by Loren, Celia
“I have missed you, Britton Ramirez.”
Britton fought the words.
“And I you, Jagger Stromm.”
His hand crawled up her thigh, curving around her backside and landing at the small of her back. He pulled her in tighter to him, still teasing her with the warmth of his breath. Their eyes were locked as his hand traveled up her spine, sending chills to her toes. She wanted to remind herself that this was for the job and that she couldn’t get lost in this fantasy, but those thoughts never formed to completion before the next moment his hand was wrapped around the back of her neck and his tongue was diving into her open mouth. She had forgotten that passion this intense could be ignited from only a kiss.
Jagger tried to slow himself down, knowing that this was only for tonight. Tomorrow he would have to look into why she was in town and if it was, in fact, a coincidence that they were brought back together. He pulled himself away from her.
“What?” She wondered if she had done something wrong. It had been awhile since she had been with a man.
“I never thought I’d see you again. I just want to enjoy this moment.”
Sixteen-year-old Britton would have fallen for that, but this Britton knew better. He was a master at seducing women. He knew exactly what to say to entice a woman into his bed. Why would she be any different? He pulled her head back by her hair and nuzzled her neck. He slowly planted kisses around her collarbone and down her chest. She began to moisten with need between her thighs, her body already yearning for his entry. How was he doing this her? And when would he satisfy the need she was experiencing? He dropped his hands and took a step back.
“Who is David?”
“What?”
“David. You were talking to him on the phone in the stairwell.”
He couldn’t help himself. He was jealous, and being the boss; he didn’t get jealous. She was his. She was his first, and he hated the idea of someone else being with her. He wanted to find David and beat him within an inch of his life. He could do that. His family could do that.
“He’s my friend, that’s all.”
He didn’t believe her. She answered too quickly. He knew how to spot a lie.
“Do not lie to me.” His voice echoed in the open room. He was getting angry. He could feel his face redden.
“He’s nobody.”
“Do you love him?”
“What?’
“You heard me.”
“You’re being crazy.”
“You’re not answering my question.”
“No, I don’t love him.”
“Do you care for him?”
“Jagger.”
“Britton, answer me.”
“Yes I care for him.”
He stopped. He had been prodding her for a response, but didn’t know what to do when he received the answer he expected.
“No.”
“No what?”
“You can’t be with him...we found each other again.”
It took every ounce of her sanity not to scream at him that she wasn’t his property to throw around and do with as he pleased. He pushed her to the bed and climbed on top of her, pinning her shoulders to the bed with his knees. She wanted to fight back. She wanted to get out of his hold, but she knew that utilizing her self-defense skills would ruin her cover. She would have to endure his anger. He unzipped his pants, releasing his starving member. He clearly wanted her.
“Do you like that?”
She hated being talked to that way, but she couldn’t tell him to stop. She needed to go along with him.
“Yes.”
“Open your mouth.”
She opened her mouth.
“Wider.”
She stretched her lips, and he plunged himself into her, causing her to gag. It didn’t last for long as he quickly lifted himself off of her, rising to his feet, and pulling her legs to wrap around him. He rolled his hips, warming between her legs. He reached his body over top of hers to keep her shoulders pinned to the bed. He liked her like this. He had complete control. He could show her what he'd learned since the two of them had been last been one. He would make her want him again. He would make her feel the love that was burning inside of him. He clutched under her arms and pulled her body up to his. She was straddled completely around him, his chin resting in her perked cleavage. He turned and pushed her back up against the wall. She screamed. He loved the sound of that.
Britton was turned on, and she hated herself for it. She was bothered in a way she'd had only fantasized about before and she couldn’t resist him anymore...it'd been so long. She dug her nails into his back as he thrust into her pushing her harder and harder into the sturdy wall.
That was all the push he needed. He tossed her onto the bed and reached his hands up her dress, taking hold of her black-laced thong, and pulling it down her legs. If she were any other woman, he would have had his way with her right there. No. He had waited too long for Britton to return to him. He wanted all of her.
He flung her heels from her feet, and holding her calf in his hand, brought his mouth to her leg. She remembered this trick. She knew what was coming, and she craved for him to taste her. He slowly and tauntingly made his way up her deliciously tight leg. He reached the bottom of her dress and slid his fingers up and inside her ready, aching body. The feel of her warmth took him over the edge. He flung up her dress, seized her hips, narrowed his eyes, and disappeared.
