by Dakota Trace
“Until the situation is resolved?” The softness of his tone should’ve warned the other occupants of the room, but neither paid any heed to it.
Sighing, Olivia leaned back against the edge of her desk. “I’m not saying it’ll be easy. But is it worth Jude’s business, your business to flout this man, because you don’t have the patience to wait a few days for us to run down some leads?”
Jackson’s lips thinned as anger grew in him. “So you’re telling me I need to put the business before Rena. I can see where your priorities are.”
“Stand down, Levough. That’s not what Olivia was saying at all.” Jude surged to his feet to tower over him. But Jude’s harsh reprimand was lost on Jackson. The idea of staying away from Rena so early in their relationship bothered him, especially when he knew if the situation was reversed it’d take a crow bar to pry Jude away from Olivia’s side.
“I’m not going to have this discussion now. I merely came here to let you know about the situation – not to have you dictate what I should or shouldn’t do. I refuse to stop seeing Rena merely because some idiotic asshole doesn’t like it.” Jackson stood, pushing past his friend. He paused at the door to look over his shoulder at his partner “If you were honest with yourselves, you’d realize what you’re asking of me is unreasonable, when we both know if this situation was reversed both of you wouldn’t even follow your own advice.” He gave a sigh. “I’ll see you at the office Monday morning.” He glanced at Olivia. “Unless you’re banning me from the club, I’ll see you Monday night, Olivia.”
As he walked out the door and down the hall, he wondered how his life had gotten so fucked up and if he’d just managed to alienate two of his few friends. It didn’t matter though. He would not allow anyone to dictate his life ever again, not even his partner.
* * * *
After spending a long weekend by herself, Rena had come to several conclusions. One was that perhaps she was more than ready for something a bit more permanent with Jackson. She’d missed him like the devil, but she was going to kill him for keeping her in the dark, which was why she was standing in his office on a Monday morning at ‘o-dark thirty’.
She’d been surprised when Olivia had called Sunday afternoon to talk to her. In desperation, she’d called after Jude hadn’t been able to get ahold of Jackson and had incorrectly assumed Jackson was with her. She’d been shocked to find out Jackson had actually given Rena the weekend to think. That’s when Olivia gave me the rundown of what my Master is trying to pull. How dare he endanger his livelihood when a simple call to me would’ve been more appropriate?
Moving behind the desk, she was tempted to go snooping but decided against it, instead standing in front of the floor length windows to watch the sun rise. She was probably going to earn one helluva a punishment today without compounding it by going through his personal affects. Why? Because frankly she was pissed. They were supposed to be partners. And partners don’t hide things from each other.
The sun was just cresting the horizon when she heard a noise behind her. She didn’t bother to look, knowing without a doubt it was him. The surge of awareness she got each and every time he stepped into the room with her was proof enough. The room suddenly filled with light as Jackson flipped the switch. She blinked, her eyes unused to the instant brightness.
“Rena?” The surprised tone didn’t shock her. She could only assume he figured he wouldn’t see her before their date tonight. Finally she turned to face him, taking in the dark suit he was wearing. The dark blue pin-stripe pattern suited him, with its contrasting hues against his blond hair, plus it brought out the blue in his eyes. He was in a word – eye candy and she was a diabetic ‘jonesing’ for her next fix, despite the danger he represented.
“You and I, White Boy, need to have a talk.” She crossed her arms over her chest, meeting his eyes without lowering her own. “A little birdie told me our…relationship has caused an issue…”
The blue in Jackson’s eyes turned glacial. “I can’t fucking believe Jude went to you…”
“Don’t!” Rena made a slashing motion with one hand. “This has nothing to do with who told me, Jackson. We happen to be partners or that’s what you told me. Outside of a scene or in the bedroom we would be equals. Have you changed your mind?”
He seemed taken aback. “Of course not.”
She stepped closer to him. “Then would you care to explain to me why you’d do something as foolish as putting your business at risk for a damned date?” She backed away. “I would’ve understood, Jackson.”
