He didn’t have class today, but after last night’s shoot out, he had a report to write and calls to make. Jake pushed his body into action and sat up with a groan. Still aching, but in different places. He shoved the sheets off and got a look at Lizette’s toys.
“My best tie?”
He pushed into the bathroom and jerked the curtain open. “You used my favorite necktie last night?”
“Morning, sunshine. Care to join me? We have places to go, and soon.” She leaned in for a sweet kiss and went back to soaping her body.
Damn woman would likely be the death of him, but he stepped into the shower with her anyhow. Swiping the soapy washcloth, he slid the thing across her back and down to her hips. “Where are we going?”
She retook possession of the washcloth and worked on his front, starting at the shoulders and working her way south. Jake gripped her wrist before she moved too low. “Tell me what’s going on before you do the rest or be prepared to tell me much later.”
Her warm laugh washed over him and a sense of contentment, of happiness, filled him. She made him smile. A strange thought lodged in his head, one he never expected. Simply being with Lizette made him happy. With no idea what to do with the idea, he set it aside, one of those ‘I’ll figure it out later’ plans, and pulled her into his arms for a wet kiss.
They made quick work of the shower and grabbed breakfast on the way to Lizette’s office.
“How many people are usually here?” Jake asked when she turned into a crowded lot.
“Not good. This was supposed to be a simple debrief. Did you call your boss last night?”
“Of course.” He grinned when her eyes cut to the side, irritation flashing. “You were sulking in the bathroom.”
“I never sulk.”
“My mistake.” He caught her fingers before they made contact with his chest and leaned close to kiss them.
Lizette slipped from his grasp and gave him a long look. “This is business. Don’t screw with me in my stationhouse.”
Yeah, he got it. She had a reputation to maintain and she didn’t want any hanky-panky to mess it up. Popping his seatbelt, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll keep the fondling and kissing to a minimum,” and beat feet to the door.
Murder, or worse, in her eyes didn’t slow him down. No, he had plenty of years behind him to let one hot woman keep him in line. Working out the hows and whys of their relationship might take months of negotiation. Nekked negotiation.
Lizette pushed ahead of him when he opened the door and he followed her past dispatch and down a hall to a conference room. Too many people to count sat around a long table and she stopped to introduce him to her chief and her taskforce contact. He recognized his FBI liaison but no one else. His boss in DC didn’t travel much, preferring to take care of business by phone.
“The two of you made quite a mess last night.”
Jake looked around, expecting the police chief to start the meeting, but when he located the voice, he blinked. Hawkins, his handler at the State Department, was standing next to an empty chair. Never a good thing to see the man in person. It always meant shit was going down and it wouldn’t be fun.
“Didn’t expect to see you here, Dave.”
“Hadn’t planned on being here, but you left me little choice.”
Hands clenched around the top of the chair he stood behind, Hawkins exuded ill will. “What the fuck were you doing shooting up a downtown business area?”
“Defending myself and Sgt. Kently.” He came close to using ‘sir’ just for the hell of it. Hawkins hated the term of respect as much as Jake hated being dressed down in a crowd. For that reason, he stayed seated and continued. “We were under fire and I was concerned with ending the incident as quickly as possible to prevent civilian casualties.”
“Did you have any inclination that you were the target?”
“Not until the first round was fired.”
Someone else asked the next question and Jake turned to the officer. “What about you, Kently? Anything in the restaurant happen to incite this incident?”
“No, sir.”
“Any pending cases that might cause trouble?”
“Not that I’ve heard.”
Hawkins dropped his hard ass into the last vacant chair, his gaze bouncing from face to face, collecting intel. The man never stopped working. “What I’d like to know,” Hawkins said, “is how you and the sergeant ended up at the same restaurant. No disrespect to the taskforce here, but this wasn’t supposed to be a joint operation.”
“True.” Jake leaned back in his chair and forced a relaxed demeanor. “I met Kently at a private club owned by a close friend. She had no idea what I was doing in Texas until recently.”
“How recently, Miss Kently?”
“Last night.”
The smirk Hawkins flashed had Jake making a fist under the table. The man had no right to harass his woman. The thought shunted straight to his chest and Jake put it away for further consideration. Now wasn’t the time for hearts and flowers on the brain.
Every head in the room was turned to Lizette while she stared at Hawkins. “In my defense, he’s very good at what he does. I had no idea he even knew how to fire a weapon.”
“And why were you there?”
“It was a date. Man, woman, food, conversation.” Lizette made Hawkins look the fool with his rough tone and attitude while hers was calm and collected in spite of the audience.
He swiveled back to Jake, his expression hard enough to make the average employee shake and beg. Jake wasn’t average. He was ready for whatever the man had to say.
“Were you aware she was a police officer? Isn’t that expressly forbidden in your contract with the agency?”
He picked up a pen off the table just for the hell of it and twirled it around with his fingers while he watched proverbial steam rise around Hawkins. “Yes. However, she doesn’t wear a uniform and I met her at a club. I didn’t know about her vocation until after we’d become friends.”
“You put her in danger as part of your cover.”
