Dangerous

by Audrey Alexander

  “I knew I should have stayed at work,” she said. “I could have slowed things down, but I was so distracted today…”

  “It was only a matter of time.” Jace backed out of the bathroom, dragging his gaze away from Carrie’s body. As soon as he was done dealing with this, he’d get right back up here and give her even more of what she so clearly needed.

  Jace grabbed a tie and began heading for the door, but the sudden sound of splashing water made him pause. Carrie emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her breasts, a determined set to her face.

  “There’s no need for you to get out of the bath.” Jace slid the tie around his neck. “Stay in the bubbles and relax. I’m sure this won’t take long.”

  “I’m coming with you,” she said, snatching her jeans from the floor and wriggling into them. “I need to check that warrant. Maybe they missed something, and I can stall them from getting ahold of those tapes.”

  “Carrie, I don’t want you involved in this mess anymore.”

  “Look,” she said, shrugging her sweater over her head and brushing her dark waves away from her face. “I’m not going to leave you hanging like this before you’ve found someone else to represent you. All I’m going to do is look at the warrant.”

  “Fine, but if you do anything else.” He glowered. “I will punish you.”

  Downstairs, Jace found Franklin with Detective Foster, the same man who had interrogated him at the police station. He had that smug look on his face again, the one that said he knew more than he let on, and Jace had the overwhelming urge to punch the man. Of course, instead, he gave the detective a charming smile as he reached out to shake his hand.

  “Detective Foster,” Jace said. “Always a pleasure to have you in my hotel.”

  “I’m sure.” The detective grinned back. “Your assistant here said you insisted on seeing the warrant yourself. I hate to say it, Mr. Holt, but these stalling tactics of yours are about to come to a screeching halt.”

  “My lawyer needs to review the document.” Jace gestured to Carrie who stood beside him, looking calm and professional even though her hair was partially wet, and her sweater was slightly askew.

  “Oh right.” Detective Foster’s gaze landed on Carrie, and he smirked. “Your step-sibling. Who just happened to be here in your hotel. Again. Looks as if I may have caught you in the middle of something.”

  Irritation flickered through Jace. He didn’t like what the man was implying. Even if it were very much true.

  Carrie stuck out her hand, and her tone was clipped when she spoke. “The warrant?”

  “Alright, here it is.” The chubby man handed over the paper, and Carrie snatched it from his fingers. “I think you’ll be disappointed to find everything is fully in order here.”

  With her eyes cast on the paper, Carrie turned away from them to read over its contents. Jace was very certain the detective was right. Everything would be in order. He just had to hope that Franklin had done a good enough job with the tapes to ensure that every shot of his lookalike was gone from the film. He’d planned on checking over it himself, but the warrant had come through much too soon.

  “That’s funny,” the detective said, pointing at Carrie’s waves. “I could have sworn I just saw a photo of hair that looked exactly like this. Now where was it?”

  With a sharp intake of breath, Carrie whipped around. Jace frowned, not entirely following the conversation. The detective looked smug, and Carrie looked as white as a sheet. Something strange passed between them before the detective tapped his forehead.

  “Oh, that’s it.” The detective grinned. “You’re the girl who was cozying up with Mr. Holt on Madison Avenue. Just outside your law office if I remember that photo right. Interesting relationship you two have. It would make quite the story.”

  Rage filled Jace’s mind, and he stepped forward. He wouldn’t allow anyone to speak to Carrie like this, not even a member of the police force. He wouldn’t let him threaten her. He wouldn’t let him ruin her reputation. This man could go right to hell.

  “Jace, don’t.” Carrie placed a hand on his chest before she turned to face the detective. “The warrant’s fine. Go get your damn tapes and leave us alone.”

  Carrie paced back and forth in front of the flickering fire while Jace ushered their dinner trays into the kitchen. The savory smell of steak swirled with the sharp scent of the Pinot Noir she held in her trembling hands. Jace looked far too calm, far too at ease for a man who would be arrested as soon as the cops watched that footage.

