his name.
“Of course you haven’t, Ashton,” Rome rumbled from behind her. “You only show interest in the new subs.”
There was an acute silence and then Ashton snarled before he could hide it from her. In the next instant, he smoothed his features. Hiding a temper, are you?
“Excuse the ruffian behind you, my dear. He’s one of our public servants.”
The way he said it told her he thought less of people who worked to keep him safe. Jackass. She wanted so badly to knee the idiot in his groin, but she kept herself from performing the task. Somehow Rome insinuated himself into the space beside her.
“I was wondering if the lady would like to dance?”
She turned toward him, and the impact was even more powerful than before. A blast of heat surged through her entire body. Her lips started to tingle as she remembered the way he had kissed her the night before.
“Sure,” she said without looking away from him. She shoved her glass at Ashton as Rome took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor.
Even though it was cool in the club, she felt her body start to warm being so close to him. Rome let off so much heat. He stopped and pulled her closer as a slow song started. Damn, she wasn’t prepared for the impact of having his entire body against hers.
He leaned down, his lips against her temple. “Got yourself quite a little harem there.”
She tried to adjust to the fact that she was this close to him again. The rumble of his chest as he spoke had her shivering. Maria knew he could probably feel her hardened nipples.
It took a second for the irritation in his voice to reach her. She pulled her head from his shoulder and looked up at him. He wasn’t looking at her. He was looking out over the crowd.
“That was the plan, wasn’t it?”
He grumbled something, and his chest rumbled against her again. With the music so loud, she couldn’t make out what he said.
Before she could ask, he said, “Ashton isn’t the killer.”
She blinked at the change in topic. “Shouldn’t we wait to talk about that? Maybe you should ask me my name? Or act like you want to be dancing with me? You’ve barely looked at me.”
He glanced down at her then back out at the crowd again. The hand on the small of her back pressed her closer. She could feel his erection then. Every thought in her brain seemed to fizzle away.
“If I look down at you, I might not be able to control myself.”
She scoffed at that. “Oh, yeah, Carino, why don’t you pull my other leg? I know your type, and you are all about control. Hell, you practice BDSM, so don’t think I don’t know a Dom like you is into control.”
His jaw flexed slightly. If she hadn’t been watching him, she would have missed it. It was definitely his one big tell.
“I can’t.”
For a second, she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly. “What?”
He sighed, aggravation filling the sound. Why was that sexy to her? She knew she was pushing him, pressing buttons. That thought made her wiggle her hips ever so slightly, causing her stomach to move against his erection more. He growled, and she smiled.
He slipped his hands down to her hips and tried to hold her still. “Stop that.”
“Whatcha gonna do?”
She was surprised by the teasing sound in her voice, but she couldn’t help it. He brought it out in her. He looked down at her, his hazel eyes dark with lust.
“Stop. Or maybe I can take you into one of the rooms and show you just how it feels to publically submit.”
Heat rushed through her at the image he brought up. She shifted slightly and felt the dampness of her panties. Lord, she was soaking wet. Need throbbed in her veins. The desire that threaded his voice had her body yearning to do just what he suggested. Maria knew she would never be able to do it, and that would go above and beyond the call of duty, but dammit, it sounded utterly delicious. She licked her lower lip.
“Jesus,” he muttered. He slipped his hand up her back to her head then he pressed it closer, forcing her to settle it against his shoulder. “We can’t leave right now. So stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
He sighed. This time his whole chest moved. She had the feeling he was trying to control his temper.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
She didn’t, but she figured that most women would. Okay, so she knew she was pushing some buttons, but just how did she look at him? Before she could figure out the answer to her question, the song ended.
Instead of leading her back to where she was, he led her over to the bar. Micah was there and smiled at her as they approached. In the exotic environment of his club, the Native American Dom looked even more beautiful.
“Evening, Maria,” Micah said, then he winked. “I do believe that is the first time I
’ve seen Romeo out on the floor.”
