“Not until you tell me what you were doing.”
“I wasn’t doing anything!” She struggled, kicking out, managing to wrap one leg around his. Using all her strength, she maneuvered just enough she almost rolled him over. In the process her nightgown was shoved up past the tops of her thighs.
Grunting, Cody shifted his body weight and straddled her. “Tsk. Tsk. I’m much stronger than you. You will do everything I say.”
She opened her eyes wide. Was he serious? “I will not.”
“Hmmm… Seems like we have a dilemma here. Either you do as I say or I’ll tie you to the bed.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
He cocked his head as he hunkered down until his face was only two inches from hers. “Do you really want to try me, princess?”
“Princess? When you release me, I’ll kick your ass.” She was turned on, her pussy quivering.
“Really? Let’s see about that.” He captured her mouth, pressing his tongue past her lips.
She hesitated as he explored her mouth then as the French kiss became passionate, raw and unbridled, she responded until their tongues entwined. The taste of him was scintillating until her nipples were hard, aching. She loosened her hold as the intense moment continued. This was wrong.
Breaking the kiss, he licked around her lips then lifted his head. “You’re a very bad girl.”
“I thought you liked bad girls.” What are you doing? Hissing, she wanted nothing to do with this. Or him. Then why is your pussy wet?
“I do, but bad girls need discipline.” He wrapped one hand around her wrists. With the other he brushed the tips of his fingers down the side of her face.
Her mouth was dry and she could hear her heart thumping. She tingled in a way she hadn’t experienced in so long. How was he able to do this to her? “Discipline?”
“Yes. Hard and swift.” Cody rolled and gathered her in his arms, shifting until he was in a sitting position. He yanked her over his lap and issued a series of hard smacks on her backside.
Crack! Pop!
“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed yet every cell in her body was suddenly alive.
“Giving you what you deserve and what you crave.” He lifted her baby doll and swatted her naked ass.
Slap! Crack!
Stunned, she struggled but with each hard spank, she accepted, relishing in the punishment. Shaking, she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
Whap! Slap!
“There. I think you’ve learned your lesson for today.” Cody’s voice was husky, strained as he eased her back until she was in a sitting position. His eyes darted back and forth, his expression one of longing as well as amusement.
“Why?”
“Why did I spank you? Because that’s what you wish for. Don’t you?”
Dear God, the man was challenging her. She swallowed hard and reached out, tracing his lips with her finger. This was unexpected but she wanted nothing more than to let go, allow him inside. Could she trust him with the woman buried inside? “Cody. I want many things, I just—”
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Cody exhaled and looked toward the door. “Talk about timing.”
“Must be important.” She pushed him hard, breaking the connection, the move allowing her to scamper onto her feet. Who the hell was interrupting them? Oh yeah, they had staff.
Sighing, he pushed the sheets and climbed out of bed.
Shanna held her breath as he grabbed his jeans. The tight underwear certainly didn’t hide the fact he was hard as a rock. She placed her hand over her mouth before gazing down at her disheveled state. She snapped back to reality. This bullshit wasn’t going to happen. Not now. Not ever. “Don’t you dare open that door yet.”
He gave her a glance with lazy eyes as he smiled. “We’re married. Remember?”
“Yeah? Well houseboy doesn’t get to see me half naked.” She grabbed a robe out of the bathroom, tying the sash just seconds before Cody opened the door.
“What’s wrong, Matthew?” Cody asked, a lilt in his voice. He gave her an evil smile.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Torres, but a package has just arrived for Mrs. Torres.” Matthew was flushed yet his eyes darted over Cody’s shoulder.
“A package?” Shanna flanked Cody’s side, resisting giving the voyeur her middle finger. “From whom?”
“The delivery person didn’t tell me and of course I didn’t pry. I thought it might be of importance,” Matthew stated without inflection. He looked down, suddenly cognizant of his place.
