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

by Lexi Buchanan

  “Schedule? What schedule?” she whispered.

  “Some questions will be answered later. And you don’t have to whisper. The room is completely soundproof.” He pressed her shoulders and back against the wooden frame.

  “Can’t we do this at my place?” she pleaded.

  “This is where you’ll be trained and where you’ll give your presentation. This isn’t about us in here. Go with it for a minute.” His hands went to the waist of her pants and tugged on her shirt.

  “That wasn’t about us in the closet?” she asked.

  He made a face and didn’t answer.

  She huffed. “Okay, okay, a little test.” She started unbuttoning her blouse. “Jason, we’re in the White House. You’re not going to do—”

  “Anything kinky? You didn’t seem to mind last night. I seem to remember an agent who got horny when she was in danger.”

  She swallowed and glared at him. A thrill passed through her. He was right. Sex was hottest when they were in danger. Last night they’d almost had sex in the White House. “That was different. It was very late, and we were in a hidden passageway. We were spontaneous.”

  “We were out of control,” he added as he pressed her back against the wooden X.

  “Sex is always out of control for us.”

  He didn’t argue. Tugging on her blouse, he yanked it over her head, not even bothering with the buttons.

  Zoe fought to keep her breathing under control. His gaze lowered to her breasts, and his fingers traced around the lacy cups of her bra. “Pretty and sexy.”

  Reaching out, she gathered fistfuls of his shirt and tugged on his, too, but he grabbed her hands. “Why not?”

  “Not until I say.” His hands slid over her bare skin around her waist, and his lips lowered to her neck. The warmth of his breath, the hot wetness of his tongue as it glided along the delicate curve from her ear to the base of her throat was maddening. Her breasts swelled, and she wanted his hands there, his mouth there. She wanted him everywhere, now.

  “Jason. Can we do the demo on the bed? This cross is kind of creepy.” Her gaze widened as the clasp of her bra opened, and the garment slid off and fell to the floor.

  “You have to follow my instructions without questioning them, without making suggestions.” His mouth moved to her jawline, and she shuddered and let out a little moan. She leaned into him like a cat stretching out her body for a good scratch. Why wouldn’t he touch her breasts? Again, she reached out to him, and just as quickly he grabbed her wrists and pressed them behind her back, making her breasts stand up even higher. Her nipples were tight and sensitive now. “Keep your hands here. Don’t move them until I tell you to. This is a lesson in control, power exchange, sensuality, trust.”

  “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “Go with it. You will. Because that’s what this room is all about.”

  She nodded. “It’s not about us.” Her throat tightened. How could she possibly keep them out of it while she stood before him half-naked or if he touched her intimately?

  He leaned back enough to look at her, and his eyes had darkened with flaming desire. His jaw flexed. Was he struggling with controlling his passion, too? Who was being tested here?

  “I’ll go along with it,” she whispered.

  “You need to do more than go along. You need to convince a Dom that you’re a submissive.” He kissed her mouth, deeply, slowly, but she kept her hands behind her back as he asked. When he pulled her into an embrace, crushing her body against him, she moved her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers in his hair. The kiss abruptly ended. He growled.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “You moved your hands.”

  “What?” She laughed.

  “I told you not to move your hands.”

  “Oh, come on, Jason. Can’t you just tell me the plan and what I’m supposed to do? And skip all this?” She crossed her arms over her waist.

  “No, it has to be done this way. Just like there’s no shortcut for any other kind of training.”

  “Fine then.” She was getting annoyed and horny at the same time. That ticked her off more.

  He hesitated for a minute, gazing at the table of torture devices. “This is a lesson. Make your assessment after.”

  “All right.” She put her arms at her sides, awaiting for his direction.

  He moved closer, taking her hands and moving them behind her back. Then he palmed her breasts, pinching her nipples until she moaned. Lowering his mouth to one nipple and drawing on it, rubbing the tip with his tongue, made her aware of the wetness and throbbing between her thighs. She couldn’t refuse him anything after that.

