And now this insanely amazing woman had come into his life and screwed with his head. Fucked his body, fucked it enthusiastically, openly, honestly. He kept trying to convince himself this was only the blush of new lust, the elixir of a sexy, smart, funny woman. Once the thrill of exploring Alyx’s body faded he’d feel the same way he felt about Lacey, which was what? Jesus.
Did he really love Lacey? Perhaps he’d agreed to marry her for all the wrong reasons, figuring he’d screwed around long enough and needed to settle down.
The sound of Alyx’s shallow breathing calmed him. She could drag him from exhilaration to tranquility so fast it made him dizzy, like free-falling from the stratosphere, rocket fast, then landing on a giant downy pillow. He squeezed her tightly against his chest, inhaling her fragrant scent and it almost sounded like she purred.
Chapter 5
Tuesday
Alyx squinted into the glaring sunlight beaming through the glass-paneled doors and covered her eyes with her forearm. She couldn’t breathe, her neck secured under a heavy weight. Something even heavier was slung across her pelvis, pinning her against the mattress, something warm. She put her hand under the covers and felt the sinewy flesh of a man’s leg. His slumbering face lay inches away. Little puffs of air crossed his full, thick lips and he seemed to be grinning in his sleep. She wanted to touch him, but chose not to wake him from peaceful slumber. Lifting her head slowly, she searched for a clock and spied one on the opposite nightstand. 8:47. Dr. Taylor had overslept.
In bed with him, both naked, her mind tailspinned and she struggled for oxygen. Gently, so as not to disturb him, she loosened his grip around her neck and sucked in a breath, then slid his muscular thigh farther down to rest across her legs. He stirred and she held her breath in anticipation of his rousing. He mumbled something, but she couldn’t make out the words. What the fuck was she doing in his bed? He assigned her a room of her own and couldn’t understand why he’d come back and carried her to his room like some caveman waylaying his woman.
She stared at the ceiling and smirked. Kinda hot, actually.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he cooed, pulling her close, his arm around her waist. She startled, turned. His smoldering brown eyes made her belly tighten and memories of last night shot her pulse through the ceiling.
“Are you my kidnapper now?”
“I’d never target a federal agent.”
“Do you ever answer a straight question?”
“Do you ever listen?” Damn, he had to be the best-looking man she’d ever met and definitely the best-looking man she’d ever shared a bed with. But she couldn’t understand why he’d dragged her in here. This was a business arrangement, an assignment, albeit a strange one.
“What am I doing in your bed, mister?” she finally asked him.
“I don’t know. The thought of you sleeping down the hall has been driving me crazy. I’ve been trying to talk myself out of it ever since you arrived.” He shifted onto his back and stared at the ceiling and the loss of contact with his warm, hard body left her bereft. Pivoting toward her again, he asked, “Have I upset you?” He pulled her close and she felt his erection press into her hip. Oh, man.
Selecting her words carefully, she said, “No, I’m not upset. Maybe confused. Honestly, Daniel, when we first met I thought you really disliked me and that spending this time together would be dreadful.” She scanned his face for a reaction, but he remained impassive. “But you’ve been so generous to me that I forgot all about that.”
“I apologize for my behavior that evening. I acted like a complete jerk. I was caught off guard and then you were so, I don’t know, in my face, and I lost my wits.”
“Well, my boss had a good laugh about it. He thought for sure I was going to deck you and he’d have to find another consultant to help him.”
“You were having a bit of a tantrum.” His hand moved to her breast and she abruptly lost all train of thought. He pinched her nipple and it hardened. His tongue touched her skin, moving toward her other nipple, trapped in the vise of his heated lips, he sucked. She couldn’t suppress her whimper and closed her eyes and let the sensation travel downward, the force of suction pulling her toes into a curl. Abruptly, he withdrew and jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom. When he returned, he said, “Your turn, and then get your cute little ass back in bed. We’re going to have some fun.” Pulling her by the hand, he swatted her backside and pushed her toward the bathroom.