His jaw clenched. “It’s the principle of the thing, Rena. Why should I allow some deranged psychopath to have a say in how I live my life?”
Her hands flew to her hips. “Jackson Levough, I’d like to smack you around. The fact that it is a deranged psychopath should mean something. I’m not saying we should never see each other but taking a few days off to catch said “deranged psychopath” and prevent them from hurting some innocent bystanders and/or damaging your business seems like a sound idea.”
He looked torn, so she pushed a little bit harder, stepping so close her nipples brushed his chest. “And truth be known, Sir, you’re not going to get rid of me that easily.” Her hand slid between their bodies to stroke over the bulge hidden under his suit jacket.
He hissed. “I’m not?”
“No, Sir. Now that I’ve decided I want you, until you tell me emphatically you no longer…” She squeezed gently to emphasize her words. “…desire me, I’m yours.”
He groaned, rocking up into her palm. She ducked her head, wanting to smile at his reaction, but too chicken-shit to let him see it. She wasn’t sure how much further she could push before she found herself face-first across the gleaming surface of his desk. His early taunt on the phone about his fantasy of paddling her in his office lingered in the back of her subconscious.
“And if I told you to strip and bend over my desk?” His gruff question didn’t surprise her. For once they seemed to be on the same wavelength, but first she had to get an agreement out of him.
“I would, after we finish our discussion.” She nipped his lower lip before backing away. He growled low in his throat before removing his jacket. Ignoring the quivering of her thighs, she continued presenting a calm façade.
“Then you better speak quick, because once I reach for you, you’re not going to have a choice in the matter.” His eyes glittered with desire as he unbuttoned the cuffs at his wrists. “I’m going to bend you over and use your dark little ass to break in my new ruler.”
Swallowing around the sudden lump in her throat, she watched as he rolled up his sleeves. “I think it’s a good idea to keep our relationship on the down low until we’ve caught whoever it is behind the attacks here at your office and Jude’s condo.” She spoke faster as he loosened his tie.
“Do you now? And what pray tell are you going to be doing during our little hiatus? Finding another Dom to scratch your itch?” He pulled the length of silk free of his collar before dropping it on his desk.
She shook her head vigorously. She knew he wasn’t serious. He was playing the big bad Dom to coax her arousal higher…and damned if it isn’t working. She clenched her fingers, trying to hold their trembling from his view. “Hell no. I’m going to be too busy helping you and Jude figure out who’s behind this to bother with finding another Dom. Besides I like the one I have.” She sucked her lower lip in between her teeth. Had she assumed too much? They hadn’t talked about anything permanent between them, only to explore where their relationship might go.
“Damned right, you like me.” He unbuckled the slender belt around his trim waist. The jangle of the buckle as he freed it seemed loud in the office. Then he grabbed her by the wrist, jerking her up against him, his free hand buried in her loose hair. She wanted to moan as he tightened his fist, the sting erotically delicious. “And if I have my way about it, you’re going to love me, ma peekôn.”
She gasped as she suddenly found herself face down
on the desk. How had he done it? One moment she’d been standing between him and the windows, but now she was pressed against his desk pad calendar with her skirt hoisted up around her waist. The squeak of an opening drawer had her moaning. She just knew the ruler was in the drawer. The sharp crack of it hitting the edge of the desk caused her to moan. She’d wanted to feel that ruler against her ass since he’d mentioned his fantasy.
“Please…” She didn’t even twitch as he set the ruler down to pull her panties down. The caress of air over her butt only heightened her anticipation. Gripping the far side of the desk, she braced herself for the first blow.
“Please what? Don’t punish my little slut for questioning me?” His finger slid down the crack of her ass before testing her wet folds. He chuckled as he encountered her moistness. “Or perhaps it’s please punish me?”
She whimpered, lifting up into his caress, wanting more.
“That’s not an answer, slave.” He removed his touch, then stepped back until she could no longer feel the heat of him against her.
