by Lexi Blake
She could see him through the mirrors. All three of them. She watched as he smoothed his hands across her shoulders before he slowly eased the zipper down.
“I called my mom earlier today,” he said. “She’s been sent a bunch of information about you and how we met. She and my father will support the cover. If they get reporters calling, they’ll hold the family line of ‘we do not discuss our personal lives in the press.’ They’ll move on very quickly because there are far more interesting people out there with even more money. We’re boring.”
His fingers skimmed along her skin, making her shiver. “Good. I think it’s safe to say Michael is on board as well. Are the two of you okay?”
“Can I kiss you? I have the wildest urge to put my lips on the back of your neck.”
She wanted that more than anything. “It would be a mistake.”
He touched a place between her shoulders that made her want to melt. “What you’re telling me is I can do this job, or I can have you? Is that what this is about?”
She was going to have to live up to her name and be blunt with him. “I don’t fuck where I work. I learned that the hard way. And you’re avoiding the question. I asked about your brother.”
“You’re avoiding my question.” He parted the dress, exposing her back. “Were you going to dump me this morning?”
It took everything she had to not lean back into him, offering her skin up for his touch. “Dumping you implies we had a relationship to begin with.”
“I thought we made a connection. Was I wrong? If you can tell me you didn’t feel anything last night, I’ll figure out a way to make this thing work. I’ll sleep on the floor if I need to.”
She wanted to tell him that no, she hadn’t felt anything, but it would be a lie. “Fine. I was going to ask you if we could see each other when I got back.”
“Then let me kiss you.”
“I told you I don’t sleep with coworkers.”
“Nina, baby, we’re not coworkers. I’m the guy you’re going to try to keep in line while you work. I’m your cover, not your partner. Once this job is over, we won’t ever have to work together again. Not in this way because I fully intend to stay away from all the spy stuff.” He went to the rack and pulled the emerald green cocktail dress off. “I think this one first.”
Yes, he would pick that one. It had the lowest neckline. She took the dress from him and slipped it on. “I had a relationship with a coworker that went bad. I can’t have another job go wrong because I was too busy thinking about a guy.”
“You won’t have to think about anything but getting the job done. I’ll handle everything else,” he promised. “That looks beautiful on you. Can I ask you a question?”
She looked in the mirror and had to admit the dress looked good on her. “You don’t seem to have a problem with those.”
“Do you want to see me again? Or has the day we’ve had shown you a different side of me? A side you don’t like.”
She turned, the dress forgotten. “No. I do want to see you, but I can’t afford for this job to go sideways because we have feelings for each other. So I think we should wait to move anything forward. Maybe once we get on the other side of this job, we can reevaluate.”
He got into her space, forcing her to look up at him. “It’s too late. At least it is for me. I’ve already got feelings for you, and that’s not going to change even if you tell me I can’t kiss you again.”
He was so close. So gorgeous. He was her every fantasy and he was standing right in front of her. Was she really going to let him go because of something Roger had done? “I should think about this. Introducing sex will merely complicate things.”
“Sex has already been introduced. And now that I know you’re a sub, I won’t be able to think about anything else.”
“I didn’t tell you I was a sub.” She’d tried to avoid that whole line of conversation because he’d been right. He had basically topped her the night before, and it had been fabulous. What would it be like if they could be a formal D/s couple?
“You didn’t have to tell me.” Every word came out of his mouth on a silky glide of his tongue. “I knew you were sexually submissive because of the way you melted for me. I didn’t know you were an experienced sub, but I knew damn straight I could give you what you need.”
“What do I need?” It wasn’t his money. It wasn’t his family.
“You need a man who lets you be the badass you are in your everyday life, and who helps you let it all go at night. You need a man who supports you in everything you want, including being his dirty little sex toy every night you’re in the mood. Let me kiss you.”
She’d promised herself this wouldn’t happen again. Not until they weren’t working together. “It’s going to make things harder.”
“I can’t get harder, baby.” His hands molded to her hips, his lips hovering over hers. “And I know you weren’t talking about my cock. You think it will be harder to manage the mission, but we’re going to be side by side every single day and every night. Do you really think we can stay away from each other?”
“We have to. Once we get there, I have to concentrate on the job.”
“Not every minute of the day. That’s why you have backup. No one can keep that kind of concentration up. You will need to relax.” He loomed over her. “That’s where I come in.”
His words were hypnotic, almost as mesmerizing as his presence. “You’ll help me relax?”
He was staring at her like she was something precious, like he couldn’t take his eyes off her. “I’ll play things any way you want when you’re working, but you get a couple of hours a day when I’m in charge. Of course, you know you’re still in charge deep down, but during that time, my goal will be to get you out of your head, to force you to let go of all the stress that comes with being the person you are. Strong. Brave. In control.”
It was everything she’d ever wanted. “And what do you get out of it?”
“I get to concentrate on you,” he said. “I get to let go of everything that makes me tense and crazy and focus on something that makes me happy. You.”
