by Lexi Blake
“All right.” Alex put his hands on the table and frowned. “Eve, could I speak with you privately? On the balcony, perhaps? The rest of you, get to work. Tonight, after we get back from the club, I want to hear some plans about how to get a little alone time in Chazz’s office. It’s isolated. I need a way in and a way to not get caught. I want his computer files, his cell phone duped, his apartment and car bugged. Get me solutions, people. I want to be ready when Evans makes his move. Chazz said he had some big plans in the next few weeks. I think that means Evans is coming for a visit. We need to be ready.”
He pushed his chair back and walked out to the balcony without looking back.
It was a different part of the house, but her stomach turned at the thought of being on the balcony with him again. The night before had been so emotional. How could he just walk out there? Was he going to talk about what had happened? Worse, was he going to act like nothing had happened?
She was so damn confused.
But she had a job to do, and Alex was running the op. She owed him the courtesy of following his lead. She took a long breath and forced herself to move. She should have set an alarm so she would be going into this little meeting after a shower and with full armor on. She hadn’t even put on makeup. It had been forever since Alex had seen her without the full Chanel treatment. She hated feeling so damn vulnerable.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” She tried to close the door behind her. Hurricane glass. It was so heavy.
Alex shut it with one hand. “We have to talk about how this is going to go, Eve. You haven’t been in the field in a long time. We haven’t worked together in this capacity before, and I want it to be smooth and easy.”
He was so calm, so professional. Somehow, she’d thought they would both be awkward, trying to find their way, but Alex seemed perfectly content. He looked cool and collected as he sat down on one of the rattan chairs with deep red cushions.
The waves crashed against the shores, soft morning light making the whole world seem gauzy and romantic. Why couldn’t they have been in a city somewhere without all the romantic trappings of the damn beach?
She was going to have to pull herself together. “All right. So, we’re going into the lion’s den today, huh?”
His fingers tapped against the arm of the chair. “Yes. And that’s what I’m worried about. We’re supposed to be a long time D/s couple. I worry that when it comes time to obey me, you’re going to flinch.”
It was a legitimate worry. She couldn’t blame him for it. “I promise I won’t. Alex, I can do this job. I know what to do.”
“I asked you to eat the cinnamon roll and you wouldn’t. I need to know that you’re going to play this part every minute of every day we’re here. You can’t pick and choose what you want to do.” He sighed and leaned forward. “I know how the D/s works at your club. It’s the same way I view it. The submissive is ultimately in control. She can choose to obey her Master or to use her safeword, but I can’t have you safewording me over a cinnamon roll. Go and get one and bring it out here.”
She wanted to tell him where to shove his cinnamon roll, but he was right. Damn it. She could complain all day long, but she knew she should stay in her cover. If he’d brought Amanda with him, she would sleep in his bed and be his sub twenty-four seven because it was so much easier to stay in character than to figure out when and where to act. This was why longtime undercover officers had trouble. The role became their lives because it had to.
Alex easily opened the door again, and she slipped inside. Adam was standing by the table with a plate in his hand.
He gave her a smile and a shrug. “It was an easy bet, sweetheart.”
She frowned and took the plate. “I’m never listening to your wife again.”
“Hey, Serena knows how to find a happy ending, honey. Maybe you should trust her.” Adam gave her a wink and turned away.
But her happily ever after had ended the night before. She was not going to cry, damn it. She was going to do her job. She walked back out into the warm morning air.
“One cinnamon roll. Fine. I’ll eat it.”
He sat back on a deck chair. “I’ll feed it to you. Sit on my lap.”
“Alex.” Was he going to torture her?
“We’re supposed to be lovers. I have to know you can play the part.” He patted his lap.
Her heart fell. He was going to torture her. She’d forced him to say good-bye, and he was going to get his payback. She hadn’t expected that from him. She’d been trying to do right for them both.
His expression softened. “This is about the mission. You can’t expect me to let you go into this without knowing you can do the job. If you can’t obey me here where it doesn’t matter, how can I be sure you can do it in the field? You’re a very independent woman. It’s why I originally chose someone different for the job.”
He knew just how to kick her in the gut. She’d screwed up. She should have found him a proper operative, but no, she’d thrown herself into the mix. She was being a damn brat over a few carbs. She lowered herself into his lap.
His arm went around her waist. “That’s better. Relax. You have to look like you’re very comfortable in my arms. Like this is where you belong. Put your head on my shoulder. You don’t have to do anything, pet. Just follow my lead. It’s easy if you just embrace the part.”
He was killing her. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. She could smell him. He’d taken a shower, unlike her. He smelled clean and perfect and masculine. His skin was warm where it touched hers. It was cruel, but maybe once she proved she could play the part, he would ease up when they were alone.
“Open, pet.” He’d torn off a chunk of the soft roll, creamy icing dripping onto his hand.
The sweet smell wafted all around her. Cinnamon. Like home. She opened her mouth and nearly groaned. The taste hit her like a freight train of pleasure. Sweet, so sweet it melted on her tongue. She hadn’t tasted anything like it in years.
“You missed some icing, pet.” Alex put his finger to her lips. “Lick it off.”