“Please, Sir. Punish this slave. She’s been naughty.”
“Has she?” The return of heat, as he pressed close again, had her nodding.
“Yes. She has been outspoken, trying to tell her Sir what to do….” She was glad she was turned away from him, so he couldn’t see her mischievous smile. “She was even tempted to masturbate on Saturday night after Sir left.”
The hoarse growl behind her caused another gush of moisture. It was anything but a pleased sound. “Did she now.” His hand squeezed one side of her ass. “She knows the punishment for coming without permission…”
“Yes, Sir. Twenty strokes…” She savored the feel of him against her.
“But since she didn’t actually come, and only thought about it, twenty would be too harsh. In fact, I admire my slave’s willpower for not fingering herself when I went home and jerked off three times thinking of her. So perhaps a reward is in order?”
Her heart pounded as lust rocketed through her. What she wouldn’t have given to be there watching him stroke himself…but knowing her, she’d have been on her knees between his thighs before he could’ve blinked. “No, Sir. This slave deserves to be punished – not rewarded.”
His lips brushed her ear. “But you have no say in this do you? You’re at my mercy.” He squeezed her ass again before bending over to lick the tip of her ear. She groaned in response.
“Yes, Sir.” She moaned softly as his weight lifted off her.
“But that doesn’t excuse your earlier demands, slave. For that alone, my slave deserves ten strokes.” He released her ass. “Not for punishment but her own pleasure.” Her breath caught as he picked up the ruler once more. “And mine.” His voice grew harsh. “Now count off.”
She cried out as the left side of her ass lit up with the most delightful sting. “One, Sir.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Sitting down gingerly on her butt at a table in the food court, Rena set her tray of food in front of her. She was hungry as a wolf for obvious reasons. Her morning workout with Jackson at Larson Securities. Even though she’d tried not to think about the corresponding soreness between her thighs either, she failed abysmally. A flush filled her face as she recalled what they had done in his office. She’d never be able to look at Jackson’s desk in the same way again. After her “punishment” was over, he’d given her the fuck of a lifetime, while making sure his palm was covering her mouth to muffle her screams. It wouldn’t have done for the early morning staff to hear a woman screaming in their boss’s office. Her face flushed with remembered embarrassment when she’d passed Jude in the hall on her way out. The speculative look crossing his face had her scurrying out of the building to catch the “L” to work.
“Hey, Rena.” Hank sat down across from her, with his own tray containing a sandwich and a large steaming cup of coffee. That’s when she noticed her friend looked more strained and tired than usual. The bags under his eyes and the deep lines around his mouth weren’t normal either. He hadn’t been like this before she’d left for the weekend.
“Hey, Hank. How’s the shift going?” This was the first time she’d seen him today. While it wasn’t unusual to not see him, she’d normally hear him on the radio, joking around with the other guards. She took a draw off her soda, reaching for her own sandwich. Biting into the thinly sliced pastrami, pepperoni and provolone she moaned softly. She’d never expected a sandwich to taste so delicious.
Hank gave her a tired smile. “I don’t know. I just got here. Gonna grab a bite to eat before I start my shift. I had some business to take care of this morning at my lawyer’s.”
Rena swallowed her bite before wiping her mouth on her napkin. “Hopefully it went well?”
He gave a rough bark of laughter. “As well as can be expected when you start divorce proceedings.”
Her stomach sank and she set down her sandwich. “I’m sorry, Hank. I know you and Sophia were having issues, but I was sincerely hoping you could work them out.” Inwardly she wanted to go and track down Hank’s wife and slap her around. The woman didn’t seem to realize the gift she had in Hank. No she’d rather crawl inside the bottle.
His shoulders slumped. “You and me both, Rena.” He dragged his hand over his face, before reaching for his coffee. As he sipped at it, his shoulders slumped and it broke her heart. This was not the ever-smiling Hank she knew.