“Fuck off, Micah,” Rome said as he sat down on a stool and pulled her against him. He did it with such force that she stumbled back. But soon her back was pressed against his chest. She glanced around and found everyone avidly watching them. She leaned back.
“You’re making a spectacle out of me.”
“You don’t like it? You seemed to like it earlier.” He was silent for a second or two. “And if you didn’t like people looking at you, you might have spent a little more money to get more material added to that excuse of a dress you’re wearing.”
She didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, but from his surly tone, she wasn’t about to find out. Besides, she could barely think straight. His hand kept rubbing against her stomach. With each brush, he moved closer to her breasts. She wasn’t used to public displays, and she hoped people didn’t see her blush. It wouldn’t bode well for their investigation.
“You’re coming on a little strong.”
“There’s nothing little about it,” he said, amusement filling his voice. “Admit it. You like the idea that people are watching me touch you.”
She couldn’t admit it to him. Wouldn’t. But she did. Lord how she did. Her body was already hot from being close to him, from dancing. Now, though, the idea that people were somehow interested in them made her hot. It wasn’t a normal feeling for her. She usually had short, casual affairs, and whether it was another agent or not, it never took place in public. She liked to have some discretion in her relationships. She definitely didn’t allow a man to touch her like this in public.
But she really liked it. A lot.
“I bet you would like to publically submit, wouldn’t you? Being stripped naked in front of all these people…tied up…spanked.”
His voice deepened with each word. She closed her eyes and shivered. He said something low and explicit under his breath. She wasn’t sure just what it was, but the image he painted made her need. She needed to be touched, to be held, to do all those things he’d offered. The beat of the music pounded through her blood, intertwined with the lust he inspired.
Abruptly he stood, and without a word to her, he said to Micah, “See ya later.”
And with that, he pulled her out of the club and into the night. At the moment, the only thing on her mind was if they would actually make it to her rented house before he made good on his threats.
· · · · ·
Lust wound through his blood and was definitely scrambling his brain. He had never been this mixed up about a woman. Not even his grade school crush on Marjorie Wickers had left him this crazed. He got to the car and realized she was frowning at him. On top of it, he knew it was best they went to the house that the FBI had rented for her. It was probably in the Honolulu area and not on the other side of the island, like his.
“What?” he asked.
“What was that all about?”
She was going to be a pain in the ass. Women like her always were. They wanted schedules, explanations, just wanted too much. But that didn’t matter at the moment. His brain was barely functioning, and he could hardly keep from taking her in the parking lot. He stepped closer, crowding her up against his car.
“Listen, Callahan. I know part of what you were doing in there was an act. But you went over the line, way over the line. You have five seconds to tell me no. After that, you’re mine for the night.”
She swallowed, and he could see the flush of embarrassment—or was it arousal—brighten her eyes. Her tongue slipped out over her plump lower lip. He growled and leaned in for a taste. Just like the night before, he was drawn in by the kiss. A simple brush of the mouth turned into something completely carnal when she opened her mouth to him. He stole inside. By the time he drew back, they were both breathing heavily.
He rested his forehead against hers. She drew in a deep, shuttering breath. It caused her breasts to press against his chest. Jesus. He knew from the way the fabric clung to her ass, she wasn’t wearing panties. It wouldn’t take much to push the fabric over those full hips of hers and take her in the parking lot. From the dazed look in her blue eyes, he might just be able to do it.
He curled his fingers against the roof of his car.
“Yes or no.”
She studied him for a second, although if felt like an eternity. She drew in another shuddering breath.
“Yes.”
Chapter Six
He gave her another hard, quick kiss then unlocked the car. By the time he was driving down Ala Wai Boulevard, he realized he didn’t know where her rental was.
“Where’s your house?”
She rattled off the address, and he knew it was faster to get there than his house over in Laie. Even on a Monday night, it would take a good forty minutes. He didn’t think he would last that long. Hell, he was lucky he was going to be able to make it over to Kahala.
