Not that he could tell her how he felt. He’d finally gotten her to agree to a few rounds of cards, but there was a new wall between them. Chatter and flirtation didn’t come as easily as it had in Tech-C, when he’d been shredding the contents of her trash. It was probably for the best. They needed to keep things professional.
“Professional” isn’t spanking a protectee, his conscience whispered.
Yeah, but she took my phone. Naughty girls get punished.
They ate an early dinner, then set about coexisting on opposite sides of the room. She moved her bed closer to the far wall and lay on it in morose silence. He sat at the kitchen table, monitoring updates as they came. Ten operatives detained since last night. Ten. They still weren’t sure if that was all of them. How many North Koreans did it take to kidnap a hacker? If there was a joke in there somewhere, he couldn’t find it. If they’d sent ten people, they meant to attain their target. They’d doubtless try again.
He couldn’t stand to think of her in terror, captured, probably hurt. Even if it never happened, the threat would be hanging over her head as long as she did her classified work foiling powerful governments. No good and patriotic deed went unpunished. Maybe, after this kidnapping scare, she’d bow out of the hacking business, move to the suburbs somewhere, get married and start a family.
The idea of her getting married to some suburban loser made jealousy flare in his chest.
He frowned and stood, moved to the window and looked out. A moment later, her acerbic voice broke the silence. “I thought we were supposed to stay away from the window.”
“You’re supposed to,” he clarified. “I can do what I want.”
“Must be nice.”
The sun was going down. It was a strange, beautiful sky, pink and orange, a harbinger of spring. “You can come look if you want,” he said. It was possible he’d been overcautious. He doubted there was anyone within ten square miles of them. “It’s a pretty sunset.”
“We’ve been here forever,” she complained, but she stood and crossed to the window.
“We’ve been here a day.” He softened the snark in his tone, sensitive to her despondent mood. “I know it’s not easy. We won’t have to hide here much longer, I promise.”
Her chin went up a notch, her pretty mouth twisting in a half-frown as she turned to look outside. “We won’t have to hide here. But I’ll have to hide, won’t I? From now on…”
She let out her breath in a long, slow sigh. She wasn’t stupid. She could do the Value-of-Rowan math.
“What happens after this?” She seemed to brace for his answer. He wanted to hug her, to comfort her, but he didn’t.
“You’re right about the hiding,” he said. “They’ll move Tech-C to another location, and likely give you a new identity this time.”
“Jesus.”
That one word was so agonized, so shocked that he did reach out to comfort her, patting her shoulder in a horribly insufficient gesture of sympathy.
“Will I get to see my parents again?” she asked.
“Of course. They’ll arrange things like that. Nothing changes except your name, your social security number, your passport, your bank accounts…”
Her large brown eyes teared up before she looked away, out at the fading sunset. “When I started doing this, they warned me. They told me I’d be putting myself in danger. They didn’t mention kidnapping or death threats or anything, but I figured whatever it was, I’d be fine as long as I stayed in the States.” Her voice wobbled on the last word. The sun had nearly disappeared on the horizon. Her courage, too, was waning, fading away like the sun. But he knew it would return again, just like the sun.
“You’ve never worried much about danger, have you?” he asked.
She let out a bitter laugh. “No, because I thought I was invincible. I put a lot of stock in our secret airplane hangar, with the radar-impeding ceiling. My apartment has the best security in Portland. My car has run-flat tires.”
“I know. I was going to give you a flat tire to get you in my car last night. I had to jigger open your hood and disconnect your battery instead.”
Something in the way he said it must have awakened her sense of humor. She turned to him with a twinkle in her eye, the twinkle he hadn’t seen since he’d stabbed her in the thigh with a syringe.
“You think you’re pretty smart, don’t you?” she said. “All you secret-agent guys?”
“We are pretty smart,” he said, trying to keep a straight face.
She wagged a finger at him. “When I get back to a computer, the first thing I’m going to do is hack into your bank accounts and transfer all your money to a ‘Save the Rhinos’ charity. Then I’m going to worm up your email programs and mass-delete all the porn on your hard drive.”
“God, that’s a shame.”
“I’m sure there’s tons of it on there, too. Super gigabytes.”
“There’s tons and tons.” But none of it so erotic as spanking you in real life. “Do you know what I’d do to a young lady who dared to hack my bank accounts and porn files?”
Her smile faltered. Not in a scared way. More in a confused, uneasy, titillated, scattered, semi-turned-on way. “I still can’t believe you did that to me,” she murmured.
“Was it your first spanking, Miss Park?”
When he called her Miss Park instead of Rowan, something sparked in her guarded, pretty eyes. “It may have been. It was certainly the most painful reprimand I’ve ever received.” She moved away from him, her cheekbones pink with a blush. “Was it your first time spanking someone in your custody, Agent Collins?”
Jesus, she was so plucky. He ached to spank her again, and he suspected she’d like it.
But that wouldn’t be professional at all.
“You’re the first one,” he said. “Are you proud of yourself?”
She looked proud. She looked irresistibly coy and vulnerable, so much so that he let his gaze stray to her lips. Did they pucker a little, or was it his imagination?