  “Tell me what to do.”

  “Do exactly what I tell you without argument.” He stroked her bare shoulder. “If I ask you a question, answer it with a yes or no, sir.”

  She frowned but said, “Okay.”

  He stepped back. “Take everything else off and face the cross.”

  She opened her mouth to object but saw his one eyebrow raise, daring her to object. She stopped herself and slipped off her shoes, pants and underwear, placing everything on the floor.

  “Beautiful,” he said.

  She felt exposed but resisted the urge to cover herself. Her nipples instantly became harder, sensitive to the cool air in the room. His hungry gaze raked over her body. Maybe they’d make love after all.

  “Face the cross. Hold on to it if you like.”

  Sighing, she leaned against it, then spread her legs to fit into the foot rests and raised her arms. The intersection came just below her breasts so they pressed against the two arms of the structure. “Are you going to strap me in?” Her heart fluttered in her chest. Something about that excited her. She kept her smile cool, without emotion, the stoic working face she used when she was about to make a connection during a dangerous overseas operative.

  “Not unless you want to be. You can just wrap your arms around the cross.”

  In position at the cross, she let out her held breath. “Now what?”

  He didn’t answer at first then placed a hand on her shoulder. He pressed his mouth to her ear. “You can stop this at any time by saying the word red. Understand?”

  “Yes, yes, sir.” Her body was shaking, and she wondered if he sensed that.

  He rubbed her shoulders, massaging them, then her arms and back. “Relax, you’re too tense.”

  She giggled a little. “Because I don’t know what the hell you’re up to.”

  “Fair enough.” He walked over to the table, sifted through a number of items. Finally, he selected one. “I’ll use the flogger and go easy on you.”

  “Right.” A wave of sadness moved through her thoughts. What if this club was more than an assignment for him? What if he wanted this lifestyle? That would explain why he hadn’t kept in touch with her when he left Langley. They weren’t sexually compatible. Why hadn’t he told her?

  “I’m going to try a few passes across your back and see how you do. All right?”

  She swallowed.

  “Respond to my questions, Zoe.”

  “Yes, all right. Have at it.” She swallowed again. How had she missed this side of him? What a fool she was. Damn it.

  “That’s not how you answer a Dom. You would get punished for that.”

  She tensed at his harsh tone. “Yes, sir. I’m ready.”

  The flogger bit into her upper left back with a crack, and she jumped and yelped. He paused for a moment then repeated on the other side. When she didn’t protest, he struck her over and over, the sting penetrating deep. She would take as much as she could. She had to know why he needed sex this way. She partly believed him about the taping and partly believed the first lady had an adventurous sex life. Blackmailing and manipulating foreign policy seemed farfetched. Then he stopped.

  His hand gently stroked the areas he’d worked. “How are you doing?”

  “Okay, I think.” Her body was oversensitized to his touch. Her pussy throbb
ed and ached for him. He hadn’t struck her there, but she wanted him to, just to see how it felt. “Should I turn around, sir?” If this was where he expected their love life to go, she didn’t know if she wanted to find out.

  “No, this is fine for now.”

  She ached for his hands to pleasure her the way she remembered, then she wanted him to take her to the bed and make love. Didn’t he want her that way anymore? Her throat tightened.

  He smoothed his hand over her back. “Your skin is warm and pink. Remember, you can stop anytime.”

  “I know. I’m not ready to stop.” Her body heated up and tingled. Her nipples were ultrasensitive, and her pussy felt wet. Did their lives have to be in danger or have to incorporate hard-core kink in order for them to get turned on? Tears and unexpected emotions threatened to burst out, but she dammed them up inside. He’d said that in this room it wasn’t about them. But wasn’t it? He couldn’t shut her completely out emotionally, sexually while doing this, could he? If he didn’t care enough.

  He struck her ass this time, and that stung. “Ouch.”

  He didn’t stop. The strikes got more intense, and his breathing deepened. He groaned through a few strikes. They weren’t groans of pleasure. She knew all of Jason’s sounds, and he sounded angry.