He was too much. How was she supposed to believe him? Or should she go with the fantasy of him since in two weeks she would be back in London? What could it truly hurt to sleep with him for a couple of nights? Staying close to him was good for their cover, and if she was in the same room with him, why shouldn’t they touch each other?
“I’m not getting serious about you,” she explained. “My life is in London.” What there was of it. “I’m going to be here for a few weeks and then I’ll be back home.”
Back to real life, which didn’t include a hot cowboy god of a Dom. She would be back to watching all her friends have kids and settle down, to worrying about her friends who were in trouble and didn’t want to be found.
A slow smile spread across his face, like he knew he’d won the battle. “I might make you want to stay.”
She shook her head. Like she’d thought before, he was too much. She would fall so hard for him, and it would disintegrate at some point in time. She couldn’t handle it again. “I won’t. I’ll get on a plane to London and I’ll go back to my world. But maybe a few weeks in yours wouldn’t be terrible.”
“It wouldn’t be terrible at all,” he said, his fingers tangling in her hair. His eyes suddenly went hard, but in an incredibly sexy “I’m taking charge” way. “I think you should relax right now.”
There were reasons for her to not do that at the moment. “We’ve got a PI looking for us.”
“And if he shows up, what will he find, Nina? Will he find us plotting how to bring down a spy, or will he find us doing what engaged couples most like to engage in?”
The man knew how to make sense, but he was forgetting a few things. “And the saleslady?”
“Will be happy to let me stay in here for the rest of the day because she’s smart and she knows I’m going to tell her we’ll take it all at the end of this.” Those fingers tig
htened, pulling at her scalp in a perfectly delicious way. “Do you agree that I’m in charge when it’s time to relax?”
She could fight him, but she didn’t want to. Not in any way. She knew she was bargaining but she couldn’t help herself. Perhaps if she went into the relationship knowing it wouldn’t last, she wouldn’t get hurt in the end. “You’re in charge.”
“Damn straight I am. Now turn around.”
“Am I going to try anything else on?”
“I told you we’ll take them all. As for trying something on, yeah, you’re going to try me on. I think I’ll fit just fine.”
Her whole body lit up at the dark tone his voice had taken. He’d used a form of this tone the night before, but this time he’d deepened his voice. Maybe it was unconscious, but it was obvious he’d gone into top space, and that made her skin sing in anticipation. She turned and he had the dress off her, allowing her to step out of it before he laid it on the bench. Then he had the clasp of her bra undone in a heartbeat. He tossed it aside, and that was when she noticed she could see herself in the mirror ahead. She wore nothing but the pair of white cotton undies she’d put on earlier in the day.
“You’re so fucking pretty,” he said, his hands winding around her torso to come up to cup her breasts.
She could see the way her whole body seemed to relax the minute his hands were on her. All she could see of him was his hands and the dark silk of his hair as he bent over to caress her neck with his lips. When he set his teeth on the nape of her neck, a shiver went through her. He grazed his way to the top of her shoulders. All the while his strong hands cupped her breasts, thumbs circling her nipples. He would brush over them and then roll them between his thumb and forefingers, and when she thought he would pinch them, when she was ready for the little flick of pain he would likely give her, he would go gentle again.
He was a sadist.
“You’re tense, baby.” He whispered the words in her ear, his tongue flicking her earlobe. “This is supposed to be relaxing. Am I not doing it right?”
“You know it feels amazing.” Some Doms liked to tease like this. It looked like JT liked to play games. The good news was so did she. “But I need more, Sir.”
Those fingers tightened lightly around her nipples. “More? More what? And I like the way you say Sir in that oh-so-posh British accent of yours.”
She’d worked hard for that accent. She’d perfected it since she was originally from the country and sounded like it. It wasn’t fair, but she’d known sounding cultured meant something in her world. It would mean something in JT’s, too. He had an accent, but there was no questioning the man’s intelligence. “You can get a bit rougher if you like, Sir.”
“Rougher?” His arms tightened, pulling her back against the hard muscle of his chest. “If I like? I want you to like. How about this?”
His fingers closed around her nipples and he gave her a quick twist, sending a flare through her that went straight to her pussy. She gasped and the world seemed a bit softer than before as arousal took over and she started to forget all the reasons this was a bad idea.
“Nina, I need your words.” He nipped at her earlobe. “Do you like that? Do you like me twisting your pretty little nipples? They’re pink right now, but I think they’ll be gorgeous when I’ve licked and sucked and bit them. They’ll be ruby red.”
“I like it very much, Sir.”
He twisted her nipples again. “Watch it in the mirror. Watch how you respond to me.”
She forced herself to obey, though she wanted more than anything to close her eyes and let the moment take over. But obedience was part of the agreement—even if they didn’t actually have a formal agreement. She did as he asked, and the sight of those gorgeously callused hands on her skin made her tighten in anticipation. The fact that he was completely dressed and she was barely clothed did something for her. It made her feel sexy, like he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her, so he’d stripped her down and hadn’t bothered with his own clothes. It let her know that penetration wasn’t the only thing on his mind.