Jake heard her objection but overrode it with his own. “She’s an excellent officer and knows her way around a gun. She handled herself beautifully.”
“We’ll discuss the issue of this woman when we review the entire scenario. For now, you and I need to discuss the case in private. Gentlemen? Ms. Kently? Will you excuse us, please?”
Jake enjoyed the hell out of watching Hawkins squirm when he realized Lizette, her captain and her taskforce supervisor stayed in the room. When the door closed after the rest of the crew left, the captain nodded to Hawkins. “We have a vested interest here. What exactly are you two doing in our little piece of Texas?”
Hawkins puffed up like a hedgehog, the silence stretching until Jake spoke. “I’m a part time employee of the federal government, here to teach at the college and listen for malcontents. I’m not at liberty to tell you the rest. I haven’t heard anything of note yet, but it’s possible my cover’s been breached.”
“As of early this morning, we have no confirmed chatter in the area about you or your mission. It’s my assessment that your relationship with this woman is calling attention to your presence in the area.”
“Can it, Hawkins.”
Jake turned to the police chief and noticed the cell next to him. “Good morning, Mr. Secretary.”
Hawkins paled as the disembodied voice continued. “Jake, are you compromised or not?”
“It’s possible, sir. It’s always possible, but right now, I’d say not yet.”
“Is this woman distracting you from your assignment?”
“No, sir. I don’t believe so, but it remains a possibility.”
A rough laugh came from the cell. “Hell, man, I always suspected you were a horndog.” The man on the phone cleared his throat. “Continue as you’ve been and report as needed. Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you, sir.”
When the call ended, Jake turned to the of
ficers in the room. “Are we good?”
Chapter 12
Lizette was silent as they left the station. Once Hawkins was escorted out, Jake had spent a few minutes discussing his situation with her superiors and they’d chimed in with a couple ideas. She was now officially on loan from the taskforce as his bodyguard. On the surface, it made sense to keep them together. Whoever shot at them was still out there and by combining forces, sooner or later they’d catch the guy.
The downside for him was the bondage thing. Last night was amazing but a steady stream of submission didn’t appeal, no matter how hot she made him.
Getting Lizette on board with his way of life wouldn’t be easy.
“Do you want to grab lunch on the way to your apartment or on the way back?”
Jake stopped at a light and focused on her question. “On the way back to where?”
“My house is well-secured and there’s plenty of room. It’s also in my jurisdiction, so if we have a problem, I can be sure backup is easy to find.”
“I’m not on vacation, Lizette. I need to be on campus regularly to do my job.”
“It’s handled. We’ll stay at my place and I’ll take you back and forth for your classes. Do you lecture every day?”
“Just Tuesdays and Thursdays.” It took him a minute to get the full gist of her comment but mere seconds to infer her meaning. Her house, her world, her control. Hell, no. “We should stay at my apartment. I can’t very well listen and observe on campus if I’m halfway across town.”
The wrestling match for control was exhilarating. Fuel on a fire and he refused to give her the prize.
“Your apartment is too close to campus and not far from where we were attacked. My house is fairly secluded and we’ll have some personal space while we’re cohabitating.”
A few ticks of silence allowed him to think about his next volley. She was too good to let him grab the advantage and he admired her tenacity. To a point.
“Unless you’re afraid to stay with me.”
And there she went, crossing the line.
“Fear has nothing to do with it, little girl.” Shit. He hadn’t meant to let that slip and now he could see steam rising around her. Figurative steam, at least, but it didn’t bode well. “Lizette—”
“I haven’t been called a little girl since I was twelve.”
More like snow and ice swirling around them instead of steam now and he knew better than to rush a reply. He was in deep shit and while he wasn’t exactly afraid, a healthy dose of concern might keep him in one piece. They were just a few miles from his condo, so he let the silence linger and focused on driving.
She was all business when they arrived, her back straight and daggers in her expression. Once the door closed behind them, she turned to face him. Jake was faster, invading her personal space and wrapping his arms around her. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.”
“Let me go, dammit.”
“We need to talk about this dominance issue and I don’t want it to be a fight. I want a discussion, open and honest and caring.”
“Let. Me. Go.”
“Ah, see? This anger isn’t going to help us come up with a solution. Bring it down to a conversation, please. I’ve already apologized, sweetheart.”
He kept her in his arms, the tension in her body reflecting her irritation. Defiant eyes met his, hot and ready for a fight, but he sensed a touch of sorrow in the mix. “Breathe with me, Lizette.”
Little by little, the stiffness in her body lessened until, with a final exhale, she relaxed against him. A quick squeeze and a bus on her cheek let him express a little of his roiling emotions. “Can we sit on the sofa?”
She nodded and they took places on opposite ends.
“Tell me why you don’t want to stay at my house.”
He wanted to smile at her tone, barely conversational as if she was interrogating a suspect, but better than argumentative. “It’s too far away from the campus. I need access to the university and student body. This place is closer than your home.”
“You can’t make that decision when you don’t know where I live.”
He didn’t smile, just simply said, “Three nineteen Edgemore Way, Dowling, Texas.” The look on her face was priceless but he didn’t react. Couldn’t. Shouldn’t. “Don’t ask. Understand, I have my own contacts and, no, they’re not local. Interesting service record you have, too. Impressive.”
