by Lexi Blake
It was only as he sat down to his lunch served at exactly 12:30 that he realized something was missing from his case. He’d put it off, preferring not to break his schedule. He’d had a conference with his contact and verified that he had the funds he needed. Then, and only then, was he able to concentrate on the problem of the missing information.
He’d gone through his briefcase exactly ten times. He’d been careful and thorough. It wasn’t there. He’d gone to the van and searched it as well.
It wasn’t as if he needed that one slip of paper. He remembered the address. He remembered everything. Matt had been the one to write it down. Evan had been the one to tear it off that fucking notepad of his. The last thing any of them needed was a paper trail beyond what was absolutely necessary, but Matt was too stupid to see that. If only he didn’t need his brother…
Evan let the thought go. He did need him, for now. Matt had all the charm Evan didn’t, despite his lamentable drinking problem. Matt had always been the charming one. It was why Evan had been the one to get the majority of the beatings handed out in their household.
He pushed the bad memories away. He didn’t have time to remember his childhood just this moment. If he hadn’t lost the paper in the van or the house, then he’d lost it between the office and here.
He remembered the wind whipping around downtown this morning. Evan closed his eyes and the scene came back to him. He had hurried down the stairs, eager to keep his schedule. He’d passed the new salesmen his brother had hired. They were queer, but Evan didn’t really care about that. He’d passed Grace Hawthorne. Now Grace was someone Evan did care about. Grace might not realize it, but she knew far too much about his dealings. She’d been walking up from the parking lot. He’d glimpsed her briefly and then kept moving.
What if he’d lost it and Grace had picked it up?
That bitch was too close to his brother. How many times was he going to have to explain to Matt that he couldn’t trust Grace? He’d had a mini-breakthrough over the last week. Grace was apparently hot for some client, and it was pissing off Matt. Evan had decided then and there to use it to push the nosy secretary out of Matt’s inner circle. She was too “concerned” for Evan’s comfort. If he hadn’t been sure it would make his brother turn from him, he would have gotten rid of Grace long ago.
“Boss.”
Evan turned at the sound of Melissa’s voice. Now there was a woman. Melissa was an obedient soldier. She was a true believer in the cause. In truth, Evan didn’t give a shit about the cause, but he did find fanatics to be very useful. They were awfully compliant little pawns as long as they didn’t figure out he was only playing a game.
He gestured for the lithe brunette to enter and waited for her report.
“I found something you might want to see on the camera you put in Wright’s office. And, sir, congratulations on getting the deal on the Bryson Building finalized. It will be a glorious day when we take down that monster.”
A little tremble caught him off guard. He hadn’t realized that his brother’s potential betrayal had the ability to hurt him. His years of work should have burned that emotion out of his soul. Everyone betrayed him in the end. Yet, the thought of his brother actively turning against him rankled. Evan didn’t like the feeling. Still, he had a role to play.
“We should all be congratulated, dear. And it will be a glorious day when we bring it down. Now, what has Wright done? Anything that might compromise our mission?” In no way could he allow his connection to Wright to be known. Only he and his brother knew the truth.
“It isn’t Wright. It’s the secretary.” Melissa smiled a bit. She didn’t do it often, and that moderate curling of her lips never warmed her up. “It’s nothing of importance. I just thought you might find it amusing.”
“Did you send it to me?” Evan opened his laptop and had the e-mail screen working in no time flat. Melissa answered in the affirmative, but Evan was already watching. She’d cued it up perfectly. A cold chill went through Evan’s body as he saw that nosy bitch going through the stuff on Matt’s desk. She looked down at the notepad. Evan watched as she took a pencil and revealed the address Matt had written down. Grace Hawthorne didn’t know it, but her Scooby Doo move had just signed her death warrant.
“Please don’t forward any information at all to Mr. Wright. He’s become a bit unstable. Treat him as a hostile but useful ally.”
Melissa nodded as though she’d known all along. “There’s more. You should watch it all the way through. I have some things to take care of, unless you need me.”
Evan waved her off. She walked out, and he gave his attention back to the computer. He’d set up the surveillance on his brother as a precaution. Matt was weak when it came to some things. It was important to make sure he towed the line. Now, he could see that his plan had been brilliant for another reason.
The large man from earlier in the week walked into the frame. He stalked Grace like a hungry lion. He moved well. Evan hadn’t noticed it before. Johansson was the name he’d given. This Johansson fellow moved really well. Evan backed up the tape and watched him again. His long limbs moved with a fluid grace that went beyond mere athleticism. Evan bet he moved silently, too, out of long practice. It was how the military trained their black ops to move. Sean Johansson—if that was really his name—was former black ops. Evan had no doubt about that. So what was a former Green Beret or Navy SEAL doing in Fort Worth, negotiating some pissant deal?
Evan’s brain filtered through the possibilities. He could have left the life and gotten a civvie job. Evan watched Johansson. His attention seemed to be focused on Grace. He crowded the secretary.