She shrieked at the touch of his mouth on that most sensitive part of her. He pushed and pulled her into him as his tongue found places that hadn't been touched in years. She arched her back, allowing him to search deeper into her. He didn’t want this evening to end here. He pulled away, leaving her yearning and panting. He pulled off his shirt. His muscles were even more defined than they had been in his teens. She stared at his bare chest, willing it to crush the breath from her lungs. He stripped off his pants, revealing himself to her as he had for the first time twelve years earlier. This time was different. This time he knew what he was doing.
He ripped off her dress and threw it to the floor. He stopped as the sight of her literally took his breath away. She was the reason men wrote poems. If he had any talent in prose, his story would be epic. But his talent lied in other areas, and he was about to divulge those to her in the next few seconds. His mouth crushed hers and they moaned in unison. She grabbed his hips, guiding him into her, but he held back. He wanted her to want him even more than this. He slowly slid himself up and down, up and down, until her panting turned into cries. She was ready for him. He sent his hips back, and then plunged. She screamed from pain, pleasure, and the sheer need for even more of him. She couldn’t get enough.
He flipped her on top of him, knowing he could reach deeper inside of her this way. He watched her move. He watched her enjoy. And he watched her loving the feel of him again. It was time to finish this. Still inside her, he pushed her to his chest, stood up, and slammed her into the wall. It hurt, but she wished for more. He grabbed her wrists, pinning them out, away from her body, leaving her completely exposed. He was the only thing supporting her. Without him inside of her, she would fall. He pushed faster and deeper until their moans became desperate cries and their cries became climax. They fell to the bed, both exhausted.
He didn’t want her to leave. She couldn’t move. He curled up behind her, spooning her naked, damp body, taking in the scent of her. This is what he'd been missing all of these years. Now he had it all. He looked around the room taking in the wreckage left from his conquest. He noticed her red dress strewn on the floor. It looked so familiar. It felt so familiar. Then it hit him. That was the dress he bought her ten years ago. That was the dress he had left her in on the side of the road. She wore that dress for a reason. She knew she was going to see him tonight. He was being set up. He fell straight into her trap.
CHAPTER SIX
Jagger stayed in bed, contemplating his revenge. He knew how to handle people who betrayed him. He had tortured before. He had
killed before. But, she was different. He thought about hurting her the way he'd hurt so many men. It pained him. He didn’t know if he could bring himself to do it. Maybe he would let his family handle it. No. He got himself into this mess, and he would get himself out.
Plus, no matter how infuriated he was, he didn’t want anyone else to touch her. She was still his. How did he let himself fall back into this habit so quickly? He hadn’t seen the woman in ten years. Still, he had dreamed of this reunion every day since he left her. It was exactly how he had imagined it; except for the red dress of deceit. He felt her breathing slow against his chest and knew she had fallen asleep.
It pleased him to know that she still felt comfortable around him. If she were about to betray him, why would she have fallen asleep? Wouldn’t she have been on high alert? He would have to get answers before exacting his revenge. This would be new for him, but he was willing to try a different approach if it might prove her to be innocent. But how would he get her to talk?
Britton opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep. How did she fall asleep? Where was she? It was Jagger’s hotel room. The memories of passion came rushing back to her, and she lost her breath at the thought. She couldn’t believe how much she had enjoyed him: his touch, his passion. What was she doing? She was instantly reminded of her initial fight with David after he had dropped Jagger’s file in front of her. She didn’t think she was ready for this case back then. The stream of emotions rising to the surface of her body proved that her original fears were, in fact, accurate. She knew she couldn’t let this affair last much longer; she might get sucked deeper into his trance.
It was dark, except for a small light coming from the bathroom. Should she go check out the room for evidence? Was Jagger asleep too? Where was Jagger? His arms were not wrapped around her as they were before she had nodded off. She slowly turned her head to the other direction. Nothing. Where had he gone? She tried to reach out. Her arms were stuck. Why were her arms stuck? She tried to pull her knees to her chest. Her legs wouldn’t budge. She was bound. How did she not remember this happening? Was it during their love making? No. She remembered every second of their passion. This must have happened later. How deep was she sleeping?
“Jagger?”
The bedside lamp flashed to life. He was sitting alongside the bed, staring at her. He held up her dress.
“What is this?”
“The dress I wore tonight. Why am I tied up?”
“I’ll ask the questions. Why did you wear this dress?”
She knew he had recognized it. Damn. Why had she wanted to tease him with their past? Of course he would think that she was up to something. She needed to think of a back story, and fast.
“I was hoping I’d see you.”
“You knew I’d be here?”
“When Larry offered me the promotion, he mentioned a few of his favorite clients. You were the first name he threw out.”
“Why did he bring me up?”
“He only gave me your first name. He told me I should get to learn everyone’s name so it felt more familiar and welcoming in the high roller room.”
