Spy

by Julia Sykes

  “You are so fucking sweet,” he whispered against my mouth. “I want you, Lissa. All of you.”

  “You already have me. I’m yours, Master.”

  He groaned into me, giving in to his desire. When his kiss resumed, it was deliberate, fierce. All-consuming. He took my mouth with his lips, his teeth, his tongue. He stepped forward, guiding me back toward the bed. All the while, he kept his arm firmly around my back, keeping me against him. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, holding him just as tightly. I never wanted to let go.

  When the backs of my knees hit the mattress, he began tugging at the hem of my tank top. I compliantly lifted my arms and allowed him to pull it over my head. He tossed it aside and reached for the clasp of my bra. As he easily popped it open, I grasped his shirt, raking my nails over his defined abs as I pushed it up his torso. He slid my bra down my arms and then jerked his shirt the rest of the way off.

  Our hands went to the buttons on each other’s jeans at the same time. He undid mine with a practiced flick of his fingers, but I fumbled at his; desire raced through my veins, making my hands shake.

  Before I could finish my task, he hooked his thumbs through my panties and shoved them down my legs along with my jeans. His hands closed around my waist, and he tossed me back onto the bed. He was on me before I could so much as gasp, his mouth taking mine again, devouring me.

  Something wrapped around my wrist, but I was too absorbed in his kiss to check what he was doing to me. Within seconds, both my arms were stretched over my head. I tugged downward, only to find that I couldn’t move more than a few inches.

  Ian’s low, delighted laugh rumbled into my mouth. I moaned at the dark, decadent taste of it on my tongue.

  His lips left mine to trace a scorching trail of kisses down the column of my neck, pausing to lavish attention at the line of my collar. The reminder of his ownership, of his promise of protection and care, made my body burn for him.

  “Fuck me,” I panted.

  He ground his hips against mine, letting me feel his erection through his jeans. “You want my cock, pet?”

  “Yes,” I groaned. “Please fuck me, Master.”

  He nipped at my throat. “No. Not yet. I’m going to make you come. You’re going to beg for mercy and scream my name before I take my pussy.”

  My pussy. The crass, possessive words made me shudder.

  He pulled back, his hands gliding down the sides of my torso, teasing around my breasts, before sliding over my waist, my hips.

  Suddenly, he gripped my leg, pulling it toward the corner of the bed. He reached under the mattress and withdrew a cloth cuff attached to a short strap. He quickly wrapped it around my ankle, securing it in place.

  He did the same to my other leg, and within seconds I was bound, naked and completely helpless to resist anything he wanted to do to my body.

  He stood and stared down at me hungrily, admiring his work.

  “I put these restraints in yesterday,” he remarked. “I told myself they might help with your training. But really, I was dying to do this to you.” His palm pressed against my abdomen, moving slowly downward before pausing just above my clit.

  I whined and tried to angle my hips up against him. He pushed me down, pinning me in place.

  “I wanted you open for me,” he continued, ignoring my needy whimper. His eyes flicked up to mine, twin blue flames burning into my soul. “Do you know how many times I’ve fantasized about having you at my mercy?”

  My mouth went dry. “Please,” I rasped. “Please, touch me.”

  The pressure of his palm eased, and his fingers traced a cruelly gentle circle around my clit. “Like this?” He smirked.

  “More. Please, Master.”

  “Such a good girl.” His thumb rubbed directly against my aching bud. My back arched, and I let out a little cry as the pleasure shot straight to my head.

  Two fingers slid into my desire-slicked sheath, immediately finding my g-spot. He teased against it, toying with me. All my muscles tensed, struggling against my restraints in an effort to earn more stimulation. They held fast, and the reminder of my powerlessness to resist him sent me flying high. I attained that blissful peace that I could only find in complete submission to him. My entire body softened with a sigh, surrendering to his power over me.

  “Do you know how fucking perfect you are?” As he growled the words, his thumb rubbed my clit in a firm, deliberate circular motion. “Come for me, Lissa.”