  While she believed the man with Anders Holland wasn’t Jace, the police would have no such doubts.

  As soon as the concierge left the two of them to their meals, Carrie tipped more wine into her glass before striding over to Jace’s side. He lifted the silver goblets off the plates and gave her a sexy smile. “Dinner is served, Miss Simmons.”

  “Jace, we need to call Rick and tell him what’s happened,” she said. “We need to sit down and go over everything. Build up a case now. We have no time to lose.”

  Jace frowned. “It’s Friday night, and you’re not my lawyer anymore despite the stunt you pulled downstairs. You are not here to discuss business-related interests with me. You’re here for a very different reason, and nothing about that has to do with the law.”

  Carrie let out an annoyed sigh. “Rick will be furious with me if I don’t—”

  “I’ll deal with Rick.”

  “But the tapes are—”

  “There’s no need to worry about the tapes.” Jace smiled and gestured to the platter of food. “Now sit and eat dinner with me.”

  Frowning, Carrie stared at Jace’s easy smile. He was doing it again. Hiding something from her and pretending like the world was okay when it wasn’t. It was almost as if he wasn’t at all worried about being arrested…because maybe he wasn’t. A seed of a thought sprouted in her head. An impossible thought. No, he couldn’t have.

  “Jace,” Carrie said slowly, gripping the back of the dining room chair in her hands. “Tell me you didn’t tamper with those tapes.”

  Jace’s smile stayed just as it was, but something flashed in his eyes. She knew it. Her heart thumped hard in her chest. This was not good. It was going to make him look even guiltier than he already looked. Innocent men don’t tamper with evidence.

  “I did no such thing,” Jace said, spreading his hands by his sides. “If the tapes have been…adjusted in any way, I had nothing to do with it.”

  Carrie sighed and pushed away from the table, shaking her head hard. “That was stupid. When they realize someone messed with the tapes, they’ll arrest you anyway. We might have been able to prove that man wasn’t you, but now we can’t prove a damn thing.”

  Jace suddenly appeared behind her, settling his warm hands on her stiff shoulders. “You’re tense again. You shouldn’t worry so much.”

  She whirled on him, eyes springing with tears. “You could go to prison.”

  “It won’t come to that,” Jace said softly. “I promise. Franklin did fix the tapes, but he knows what he’s doing, and the police won’t even be able to tell that any frames are missing.”

  “Franklin?” Carrie stepped back. “He did this? That man is bad news, Jace.”

  “Everything is going to be okay,” he said. “You’re going to have to trust me.”

  “How can I believe that after everything that’s happened?” Everything seemed to tie right back into Jace’s assistant. The man attacking her, Madison’s death, and now this. There was far more to him than met the eye, and she couldn’t believe that Jace didn’t see it for himself.

  “I said,” Jace growled, “you’re going to have to trust me. I’m sensing some disobedience, Carrie. I didn’t think I’d need to punish you again so soon. I’d hate for our dinner to get cold while I sort you out.”

  Carrie’s entire body sparked with desire.

  “No, we wouldn’t want that,” she whispered as he moved around her, sizing her up with his heated
gaze.

  “So, you’re saying you trust me,” Jace said. “I don’t need to punish you?”

  Carrie swallowed hard at the ache between her thighs. “No, I think I deserve to be punished for doubting you.”

  “Good girl.” A seductive smile slid across Jace’s lips as he scooped Carrie from the floor. Lust set every inch of her skin on fire. He threw her over his shoulder and spanked her ass. Thrills of heat went through her veins. “This may take awhile.”

  Jace took her into the bedroom and set her gently on the floor but gave her ass another spank before letting her go. She turned to climb into his bed, but he grabbed her wrists and shook his head. “We aren’t going to use the bed this time.”

  Carrie licked her lips. She loved it when Jace pushed her up against the wall and lifted her from the floor. Her eyes flicked to the dark walls, but he shook his head again.

  “We aren’t going to do that either.” Jace pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it to the floor.

  “Then, what are we going to do?” she asked in the whisper of a breath.