  Something inside her started liking the pain. After each hit, the pain rattled her, but then she rode it out like a kayak gliding over a rough wave. Again, her thoughts returned to the two of them making love. Him holding her after that bad time in Turkey, and many other times. And now this.

  “Too intense?” His voice was hoarse and husky.

  “No, sir.” She bit her lip. The throbbing between her thighs intensified, and her clit plumped. Then the thongs whisked between her legs and snapped against her pussy. The sting made her yelp, and at the same time, a mixture of pain and pleasure shot through her. God, that was good. A groan pulled from her chest. “Yes.”

  He swung again and smacked her.

  She had to admit, it was a turn-on. Then why did she feel so emotional? Her throat tightened as tears welled in her eyes. The pain from the flogger hurt now, but a good hurt. She wouldn’t stop. Maybe the pain outside would make the pain inside go away.

  “Still okay?” he asked, slowing his momentum but not stopping.

  “Yes, sir,” she snapped. “Fine.” Tears slid down her cheeks, and she was glad he couldn’t see.

  “No, you’re not.” He put the flogger down and stood behind her. “Are you hurt?”

  “I told you, I’m fine.” The words had a quiver to them as much as she tried to hide it.

  “You’ve had enough.” He reached around to take her hand and release her from the cross since she hadn’t let go.

  “Give me a minute.”

  “Zoe?” He turned her around, and his eyes widened. “God, no, honey. I’m sorry.” He scooped her up in his arms and took her over to the bed. He sat her down and reached under the bed, opening a drawer and reaching in for a soft cotton blanket. After wrapping her in it, he took her in his arms again and cradled her against his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me to stop when I started hurting you? Why didn’t you call out your safe word?”

  “You weren’t hurting me. I’m fine,” she said, tears still flowing.

  “No, you’re not fine. You’re upset.”

  “I’m not sure why I’m crying,” she snapped. Why couldn’t she get herself together, damn it? She shoved away from him, got up and put her clothes back on.

  He sat on the bed and watched her as she dressed. He’d really fucked this up. Their friendship, the job, possibly the operation. “I’m sorry.”

  “Just tell me one thing, Jason. When the hell did you get into this bondage stuff? We only broke up six months ago. We worked together for three years, dated a year of that. What kind of agent was I if I didn’t have any idea you were into this? Why did you waste your time with me?” She picked up the flogger he’d dropped on the floor, and for a moment he thought she was going to hit him with it, or throw it at him. Instead, she slammed it on the table.

  “We’re trained as agents to play roles. I wasn’t hiding anything.”

  “Were you playing a vanilla role back then?” She threw a pair of handcuffs across the room.

  “No. I wasn’t into BDSM when we were dating. I’m not into it now.” Was that the truth? He wasn’t entirely sure. He stood up but stayed out of range of flying objects. There were knives on the table.

  “How can you say that after what you just did?” She spoke each word with her teeth clenched. “I know you. You were into it more than just for the job.”

  He walked up to her and calmly took the cane she had fisted in her hand. “Let’s take a break.”

  “Forget it, Jason. Tell them they made a mistake. I can’t do this.”

  Chapter Ten

  “There’s a complication concerning the FLC, Mrs. Bryson.”

  Julia stood with her hands neatly folded in front of her. Fortunately, the first lady had agreed to meet with her on short notice after she discovered the news from Jason. Sunlight streamed in from the large Palladian window in a private White House parlor called the Central Hall. They were alone, and the first lady hadn’t called for tea. Sunday mornings were usually Julia’s one relaxing time of the week. That would not be happening this week, perhaps for a long time. “Zoe doesn’t feel suited for the position in the FLC. She doesn’t believe she can perform her duties.”

  Faith didn’t blink. “Change her mind. Whatever it takes. Fighting at the borders has escalated. We’re on heightened security alert. Several leaders are arriving in a couple weeks for the reception. I intend to have a full schedule for the Red Tape Room by the end of that evening.”