Without a thought, she opened her mouth and sucked his finger inside. She just wanted some more of the splendid connection he was offering her. She let her tongue rub the underside of his finger, drawing the cream inside.
“Perfect. Again.” He offered her another piece and she took it. “Coffee. It complements the sweet.” He held his own mug up to her lips and she drank.
Just like that, she was practically in fucking subspace. Her breath had slowed, her eyesight dimmed until she could only see him. And all he’d done was offer her a damn cinnamon roll. This was what she’d been afraid of. Alex was a drug. Her drug. The minute he used that dark voice on her, she lost her mind.
“Very good.” His approval rolled over her like some crazy endorphin that made her smile. “I was worried, but I think you’ll do nicely. Don’t break cover, pet. For the next few weeks, I want you to think of yourself as pet. You belong to your Master. You’re his to command. You’re still brave and oh so smart. You still have your mission because nothing will please your Master more than completing your mission, but know that your Master wants you safe above anything else. The most important thing is for Master’s pet to be safe and whole at the end of the mission.”
This was all that was left between them, and his words were still so sweet, they almost brought tears to her eyes. Since she’d let go, every damn thing brought tears to her eyes. She’d spent years bottling up her emotions, but now they were always at the surface. “I’ll be careful, Alex.”
“Master,” he corrected gravely.
She had so little time to call him that. “Master. I will obey. I will fulfill my mission to please my Master.”
Eve let her head rest against his chest. They only had until the end of the operation. Alex was trying to give them some time. Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe it was a way to make their parting sweeter. A few more memories.
“Spread your legs for me.
”
“I’m following your orders, Master.” He couldn’t still mean to get intimate with her. “I’m not wearing any underwear.”
“I didn’t ask a question. I gave an order. What’s your safe word?” His words came out accompanied by a low growl that sort of rumbled along her flesh because they were so close.
“Red.” They had always communicated using red, yellow, and green during scenes. Red meant stop. Green told Alex that she was fine, and yellow meant she was feeling some anxiety. She was really, really yellow right now, but that wasn’t what he’d asked. If she kept pushing him, she would only find herself in more trouble. Alex was testing her, pushing her boundaries to see if she could really do the job she’d signed up for. They would have to do some scenes, and those scenes would involve intimacy. He wasn’t asking for anything truly unreasonable.
Eve relaxed and let her legs fall open. They were facing away from the glass doors. No one could see what Alex was doing. And, again, it wasn’t like most of the people in the condo hadn’t seen her naked at one point in time.
She shivered a little as his big hand cupped her knee and started to make its way up her thigh. He was so warm, so big and safe.
“You need to really think about that safe word, pet.” His breath played along her skin. He was whispering, his lips brushing against the curve of her ear. “While we both agree on how to practice, we’re not going into this club as Alex and Eve. I have to be rough. I have to be completely in control. I have to play into what these men think D/s should be, and these are not nice men.”
He moved his knees apart, forcing her legs to spread further. A cool breeze hit her pussy, reminding her how nice it could feel to be completely naked. She wasn’t able to focus on all the reasons why it was wrong. Alex would keep her safe. Alex would watch their back while she got to relax and simply feel.
How easy it was to fall back into old habits.
“Don’t tense on me. I mean it, pet. If I have to retrain you, I will.”
Which meant spankings and not the erotic kind. She didn’t particularly want to spend the whole day with a sore backside. Alex meant to have his way, and when he got that tone of voice, there was no negotiating. She forced her muscles to relax, her brain to give over.
“Very nice. Such a good little pet. Have I told you how pretty you look today?” His fingers skimmed her labia, and she had to remind herself to breathe.
“No, Master.” Every word from his mouth just got her hotter. She could feel her pussy softening, getting slick and ready.
His fingers slid easily across her flesh, scraping her clitoris with erotic intent. “That was a mistake on my part. You look lovely, all soft and tousled. I like you like this. And I have to admit, I think the longer hair looks lovely. It isn’t a wig?”
How did he expect her to think when he was rubbing her clit in tight little circles? Except that was probably the point of this exercise. He was forcing her to think through the pleasure, to not forget that they were playing a part. “No. Serena had a friend of hers open her salon early, and she dyed my hair and gave me extensions.”
“Can I pull on them? You might like having your hair tugged on.”
He knew damn well it turned her on, but he seemed intent on pretending he didn’t. And she was close, so close. The tension was building deep inside.
“Do you like what I’m doing to your pussy, pet? Do you enjoy having my fingers on you? This is why I can’t have my sweet little pet wearing panties. I want access. I want to know that I can stroke you anytime I like. That’s the way this is all going to go from here on out. My way. I’ll have you when I want you, how I want you, and you will thank me sweetly for it at the end of the day.”
“Yes, Master.” She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out.
