by Ivy Nelson
Michael nearly laughed out loud. As if that would ever happen. Instead, he managed a solemn nod.
“Fine. Dismissed. I expect you at work tomorrow. No more of this vacation days crap. It doesn’t look good since you have a witness in your custody.”
He sighed. The chief was right about that. Now, he would have to ask his friends to take turns babysitting Adara. She would hate that, but she would just have to deal. There was no way he was leaving her alone during all of this. Not if they were being followed. He made his way down to a waiting cab and pulled out his phone. If he was going back to work, it might be better for them to move back to his house if it was safe. He pulled up Peter’s number.
“Do you think we can make my house safe? What’s the harm in removing the listening devices?”
“We wanted to see if we could track down where the bugs were transmitting to but so far we’ve come up empty. I suppose it wouldn’t be harmful to take them down and post a security detail and surveillance team outside your place. I’ve got some free time this afternoon. I’ll make it work.”
“How much longer are the two of you in town?” Michael asked.
“Not sure. We’re toying with the idea of moving back. The assignment that took me to California is wrapped up and the office there is staffed with a good team. I can manage it remotely and make occasional trips when needed. At the very least, we’re here to see this through.” For that, Michael was grateful.
“Is Carrie any closer to finding anything useful?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. I kind of leave her alone when she’s on an assignment like this. She’s not quite so submissive when she’s in investigator mode. I’ve found that letting her be and refilling her coffee cup is the best way to save a few fights,” Peter said with a chuckle.
Michael laughed. Carrie was spunky. He could only imagine that got stronger when she was in the zone. “Smart man,” he responded.
“I’m almost back to the room. Let me know when my place is clear.”
“You got it brother.”
They ended their call and Michael made his way into the lobby and to the bank of elevators. Peter’s security guard was still in place when he arrived at their door.
“Welcome back Chief Silas. All is quiet here.”
“Very good. Thank you for staying.”
He slipped the key card into the slot and pushed open the door. The sound that greeted him had him bolting to the closed bedroom door.
“Adara? Angel, what’s wrong?” The sobs continued. When she didn’t respond, he placed his hand on the door handle. “I’m coming in Angel.” Pushing the handle down, he shoved the door open. Adara was curled into a ball, gut wrenching sobs wracked her body. Hamilton her dog sat on the bed next to her looking very concerned, giving the occasional whimper of his own.
Michael sat on the bed and pulled the crying girl into his lap, patting the dogs head as he did. “It’s OK boy. I’ve got her. She’ll be OK.”
He stroked her hair as the sobs continued. “Let it out, Angel,” he murmured. After several minutes, the sobs subsided. Little shudders still shook her as she sat curled up in his lap.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to say through hiccups.
“Don’t be. You’re under a lot of pressure. I’m here though.”
Her head pressed into his chest for a moment before she looked up at him. “Where did you go?”
“I got called into the chief’s office. They just wanted to make sure I was clear on the rules regarding custody of a witness. The chief isn’t stupid. He knows I care about you. His concern is my career and the optics of one of his chiefs skirting the line. But he isn’t a bastard. He understands it’s a complicated situation.”
“I hope I didn’t get you into trouble.”
“Not at all, Angel. And even if I got in trouble, it wouldn’t be your fault. I’m doing all of this of my own free will. Why the tears? Did something happen?”
Shaking her head, she took a deep, shuddering breath. “Not exactly. I mean other than everything. Nothing new. I’ve just been thinking, and this is really hard. I need to say something you’re not going to like.”
That couldn’t possibly be good, he thought. He willed himself to listen but he didn’t bother keeping the frown off his face. He had a feeling he knew what was coming. “Go ahead.”
“Look, it’s obvious this case isn’t going well. It’s a very real possibility that I won’t survive this. I’m likely to be deported.” As if gathering strength, she paused and closed her eyes. “I don’t think we should be… sexually involved anymore. If there’s another officer you could hand me over to during the trial, I think that would be best for both of us.”
He should have known her head would go there. It occurred to him to pull her over his lap and spank the hell out of her. His hand flexed as he thought about it. But something told him that would be the wrong response here. Instead, he scowled deeper and used one hand to lift her chin to meet his gaze.
“I’m so tempted to paddle your ass right now, Angel. Let’s get one thing clear though. If you don’t want to be romantically involved with me anymore, I’m not going to be the bastard that pressures you over that. I’ll tell you I think your excuse is bullshit but I’ll respect it. Even if we do still have two days of our deal left.” Her face jerked in his hand as she tried to turn away. He tightened his grip on her chin. “I said I would respect it. However, if you think for one second I’m handing you over to another officer, you’re fucking insane, Adara. You’re with me until this is over. Is that clear?” She squirmed under his intense gaze and he knew that his ‘Dom’ glare was having its desired effect. If he weren’t so pissed, he might have grinned.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. With his free hand, he placed his index finger on her lips.