Jagger didn’t know whether to believe her. Her story made sense, but it seemed too easy. He wasn’t used to things being easy. He crawled over her, and reached for her wrists. Britton thought she had passed his test. She wanted to let out a sign of relief, but knew it would make her seem guilty. She held her breath. Without warning, she screamed. He had tightened her bindings. The rope was digging painfully into her wrists.
“Why?” she whimpered.
“I don’t know if I can trust you.”
“What else can I say? I only know my truth.”
“Why did you wear that dress?”
The only escape she could think of was to confess to him that she had been thinking of him all these years. “If I saw you, I wanted you to recognize me.”
Now he knew. She was still hurting from him. Why hadn’t she thought of a stronger cover story? Hell, why did she have to wear that dress and make everything so complicated now?
He pulled in close to her, allowing his breath to warm her neck.
“Britton, why wouldn’t I recognize you? You were my first love.”
The word ‘first’ stung her. She had wanted him to say ‘only’. She scolded her heart for thinking in such a childish way. Who cared what he said. Did he believe her? She wanted to tell him that she thought of him every day. She wanted to ask him why he left her. She wanted him to hold her and tell her everything would be all right. Britton looked into his eyes, hoping they would soften. Instead, his hand clutched her face.
She couldn’t move her head, his grip too strong. She tried to struggle, to fight back, but her binds were so tight she was losing feeling in her arms. Jagger reached for her bag. Had she left her badge in there? Was she that stupid? Did she have a government I.D.? Was she unaware of a bug they had put in her bag? She tried to think of another reason for him to be angry, but her vision started to become fuzzy.
“What is this?”
She squinted and tried to focus.
“My phone?”
“Thirteen missed calls from David.”
David. She had forgotten to call him. She had fallen asleep. He must have been so worried.
“Whom do you work for?”
“The casino. Larry.” She squeaked out.
“Don’t lie to me.”
“Please…”
His features began to soften and he loosened his grip on her, beginning to believe the sincerity in her eyes.
“Jagger…” She began to cry.
This hurt him. He did not want to put her through this, but he needed to know the truth. He laid his head on her chest.
“Shhh. Just… stop crying. I just need to know why you’re here, it's all too coincidental.”
He could feel his anger slowly leaving his body. How was he doing this to her? He didn’t want to hurt her; after all these years he still cared about her.
“Britton, just tell me who David is.”
She couldn’t tell him that he was her superior at the FBI, but why else would he have called her thirteen times? She would need to come up with something. Something. She couldn’t help the tears streaming down her face. She was in pain, both physically and emotionally.
“Britton.” he repeated, raising his eyebrows.
“He’s my boyfriend.”
Jagger sat back. She knew he wouldn’t be happy to hear that, but she needed to remind him of his jealousy. She knew this would hurt him, and right then, the only thing she wanted to do was hurt him back.
“Your boyfriend?”
“He’s the reason I moved back to Las Vegas.” That was a more likely story and it explained her return to the city she had promised to never look back on.
“How long?”
“We’ve been together almost four years.” That would explain her moving back three years ago. She was thinking surprisingly fast, in spite of the train wreck of emotions crashing over her.
Jagger stood up and walked toward the door. He paced for a second and then kicked the small corner table into the wall. His hands moved to his head and his face crinkled.
“But you slept with me.”
“It wasn’t planned.” It actually was, but he didn’t have to know that.
“But you slept with me.”
“David and I are fighting.”
He moved closer to her. “And you wore this dress.” He was still clinging to it.
She fought the next words that would come out of her mouth, but she knew she had to say them.
“I’ve never stopped loving you. How could I pass up the opportunity to see you one more time?”
She carefully selected those last three words hoping they would burn. She wanted him to fight her, to force her to stay with him. That would be how she would finish this case and take him in.
He reached over her naked body and undid her wrist tie. He still felt uneasy about her sudden return to his life, but he
couldn’t keep her tied up anymore. It was making him nauseated to see her like this. He finished untying the ropes. She didn’t move. He leaned into her, hoping to feel her lips against his. He needed to know that she was okay.
Without warning, she slapped him across the face as hard as she could. It felt so good to do that, she'd been wanting to physically hurt him for so many years, the feeling was exhilarating. She stared at him, her eyes level with his, in this moment she wasn't afraid of him or what he was capable of—he knew he was acting like a motherfucker and she wanted him to know she wouldn't stand for it anymore. She smacked him again even harder, drawing blood from his lip this time.
He stood up, looking absolutely crushed, clearly hating himself in this moment.
“I'm sorry Britton, but this is who I am. You have to understand that I have to be careful. But I want you to stay. I hope that you’ll consider spending the rest of the night with me.”