What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7)

by Lexi Buchanan

  “We don’t have the luxury of time. A number of these foreign advisers prefer blondes.” Faith smiled.

  “Not Asian women?” Melissa feigned insult.

  “They adore Asian women, but some don’t have many blondes in their countries. They usually want what they can’t have.” Faith leaned back in her beautifully upholstered wingback chair. “Zoe has been selected for our prime delegate, newly elected President Majeed Kadir from Iran. He’ll be arriving earlier than expected. I understand he’ll want a submissive player.”

  Of all the delegates on their target list, he was expected to be the most difficult, with a reputation of violence. She put her sandwich down. “What if she’s not ready?” Melissa didn’t want to bring up the possibility that Zoe might not agree to do it at all.

  “She has to be ready. She was hired for this position specifically. The volatile situation is about to send the world into a complex war system. The US can’t continue to fight multiple wars on multiple fronts. Ten thousand more US troops have been sent over to work with NATO forces, adding to the thousands already stationed there for months.” Faith tossed her dainty lace-trimmed napkin onto the silver tray. “Help Jason. But have Zoe ready. She must be able to take on the role of a Domme or a submissive.”

  When Melissa didn’t comment right away, Faith narrowed her eyes. “What is it? A problem?”

  “I am concerned about Jason,” Melissa said. “Will he let her do this if they get involved again, knowing what she’ll have to do?”

  Faith took a deep breath and stood, signaling the end of their meeting. “He’s a professional. He knows what’s at stake.”

  Melissa nodded. “I’ll tell him.”

  “In the meantime, plan to attend the welcoming reception. Of course, wear something classy and seductive. I’ll arrange the rest. It’s time to play black widow again and invite a few mates into my lair.”

  Chapter Nine

  When Jason reached the stairs to walk Zoe to her office in the lower sub-basement, his phone vibrated a message from Melissa.

  Must meet you today about FLC. Urgent. Can you come to W.H.?

  “Hold up a second,” he said to Zoe. He texted back: Yes, I’m here now. Where?

  Press Briefing Room in 5.

  K. “I’m sorry, Zoe. I’m being summoned for a meeting. I shouldn’t be long. Can I meet you in your office?”

  “Sure.” She didn’t even ask who the meeting was with. So like an ex-agent. “Hope you don’t have to work this weekend.”

  “I’ll text if I’m going to be long.” He turned around and ran up the stairs.

  Jason entered the Press Briefing Room to find Melissa in a daring low-cut business dress, sitting in the middle of the front row of seats.

  Jason didn’t know how a sexy outfit could be alluring enough to persuade an ambassador or prime minister or president to agree to a night of dangerous sex games. Apparently, Melissa knew how to pull it off. The woman was a professional in many ways. Subtly seductive, with an air of intelligence and sophistication. She was known to have been successful with her targets on a number of occasions. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Have a seat.” She pointed to a chair next to hers, her face lacking emotion. The large meeting room was completely empty.

  “Is there a problem?” Jason sensed he wasn’t going to hear good news.

  “What makes you think there’s a problem?” she asked with a sweet smile he didn’t trust.

  He rolled his eyes. “Cut to it.”

  “Actually, everything with the FLC is going very well. Look for an announcement for another signing sometime on Monday. We have to complete Zoe’s training immediately. First lady’s orders. President Majeed Kadir from Iran will arrive earlier than expected. I know you’re not crazy about her being assigned to him, but she’s his perfect type. Celia would’ve been ideal, and now that she’s gone, it has to be Zoe.”

  He bit his tongue and resisted the urge to say, No. Find someone else. But he’d known this time would come. They were desperate for a tall, attractive blonde with a high-level security clearance. That’s why Zoe had come to mind in the first place. “How soon?”

  “Now. The president is organizing a reception of foreign diplomats in a couple of weeks and—”

  “Weeks?” Jason jumped up and stood over her. “Are you crazy? She can’t possibly be trained as a Domme in a couple of weeks. She’s vanilla. Mostly.”