Cody shrugged as he looked at her then winked. “We’ll be right down. We were just engaging in a little play time. Thank you.”
“Yes, sir.” Matthew backed away, giving Shanna another hard stare.
He placed his finger over his lips as he closed the door, then listened for several seconds.
When Cody was done listening at the door, she confronted him. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He grabbed her arms. “Now. Now, sweetheart. We have no idea if one of our suspects has paid off the hired help. Now do we?”
Grumbling, she jerked the lapels on the robe and paced the room. “Fine. I wonder which one of our illustrious suspects has sent a gift.”
“Someone who obviously adores my wife,” he said as he grabbed a shirt out of the closet.
“I don’t like this. How do they know where we live?”
“You must be kidding. The entire group of people have a network. Besides, we’re not hiding given your personality.” He grinned as he nodded toward the door. “Get dressed. This should be interesting.”
She nodded and as she passed Cody, headed for the bathroom, they both stopped and locked eyes. The tension had returned.
They walked down the stairs, Cody trailing behind. He had no idea what had possessed him to take control or give her a spanking. Yes, he felt much closer to her after their discussion the night before, but to do something so impetuous was ridiculous. She’d built a new brick wall, more like a tomb, in mere seconds. The woman was a beautiful yet very haunted vixen. She was also dangerous in her own right. He’d noticed the gun slid into the waistband of her skirt. Was she this afraid of Stoker or another set of demons?
She gave him a heated look as she landed on the bottom stair. Holding out her arm, she turned her head in both directions then beckoned for him to follow.
“Nervous?”
“Cautious, as you should be,” she whispered.
Cautious. At this point the only thing to be cautious of is drinking too much wine and being convinced to party down at a kink club. This case was far from difficult, although they were no closer to finding real evidence. He brushed his hand through his hair as they entered the foyer. “Two boxes. You must have been a very good girl. I should check them to make certain they’re okay.”
“Do you honestly think they sent a bomb?” She rolled her eyes.
“We can’t be too careful. One of the previous detectives almost died.”
“How?” Shanna shot him a harsh look before bending down to look at the tag.
He exhaled. “Car bomb.”
She looked up briefly, her face pensive. “To Alex, a woman as beautiful as any painting and one with a taste for red.”
“Who sent them?”
“Christian Dunner, the artist.”
“The artist. You certainly made a name for yourself. Good. Open the small one. Just be careful.”
She untied the red ribbon and pulled away the cardboard lid. “I’m always careful, Detective. Well. Well. Wine. Very expensive wine.” As she pulled out the bottle of red wine, she fingered the label. “I need to look this up, but I can guarantee you that this bottle is well over two thousand dollars.”
“Two thousand dollars? Shit. You made quite the impression.” Cody was surprised a pang of jealousy rushed through his system. He clenched his fist. The woman was getting to him.
“I didn’t meet him. Remember?” After setting the wine on the fl
oor, she tore away at the brown wrapping, exposing the painting. “Whoa.” She peeled away the rest until the entire piece was free. Taking a step back she laughed. “Fascinating. The artist has a macabre side.”
Cody narrowed his eyes as he walked closer. “Or perhaps a crush. You were right about the caustic and extremely graphic images. What the hell is wrong with this man?” While the rendering was subtle, he could easily see the woman tied to a steel cross, her back bloodied from whip marks. The main color of the painting was red, dark red. A taste for red. “My dear wife, I think he’s making you an offer.” His instinct told him this was a veiled threat. Perhaps they were playing with fire.
Shanna looked over her shoulder. “We need to talk. Now.” Huffing, she walked out of the front door and toward the gardens.
He followed, his mind racing with possibilities. “This is a clear invitation as well as a warning. I know you can see that.”
“Yeah? To what, Cody? What?” She folded her arms and glared at him. “You alluded to some BDSM club and acted like this isn’t your first rodeo. Tell me what you suspect especially if you believe this is a cloaked warning.”
