Shades of Submission: Fifty by Fifty #1: Billionaire Romance Boxed Set

by Hunter, Adriana

  "What did the boat do?" Jonah demanded. He pulled back, restraining himself. Badgering Tabitha wasn't going to help.

  Tabitha wadded her tissue in her hand. "I didn't see at first. But when I reached Marcus, I looked to see if they were coming and I didn't see the boat at all. Later, people on the beach told the local authorities that the boat pulled up to the pier, two men jumped in, and they took off."

  Jonah drummed his fingers on his thigh. "Who were the men?"

  "I don't know. There were people milling around. I assumed they were waiting for a turn, but maybe not."

  A tremor passed through Jonas as he asked, "What happened when you got to Marcus?"

  Tabitha's face crumpled. Through tears, she managed to choke out, "He was hanging in the harness from a tree. There was blood on his head and his leg was bleeding. I couldn't get him down. When the lifeguard arrived, he used a knife to cut him loose. They strapped him on a board. Transport was waiting at the hotel to take us to the hospital."

  Jonah closed his eyes a moment before continuing. "The police questioned you?"

  Tabitha composed herself. "Yes, at the hospital. The doctors worked on stabilizing Marcus. I talked to the police and then I called you."

  The doors at the other end of the waiting room opened and a man in surgical scrubs walked in.

  Tabitha turned. "Doctor?"

  The man untied his surgical mask. "I'm coming to give you an update. He made it through the surgery well. We placed the pins and did tissue repair. They're closing up now."

  Tabitha jumped to her feet. "When can I see him?"

  "He'll be in recovery for some time. We're bringing him out very slowly because of the head injury. I wouldn't expect him to regain consciousness before morning. He'll probably be moved to the critical care unit in three hours or so. You can stay with him there."

  Tabitha slumped as the doctor turned and exited back through the doors.

  Jonah took Tabitha's arm. "When did you last eat?"

  "I … I don't remember," Tabitha stammered.

  "Let's go get something to eat and come back. Then we'll see Marcus. The hospital has your number, right?"

  Tabitha pulled her arm free of his grasp. "No. No. I'm not leaving the hospital."

  Anna stepped in. "Why don't I go get food and bring it back to you here? You can both stay."

  Jonah kissed Anna on the forehead. "Thank you. That's a better idea."

  Anna clutched the front of his shirt. "I'm so sorry, Jonah."

  Jonah wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry. He's going to be okay. I know it."

  Chapter 9

  Jonah and Anna were both in the lab when Damon walked in. "I have news about the line."

  Jonah was instantly alert. "What?"

  Damon's grim expression didn't indicate good news. "The consensus is that it was cut. The line was almost new, and the break is clean except for one edge. It might have been cut part way. The forces on the line during parasailing would have been enough to overstress the line."

  Jonah's mouth tightened. "So, someone on the boat cut it?"

  "Maybe. I'm not ruling out anything. It could have been cut before the boat left the pier, and in that case, it might have been anyone. It would be nice to know if the operators checked the line before going out, however, they're nowhere to be found."

  "Doesn't that seem suspicious?" Jonah inquired.

  Damon shook his head. "The local authorities simply think they're scared because of the accident."

  Jonah continued to press for information. "And the guys on the pier?"

  "Part of the parasailing operation … so they say," Damon countered, his suspicion evident.

  Jonah frowned as he asked, "What do you think?"

  Damon's frustration leaked through. "I think they have an answer that satisfies them. They're continuing to search for the people involved. It was a serious accident after all. Incidents like this hurt tourism. However, it wasn't the first parasailing accident, and it won't be the last. They don't see anything unusual."

  Impatience creased Jonah's forehead. "Did you tell them about the line?"

  Damon's lips flattened before he spoke. "Yes. They didn't find it compelling. I'm sending someone to dig deeper."

  Surprise flashed on Jonah's face. "When?"

  "He's already on a plane," Damon replied.

  Jonah gave a crisp nod of approval. "Okay, good. What is the status of the thefts?"