  Melissa raised an eyebrow at his outburst, but didn’t look concerned. Nothing flustered her. “I thought you said she has a kinky side.”

  “We role-played with bondage a bit, experimented with rough sex, but nothing like this.” There had been more to the kink, but he didn’t want to go into details. He planted his hands on his head, interlocked his fingers and groaned.

  “You’ve watched enough scenes to understand the power exchange between a Dom and a submissive. You can train her.” She raised her hand when she saw he was about to object. “If you need help or have questions, I’ll be available. And she won’t be a Domme with Kadir. She’ll be a submissive.”

  “Submissive? Great. I don’t know if she’ll be ready in two weeks.” He shook his head. “When I was asked about her qualifications for this position, I thought it was for gathering information overseas on potentials, working undercover, not this.” He knew how much Zoe wanted to do something to help stop the brutality overseas. Her brother was stationed there.

  “It’s too late to worry about that now. She’s a professional. When she knows what’s at stake—”

  “I’ll handle it,” he snapped, holding up his hand.

  “If you can’t, I will,” Melissa stated with the authority of the first lady. “One way or another, she will be a member of this team.”

  “What if she refuses?”

  Melissa crossed her arms, looking angry. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to convince her. National security depends on it.”

  He nodded, scowling at her. “Fine. I’ll handle it. My way. Two weeks.” And after two weeks, when she realized he’d set her up for this, she probably wouldn’t speak to him again.

  Zoe digitized one file then casually flipped through the folders. On several pages she read the acronym FLC. Federal Something Commission? But it didn’t seem to fit in the context. Some of the documents included notations about certain events, such as a foreign ambassador having tea with the FLC and a prime minister reviewing tapes and files from a Saturday evening then providing the desired response. Other documents mentioned acceleration in communications and final international agreements that were signed promptly as anticipated. All appeared to have some significance, but Zoe wasn’t sure what.

  The knock at the door was a welcomed intrusion. She opened the door. Jason stood there. “Let’s take a walk. Need to fill you in on some details.” She followed him.

  As Jason opened the door to the Red Tape Room, Zoe peeled a piece of red tape from the doorframe. “What’s this?” she asked.

  “I’ll explain that in a minute.”

  Jason flipped on the lights and closed the door behind him. The antique sconces along the gray walls gave the room a dungeon-like glow. Add the Spanish Inquisition furnishings, and the effect was complete. Hard to believe what they’d watched in here the other night, what they’d done in here.

  “Consider this room, and what I’m about to tell you, black ops,” he said.

  Nodding, she clenched her hands around the belt of her pants. She’d been involved with black ops missions before. Those programs, if leaked or discussed with anyone, could threaten national security. A quivering inside her gut reminded her to calm and sharpen her focus, the way she did just before a dangerous mission. There was no danger here, only anticipation of something of great importance.

  “Those pieces of tape are part of a code. Long pieces of red tape will crisscross the outside door when this room is occupied. No one can enter the room until the first lady rips the tape down. It’s a signal to stop taping. Video recording
.” He looked at her with a straight face.

  Her mouth dropped open. “That kinky sex scene we saw was being videotaped?”

  He nodded.

  She almost burst out laughing but stopped because he looked so serious. She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. She glanced around the room. “Where’s the camera?”

  “Behind the walls. Six of them.”

  “So many?” she asked, going along with the joke. He couldn’t be serious, could he? The dark tone to his words and deep crease across his brow told her he wasn’t teasing. Dozens of questions came to mind. She had no idea where to start. “Who was that guy Melissa was with? Did he know he was being taped?”

  “Have a seat.” Jason pointed to the bed, a leather-covered mattress equipped with straps and pulleys and a padded medieval rack.