She returned with minty breath, compliments of a new toothbrush on the counter, and slid between the sheets. He held her close and his lips grazed her ear. She squirmed away as goose bumps erupted on her skin. She giggled.
“Ticklish, again?”
He was propped on one elbow, his smile revealing perfect white teeth. He grasped her nipple again, taunting and teasing it unmercifully. She bit her lip to stifle a sigh before speaking. “Terribly,” she answered. “And don’t even think about going down that road. I have access to a firearm.”
“My weapon is bigger than yours, Special Agent Cameron, and right now I have every intention of making you feel special, very special indeed.” A sexy grin flashed across his beautiful mouth and her insides heated. “You’re going to experience Honor Bondage. Ready?”
Honor bondage? In her Internet research she hadn’t come across this term and had no idea what it entailed. Everything he’d done so far had made her feel like a lonely housewife whose favorite movie star magically appeared and fucked her until her entire existence was one continuous moan.
“I don’t know what that is,” she admitted.
“Do you trust me?”
She didn’t have to think about this, having come to the realization that she’d do anything he said. Which upset her. Ever since she’d been a toddler, she’d been difficult. She’d carried the “terrible twos” to an uncharted extreme, her father had often reminded her. Following someone else’s direction and, God forbid an order, had always proved difficult. She liked to be in charge and do things her way. It had landed her in hot water a few times during boot camp at Quantico. Although on other occasions it earned her points for getting the job done unconventionally. And now she was willing to follow this man’s commands without question, a man she’d just met?
Finally, even though she wasn’t sure, she said, “I do, yes. Absolutely I trust you.”
“Good girl. This is a way of showing that trust.” He got to his knees and positioned her in the center of the bed and straddled her hips. His cock stood at attention in a sexy salute. “Honor bondage dispenses with the need for physical restraints. You are bound only by the Master’s will.”
Here she was again. Trying to assimilate what he’d said about the word slave and she could kind of, maybe, sort of understand what he meant, but the word master transformed her blood into ice. Intent on not spoiling the mood, she kept this thought to herself.
“Give me your hands,” he ordered. He grabbed her by both wrists and raised her arms over her head, wrapping her fingers around the headboard’s wooden spindles. “Keep them here. Don’t let go, or else.”
His look darkened and her breath hitched. Another spanking? “Fine. Whatever. Just do it.”
“Alyx, we’re effectively doing a scene and you need to be back in protocol. Only speak when I ask you a question and address me as Sir. You do not have permission to speak otherwise. Is that clear?” His weight remained on her thighs, his cock brushing against her warm flesh. He’d morphed her into a wriggling mass of molten jelly inside of a minute.
“Yes, Sir,” she mumbled.
“Good girl.” He moved down farther on the bed and grabbed her ankles, spreading her legs wide. Exposed, vulnerable, restrained only by his voice and that scorching gaze. “Keep your legs here and the same command holds. It will be more difficult to keep your legs in position because you have no way of anchoring them. The trick is to stay completely still. Do you understand?”
Desire spread though her in a violent heated rush. Her voice shrank to a whi
sper. “Yes, Sir.”
“Now, if you cannot stay still then I will restrain you, understood?”
Alyx nodded. The thought of being physically restrained heightened her excitement and she briefly thought of intentionally disobeying him so he’d have to tie her down. But no, she wanted to please him for some strange reason.
“Let me hear you, Alyx,” he snapped.
“Yes. Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl. Now close your eyes and stay perfectly still.” Her eyelids shut tightly, she waited with unbearable anticipation. “Breathe, Alyx,” he commanded. Damn, why did she keep holding her breath? Well, duh, because her primal mating instincts overrode the mundane urge to breathe. She forced out a long slow breath.
Daniel slipped a nipple into his mouth and sucked until it stiffened to a peak. Alyx groaned as the sensations sent quivers into her toes. “Quiet,” he murmured, his hot breath igniting her flesh. She squeezed her lips together. Being quiet might be more difficult than keeping still. She wondered if being noisy would earn her a punishment.