  Jace smiled as he undid her jeans and tugged them to the floor before freeing her breasts from her bra. All she could do was stand there as he began to undress, admiring the way his chiseled body rippled as he removed every piece of clothing. When he reached his boxers, she couldn’t help but gasp when his cock slid into view. He was already hard, and the ache between her thighs intensified.

  Jace’s eyes raked over her body, and she’d never felt more exposed to someone than she did now. Every single inch of her was on display, and his appreciative smile made her feel beautiful and desired. Her nipples hardened when he grazed her stomach with his fingers, but just as soon as she reached out for him, he stepped back.

  “Is this my punishment?” she asked, heart thumping hard. “You teasing me while I stand here naked?”

  “No,” Jace said in a low voice. “Your punishment is in here.”

  Jace swiped his keycard against the security panel by his closet door. Carrie hadn’t noticed that it had a lock. That’s strange, she thought as the door clicked. Jace pushed it open and pulled her inside the walk-in space. The first things she noticed were the rows of suits, but then her eyes were drawn to silver chains dangling from the ceiling. They gleaned under the dim light, hinting at danger and desire.

  Carrie’s entire body went hot, and her eyes widened. She could barely whisper the words when she spoke. “What’s that?”

  “Raise your arms above your head,” Jace said, beginning to pace around her.

  She did as she was told, lifting her arms straight up as if she were reaching for the sky. Jace moved closer and twirled one of the chains around his finger before twisting it around her wrist. He pulled it tight, the metal digging into her skin. She sucked in a breath and watched as he moved to her other side and did the same to her other wrist.

  He disappeared out of the closet, leaving Carrie standing there dangling by the chains. She tried to calm her breathing, but her heart roared too hard for her to concentrate on anything but her lust. Carrie wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen next, but she was entirely sure she wanted to know. The fact she was trapped, unable to do anything to stop it, sent an unexpected thrill to her toes.

  Carrie craved for Jace to return to the closet and bend her to his will.

  She heard a rustle behind her, and Jace’s warm and soothing hands slid a soft cloth over her eyes. Her palms went slick, and she grasped the jingling chains tighter. Everything went dark. All she could see was the tiniest pinpoint of light where the cloth rested against her cheek.

  “You need to learn not to disobey me,” Jace growled into her ear. His teeth nipped her neck, and she squirmed. “This will be a mild punishment to start, but the next time will be worse.”

  Carrie sucked in a deep breath and tried to keep her body from shaking. She could hear Jace moving around her and smell the seductive scent of his manly cologne. Her nipples were hard and her thighs wet, and she could barely stand that he wasn’t right there, touching her and taking her and thrusting her cock deep inside her sex.

  “Jace,” she said, voice hoarse.

  “You need to learn to be patient,” Jace said, his voice coming from behind her now. Something light and smooth tickled her ass, and she tightened her grip on the chains. Pain suddenly exploded on her thigh, accompanied by the sharp sound of a whip on her skin. Tears formed in her eyes, but the pain felt as pleasurable as the softness of Jace’s touch. Maybe even more so. She didn’t know what was wrong with her, to enjoy this so much, but every part of her ached for him to punish her even more.

  Another round of pain spread across her thigh, followed by a whip onto her lower back. She moaned and tugged against her binds, lust pouring through her. She wanted to reach out and pull Jace closer to her, but all she could do was hang there, helpless and begging for more.

  “Have you been punished enough, I wonder,” Jace’s mouth was against her ear again. Desperate for his touch, she leaned her body into him, but the heat of his lips was gone before she could fully feel him there. “Perhaps you still haven’t learned your lesson. Tell me, Carrie. Have you learned your lesson?”

  Carrie gasped as the whip trailed down her stomach and slid between her thighs. It tickled her pussy, teasing her and sending waves of pleasure through her trembling body. She groaned and moved against it, unable to stop herself from giving into her need. Jace continued to stroke her with the whip, and the flickering sensations rippling through her made her sag against her chains.