  When she sat, the wooden frame creaked. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

  He sat beside her and looked at her squarely. “You’ve been hired to be a member of the First Lady’s Club, or the FLC.”

  She couldn’t tell if he was kidding. Had they been apart that long? “Terrific. Never heard of it. Do I get to make cupcakes, share gardening tips, save neighborhood parks?”

  “I’m being straight with you. Technically, your boss is the first lady. This operation has the highest level of secrecy and risk for national security. No cupcakes.”

  “Sorry. I’m used to working undercover with drug and arms dealers.” He was serious, even scared. The last time she saw him look that frightened was when they were in Egypt together on vacation. Jason had had a decent-size camera that had vanished when they stopped at a food vendor. He saw the guy who took it and called the police. They caught the guy and interrogated him in front of them. When the man finally admitted to stealing the camera and brought it back, he apologized to Jason, claiming his son was ill and needed the money. Jason felt bad for the man. Then the police grabbed the man’s left arm and, with a machete, cut off his left hand.

  Jason shrieked at the guards. The man had returned the camera. They looked at Jason and shrugged. The crime was done, and the man had been punished. Why was Jason complaining?

  Now, he had that pained look, not quite as horrified but as severe. “Jason, you’re worrying me.”

  He pressed his lips together then finally spoke. “You must understand, once you’re in this program, any security breach—”

  “Would be considered treason, I know. And I could be imprisoned.” She patted his arm. His hands tightened into fists. “Don’t worry. Nothing new from our previous jobs.”

  “No, you don’t understand. If there’s a security breach, or they suspect you may consider one, they won’t bring you to trial for treason, because that would expose the existence of the FLC. We have an assassin who handles security leaks.”

  She leaned away and leveled a hard stare at him. “Awfully efficient and barbaric. Who is it?”

  “No idea.”

  She laughed bitterly. The mood in the room turned cool. “We’ll be working together in this secret club? Was that your idea?”

  He sighed. “Partly.”

  “Didn’t you leave Langley because you didn’t want me as your partner? Or you didn’t trust me.”

  He stood. “That’s not true. I’d trust you with my life. And that’s not why I left.”

  She glared at him. “You changed a plan during an operation and excluded me.”

  “Not because I didn’t trust you.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “When the missions were dangerous, I was concerned I wouldn’t stay focused if I was worried about your safety. And you were never excluded completely.” He touched her cheek. She saw the pain and regret in his expression.

  “I’m trained. I can do the jobs. You don’t need to protect me.” All the emotions she’d managed to bury since he left were coming back to the surface.

  “I know, I was wrong. But after Turkey, I didn’t know if I could work with you again.”

  Zoe’s chest tightened, and she didn’t trust herself to breathe too deeply or the tears would fall. She placed a hand on his arm. “Why?” she whispered. “Yes, I was nervous about that mission, but it went wrong before we got into it.”

  He shook his head. “It wasn’t you. You were amazing and kept your cool. They probably would’ve killed you if you hadn’t. What they did to you still rips me up inside.” His teeth clenched.

  “Jason, I’m okay. The team got me out. I wasn’t raped. I had some bruises and a broken pinkie, that’s all.” He lifted her left hand and gently rubbed her finger, which had a slight bend at the second knuckle. She’d told him the details of her brief capture, torture and rescue, but he never quite seemed reassured.

  “I know.” He released her hand and paced around the bed. “When I heard you were coming to the White House, I thought you’d be working with me overseas or as a Secret Service agent. I thought this would be my chance to show you I’m finally over that.” He abruptly stopped.

  “It’s okay,” Zoe consoled him. “You didn’t think I’d be working as an archivist for top-secret documents.”

  “No, I thought you’d be collecting intel overseas with me. I didn’t realize they had another position in mind.”

  “Not archivist.” She hoped he didn’t hear the edge to her voice. She stood and faced him. When he moved to draw her to him, she pulled away. “What then? What was I hired to do?”