Daniel’s hand grasped her other breast and he pinched it while his mouth continued its assault on her nipple. He moved his mouth to give her other breast a nibble, then his kisses drifted over her stomach. The stubble on his chin prickled her skin and her hips rose off the mattress, squirming under the heat of his lips.
“Do. Not. Move.” The vibrations from his words tingled her flesh. Too much like a threat.
* * *
Daniel sat up and couldn’t take his eyes off his adorable little subbie. Jesus, she was beautiful. Her lips pressed together in an effort to keep silent and her eyes squinting like a little girl waiting for a surprise. And a surprise she would get. Something delectable.
“Pull your knees up.” When she promptly complied, he grasped her feet and pushed her heels to either side of her ass. “Lift your hips.” He slid a pillow underneath her bottom. Placing his hands on the inside of her thighs, he ran his fingers up and down their length, gently stroking the soft tender skin.
She sighed and mumbled, “Oh, God.”
“Silence.” Yet his lips quirked upward with satisfaction at her words.
She trembled under his touch. She was close to coming. What? He’d barely touched her. “You do not have permission to come, Alyx.” His lips settled between the soft folds of her sex. He fully intended to bring her close to the edge several times before he let her orgasm. He wanted her frustrated until he determined she’d reached the height he wanted, and then, well, she’d be one satisfied lady.
His tongue swept through her throbbing flesh. She tasted so salty-sweet and he nipped and teased her clit until it swelled under his expertise. Adding two fingers, he pushed into her forcefully, rotating them back and forth. He pulled them out and probed her with his tongue. Jesus, he could lap her honey up for hours.
Kneeling over her, he held her head in his hands and feasted his eyes on her lovely face. Her lips had disappeared as she bit into them to muffle her cries. His heart thumped, overwhelmed by her strained expression as she struggled to stay quiet. He placed his finger between her scrunched eyebrows. “You’re frowning, my sweet. Relax.”
She blew out a slow breath and opened her eyes.
“You’re learning, little one. Good girl. You’ve been silent and still, so now you get your reward.” His fingers slid inside her again, he pulled and pinched her clit and her back arched off the mattress. “Come now, baby,” he cried. “Let me hear you.” Her hips rose higher and pressed into his hand. She growled and his heart soared. “That’s it, baby. Look at me. Let me see you fly.”
She stabbed him with her gaze and he swore he’d been lanced through the heart. “You’re so beautiful when you fly, baby.”
Sliding his hand under her right knee, he threw her leg over his shoulder. He sank his shaft in deep. This time she groaned and he let her. Their hips moved in a gentle tempo and built to a frenzied thrashing. Flesh against flesh. His orgasm was seconds away and he wanted her to climax with him. “Fly with me baby, one more time. Come for me.”
She did and his release roiled through him like a biblical thunderstorm.
Mother fuck. Holy mother. Jesus H. Christ.
Would he ever soar like this again?
* * *
Alyx couldn’t believe in these few short days they’d actually settled into a routine. First, they’d work out and eat breakfast on the deck. Rob would check in and the conversation would be to the point, no new news to report on either side. This morning the workout had gotten physical in a different way, but luckily, she’d survived and no one left with bruised egos. Well, not much, anyway.
She’d lagged behind Daniel by about two minutes and found him doing chins and dips on the pull-up bar. Seeing his muscles bulge as they lifted his body weight off the ground was an aphrodisiac in and of itself. She’d groaned inwardly. She didn’t need to see or feel any more of that testosterone.
“Almost late, little subbie. Stop pushing your luck.” Daniel huffed.
“Go ahead and do your worst, I’ll kick your scrawny ass, Sir.” She was baiting him but somehow couldn’t resist.
He lowered himself slowly from the bar, leveling a lethal gaze at her. “Oh? Really? You want to play that game?”
Perhaps she’d made an error in judgment?
“Get your perky little ass over on the mat, sweetheart. Let’s see what you got.” He sauntered over to the thick red rubber mat in the room’s center and waited for her. His breath puffed in and out of him, his upper body glistening with sweat under his gray tank top.