  The whip vanished, and Carrie gasped as Jace’s tongue took its place. He licked and sucked and sent her to the very brink of her desire. Her entire body shook as she arched her back, almost to the top of her orgasm, so close she couldn’t think. But then his tongue was gone, leaving nothing but a frustrated wetness between her thighs.

  “Jace, please,” she moaned, writhing against her bonds. She’d never needed anything more than she needed him to satisfy her scorching need.

  His mouth was hot on her breast now, his tongue slipping over her swollen nipples. Trembling, she dug her fingernails into the chains, feeling as though she might climax just from the feel of his lips on her skin. He paused, trailing the whip down her stomach again before stepping away.

  “I’ll only let you come if you tell me you’ve learned your lesson, Carrie,” he said in a low, lustful growl. She could hear his own need in his voice, and she imagined how hard his cock would look right now. It would strain to be inside her, to fill her up and give her what she so desperately craved. “Tell me you trust me.”

  “I trust you,” she gasped, and she finally felt his hands grip her hips, his fingernails digging into her soft curves.

  “Do you submit to me?” he asked, shifting in so close that his cock grazed her thighs. She arched her back and angled her body toward him, but he still refused to push himself into her wet sex. “Tell me you submit fully to me.”

  “I submit.” Her body was hot and slick with sweat.

  Jace eased his cock inside her, and she moaned so loud the entire penthouse was full of the sound of her voice. She tipped back her head as she spread her legs, opening herself up to him as much as she could. He moved slowly against her, taking her legs in his hands and gripping her ass as she groaned. Jace began to thrust harder. Shockwaves of pleasure ripped through her body, and it only took mere seconds before her climax finally reached its peak.

  When the trembling finally subsided, her entire body felt so weak she could barely hold herself up. She sagged against the chains. Jace carefully undid the locks and slid the blindfold from her eyes. He picked her up and carried her to his bed, and by the time her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

  Jace hummed as he let the water wash over his naked body. He’d left Carrie in bed, her face blissful from the hot sex they’d had the night before. He’d never seen her so eager for his cock, and the memory of her wetness made him hard all over again. He wished he could stay in bed and
give her as much pleasure as she could stand, but there were things he had to take care of today, even though it was his day off.

  Jace turned off the shower, dried his body, and got dressed before calling the concierge to deliver breakfast for one to his penthouse. He hoped that Carrie would stay here all day, and that when he returned, she’d be waiting for him. Preferably naked. As much as he wanted her trust and for her to listen to his commands, he couldn’t wait to strip her up and slip that whip between her thighs again.

  Carrie was headstrong enough that he was sure it wouldn’t take long for her to disobey him again.

  He strode back into the bedroom and dropped a kiss on her forehead. She murmured, her eyelids fluttering open. When she saw that Jace was fully dressed and that his hair was damp from the shower, she frowned.

  She eased up on her elbows, and the sheets slid away from her breasts. “Where are you going?”

  “I have some business that needs my immediate attention,” he said. “I should be back in time for dinner if all goes well.”

  “But it’s Saturday,” she said.

  “It’s urgent.” He grazed his knuckles against her nipple. “Trust me, I’d rather be here.”

  Carrie groaned and flopped back on the bed. “It’s no fair to tease me and then leave.”

  “It’s a promise for later,” he said with a wicked grin. “Be here when I get back, and I’ll sort you right out.”

  “With punishment?” Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flooded with color.

  “Carrie Simmons,” Jace said with a smile. “If I didn’t know you, I’d think you were eager for me to whip you again already.”

  “It doesn’t make any sense, I know.” Carrie shook her head and cast her eyes to the ground. “I never thought I’d enjoy something like that, but…”

  “But it made you dripping wet.”

  Carrie gasped and met his eyes. God, he wished he didn’t have to go now. He couldn’t believe he had Carrie all to himself again and that she was so eager for things he’d never tried with her before. It was if he’d been given the best gift in the world, but he had to leave it here unwrapped, taunting him while he dealt with a situation that was far from enjoyable.