  "I've been working with the police regarding a possible suspect. There was a crew brought in to do work on the lab renovations. The security tag of one of the employees on that crew was swiped approximately thirty minutes before someone entered Foster's lab."

  "Was he questioned?" Jonah asked, his patience clearly growing short.

  "No," Damon admitted. "The police tried to locate him, but he's disappeared. He was a new hire for the subcontractor."

  "Should they be able to get in at night?" Jonah's voice contained a hint of challenge.

  "No, they shouldn't. They have to check in downstairs before they come up, and they're only allowed up during designated hours. My theory is this guy didn't leave at the end of the day, so he didn't pass through ground level security again."

  Jonah's eyebrows pulled together. "Where was he?"

  Damon shrugged. "I don't know yet, but I'm going to find out."

  "And the cameras, isn't anyone watching them?" Jonah's tone moved from questioning to interrogating.

  "The lab cameras? No, but that is going to change. Given that a person has to pass through ground floor security, the locked doors on the floor and the locks on the lab to gain access, it wasn't deemed necessary for them to be constantly supervised. The cameras in the elevator banks are monitored. When the guy swiped a working security card, it wasn't a notable event."

  Jonah slapped his hand on the counter. "Dammit, this isn't sounding helpful."

  Damon sighed. "I know. I've got feelers out, trying to find out if anyone is offering the information."

  Anna listened silently as the two men talked. "Have you explored the possibility of a competitor?"

  Damon switched his focus to Anna. "Yes. It's possible it was a targeted theft for hire."

  "What do we know for sure?" Anna asked evenly.

  Damon wore a pained expression. "Damned little, unfortunately."

  Jonah drew a steady breath. "Damon, you'll keep us informed?" Jonah's question contained a subtle dismissal.

  Damon didn't miss the hint. "Of course. I'll touch base with you again later."

  As Damon left the lab, Jonah laid his hand on Anna's arm. "Let's spend tonight in."

  Anna smiled as she tilted her head up to meet his eyes. "That would be lovely. Shall we pick up food?"

  "We could order pizza."

  "That sounds like a plan," Anna responded.

  Anna spent the rest of the day on autopilot. She couldn't maintain focus on her work. She finally gave up and made a trek to the floor lounge for coffee, despite having it available in the lab. She hoped a walk would clear her mind, but it didn't, and when Jonah suggested they leave, she was more than ready.

  ~ * ~ * ~

  As the stress of the day abated, Anna noticed Jonah's increasing preoccupation. At first, she dismissed it as being from the same source as hers and assumed the thefts were still weighing on him. She reached out and touched Jonah.

  Jonah clutched her hand, absently caressing her palm with his thumb. "Anna, sometimes I think this isn't for me."

  Anna tucked her hair behind her ear. "What isn't for you?"

  "This relationship. Everything."

  "What?" Fear stabbed her heart. Was he breaking up with her?

  "I'm not my brother. I'm not into the whole domination thing."

  Anna gasped with shock. "Marcus is into domination? Does that mean that Tabitha is …?"

  Jonah cut her off. "That's beside the point. I'm not talking about Marcus and Tabitha. I'm talking about us."

  So much for trying to change the subj
ect. "I don't understand. I thought you enjoyed our time together." Hadn't he reassured her more than once?

  Jonah rubbed his palms together. "I do. You're smart. You're sexy. But you've made it clear you have certain inclinations. I don't know if I can meet your expectations."

  Anna searched his eyes, praying to see affection and not regret. "You have met my expectations. More than met."

  Jonah shook his head. "I can't keep it up."

  Anna flinched and pulled her hand from his. "I don't understand. Are you faking pleasure?"

  "No," Jonah answered without hesitation. "That's not what I mean. I've enjoyed our encounters, but it's too much. The planning, the research. I can't do that all the time."

  Anna curled her fingers into her palms, keeping her tears at bay. "No one asked you to do it all the time. No one asked you to make a research project out of it. It's not supposed to be work."

  Jonah's frustration spilled out. "You know, that's what it feels like in a way. Work. It's like planning a special anniversary dinner every week. I'm not sure I have it in me. Actually, I know I don't."