  “Zoe may have another reason for not joining our program,” Julia said.

  The first lady shifted slightly in the elegant chair. Her arms, resting in her lap, stiffened. “What’s the problem?”

  “Her brother, Damien, is Special Forces, recently reassigned to a mission in Iran. He could become a target after Zoe’s encounter.”

  “I know about her brother, and the Iranian leader won’t know who Zoe is. That isn’t an issue.” Faith’s voice rose. The last time Julia heard the first lady’s voice rise in anger had been when terrorists bombed a Norwegian cruise ship, killing two hundred and thirty-three Americans.

  “Damien was in Afghanistan at the time we recruited Zoe. He only recently was deployed to Iran.”

  “I’m aware of his mission.” Faith Bryson’s brows knotted in deep furrows. “I don’t want Zoe’s concern for her brother’s safety to distract her.” She tapped a finger over her lips. “I’ll look into it. Maybe he’s due for an early leave.”

  Julia sighed and relaxed. One problem solved. “Thank you for your time, ma’am. Is there anything you’d like me to do?”

  “On second thought.” Faith stood, walked to the window and gazed out. “His presence there might be to our advantage.”

  “How so, ma’am?”

  “His presence there could motivate her. Perhaps she’d be more willing to help.”

  Julia stopped breathing and hoped the shock didn’t show on her face. Was this woman so heartless? “I…I don’t know.”

  Faith narrowed her eyes and huffed. “I’m not the monster you may think. We’re dealing with people who have no integrity, no honor, no value system or respect for human life, who befriend terrorists, who murder men, women and children for personal gain or to simply please their narcissistic nature. How can I effectively deal with them, or how can the president effectively negotiate with them when qualities of integrity, honor, morality don’t exist? My methods must be harsh, bold, perverted, beyond what other nations would ever expect from us. That’s why this is effective. That’s why the FLC was started and why it has continued successfully as long as it has.”

  Julia nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” She understood but didn’t like it. She also knew there was no arguing with the first lady when she was on a rant. She’d never
approved of this program but couldn’t deny how effective it was. “While Zoe’s brother fights a war, she has a reason to help on this end.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I’ll tell Jason. He must get her trained immediately.” Julia stood.

  “Another thing. Clear Alana MacKenna’s schedule for the week. I’ve made arrangements for her to give a presentation for President Ernesto Alverez from Colombia. He’ll require her particular knowledge and background.”

  “She’ll be available,” Julia said.

  “If you have any problems, come to me immediately. Is that clear?”

  “Crystal.” Julia took a breath, but her body was still tense. They had a lot to do this week. “When should we hear the outcome from last night’s encounter?”

  Faith smiled. “The president was quite pleased with your efforts. Melissa’s presentation went very well. He’ll be meeting with the Somalian president this afternoon after I show him the video. We should have some news soon.”

  “Good. Melissa has another event later this week,” Julia said. “And she wants to go over a few things with Alana now.”

  A flash of lightning made Julia jump and jump again when thunder followed a few seconds later. Faith never flinched. When had the clouds rolled in? Julia hadn’t noticed. Rain pelted the large windowpanes, streaking the gray view of the garden and lawn.

  “I’m not concerned about Melissa or Alana,” Faith said, her lips pressed into a tight pout. “They’re professionals. I’m confident that Zoe’s skills as a CIA agent and her abilities in role-playing will make her an effective addition to the FLC. If she can handle an assignment with weapons dealers in Turkey, she can handle Kadir.”

  “I certainly hope so.” Julia hated setting the most inexperienced member up with the most dangerous target. With a deep breath, she willed the muscles in her shoulders to relax. She performed a mini-meditation and relaxation technique her masseuse taught her. As soon as the meeting was over, she’d dab a little of her essential oil formula on her temples and wrists. The peppermint, chamomile, lavender and grapefruit oils were supposed to be good for headaches and stress and helped to keep her focused.