“Son of a...how deep do your contacts go?”
“That’s one of those if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you questions.”
She’d chimed in on the last few words and laughed with him. A win for him because he could smile back. A win for both of them in the long run, even in this no-win relationship they couldn’t possibly maintain for more than a few months. And even that time frame had a high risk of crash and burn.
“We need to talk about the dominance thing.”
He’d expected an argument and she bristled right on schedule, her body language shouting irritation.
“It’s who I am.”
“I know. It’s one of the things I truly appreciate about you. A strong, vibrant woman who is intelligent and confident in her own abilities is an amazing aphrodisiac.”
The set of her mouth relaxed, the tight line giving way to a slight enough opening for air to escape and he wanted to lean in and kiss her beautiful mouth. Instead, he made a mental list and put that item on top for later. “I honest-to-God enjoyed last night and this morning.”
“But? There’s always a but, isn’t there?”
“Not always. Much as I enjoyed giving up control, I enjoy holding the reins. Sometimes, it’s even better if no one is in control, when both participants give and take and simply enjoy each other.”
A few long minutes of silence hovered between them. He waited. She processed. He gave her time.
“I can’t give up who I am.” Her fist pressed into her breastbone for a long slow minute. A series of lackluster thuds took over for his heartbeat while he waited for her refusal.
“What exactly are you suggesting?”
The query was much more than he’d expected. This was a dialogue instead of an argument, so far, at least. “I would like a share of the control. Mornings for you and evenings for me, perhaps?
She was fighting a smile when she asked, “You think you can handle sex with me twice a day? Impressive.”
“Honey, I’ve been storing up sexual energy for a couple years. I’m willing to give it a shot.”
A shared laugh helped dissipate the tension.
“I’m not submissive or dominant by nature, just a regular guy who enjoys the company of a beautiful female.”
“Understandable.”
She was looking more and more amenable and his body wasn’t sure if he should prepare for victory or a surprise attack. “I know enough about BDSM from Mark’s conversations to understand the concepts. Most couples have contracts, don’t they?”
“True.”
“Can we come to some sort of middle ground?”
“I think I can handle sharing the control if you’re willing to do the same.”
He reached across the space between them and grabbed her hand, pulling her into his chest for the kiss he’d wanted minutes before. “Thank you. I promise you won’t regret the compromise.”
She stopped mere inches from his mouth and when he leaned forward, she retreated to maintain the distance. “What are you thinking, sweetheart?”
“Despite our compromise, I have plans for you that I don’t want to give up.”
“Will I enjoy them?”
One eyebrow rose as she looked him over. “Did you enjoy last night?”
He couldn’t control his cheek-straining grin. “Oh, hell, yes.” One quick tug had their mouths pressed together, tongues dueling for dominance in the best way possible.
When they came up for air, Liz crawled out of his lap and stood over him, arms crossed but a smile lingered on those plump lips. “What now?”
&
nbsp; “I’ll agree to move into your house now that we’ve reached a compromise as to the wild sex we’re both planning for the other.”
Damn if he didn’t get the words right this time. Her smile was brilliant, lighting the room for a brief moment in time.
“Great. Get your ass in gear. We need you packed and on the road. I’m hungry and you promised me lunch.”
“When did I do that?” He didn’t care what her answer might be. He was having too much fun watching her changing expressions. It was obvious, at least to his sharp eyes, that she was a little discombobulated by the change in their relationship. Jake was enthused by the opportunity to teach the lady how to share.
“When I agreed to your plan or whatever you want to call it. Come on, let’s go mister big shot G-man.”
The tension in his chest eased and he rolled off the sofa to stand body-to-body with her. “Why are we hanging around?”
He kissed her hard, fast, and with complete control before she could argue, then left her standing in mute consternation while he packed a suitcase.
***
A long full-bodied groan followed the scream, high pitched and satisfying. Panting came next, along with a softer, quieter groan of relaxed satisfaction on Mark’s part when he rolled off her. A quick kiss, wet and fleeting, glanced across her cheek, barely preceded by the soft thud of his feet hitting the floor.
Her chest burned from the exertion and she sucked in air while the orgasm’s final throbs eased into subtle pulses of pleasure. In the next room, her Dom prepared the shower. Kellie listened to the sounds he made, the care he took to prepare the water temperature for her, and wondered how she’d managed to maintain this relationship. He was all things dominant and she’d never thought of herself as submissive. Not at all.
A year ago, she’d have been be running like hell to the next county to get away from a man like Mark Harrison. Dominance and Submission were words tailor made to invoke fear and loathing in her mind after the violent relationship with her now-incarcerated former boyfriend.
Mark was nothing like any man she knew.
Under his hand, her body sang in pleasure and her heart floated in satisfaction and contentment. It wasn’t all hearts and flowers, though. The age difference got in the way sometimes. There were events on campus that she was unable to attend because he wanted her with him most nights, but they were minor issues compared to the incredible satisfaction he gave her when they were together.
Whip Me Up Tie Me Down Page 8