  Anna's rising anger replaced her hurt. "Slow down. Jonah, I never said I wanted you to dominate in every encounter. I never said that. It hasn't even been every time."

  Jonah's expression was pinched. "No, it hasn't, but I feel like that's what you want."

  Anna waved her hand as if dismissing his assumption. "Sometimes. I want it sometimes Jonah."

  "How often?" Jonah demanded.

  The continuing questions unnerved Anna. "I don't know. I never thought about it. What kind of answer do you want? Every other Thursday? Every third time? It's when we're in the mood. When we're both in the mood."

  Jonah's gaze searched Anna's face, seeking his answers. "How can I meet expectations when I don't know what they are?"

  Realization jolted through Anna as she identified the source of his frustration. "Jonah, relationships don't work that way. There's no rule book. I don't have a checklist. I just know I want to be with you."

  Jonah kept his back toward her as he stood. "Anna, you know I'm not good at relationships. None of them have been successful."

  "If they had been, we wouldn't be here, would we?" Anna retorted.

  Jonah's shoulders slumped and he turned toward her. "I suppose that's one way of looking at it."

  Anna's patience snapped. "That's how I choose to look at it." She immediately regretted her outburst. She didn't have much of a temper, but Jonah touched her deep emotions.

  "Well, to me, it's a record of confusion and failure," Jonah added reluctantly.

  Anna rubbed his arm, wanting to soothe him. "Why think of it like that? Not every relationship works out."

  "Anna, people got hurt. I hurt people. I got hurt, too." Regret and frustration marked his face.

  Anna zeroed in on his statement. "Was your heart broken or did you just hate failing?"

  "All right. It was more the failing," Jonah admitted. "But it's incredibly discouraging. Most of the time, I didn't even know why. If I don't know why, how can I fix it going forward?"

  "There are so many things that go into a relationship. Attraction. Compatibility. Even timing. I'm not saying there weren't reasons, Jonah, but I don't think your past issues are causing us problems."

  Jonah ran his fingers through his hair, leaving ruffled groves. "Like what? I don't even know what the issues are."

  Anna tapped her index fingers together. "Your work. For whatever reason, you're willing to make time for me. That's huge."

  Jonah waved dismissively. "I want to spend time with you. With other women, sometimes it was too much trouble. I don't feel that with you."

  "I don't want you to, either. Jonah, I'm not looking for 24/7 domination. I've never wanted that. When we were together and there was no domination at all, I enjoyed that, too."

  Jonah rubbed the back of his neck before sheepishly answering, "I feel a little foolish now."

  Anna embraced him. "No," she whispered in his ear. "Don't feel like that. I want you to tell me."

  Jonah cradled her close. "I guess I built it up in my head into something it wasn't."

  Anna blinked in confusion. "I think I followed that."

  "Marcus was right."

  Anna pulled back. "Marcus?"

  "I asked him for some brotherly advice," Jonah revealed.

  "Oh?" Anna took a step backwards. She wasn't sure how she felt about Jonah discussing their relationship.

  "Yes," Jonah continued. "Just in a general way. His advice was to talk to you instead of him."

  "That sounds like good advice," Anna replied.

  "It was." Jonah reached for Anna, pulling her into his arms.

  Anna shook with relief. Another hurdle navigated, she thought. He'd surprised her. She hadn't realized Jonah's struggle regarding their relationship. She supposed she owed Marcus thanks for his brotherly guidance. Had it been Jonah's habit to move on instead of working things through? She hoped not.

  Jonah's fingers found their way inside her blouse and caressed Anna's soft, warm skin. Anna trembled as he stroked her, and she arched closer, needing the reassurance of physical contact. She wanted to soothe him and bring him ease as well.

  He swept her hair behind her shoulder and whispered, "I need you."

  Anna's body responded to the demand in his voice. "Yes. Oh yes."

  Jonah undressed her slowly, savoring it like a treat as he unbuttoned and unzipped each piece of clothing.

  Naked before him, Anna shivered with anticipation. She reached out and cupped his jaw tenderly. "Are you going to join me?" Anna's hand fell back to her side.