  “Ian!” I came apart under his hands.

  “That’s it, pet. Scream for me.”

  He increased the pressure of his fingers against the sensitive spot inside me, and my pleasure rocketed higher. I barely registered that the ragged shout that resounded in my ears was my own. The world fell away around me as ecstasy claimed my entire being, washing through me in an irresistible torrent.

  I groaned when he pulled his fingers free, hating the emptiness. My disappointment didn’t last long.

  I was distantly aware of the sound of his jeans falling to the floor and a condom wrapper being torn open.

  Then his heat pulsed against me, his reassuring weight pressing me into the mattress. He cupped my breasts in his large hands, lightly squeezing. My already hard nipples rubbed against his palms. I gasped and arched into him, craving more. He caught them between his thumbs and forefingers, pinching. A sharp cry left me at the bite of pain. He eased his grip, rolling my nipples deftly between his fingers. The pain turned to pleasure. It shot straight from my breasts to my sex. My pussy still throbbed from my orgasm, and the new stimulation was almost too much.

  “You can take more,” he told me, sensing that I was on the edge of discomfort. “Your body is mine to play with as I choose. Your pleasure is mine; your orgasms are mine. I want another.”

  His hard cock pushed at my heated entrance. I was still wet from coming, and he slid in easily, stretching me until he filled me completely. My inner muscles rippled around him, torn between forcing out the large intrusion and greedily keeping him in.

  His eyes tightened with lust. “Fuck, you feel good. So fucking perfect.”

  I stared up at him, drinking him in. “I think you’re perfect, too,” I whispered.

  His mouth found mine with a hungry growl. I consumed the sound of his desire, tracing the line of his vibrating lips with my tongue. His surged into my mouth, taking back control.

  I ceded it to him willingly, eagerly.

  He rocked his hips back, and his cock dragged across my g-spot. I clenched around him, and he drove back in. I whimpered as his thrust jarred my entire body. The sound seemed to trigger something in him, some animal part of his brain.

  His hands left my breasts to press his palms against mine, his fingers wrapping around my own, restraining me further. He held me down while he fucked me hard, picking up a fast, merciless rhythm. He claimed my body with a ferocity I’d never known, and my soul soared as I gave him everything.

  Bliss took me, and I screamed into his mouth as I came. Bright lights popped behind my eyes, and pleasure raced from my pussy all the way out to my fingertips.

  Ian threw back his head with a roar, and his cock pulsed inside me as he found his own completion. He thrust in one final time, holding himself there through the last seconds of his orgasm. Little aftershocks of ecstasy rippled through my sex, sending sparks dancing through my entire body.

  “Lissa,” he groaned my name and collapsed atop me, burying his face in my hair as he breathed me in.

  I pressed soft kisses to the side of his neck, unable to resist tasting him. In that moment, I was more than his pet. I was Lissa and he was Ian. And he was mine.

  * * * * *

  Burt wrapped slick rope around my neck, keeping hold of the ends. He pulled me forward, using it as a leash. With every faltering step I took in his wake, it tightened.

  I stumbled and dropped to my knees, gasping for air. My hands came down on something cold and metallic. Through blurring vision, I could make out the Cyri
llic lettering on the hunter green warhead. Before I could jerk back, it crumbled under my touch. Toxic gas hissed into the air. I was choking, dying…

  I sat bolt upright in bed, breathing hard. Jumbled pieces of my nightmare scattered through my brain, sending little thrills of residual fear racing through my veins just before they dissipated to nothing. Within seconds, I couldn’t even recall why I was shaken and sweaty.

  But the fear remained.

  Ian.

  I looked around wildly, only to find myself alone in the motel room. Just before panic set in, I noticed the note on the nightstand.

  Went to get breakfast. Be back by 9:30.

  Ian

  It was perfunctory. Cold. I needed the heat of his embrace to ground me. I could feel myself slipping.