“We’re not here to investigate sexual appetites.” His words were clipped. Too clipped.
“Oh, no you don’t. I told you a very private and disturbing fact about my life. Facts that might influence this case. I did so because you deserve to know. I also need to learn everything about what you even suspect is hidden in the ugliness of this investigation. If he is warning me then we’re getting close.”
Cody tipped his head back. He scanned their surroundings and kept his voice low. “All right. You’re right. Look, there is an underlying and very underground society in Napa, but I don’t know how far reaching the connections are.”
“Kink. BDSM.”
“Yes. I honestly don’t know how much it has to do with or if it does to this case, but my instinct tells me that members of this club are the ones involved in the wine fraud.”
She inched closer and folded her arms. “Wait a minute. You think there’s more to this case. Don’t you?”
He hesitated but knew they were getting too close. “I do. Something you don’t know and wasn’t in the file. The previous detectives tried to infiltrate this club. Their notes are sketchy, but they indicated they believed Stoker is the head of this exclusive club and had or has a hold on everyone involved.”
“A hold.” Shanna looked off into the distance. “Members are forced to be a part of illegal activities or their kinky tastes will be exposed.”
“That’s an excellent concept, although tough to prove.” He had to admit, she had excellent investigative skills. He thought about Stoker’s comments regarding keeping secrets.
“Then that could mean anyone and everyone is involved in whatever Stoker desires to be in the middle of.”
Cody nodded. “This is farfetched, but exactly what I’m thinking.”
She held up her hand and wagged her index finger. “That way he doesn’t have to hire his usual thugs. Everything seems on the up and up. He enjoys living a normal life while the upper echelon of Napa society does the dirty work. Brilliant if you ask me. The picture could be taken two ways. If I consider it an invitation, then I’m merely a woman who desires the kinky world.”
“You know, I think you’re onto something and at this point, I don’t want you mixed up in this.” Cody was surprised at his own words.
“Don’t play the protective card. I can take care of myself, cowboy detective. I’ve been doing so for a hell of a long time,” Shanna stated. “Now it’s time for you to confess.”
“Confess?”
“Cody, why and how do you understand the BDSM community?”
Cody hadn’t anticipated telling her about his past, at least not now. Maybe never. However, she’d trusted him enough to open up. “I was working undercover on a case out of Reno. I was alone, but I had a damn good contact on the inside.”
“BDSM?”
“A club. I was there investigating a man who was suspected of abducting and using teenagers in the club and for special clients. My contact was very knowledgeable.”
“You cared about her,” Shanna said quietly.
He closed his eyes and nodded. “I fell in love with her.”
“You got too close.”
“Yes, and I got her killed. After that, I took out half the men involved in the operation.” Cody would never forget the bloodshed or the screams. “They deserved to die for what they did, but I drew the line. I’m lucky to have a job in any department of law enforcement.” He half expected her to bolt.
She inched closer and kissed him on the cheek. “I think you’re an amazing detective, a hero.”
Swallowing hard, he exhaled. “I’m nobody’s hero.”
“Thank you for telling me, for trusting me.”
He looked away, brushing a single tear from his eye. They shared a moment of silence.
“Wait a minute.”
“What?” The woman might infuriate him, but she was something special. “Come on, partner. If you know something, talk to me.”
“Hold on, cowboy. The wine. There’s something about the bottle of wine that’s off. Come with me.”
“Are you going to let your partner in on this?”
She bounded into the house, grabbing the wine and heading for the kitchen. After checking the rooms flanking either side, she closed the doors leading into the kitchen and gave him a huge smile. “The label. It’s all wrong. Be a doll and grab my laptop. I need to check something out.”
“Okay.” Huffing, Cody took the stairs two at a time. “Be a doll?” He grabbed her laptop and a flash out of the French doors caught his eye. Walking closer, he stood in the shadows as he attempted to find the source. A black van was parked just beyond the grounds. He could only make out that the vehicle appeared new. The deliverer of the painting perhaps? Then why were they waiting around? He made a mental note before leaving the room, returning to the kitchen. “Peeling off the label?”