“I’m not done yet. This may not go the way we want it to, you’re right about that. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to just roll over and give up. I’m surprised at you Adara. You’re a fighter. I know this is overwhelming but I’m here and if you would let me, I can keep you centered.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You want me to play more of your kinky sex games?”
“Frankly? Yes.” His honest answer surprised her into silence and she seemed to consider it.
Then she said, “It just seems like we’re setting ourselves up for heartbreak. No, I think it’s best for us to just be friends.”
He tried not to growl in frustration. They were so good together and she knew it. The only right thing to do though was agree and respect the boundaries she was setting.
“Fine. But enough about me handing you over to anyone else, clear?”
She closed her eyes. “Fair enough. I’m sorry Michael. I really am. I just. I need to protect my heart in all of this. If I get any more attached to you and then get booted out of the country and never see you again, I’ll die of a broken heart.”
He understood exactly how she felt. Except, he was already attached to her. Shifting to just friends was going to be hard enough but if he never got to see her again? He was going to go insane. Whatever it took to keep her in this country, he had to do it. For a moment, he entertained the thought of suggesting they get married to increase her odds of staying in the country, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t go for it. Not to mention they could both go to jail for a stunt like that. No, they had to beat this in court.
In an attempt to change subjects and relieve some of the awkward tension, he told her about needing to go back to work.
“We’ll move back to my place, you can have the guest room. Peter is clearing it now and we’ll be setting up surveillance and security teams around the clock.”
“What am I going to do all day?”
“You’ll have to stay inside or in the backyard, Angel. I know you’ll hate it but it has to be this way.”
She sighed. “Stop calling me that please. It means too much.”
That cut him deep, and he tamped down the frustrated growl that wa
s bubbling up again. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to stop, but that’s what you are to me Adara. I might slip up from time to time.”
A tear slid down her cheek and he reached out to brush it away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. This is just even harder than I thought it would be. Can you leave me alone for a little bit please?”
That was the last thing he wanted to do, but he agreed and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He paced the floor for a few minutes as his frustration grew. Finally, he walked to the mini bar and selected the tiny bottle of whiskey sitting inside. Halfway through his drink, his phone rang. It was Peter letting him know his house was secure. He would come and get them soon.
It took some time, but they finally got Hamilton, his bed, and both their bags into Peter’s SUV. Once they got to Michael’s place, Peter helped them inside and gave them a rundown of security protocols. Adara retreated to the guest bedroom as soon as he left.
Michael sat in the living room and poured himself another drink while he watched Hamilton roam the house sniffing everything. He’d never gotten a dog because he worked odd hours but it had crossed his mind a time or two. He liked Hamilton. The dog was overly protective of Adara, just like he was. He chuckled as he thought back to the first time he had gone to Adara’s house to spend the night. The dog had not been happy about losing his place in Adara’s bed. The thought of not experiencing things like that with Adara again saddened him and he swallowed the rest of his bourbon. He hoped like crazy for the miracle he knew they needed. Without it, there would be no keeping Adara in the United States.
He crossed the room and stared out his living room window. He had built a nice life in his little D.C. home. But he was no longer content. The years he had spent playing with single submissives at Exposure had been enjoyable. It was fun to be able to make a woman scream from that line between pleasure and pain. Lately though, Adara was the only one he wanted to play that way with. Which was odd, until her, he wasn’t known for playing with same woman over and over again. A lot of the single subs at Exposure liked to bounce around and play with lots of different Doms. He didn’t blame them, they got to experience more that way. The thought of another Dom topping Adara caused him to clench his fist. She was closed off enough that the likelihood of that was slim, but the very thought of it made him angry.
He poured another drink and went to his bedroom where he tried to watch TV. The football game he put on couldn’t hold his interest, and the drink wasn’t what he wanted either. Finally, he tugged on his running shoes and stepped out of his house, locking the door behind him. He would burn off the energy he wanted to pour into Adara with a five-mile run. There was a lot of energy though, better go for ten.
Chapter 12
The rumbling of an empty stomach prodded Adara to venture out of Michael’s guest bedroom, despite the fact that she didn’t really want to run into him. When she passed his open bedroom door, she could nearly smell him. It didn’t appear he was in there though and he wasn’t in the living room either. Expecting to find him in the kitchen, she braced herself as she entered but he wasn’t there either so she set about making herself a sandwich. She stood at the kitchen island smearing mustard onto a slice of bread when she saw him moving down the sidewalk. Her instant reaction to the sight of him all hot and sweaty surprised her. His feet were pounding into the pavement as if he were running from something. Maybe he was. She knew it couldn’t be easy for him to give her the space she was asking for but it was necessary. A broken heart was the last thing she needed in the midst of the chaos she found herself in.
“You mind making me one of those?” The sound of his voice sent her whirling in his direction. She had been so lost in thought she hadn’t seen him make the turn to come into the house. Sweat dripped from the ends of his hair as he stood in the kitchen doorway, a towel draped around his neck. She wanted nothing more than to shove his already low slung shorts off his hips and beg him to make love to her right here in his kitchen. He would do it too. Instead though, she cleared her throat and said, “sure. What do you want on it?”