It let her know he wanted to play and there were rules to the game—but there was also so much to win, and if she played right, there were no losers.
“You like a nip of pain?” He was staring at her in the mirror, his head up and eyes locked on hers.
She nodded. “I do. I like the sensation. I like the crispness of it, and then the heat that takes over. If you’re serious about having sessions at night while we’re at the retreat, I like a flogger with a little sting to it.”
He grinned, a sexy expression. “I can handle that for you. Now tell me you won’t give me hell about wearing my ring.”
He was a manipulative bastard. “I’ll wear whatever you want me to wear and you’ll do what I tell you to do if the bullets start flying. That’s the deal, Malone.”
His right hand started to make its way down her body, the pads of his fingers skimming over her skin and making her tighten with anticipation. “I will honor that agreement. Now you hold still.”
She watched him through the mirror as his hand slipped under the waistband of her knickers and disappeared.
“Have I told you how pretty your pussy is?”
The words were as much of a caress as the pad of his finger sliding over her. She had to catch her breath and force herself to be still for him. She could feel the hard line of his erection against her ass, the buttery soft denim of his jeans sliding against her legs because he wasn’t under the same rules as she was. He wasn’t still. He moved his hand, starting to explore the planes and valleys of her sex. His free arm held her tight so his hips could start a slow rhythm.
He groaned, a rumble against her ear. “You’re already wet for me. You want to know how I knew you were a sweet sub? This. When I told you what I wanted from you, when I took control and you realized I was going to be good for you, this honey started to flow for me.”
He was right about that. She usually took far longer to warm up. The previous night she’d written it off as it had been a long time and she’d needed the sex.
She was lying to herself. It was all about this one man. They had that elusive thing she’d started to think only existed in books and movies. They had real chemistry, the kind that revved her up and made her body hum when he walked into a room. She was drawn to him, and it was about more than his incredible body and gorgeous face. There was a warmth to the man that called to her, a sweetness and willingness to put himself out there that made her want to protect him.
He was brave with his heart, and she wanted that in her life.
But right now all she wanted was more of what he was giving her.
“That’s it. You relax and let me take care of you. We don’t have to worry about anything in this place but pleasure and connection.” He nipped her earlobe, causing her to gasp and squirm. His free hand came up to twist her nipple, sending a thrill of erotic pain through her. “Be still. Take what I give you.”
He was giving her so much. He was going to give her an orgasm, and she wasn’t sure she could hold back.
Did it matter? In her world it probably did, but she was in his world and he didn’t care who heard her.
Why should it matter?
She let go of everything but how he could make her feel.
Sexy. Powerful.
Beloved.
She shook off that last word because it wasn’t somewhere she was willing to go yet. Maybe never. But the rest of it was beyond tempting. This was what had been missing in her other D/s relationships. She hadn’t been able to totally let go with another Dom. It had always been there in the back of her mind that she needed to protect herself.
She let herself go with JT. Something deep inside told her she was safe with this man. At least her body was.
Her body was all that mattered for the moment. She was caught between his talented fingers on her pussy and that hard dick pressed against her ass. She glanced up at the mirror and JT was watching her. His eyes caught h
ers and she realized how much he wanted this. He wanted her to come for him. He didn’t need to say the words. It was all there in his dark gaze. In the way he licked his lips like he would devour her the minute she was finished and it could be his turn.
But he wouldn’t take that turn until he was sure she was satisfied. He would control himself.
Could she shake that control at some point? Could she make him as wild as he was making her?
Every muscle in her body tightened and then the glorious release hit her hard—a long wave that swept her up and away.
“Oh, the things I am about to do to you,” he whispered, and she could see the predatory gleam in his eyes.
The picture they made in the mirror was stamped on her brain. He was the conqueror and she the well-satisfied prey. Yes, she would let him do anything he wanted to do to her, and she would do it with not an ounce of shame.
“Yes, Sir.”
There was a knock on the door. “Uhm, Mr. Malone. I’m so sorry. There’s a woman out here and I can’t make her go away. I’m so sorry to bother you.”
He went stiff behind her. “Nina, it might be about my father. I have to…”
She straightened up. His father’s illness was the whole reason they were in the predicament they were in. Of course he was worried. “I’ll get dressed and meet you out there.”
“I don’t think it’s your mother,” the saleslady said. “She said she’s your assistant.”
Or she could make things very easy and kill off one of the suspects.
JT ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “She tracks my phone. In some places we go it’s a necessary thing. I’ll talk to her.” He took a deep breath and groaned. “Shit. I was supposed to stop by the office and sign some contracts. I ignored her calls earlier. I’m sorry, Nina.”
Somehow she thought Deanna showing up was about more than contracts.
JT leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, his mouth kicking in a wry grin before he stepped back. “But I’m pretty sure everyone knows what we’re doing, and that’s a good thing.”
Because of their cover. That was all. He closed the door and she was left alone and almost completely naked.