  "Yes." He stood and removed his clothes as Anna watched, her eyes sparkling with appreciation for his male form. Jonah grasped her hand, then led her down the hall and into the bedroom.

  Anna brought his hand to her mouth and kissed each finger. "Tell me what you want."

  Jonah gestured toward the bed. "Kneel."

  Anna's palms were moist as she crawled onto the mattress. She knelt in the middle of the bed, crossing her ankles behind her.

  Jonah climbed onto the bed behind her and pulled her to his chest. He surrounded her as he spread his hands over her abdomen and slowly moved up to cup her breasts. Anna's nipples stiffened under his touch. Jonah released one breast and traced his fingers down over her hip and around to her ass. He continued his foray across the soft skin of her hip and thigh. Reaching between her legs, he parted her folds with his finger.

  Jonah kissed her shoulder. "I can feel you're ready." His slick fingers dipped inside.

  Anna gasped.

  "Bend over. Get on your hands."

  Her whole body quivering, Anna leaned forward and placed her palms on the mattress. Heat suffused her skin as Jonah's hands spread her legs. He pressed against her, hard and urgent. Jonah rubbed his hand up her spine and Anna's back arched. He followed his hand with his mouth, kissing his way up to her neck.

  Jonah nudged her open. "Are you ready?"

  Desire twisted in her belly. "Oh please. Yes."

  Jonah grasped her hips and penetrated with one smooth, slow stroke. Buried to the hilt, he waited as she relaxed around him.

  Stretched, filled, Anna gloried in their joining. She ached for the burning friction that would propel her toward completion, but Jonah didn't move. Impatience clawed at her and she drove back against him, driving him deeper.

  Jonah playfully slapped one ass cheek. "Yes. Do it, Anna."

  Anna rocked forward and back again, moaning as he entered her, awakening every nerve ending. She thrust back and forth, pushing him inside repeatedly as she set the pace. A spasm inside signaled her imminent explosion and her tempo slowed.

  Jonah spanked her again. "No. Keep going. Make me come."

  Determination rose within her. She tightened and lunged against him. Shaking with need, she swayed forward and back again. Muscles twitched, but she held back, waiting, wanting. "Jonah …" She whimpered his name.

  His hands stilled
her as he reached his climax. A satisfied moan escaped his throat.

  Elation filled Anna. She'd done it. She given him the fulfillment he'd demanded. The knowledge shoved her over the edge and she flew into a carnal mist, her mind and body filling with delicious pleasure.

  As the aftershocks faded, they collapsed onto the mattress, snuggling close.

  Jonah brushed Anna's hair off her face. "That was wonderful."

  "It was. I don't want to move from this spot. I'm not sure I can." She laughed.

  Jonah kissed her forehead. "Don't worry. You don't have to."

  Chapter 10

  Anna walked into the lab with trepidation. Since the break-ins, the atmosphere hadn't felt the same. Usually she was eager to get started, but today worry crowded into her thoughts. She slipped on her lab coat and entered the inner lab. Cabinets were open and drawers ajar. Papers and objects littered the floor and counters.

  Not again. How could this happen? She walked back into the outer area and found Jonah making coffee. "Jonah, you will not believe this."

  Her tone put him on alert. "What?"

  Anna threw up her hands. "Someone's been in the lab. It's a mess."

  Jonah bit off an expletive. He called Damon's office and then herded Anna into the inner lab. "What's missing?"

  "I don't know. With this mess, it will be hard to tell."

  "You're right," Jonah conceded. "I wonder if that wasn't the point. We'll need to inventory … again. This is ridiculous."

  Anna shook her head. "I don't need to inventory my stuff. Nothing important was taken."

  Shocked, Jonah turned to her. "What? How do you know?"

  Anna climbed up on the counter and gingerly approached the corner. She reached up and slid a ceiling tile aside. Stretching on her toes, her hand fumbled around until she found her target. Anna pulled down a black duffle bag and placed it on the counter. She bent over, placed her hand for balance, and jumped to the floor.

  Jonah reached out and steadied her. "What the hell?"

  "I put everything of importance in the bag. The samples, notes, files — everything."