She covered his hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”
He gave a rough laugh. “What’s to talk about? She went out with some girlfriends last night, and fell off the wagon again. Thank God she only hit a parked car this time.” His blood shot eyes met hers. “That’s when it hit me. I couldn’t believe I actually felt relief she hadn’t hurt anyone this time. How sick is that? I should’ve been concerned about her welfare, instead I was relieved she only caused property damage and not physical damage. That’s when I knew I couldn’t do it anymore.” A haggard expression crossed his handsome face. “So I filed for divorce today.”
“Oh Hank, I’m sorry.” She wanted more than anything to give the gruff Italian a hug. He’d married Sophia right out of high school, had four kids with her, and they’d even celebrated their thirty-first anniversary this year. She couldn’t help but feel sad for him.
He squeezed her hand. “Don’t be. She shouldn’t be surprised when they serve her. I’ve warned her several times. Hell, I even begged and pleaded with her to get help. But each time she refused. I was the one stupid enough to put up with it for nearly ten years.” He sighed. “I just kept hoping, you know. She’d apologize then swear she’d never touch the stuff again. It’d last for a couple of weeks, maybe a month and it’d start all over again. First it’d be just a few beers or glass of wine, then before I knew it she’d be on a three day bender which would end up with her either picked up for public intoxication, or her calling me from some bar to pick her up.” His eyes grew misty. “I can’t do it. I still love her but I can’t live like this anymore. Not when she cares more for the bottle than she does me. Thank God all of our kids are grown now.”
She searched his face. “So where are you going to stay? I’m assuming you’re giving her the house?”
He nodded. “Yeah! Despite everything I can’t kick her out of her home. But I haven’t really thought about where I’m going to stay at yet. I figured a hotel for tonight and I’ll look into apartments this week.”
As they resumed eating, she stared at him thoughtfully. With everything that was going on with Jackson and his stalker, they’d agreed to keep their public appearances together to a minimum. Not that he’s happy about it. He’s scared something’s going to happen to me at home. An idea formed. She retrieved her phone from her bag and texted Jackson with her idea. She wasn’t surprised when he responded a few minutes later.
Hank had just finished his sandwich and was standing to leave when she caught his arm. “Hey, I have a proposition for you. How would you like to stay with me until you find an apartm
ent?”
A perplexed look crossed his face. “I appreciate the offer but…”
“But nothing.” She jerked him back down into his chair. “You’d be doing me a huge favor. I kinda have a situation. Just hear me out. It could be beneficial for both of us.”
“Okay.” He sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. She quickly gave him the rundown of what was going on with Jackson, the vandalism, and now this stalker.
“So you’d be doing both me and Jackson a favor. He’ll have peace of mind knowing there’s someone he trusts watching my back at night and I’ll have company in the evening – since I kinda promised my man I’d stay close to home until the stalker is caught.”
Hank seemed to be weighing his options. “Are you sure you want an old man around your place?”
Rena lifted a brow. “Who’re you calling old? Didn’t I just see you take down a man half your age last week when he tried to lift a four hundred dollar pair of shoes?”
She giggled as Hank actually blushed. “Little bastard had it coming. He knocked over the cashier and kicked one of the newbies in the nuts trying to get away.”
* * * *
Sitting at the conference table with Jude and Ethan, Jackson pored over the information not only Larson Securities had come up with, but also the official police reports for all three incidents. Jackson’s earlier good mood had vanished in the wake of the facts the investigation had revealed.
“Okay, there has to be a connection between the bombing, your break-in, and the vandalism that occurred the night we went to Pínaka ti̱s Mi̱téras. We just have to find it.” Jackson ran his hand through his hair.
“Well, according to my contact down at the courthouse, Louis Vayarti is still locked up, pending his bail hearing.” Ethan thumbed through another folder. “And it looks like the time frame won’t fit for the bomb threat, because you were in the office on Friday night, Jackson, and the cleaning crew came in Saturday morning and found the bomb. The time frame just doesn’t fit for him to have wired the bomb, and planted it.”