“You bet. If it comes off easily then it’s not the original. Can you see it’s just a bit crooked?”
He set the computer on the kitchen counter and walked closer. “You have a keen eye.” After a quick glance out of the kitchen windows, he gave her his full attention.
“I know my wine and I studied what to look for in a fake. Grab a wine opener, will you?” Shanna narrowed her eyes, darting a look out the window as well.
“I have to admit, I’m glad to have you along, but you are staying in the background.”
“Over my dead body. Now, let’s see if I’m right.” She allowed the steam of the kettle to float across the label. Within seconds she peeled away the foil, exposing remnants of another label. “Pay dirt. Now let’s open the wine.”
“What are you looking for?” Cody was fascinated.
“The cork. I will bet that the cork isn’t from this year.”
“I didn’t know they placed vintage years on corks.”
She grinned and pressed the space bar on the laptop, pulling up Google. “They don’t but every well-respected vintner uses a specialized cork for certain vintages. It’s their calling card for exclusive wines.” She opened the wine carefully, pulling the cork without breaking it. As she held the piece into the light, she typed in the name of the wine. “Now, let’s see how good you really are, asshole.”
He stood back, admiring her work as she searched several pages. When she reached one, she zoomed in until the etchings on the cork could be seen. “Bingo. They are very good, but not perfect. The cork would pass almost anyone’s scrutiny, especially if you aren’t looking for fraudulence.”
“But not you.”
She tipped her head. “No, not me.” After sniffing the wine, she grabbed a glass from the rack, pouring a small amount. “Do you want to tell me what you’re looking at?”
“What are you talking about?”
Shanna swirled the wine and sniffed, then took a sip. “A damn decent copy. Whoever
is doing this certainly knows a thing or two about wine. What am I talking about? The fact you’re antsy as if you noticed something outside.” She stuck out her hand, offering him the glass.
Cody eased the crystal from her fingers. “I noticed a van near the house. Nothing more. I’m not hiding anything else from you.”
“Take a sip. While you don’t have a sophisticated palate, I’ll bet you might detect something a bit off about the wine.” She gave him a coy smile. “A van. Just any van?”
“A newer model black van. I wasn’t able to see the license plate; however, given there are no other homes close by, I’ll bet our visitor delivered the painting and is waiting for a reaction.”
“And from whom?”
He took a sip then polished off the glass, belching for effect. “That’s some good shit, sweetheart. Not sure it’s worth two grand, but then again, how the hell would I know?” Inching closer, he lowered his voice. “We could have a plant as one of the service staff. I’ll have the captain cross check everyone.”
Shanna rubbed her thumb across his mouth, showed him the bead of red on the tip and sucked the drop off her finger.
“Why deliver the wine?”
“I believe they want to see if I truly know my shit. I suggest I deliver the wine back to the wine shop where it came from and confront poor little Scotty. That should send a message to the masses, or at least to Mr. Wilde.” Winking, she poured another half glass and headed toward the door. “Time for a shower.”
He waited until she’d left before shaking his head. “Breakfast of champions.” Jerking his phone from his pocket, he headed outside to contact the captain. Time to find out who was working for Stoker in disguise.
Shanna strutted into the wine shop, heading directly for the counter. She carried the open wine bottle in her hand. Her expression? Livid.
“Ms. Torres. Lovely to see you again,” Scott managed to say after coughing. He kept his unblinking eyes on the wine bottle.
“That’s Mrs. Torres, Scotty baby. Did you sell this wine?”
“What wine?”
She shoved the bottle to within an inch of his face. “This bottle. See it clearly now?”
Shaking, he darted a look toward the front of the store before lifting his glasses. “I will have to check.”
Hero Undercover: 25 Breathtaking Bad Boys Page 127