He could be exactly what he said he was. Evan made a note to check into his background. Johansson was either an idiot who liked to fuck secretaries, or he was a plant. That notion gave Evan a rolling wave of nausea. There was only one person in the world who would have planted a soldier at the same temp agency Patrick Wright’s brother owned. How had that fucker found him? Or had he? Was this a fishing trip or a hunt? Uncertainty gnawed at Evan. He would have to figure it out before he made his final move.
The scene continued as Johansson flipped up Matt’s secretary’s skirt and fucked her right there on her boss’s desk. At least one thing had gone right on this shitty day. A warm feeling spread through Evan’s chest. This must be what happiness feels like. It was right there, the final wedge he would drive between Matt and that little whore.
He would be able to kill Grace Hawthorne with his brother’s full approval.
And then he would work on that Johansson bastard. He was just a pawn, like all the rest. Evan knew he could take him out and then concentrate on the power players.
* * * *
Sean entered the bedroom after making sure the kitchen was clean for the night. Despite his earlier claims that he didn’t clean, he’d been happy to stand beside Grace and load the dishwasher. It had been a familiar domestic scene that tugged at him in ways he didn’t want to contemplate given his earlier conversation with Ian. Still, he’d enjoyed the evening far more than he’d expected. Grace was witty and smart and had a wicked sense of humor. She also knew when the Dom was back in the house. Sean had deepened his voice and told her to wait for him in the bedroom. She’d gotten up and walked off to obey without an argument. She’d merely looked at him with those “love me, protect me, take me” hazel eyes of hers and disappeared behind the door.
He was an asshole. He was going to burn in hell for what he was doing to her. He called himself every nasty name in the book and still went to the laundry room to make sure the alarm was off. He didn’t need to unlock the door. He’d passed Jake the copy of the key he’d made. He’d given his partner the key to Grace’s house, a perfect copy of the one she’d handed him in complete trust and love.
Grace was in love with him, and he was letting wolves into her home.
It was all for the best. It was all to protect her. His heart hurt, but he opened the door to the bedroom anyway.
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Sean looked down at Grace and a rush of arousal flooded his system. He was always aroused around her, but seeing her like this made him feel like a giant among men. She was a soft bit of heaven waiting for his command. As he had ordered, she was waiting for him on the floor of the bedroom in her submissive position. Sean ran a hand through her hair and was satisfied with her little sigh. She reminded him of a kitten when she made that sound. She purred when he stroked her. Only one thing marred the perfection of her waiting for his command. The way Grace had reacted to him walking into her boss’s office made Sean uneasy. She’d been nervous, and Sean couldn’t figure out why. She’d been startled, as though he’d discovered her doing something she shouldn’t. He’d thought about rifling through Wright’s desk while she’d gone to the bathroom, but she’d left the door open and the office had been crowded by that point in time. What was she hiding?
She looked utterly guileless. Sean let his worry slip away. He had a job to do.
Sean’s job had been given to him in the plainest English possible. Distract the girl. Ian had been very clear on that point. Sean was to keep Grace occupied and then let Jake and Adam into the house when she was safely asleep. They hadn’t been able to quietly copy her hard drive. It was too risky at the office. Grace’s desk was out in the open. Even when Sean had distracted her earlier, they hadn’t gotten the job done. It had to be tonight.
“Undress me.”
Grace was on her feet in an instant. Her hands went to the buttons of his shirt, carefully undoing each one. She was meticulous. She unbuttoned one, pushed back the material, and moved down after kissing the flesh she’d exposed. After she did the first one, she’d looked up to him for permission. He said nothing, but let his lips tug up to give her the answer she wanted. When she reached the bottom of the shirt she pushed it off and folded it neatly, laying it on her dresser. She came back and got to her knees to unbuckle his belt.
Oh, yes, he wanted a kiss there. His cock was already rigidly erect and those butterfly kisses she touched to his shaft did nothing to help the problem. His slacks and boxers hit the floor as she gave his balls the same attention. God, they felt heavy. They were ready to go off at a moment’s notice, but he held back from shoving his cock in her mouth. She would let him, but tonight wasn’t about that. Tonight was about showing Grace he could handle her.
Guilt gnawed at Sean’s insides, but his cock didn’t seem to care. All his cock knew was that Grace was willing to play a little game. She kissed his balls one last time and then folded the rest of his clothes and put away his shoes. She sank back to her position and waited. Sean walked around to the bedside table where he had stored his purchases from earlier in the day. He took out the lovely clamps he’d bought with her coloring in mind.
“Up.” He only needed the one word, and Grace moved from the floor to the bed. She faced him on her white quilt. “Hands on your ankles, little one.”
Grace did as he asked. She couldn’t possibly know how much her trust meant to him or how very little he deserved it. She leaned back and clutched her ankles. It left her body completely open to him. Her breasts thrust out, and her knees opened wide giving him the loveliest view of her pussy. It was already creamy, and he hadn’t touched it yet.
He felt a satisfied smile tug at his lips. All he had to do to get Grace hot was feed her. Of course, he’d fed her himself. He’d made sure she was naked and then sat her in his lap and fed her each bite. He’d made sure she got an excellent meal along with a fine wine, and now it was time for dessert. Grace was definitely on the menu. Looking at her spread out like a feast for his taking, his guilt was getting crowded out by desire. God, he’d never wanted a woman like he wanted this one.