  I glanced at the clock. Ian wouldn’t be back for over half an hour. My anxiety ratcheted up a notch, rising up to wrap around my windpipe.

  Irrational. I knew my emotions didn’t make any sense, but I couldn’t stop the panic that was expanding rapidly in my chest.

  I clutched at the pill bottle that sat beside the note and quickly threw back two little blue tablets.

  Call Alik. Call Alik.

  Yes.

  I grabbed up my phone and found his contact details. I was distantly surprised that I had to scroll down my recent calls list to get to his name. Only then did it strike me that I hadn’t spoken to my therapist in nearly a week.

  It had been far too long. My precarious mental state proved that.

  “Lissa. I’m so glad you called.”

  “Alik,” I half-sobbed his name. The visceral relief that struck me at the sound of his voice was almost jarring.

  “Tell me what’s wrong.” He was always so calm, so in control. I’d missed it.

  “I’m so sorry I haven’t gotten in touch sooner.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “I…” I didn’t want to tell him about how Ian made me feel. That was private.

  It was the first time I’d ever considered keeping something from Alik.

  “I was feeling okay,” I lied.

  “You were? What changed?”

  “I haven’t been taking my meds regularly,” I admitted. That must be the reason for my sudden bout of instability.

  “You have to take your meds, Lissa,” he admonished. “You know that.”

  “I know. It was stupid. I’m sorry.”

  “Have you taken any recently?”

  “Yes. Just now.”

  “Good. Why don’t we do some breathing exercises until the medicine takes effect.” He worded it as a question, but his tone made it a command.

  “Okay.” Having an order to follow took some of the edge off.

  I lay back on the bed, and we began the familiar process. I took deep, even breaths, releasing them when Alik instructed me to. The rush of fresh oxygen helped clear my mind. After a while, my meds kicked in, further calming me.

  “Are you ready to talk, Lissa?” Alik prompted. The sound of my name in his soft accent rolled through me, blanketing the last of my niggling thoughts with a warm, comforting fog.

  “Yes.” I’d reached that state where I was barely aware of speaking. My mind simply responded to his questions, and the answer left my lips.

  “Why did you decide to call me?”

  “Ian knows about the Russians.” Alik had told me to call him when I learned about the Russians. I was following his instructions, being his good girl. It felt right.

  “And what did he say about Salvation’s ties to them?”

  “Not much. He knows the warhead is Russian. He said Salvation is working with them, not terrorists.”

  “Good. And what does he know about the warhead?”

  “He said it’s a chemical weapon. He doesn’t know what. He took pictures of it. He said he’ll be able to neutralize it when he finds out what’s inside.”

  “That’s good. You’ve done very well, Lissa.”

  I glowed at the praise.

  “I want you to stay close to Ian. Call me if he finds out how to neutralize the weapon. If he does, I’ll give you instructions on how to stop him from doing that.”

  Wrong.

  “What?”

  “You will not let him disable the weapon.”

  Wrong.

  The fog began to clear, evaporating in the wake of my fear. My mind churned, trying to understand what was happening.

  “People will die.”

  “Lissa. Take a deep breath.”

  “No.”

  “Do as I say, Lissa.”

  Alik was mad at me. I hated when Alik was mad at me.

  I took a deep breath.

  “Again.”

  I took another.

  “Good. That’s good.”

  Even his approval wasn’t enough to fully drive away my anxiety.

  “You will call me if Ian finds out how to neutralize the weapon. Do you understand?”

  My panic returned, blowing the fog away. I didn’t answer.

  “Lissa.”

  A distressed whine sounded in the back of my throat.

  “Calm down. Breathe.”

  “No. I don’t want to.”

  “Now, Lissa.”

  “Stop it! Stop!”

  My eyes snapped open, and I jerked upright with a gasp. My mind reeled. I looked around wildly.

  Ian.

  My panic doubled. I was alone. My eyes fell on the note on the nightstand.

  Went to get breakfast. Be back by 9:30.