  He let out a breath. “To take part in similar scenes like the one you watched.”

  She didn’t respond for a long time, because she wasn’t sure what he meant. “Who was the guy? What do they do with the tapes?”

  “The president from Chad,” he said. “And they plan to blackmail him into signing the peace treaty.”

  She shoved away from him. “Are you crazy? You’re saying President Bryson is blackmailing a foreign delegate with sex tapes?”

  “Several foreign delegates,” he said.

  “You can’t be serious.” Hands on hips, she glared at him. “That’s unethical. It’s political suicide. Is it working? Oh my God.”

  “When you deal with unethical people who become allies with terrorists and build immense personal wealth at the expense of their own people, conventional methods of diplomacy don’t work.”

  “Where do I fit in?” She folded her arms across her chest. Somehow, she didn’t think she’d like the answer.

  “You’ll be one of those making the videos.”

  “Running the cameras?” She smiled but knew that’s not what he meant. He didn’t answer. “Forget it. I don’t know how to do that stuff and whip someone. Why did they pick me?”

  “Because you’re the perfect female type they need. Blond, tall, attractive and intelligent with a high-level security clearance. The target they have set up for you likes to hire blond women, such as international lawyers, translators, economists, to work as his aides and consultants. Then he makes them his personal slaves, literally.”

  She groaned. “Against their will?”

  “There’s evidence that he’s murdered some, sold others into the slave trade market, and still others are being held against their will. We intend to get them out in addition to getting him to sign the treaty. Now are you interested?” He edged closer, and she was torn between wanting to run out of the room and wanting to fall into the embrace of his arms. Either way, she wanted it all to go away.

  Her stomach rolled, and she didn’t say a word for a while. “I don’t know this lifestyle. He’d know. If I screw up the mission, I could get those women killed.”

  “You’re skilled at role-playing. I can train you. Melissa can help. She was a professional Domme.” He took both her hands. He held her gaze and smiled. Damn him for looking excited about this.

  “What if I say no?”

  He squeezed her hands. “No would be a very bad choice. This is a national security issue. There will be other people in the room, so it won’t get out of hand. You’ll be safe.”

  She narrowed her eyes and studied him. �
��Why are you training me? Are you into this lifestyle? You weren’t when we were dating. At least, you never told me.” She trembled at the idea of Jason performing the acts she witnessed the other night, making her both uneasy and horny.

  Seduction. The room reeked of it. Not torture. But an odd, twisted kind of kinky seduction, and Zoe felt her body responding to it. Heat rushed through her, and her breasts felt heavy. Between her thighs, she was throbbing and wet. Why was she getting aroused by this? Did this turn him on?

  “What are you thinking?” His mouth twitched in amusement.

  “I don’t know, really. Maybe I am a little curious, maybe I missed you. I just don’t want to screw up.” She almost said like last time. What if he was thinking that?

  His eyes turned dark and intently focused on her. Beneath his lowered gaze was a raw hunger, pure male sensuality smoldering behind his blue eyes, reminding her of the desperation of his last kiss. The way all his kisses were, as if each was going to be their last. That was why she couldn’t resist him even though she was still pissed at him. “Good. I wasn’t sure what your reaction would be.”

  A smile curled at her lips as she began to consider the possibilities. Striding over to the table, she picked up a whip and swung it in a circle, attempting to hit the bench but almost hitting herself instead. “Who’s into this kinky stuff besides the first lady? The president? Does he make the videos, too?”

  “No, he doesn’t. Careful with that or you’ll hurt yourself.” He pulled it from her hand. “Stand over by the cross, and I’ll demonstrate.”

  “No, thanks. I’m not into pain.”

  “You will be.” He grasped her arm and walked her over to the cross. “Take off your blouse, and I’ll give you a brief demo.”

  “No. Jason. Someone could walk in on us.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him as he swung the flogger in a circle.

  “No one will come. The door is locked, and I know the schedule.”