“Hmm,” he said, turning away from her with what little remained of his control. “More cards? Or a movie? I found a stash of VHS tapes in the closet.”
The final glimmers of the day’s sun illuminated her long, black eyelashes. When you were counting on cards and VHS movies to save you, you were in a hell of a situation.
“I’ll shuffle,” she said, turning away. “Gin Rummy this time.”
3pm
Rowan threw down her cards. In the past twenty-four hours, they’d been through Go Fish, Spite and Malice, Texas Hold ’Em, Gin Rummy, War, Crazy Eights, Matador, and three other games he’d taught her, though she couldn’t remember their names.
It was bad enough being stuck in this cabin, but being stuck and in lust with your captor was so much worse.
“Let’s just run into town for some Doritos,” she begged. “They’ll never know we did it.”
“Doritos are bad for you.”
She rubbed her forehead. How had she become so much more attracted to him since he’d spanked her? How did that work? It wasn’t like she’d enjoyed the spanking while it was going on. But since then, she’d noted the caring qualities in him. I’m trying to keep you safe, he’d told her. Not just because it’s my job, but because I like you. I’ll do whatever I need to do to preserve your safety and enforce my will. That includes doling out another spanking…
It wasn’t possible that she wanted him to spank her a second time, was it?
Yet she fantasized about ways she could induce him to discipline her again. Run out of the cabin? Punch him in the stomach? Cheat at cards?
She cheated like crazy at cards, but he let it pass without comment. He refused to get too close to her, even when she flirted and downright hinted what a naughty girl she was. There was a spark of something there, but he was too responsible and focused to act on it. Focused on her safety, which was a good thing.
Gah.
“What’s the matter?” he asked. “You’re biting your nails again
.”
She shrugged. “I guess I’m nervous about the kidnapping stuff. I don’t know why; it’s not like I can control any of it. I know your government-agent people are doing their best.”
She put her head down on the table. She was nervous about so much more than that, but she couldn’t admit that to him. The cool, smooth surface soothed her a little. Then she felt his fingers in her hair, a light, comforting touch.
“What can I do?” he asked.
She felt the air go out of her. She knew she was going to say something iffy before the words came out. “What would you do if I stole your phone again?”
A pause. She couldn’t see his face. God, she was too embarrassed to look at his face.
His answer finally came, low and level. “I suppose I’d have to spank you again.”
Wow, Rowan, this is ballsy, and a little risky. Are you sure you want to go down this route?
“What if I wanted you to spank me without all the phone-stealing hullabaloo? Maybe I just…” She lifted her head. “Maybe I just toss out a few expletives and slam a door?”
He looked around. There weren’t any doors, just her and him, a one-room cabin and acres of woods. Well, there had been a door on the bathroom before he broke it. Before he spanked her the first time. Why did she want that again?
“I don’t know why I’m saying this stuff,” she muttered. “I seriously don’t.”
“I know why you’re saying it. You hated it when I spanked you, but you also liked it. You liked that I held you accountable, that I took charge.”
She shrugged. It was true. “I mostly liked how it felt when you were holding me.”
He studied her, a faint tilt to his mouth. “I can hold you right now if you want me to, Cracky.”
She glared at him. “Did you just call me Cracky again?”
He ignored her ire, beckoning her over to his chair, and of course, she went. He pushed back to make more room, and pulled her into his lap. Something was happening as he took her in his arms, something slippery and strange and delicious, something she wanted, but wasn’t sure how to handle. He pulled her into his chest, resting his chin on top of her head.
“How’s that?” he asked.
She shifted, seeking the most comfortable position. “Well, your thighs are a little hard to sit on, but…”
He stilled her movements. “Please, Rowan,” he said, and in those two words, she heard the intensity of his desire, and how hard he was trying to control himself.
It was so easy to relax into his warmth, his solid physique, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t what she really wanted. She looked up at him, fear and carnal invitation in her gaze. He shook his head, his hand coming to rest between her shoulders.
“We can’t. We shouldn’t,” he said. “That’s not why we’re here.”
“Even so, it would help us pass the time. It’s a lot more fun than cards.”
He moved his head so his stubbled cheek rubbed against her temple. He was so virile. So strong. His hand moved up to her nape. One squeeze, one iota of forward pressure and she would have launched her lips at his face. “Are you talking about spanking or sex?” he asked.
“You’re naughty.”
He pushed her head back and tilted up her chin. They stayed that way, in a shiver-inducing holding pattern, his blue eyes raking over her face, her nose and mouth. She parted her lips just a little, wondering what it would feel like to kiss him.
Then she knew what it would feel like, because his lips came down over hers, drawing her into a tumultuous embrace. His mouth moved, tasting and teasing, then biting. Her arms came around his neck to pull him closer, but he broke their kiss and nudged her away.
“We can’t, Rowan. No.”
She held her ground, teetering on the edge of his knees. “You don’t have protection?”
“I do, but this isn’t about protection,” he said, standing and setting her on her feet. “I mean; it is about protection. Your protection. Not sexual protection.”