He reached out and cupped her breasts. The weight of them in his hands was already a thing of comfort and familiarity to him. Her skin was luminous in the low light of the bedroom. She looked so gorgeous it almost took his mind off what he had to do tonight. Sean looked over at her wine glass. It was half full. Sean wondered if that was enough. He couldn’t be sure.
He’d never drugged a lover before.
Sean took her nipple in his hands. It was already a hard point. It stood at attention and practically begged for him to take it between his teeth and tug. He wasn’t playing that way tonight. Sean rolled the pert thing between his thumb and forefinger and quickly attached the clamp. Grace gasped as the pretty clamp with small green crystals bit into her flesh. Sean methodically attached the matching clamp and looked at his work.
She would look pretty with rings. If he convinced her to pierce those gorgeous nipples, he wouldn’t have to take them out. They would always be there for him to play with. He could tug on them with his fingers or his tongue. He could run a small chain through them or attach little weights to stimulate them. He could walk her around a club wearing nothing but the jewelry he placed on her body.
For the first time in his life, Sean understood his brother’s fascination with totally immersive D/s. As he sat looking at his sub, he thought about owning her completely. If she was his slave, he would simply order her to quit her job and keep her safe at home where he could make sure no asshole like Matt Wright ever took advantage of her again. He could shield her from the world.
“Beautiful, little one.” He ran a finger from the base of her neck down her chest. He ran his finger over her warm flesh across the sweet little swell of her belly and down to that soft pussy. Grace shuddered slightly as his fingers swirled in her wet folds. The crystals on the clamps quivered slightly. Sean gave in to his fantasy. For tonight, she belonged to him, body and soul. “Who do you belong to, sub?”
“I belong to you, Sir.”
“And who do you serve?” His middle finger gently circled her clit. He made sure not to actually touch the pouting little pearl.
“I serve you, Sir.” The hitch in her breath let Sean know she wanted nothing more than that one touch he was denying her. Anticipation was the key to pleasure, that and patience.
“How do you serve me?”
“Any way you like, Sir.”
He couldn’t help but smile. She meant it. She would serve him any way he asked because she trusted him to never hurt her. He never would, not in any physical way. Her heart was another story altogether. Would it make a difference if he told her how deep he was in with her? That he’d never felt this much for another woman? Or would she just see it as one more lie he’d told her?
Sex. He’d bind her to him with sex. She’d be pissed when she found out the truth, but their relationship would have grounding. He was her Dom. He’d tell her to listen and she would, but only if he wrapped her in pleasure she knew she couldn’t get anywhere else.
He decided to start where he already was. He allowed his thumb to firmly rub her clitoris. That plump little nubbin quivered, and her cream coated Sean’s hand. Grace was biting her lip. He knew that his little sub was thinking of anything to get her mind off coming. She didn’t have permission, and she was obviously trying to be so, so good.
“Come for me, but quietly. I want not a word to pass those sweet lips or we’ll have some discipline.” He circled her clit, and her hips shook as she allowed the sensation to take her. Her breathy moans told him she’d enjoyed her orgasm. It was just a little starter orgasm, nothing compared to what he could give her, but the night was young. Grace was so responsive. He’d have her screaming by the time it was over. Then he’d get to discipline her. All just another part of the game.
Sean pulled his hand away and without really thinking about it, brought his fingers to his mouth. He loved the tangy taste of her. He licked his fingers then decided that little appetizer didn’t suit him. He needed more than an amuse-bouche.
Grace let out a breathy cry as he got down on his stomach and shoved his face in her pussy. He licked her from her pulsing clit to just before the rosette of her ass where he firmly intended to spend some time this evening. He gently ate at her tender labia, his tongue swirling, lapping up the cream that poured out of
her. Her pussy was plump and ripe and ready to go off again. He brought two fingers up, coated them in her arousal and gently pushed them inside her cunt. His tongue set a firm, quick rhythm against her clit. He fucked her with his fingers and tongue until his sweet, obedient sub gave up and cried out over and over. Sean didn’t stop until her shaking did. Her whole body jumped as he gave her clit one last lick. Aftershocks.
Sean got up from the bed. Grace fell back with a little cry. He waited patiently for her to open her eyes. It took a moment, but those hazel beauties were round when she finally sat up.
“I know I wasn’t supposed to make a sound. I’m sorry, Sir.”
She wasn’t. He could tell. Again, another part of the game. He liked playing with Grace because she really was playing. She wanted the spanking he’d promised her. She would enjoy it thoroughly. He could play with her like this in the evenings and during the day she would turn her tart tongue on him and put him on his ass when he needed it. It was the best of both worlds. A submissive in the bedroom and an utterly reliable partner in the outside world.
“Hands and knees, little one. Present that ass to me.”
She wiggled it a little as she followed his command. She was saucy even when she was playing the game. She thought she knew what was going to happen. It was time to trip her up a little, to let her know she couldn’t count on her Dom to follow the rules.