“Anything is fine. I’m not picky.” With shaky hands she pulled two more slices of bread in the bag. Thankfully, he turned and headed down the hall to his bedroom. Him leaving didn’t help get rid of the images of him sweaty and naked on the kitchen floor though. A sting shot through her finger and red fluid pooled onto the cutting board.
“Damn it,” she swore just as Michael came back in wearing dry clothes. “What did you do, Angel? Sorry. Adara,” he corrected gruffly as he grabbed her hand to inspect the cut.
“Just wasn’t paying close enough attention while I was cutting the tomatoes,” she said softly while he ran her finger under cold water. When the blood stopped flowing, he lifted her finger closer to his face and inspected it thoroughly.
“Doesn’t look too deep.” He pressed paper towels around the injured finger. “Hold these tight. I’ll go get a band-aid.”
She squeezed the wad of paper towels tight and watched as a small dot of blood soaked through.
Michael appeared again, band-aid in hand, and took her finger again. He rinsed it one more time, dried it gently and dabbed some ointment on it.
“Stop staring at me like that,” he said with a growl as he wrapped the band-aid around her finger.
“How would you like me to stare at you?” Adara asked before she thought about how it might sound.
“Damn it Adara. I have a hard enough time controlling my urges around you without your smart mouth.”
“What urges would those be?” She was revving him up on purpose now and she had no idea why. He backed her against the island in the middle of the kitchen and planted his hands on either side of her, looking her dead in the eye.
“You know damn well what urges, Angel and if you want me to keep controlling them, you should stop pushing me. However, if you want to continue our agreement, I would be more than happy to turn your ass red. I’m sure I’ve got a wooden spoon around here somewhere.”
Adara’s breathing hitched. Fuck. What was he doing to her? Before she could stop herself, she reached her arm around his and opened the drawer she knew contained cooking utensils. Sure enough, a wooden spoon that now looked rather menacing lay on top.
Michael stood back and glared at her. “Last warning. Don’t push me Angel.”
“Maybe I want to,” Adara said never breaking eye contact with him. It was as if someone else was controlling her body when she lifted the spoon from the drawer. It looked scarier the closer she brought it to herself but she was stubborn and had started this. There was no way she was going to back down now. So she laid the spoon casually on the counter next to her and crossed her arms glaring at Michael with defiance and a challenge in her eyes.
It took him less than a second to press himself back against her. With his body firm against hers, he tilted his head down and touched his forehead to hers before picking up the spoon.
“You’ve got exactly one chance to back out. If you choose to, take your sandwich and disappear. If you don’t, I expect to see you naked and bent over this counter in ten seconds.”
It felt like Adara’s heart skipped a beat as his eyes bored into her. Nope. Not backing out. Damn her stubborn streak, she thought as she lifted the hem of her dress.
“Five seconds or I take it off for you.” He wasn’t playing around.
Adara’s hands flew over her head taking the dress with her, leaving her in her bra and panties. She started to unhook the bra, but he stopped her, turning her to face the island and forcefully pushing her over it so her butt was sticking out.
“Why are you doing this, Angel?” he asked as his hand slid up her back and into her hair. "Why are you pushing me when just today you said you didn’t want any of this anymore?”
Adara flew up and turned around to face him. “That’s not what I said damn it.”
“No? What did you say then?�
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“I said I didn’t think it was a good idea. Fuck, Michael, I want this more than anything. I just don’t want to get my heart broken when they throw me out of the country.”
Hearing herself say the words knocked some sense into her. What was she doing? She grabbed her sandwich and her dress and darted out of the kitchen and down the hall to her bedroom. Why was she such an idiot? At first, Michael didn’t follow her but she could hear him cursing in the kitchen. It was wrong to have led him on that way and she knew it.
She ate the now dried out sandwich and wished she’d thought to grab something to drink. As she listened to Michael stomping around the house, she felt guilty. Not for saying no to him. Not that she’d actually said no, but for giving him false hope. For giving herself false hope.
A knock sounded on her door as she swallowed the last of her barely edible sandwich.
“Come in,” she said softly. Michael pushed the door open and leaned in the doorway. He was holding a canof her favorite soda. It was something he’d started keeping in his fridge when she started spending the night more regularly.
“Thought you could use this.” He crossed the room to where she sat and handed her the cold can.
“Thank you,” she murmured before lifting the tab. The pop and hiss sounded deafening in the awkward silence.
“I’m sorry,” they both said in unison.
He heaved a sigh and dropped into the chair that sat across from the bed.
“I shouldn’t have taken things that far in the kitchen.” He raked a hand through his hair.
“I was kind of pushing you, wouldn’t you say?” she questioned, setting her soda on the nightstand.
“You were,” he agreed, leaning forward on his elbows. “That was pretty bold of you, Angel. What prompted it?”
“I honestly have no idea. Maybe you bring it out in me. If you haven’t noticed though, I have a bit of a stubborn streak. You hit a damn competitive button in me and I couldn’t back down once we got started.”