“That’s right. Keep quiet. I’ll tell you when I want you to scream for me.” His thumb stayed at her clit, but a finger slipped inside her, massaging her vaginal walls, stroking her in just the right place. “Today is going to be a learning experience for both of us. Let’s set some ground rules. No talking to the other men. I’m going to be very territorial about you. They’ll figure out quickly that I’m a possessive freak with violent tendencies and they should stay away from my sub. I need you to study everyone very carefully. Be submissive. Cling to me, but keep those ears open and your brain working. That’s what I need from you. If I need to leave you alone, I expect you to go to the kitchens and stay with Sean. Is that clear? You are not to be alone unless you’re in the women’s locker room, and even there I would prefer you take Kristen with you. Say ‘yes, Master.’”
She would say anything he wanted her to. “Yes, Master.”
A second finger joined the first. She could feel the thick line of his erection against her ass. Was this what he was planning on doing for the next several weeks? Was this his idea of keeping her in line? Because it was totally working.
“Come for me.”
Three words said in that low, gravelly voice of his and she went off like a shot. The orgasm rolled over her and Alex shifted, hugging her tight, his tongue licking the shell of her ear as she rode out the pleasure.
She sagged against him, every muscle soft and relaxed. Maybe this was his new version of working out.
“That was excellent, pet. You can get up now.” His arms came out from around her, and she felt the loss of his warmth.
With wooden legs, she moved from his lap. She’d kind of expected him to turn her around and order her to ride his cock. She smoothed out her robe and hoped she wasn’t too disheveled. “All right. I’ll go and get ready for the day.”
She sniffled a little as she moved toward the door. She’d tried to be kind, but she was confused as to where he was. He’d been professional, but then he’d gotten so intimate. Intellectually she understood the point of the exercise, but her heart was racing and her hands shaking and she just wanted to be held again.
“Eve?”
She turned back, every nerve wary. “Yes, Sir?”
“Master,” he corrected, his voice firm.
He obviously wouldn’t give her an inch. “Yes, Master?”
“I know we haven’t worked together in this capacity before and that might be a problem.”
He seemed intent on beating a dead horse. She huffed a little. “I’ll fulfill my duties.”
“That’s not the problem.”
God, what was he going to throw at her now? She just wanted to run inside and take a shower and put her armor in place again. Control. She needed to get back into control. “What is the problem, Master?”
He moved behind her, his front to her back and she could feel the erection he pressed to her ass. “I find you very attractive. I’m struggling to keep the relationship on a professional level. It’s going to be hard for me. We’re going to have to live together, to sleep together, to have a D/s relationship. I can tell you it’s going to be very difficult for me to remember where the operation stops and reality begins.”
She turned, anger rising. “Alex, what the hell kind of game are you playing?”
His hands came up, cupping her face the way he had the night before. She could smell her own arousal on those fingers. Yes, they were getting very intimate. More intimate than they’d been in years. “You told me to let go. I let go. We have a problem, angel. The new me is just so fucking attracted to the new you. You’re so fucking gorgeous. I want you. I thought you should know. I’m going to do exactly what you asked of me. I’m going to find the new me. I already know one thing about the new Alex McKay. He wants Eve St. James.”
He hadn’t really listened to her the night before. He’d placated her. “This isn’t going to work.”
He backed her up, giving her no space. He very deliberately sucked his fingers into his mouth, tasting her, his tongue working to gather every bit of cream she’d left on his hand. “And you taste like heaven.”
Just like that her pussy started tightening again. Control. She had to find some. “You can’t ju
st pretend like we don’t know each other.”
“It’s what you wanted. New you. New me. New start.” His mouth hovered above hers. “And if last night was a kiss good-bye, then I want my hello kiss. And I’m going to have it.”
This was no sweet brushing of his lips against hers. Alex pressed his mouth to her with deadly intent. He forced her jaw to open and his tongue surged inside, sliding alongside hers. He cradled her close, rubbing that big erection against her belly as he took her mouth again and again. One of his hands came up and tugged on her hair, fisting it.
“Yeah, I like the longer hair, pet. I’m going to love to hold onto it while I fuck your ass,” he whispered along her cheek. “Oh, did you think I would forget the fact that you haven’t let me inside your ass in forever? I’m the Master again, and I’m going to have you every way a man can possibly have a woman. You want me to get to know you all over again? I’ll be thrilled to. Now go and get ready. Meet me in the weight room in ten minutes. If you’re not there, it’s twenty smacks. Every minute you keep me waiting is another ten. So be late, if you like. I would love to see how the new Eve handles my discipline.”
He stepped back and opened the door wide, holding a hand out for her to enter first. She forced herself to move.
What the hell had just happened?
“Ten minutes,” Alex announced again as he walked past her. She could only stare as he strode back into the kitchen, his shoulders straight and proud.
“Wow,” Kristen said. “The boss looks like a whole new man. Whatever you did to him last night really worked.”
“Yeah,” Eve muttered. A whole new man. A dangerous man. She wasn’t sure she could handle the new Alex.
She rushed to the bathroom to get cleaned up because she was pretty sure she was running out of time—in more ways than one.
Chapter Nine
Five days later, Alex looked over the men assembled in the VIP section of the club and felt a sense of satisfaction. At least one thing had gone right with this damn operation. Almost a week had gone by and he still hadn’t found a chance to slip into Chazz’s office. Security was lax around the club—everywhere except Chazz’s office.