“Are you getting flustered? You keep using the word ‘sexual.’”
He grimaced at her.
“Are you getting annoyed with me?” she said. “Annoyed enough to spank me?”
“I’ll spank you if you want. Jesus. Just stop…” He rubbed his forehead, adjusted his crotch, and sat on the edge of his bed. “Just stop,” he sighed. “And come over here. Now.”
She walked to stand in front of the man who seemed a little more like the old Chad. Businesslike but friendly. He was about to get businesslike on her ass, because she’d pretty much begged for it.
“You sure you want this?” he asked.
“I think I need it,” she answered. “Especially since you won’t give up the sex.”
“Yep, you need it all right.” He guided her down over his lap. “Now, I don’t want any of that nonsense from yesterday, any kicking or struggling. Do you understand? Palms and toes stay on the floor.”
She shivered as he ran a hand across her ass cheeks. She was in yoga pants again, the material so thin she could feel the warmth of his palms. “I understand,” she said. “I’ll be good.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
He began spanking her, slow and light at first, as if he wanted her to get pleasure from it, rather than punishment. Then, slowly but surely, the blows got harder and stingy-er.
“Oww…” Her quiet whimpers didn’t make the spanking any softer, but they helped release some of the tension building inside. Her ass grew hotter by the moment. She couldn’t help the involuntary squirms and shudders that had her tossing on his lap.
At last he stopped, and Rowan breathed out in relief.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he said. “We’re just taking a breather.”
She stretched her tense legs and reached back to soothe her throbbing cheeks. “There are breathers in spankings?”
“Yes, there are.” He put her hand back down in front of her. “Stay in position. You’re not allowed to rub the sting away.”
Not allowed. There was the stern agent, but she didn’t mind. When the spanking started again, it was a little harder, and the sting built fast. “Oww! Oh!” She reached back to shield herself from his palm’s torment. Right away, he caught her hand and gave a growl of disapproval.
“You can’t do that.”
“But it hurts!”
“It’s going to hurt worse if I have to take down your pants and spank your bare ass because you can’t keep your hands where they belong.”
The words hung between them while she thought about what to say. Her ass ached, and it would hurt way worse to be spanked right on her bare cheeks, but she wanted to feel it. So she turned to him and said, “I dare you to try.”
Oh, he tried, and quickly succeeded. She didn’t fight him very hard. He pulled down her pants, leaving them around her knees. A handful of seconds passed before he tugged down her panties. Had he been admiring them, or looking at the scarlet flush that surely infused her ass?
A moment later, all musings fled as he resumed the spanking, this time on her naked cheeks.
“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!”
His palm imparted far more sting without a thin cotton layer protecting her butt. She reached back again, this time without thought or control. When he collected her errant hand, he kept it in his grip, using it to hold her more securely over his lap. Spank, spank, spank. The painful heat rose, but so did her awareness of his power, and the way he only went so far. He could spank her harder. He could reduce her to shreds if he wanted to, but he didn’t. He kept the pain where she could handle it.
Barely.
“Oh, please,” she begged. “It’s really hurting now. I think I’m dying.”
She wasn’t dying, but to her relief he stopped, laying his palm atop her heated flesh. She lay still, wondering if he’d move that palm, if he’d delve between her legs and find the hot excitement there, the wetness that had flowed along with the pain. She moaned, wanting to turn to him, wanting to move.
/> “What now?” she whispered. “Should I pull my pants back up?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
He cleared his throat. “Yes. I meant to say yes.”
He righted her and helped her pull her pants up while her cheeks—the ones on her face—flared as hot as her other cheeks. She tried to think of something to say, something about how different it felt to be spanked for pleasure rather than business, or something about how intense his eyes were, or how he made her feel things she’d never felt before.
She met his gaze, very aware of his hands on her waist. “Wow,” she said, which didn’t communicate anything she really wanted to say.
“You asked for it,” he said, with a smile and a dimple. Their eyes were level with each other. Their lips were almost touching. “I hope it was everything you wanted.”
His fingers spread and moved up her back. When she leaned into him, she could feel his erection against her belly. “It was… almost… everything.”
Then her pants were going down again, and so were his. He tore his shirt over his head, giving Rowan an awestruck view of his muscular chest. Her shirt and bra were next, tossed to the floor.
They tumbled onto his bed, skin to skin. He smelled warm and briskly male, like a man in a cabin should smell, and she took a deep whiff of him while his hands grasped her ass cheeks.
“Ow,” she said, but the soreness felt good. Their mouths met in a furious joining, the desire between them denied too long. He pinned her down on the bed, his legs spreading hers.
“Shit,” he said, pulling back.
She reached for his shoulders. “No, it’s okay. You can be as rough as you want. Let out your inner caveman.”
“Protection,” he said, like uttering more than one word at the moment might be too much for him. He squeezed her hands, then paused to dig a condom out of his suitcase beside the bed.
Rowan waited, hot, excited… and protected. This beautiful man had been protecting her before she’d even known it was necessary. And spanking her, of course, with his big, strong hands.
Hero Undercover: 25 Breathtaking Bad Boys Page 32