Alyx’s breathing accelerated and she hadn’t even moved a muscle yet. He had her by a good sixty pounds and at least six inches. There’d be no element of surprise she could use like she could with an unsub. Approaching with a confident stride, she reminded herself that body language spoke volumes. She faced him, hands on her hips, feet shoulder width apart just like he liked them. They began to circle the mat, predators stalking their prey.
He lunged for her. She spun into a tight spiral and slipped away. She came up behind him and thrust her Nike into the back of his knee. He fell. She crouched low, anticipating his assault. He nimbly got to his feet, not making a move.
“Cute,” he said. “But that’s the last shot you’re getting.”
She ran at him, throwing her shoulder against his hips. Like hitting the side of a truck. He grabbed her around the waist and flung her to the floor, covering her with his massive body. She struggled to shift onto her side, shoving her leg between his to use as leverage. Flip him, flip him over! He didn’t budge. For one frantic moment she considered kneeing him in the balls. Instead, she yelled in frustration.
“Not bad for a girl,” he teased. “You had me going there for a sec.”
“You ass,” she shrieked.
“You started it, little Miss I’ll-Kick-Your-Scrawny-Ass, Sir.”
“I would have stood a better chance with an unsuspecting unsub.” She huffed.
“Unsub?”
“It’s what we call a suspect, unknown subject.”
He lowered his head, their noses almost touching. Those chocolate brown eyes melted her insides. He searched her gaze like he was seeking something ethereal and astonishingly, she felt more exposed than she’d felt in the rec room, or the TV room or, any room in Dr. Taylor’s house. His lips crushed hers, his tongue probing her mouth. Before she could catch a breath, he had them both naked except for their sneakers. His throbbing erection poked between her legs. One quick thrust—he was in. Any residual oxygen flew out of her lungs. He pounded into her, the sound overly loud in the carpet-less gym. Without ever pulling out, he flipped her over onto her hands and knees. His chest pressed against her back and he wrapped an arm around her waist, the fingers on his other clasped between hers. He took her wildly, passionately, crazed.
Their bodies crushed onto the floor together, united in this connection she couldn’t interpret. So good and yet, so wrong. Breathing together, their heartbeats thrum
med in tandem rhythm. Again.
“I’ve never had a workout session quite like that,” Daniel muttered.
All she could do was pant. Inhale, exhale. Her heart felt like it might rupture.
“Let’s skip the run and go for breakfast.”
“Agreed, Sir,” Alyx mumbled. “I think we’ve burned sufficient calories to qualify as cardio.”
Daniel rolled off her and they lay sprawled with their backs on the red rubber mat. Neither moved. The silence paralyzed Alyx. This had absolutely nothing to do with getting her trained as a submissive. She shifted toward Daniel. His eyes were closed. “What exactly are we doing here, Daniel? We fucked like ten minutes ago. And you can’t tell me what just happened here, again, is preparing me for my assignment.”
His eyelids opened. He stared at the ceiling. Her eyes traveled across his beautiful, sweat-slathered body. She wanted him all over again. How could that be? This was so screwed up.
“I don’t know, Alyx. All I can say is you’re like an unreachable itch under my skin, a craving that won’t go away. I can’t get enough.” He turned his head and his eyes looked sad—almost. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been taking advantage of you. I’ll dial it back. Promise.”
Alyx thought long and hard about what he was saying. She didn’t want it to stop but some inner voice told her she was treading down a disastrous path. “I’m at a loss too, Daniel. It just seems like there’s something wrong with this picture.”
He sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. “I’ll try to start thinking with my head instead of my dick.”
He got to his feet and pulled her up, but quickly ceased all body contact. They picked up their clothes, dressed and went back upstairs to change into swimsuits before breakfast. Daniel remained taciturn and the distance between them stretched exponentially wide, a deep cold abyss.
Seated at the breakfast table, Alyx tried not to make eye contact with Lydia. She wasn’t sure why, perhaps it was too much like looking your mother in the eye after you’d had sex. It just felt criminal. So many things unethical about this scenario. Alyx shook her head. Just make it through the week, she chided herself.
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