  Ian

  “Lissa? Lissa, answer me.” An angry voice demanded. It was faint, barely audible.

  I glanced down to find that I was holding my phone. The screen told me I had called Alik.

  Anxiety surged. I ended the call and flung the phone across the room with a shriek.

  My fingers speared into my hair, tugging at it. I was crumbling inside. My head throbbed; it felt as though my brain was beating against the inside of my skull.

  Wrong. Something was wrong.

  I didn’t know what it was, but the knowledge had taken root deep inside my soul.

  I hugged my knees to my chest and rocked back and forth.

  I’d never been so out of control.

  My pill bottle tempted me. I picked it up and flung it away from me.

  I flipped on my front and buried my face in the pillow, screaming into it as my fists pounded against the mattress.

  “Lissa?”

  Just the sound of my own name made fear flutter against the inside of my chest. I curled up into myself and let out a choking sob.

  “Lissa.” The voice was more insistent. “Calm down.”

  “No!” I screamed, lashing out.

  I spun to face my tormentor, swinging my leg up to catch him in the stomach.

  He grabbed my ankle, blocking the hit. Before I could retaliate, his body settled over me. His thighs pinned mine down, and his strong chest pressed my torso into the mattress. I struck blindly, my fingers searching for his eye sockets. My panic made me sloppy, weak. He easily caught my flailing arms and trapped them over my head with one hand around my wrists. His other gripped my jaw, stopping my head from thrashing.

  “Lissa. Look at me.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate to defy his orders. I jerked and twisted beneath him, trying to make enough space between us for me to land a kick.

  “Stop fighting me. You’ll hurt yourself.”

  “I don’t want to!” I wailed. I couldn’t obey. Something bad would happen if I followed orders.

  His hand released my jaw, and his weight shifted slightly. Something soft encircled my left wrist. It pulled tight, stretching my arm up away from my body. Before I could process what was happening, he secured my other wrist, restraining me. His hips stayed flush with mine, keeping my lower body immobilized.

  A tender hand stroked through my hair.

  “You’re okay. Just take your time. Breathe.”

  I closed my mouth against an infuriated scream and
stopped breathing. I couldn’t. I would be lost if I did.

  He uttered a low curse.

  Hot lips came down on mine, kissing me firmly, demanding that I open for him. Shock made me gasp, drawing in air. He pressed his advantage, sinking his teeth into my lower lip. I drew in another breath.

  His tongue eased the sting of his bite, his lips sucking the slight hurt away. My entire world came into sharp focus.

  Ian.

  I softened beneath him, all the fight going out of me.

  Safe. Ian would always keep me safe.

  He drew back from me, and my eyes found his. Recognition replaced my blind panic. Ian would never hurt me. He made everything better. I could trust him.

  He reached over and retrieved something from the drawer in the nightstand.

  My collar.

  He placed it around my throat and buckled it at my nape. I breathed deeply, finding my inner calm again. Ian would take care of me.

  “You’re okay.” It was a firm order, not a soft reassurance.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “Thank you.”

  His thumb brushed across my cheekbone. “What happened to set you off?”

  I tensed, my anxiety threatening to rise up again. My mind shied away from it. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

  He traced the line of my collar with his fingertips, reassuring me that he was there for me. I shivered and relaxed.

  “That’s okay. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

  “You’re here now.” Tears burned at the corners of my eyes as a new emotion swelled in me: gratitude.

  No, it was more than that.

  Love.

  “I love you, Ian.”

  His face fell. My gut twisted. “I’m sorry,” he said softly.

  I swallowed hard. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say it now. I know we haven’t been together long. You can say it when you’re ready.”

  “I can’t,” he said, his voice tight with regret. “I can’t be with you, Lissa.”

  The first of my tears spilled over as grief welled up. “Why not? Don’t you care about me? You said you’d take care of me.”

  He broke from my gaze. “And I meant it. I’ll keep you safe while I’m on this mission. But it can’t be forever.”