It took less than fifteen minutes to drive to her rental. He turned off the car and tried to calm the libido he seemed to not be able to control around her. After his issues in Seattle, he had discovered BDSM. Control had become very important to him, in and out of the bedroom. Now, though, all those lessons seemed to fail him. He felt…wired. It was as if he’d had forty ounces of coffee pumped into his blood.
“Rome?”
He looked at her and realized he’d been sitting there for a few moments without saying anything. She’d left her porch light on, and the glow from it allowed him to see the scandalous dress she was wearing. The moment he saw her wearing it, he had been itching to take if off. And for the first time in years, he had felt the bone deep need to possess. Not just dominate. This went beyond that. He had never wanted to possess someone so forcefully. It scared the living hell out of him, but he seemed helpless to ignore the thrum of lust churning his gut.
She sighed, the sound kind of sad and lonely. “It’s okay. Why don’t we meet up in the morning?”
He frowned. His brain wasn’t really working well, so he couldn’t follow her line of thought. Hell, he couldn’t remember his name at the moment. “What?”
She frowned, and a look of irritation moved over her face. Oh, way to blow her away with your conversation skills, Carino. No man in his right mind would blame him, though. He had no brain cells left. They’d been evaporated since seeing her in the club. What was she expecting, wearing a dress like that?
“I said it’s okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She was heading to her front door before he could react. He got out of his car and followed her. She looked around at him with wide eyes. She had her door opened, and he gently eased her into her house then shut the door and locked it.
“You said yes.”
She studied him for a second again. He hated that. He knew she was weighing and measuring everything. Considering who her father was, there was a good chance she’d been raised to do just that. Rome did it himself. Still, it didn’t seem right. Maria seemed to analyze everything he might be feeling…what he said. That pissed him off.
“I did, but I thought you changed your mind.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Why would I?”
She shrugged. There was something different in her manner. Then it struck him. For the first time since meeting her, she looked vulnerable. She wasn’t so sure of herself in this situation. In work, she was confident. Almost overly so, if you asked him. It was one of the reasons she had come up with the plan. She never doubted herself. But in this she did. It eased his temper a bit and gave him a warm feeling in his chest.
“You think everything was an act?” She shrugged again and wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Look at me.”
She didn’t do it fast enough.
“Now.” His voice lashed out, but he couldn’t help it. This woman had twisted him up, and worse, she had no idea what she had done to him. She actually thought he was acting. When her blue gaze finally met his, he knew she hadn’t been playing him.
“First, when I tell you to do something, you d
o it.”
From the way her mouth turned down, she didn’t like that order one bit.
“And seriously, do you think I could act good enough that I could pretend to be so aroused, I’m walking around with an erection constantly?”
She dropped her gaze from his, and he felt it as if it had been a lick. His cock pulsed and then twitched. He counted backwards from ten—three times.
“Maria.”
She looked at him.
“You said yes.”
She nodded.
“Do you understand what that means, what it entails?”
“I read up on BDSM for the case, Rome.” It was the first time she’d said his name. He was almost giddy from the sound of her voice rolling over the letters. He was in serious trouble.
“Reading about it is something different than experiencing it.”
“Do you think I can’t handle it?”
She didn’t look so vulnerable right now. In fact, she looked ready to conquer worlds. He found he liked both of the Marias. The one who made him want to soothe her worries and the warrior queen in front of him.
“Oh, I think you can handle it. And I know you would like it, Maria. I saw your reaction to my order earlier. Pick a safe word.”
She licked her lips again, that tongue darting out over her plump lips. Inwardly he groaned, but he didn’t have as much control over it as he thought. There was a rumble in his chest. Just the thought of sliding his cock between her lips had him barely able to think straight.
“Flower.”
Without another word, he stepped forward, grabbed her hand and walked her down the hall to the bedroom.
“Which one?” he asked, hoping she knew what he meant.
“Last one on the left.”
He got her into the room without too many issues. He ignored the urge to take her there, strip her naked, plunge into her body. At least he tried to. Later, he knew he would marvel at the fact that he could walk standing up and not crawl on the floor begging her for sex. But right now, in this, he could at least attempt to be the Dom he was.
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