“Jacks, exactly what toys did you think I was referring to?” she questioned. “You guys have been acting so weird about his toys. I mean, you are the one who told him to show me them. I would like to be let in on the joke. It’s getting old being left in the dark.”
“Um, okay. Ethan, would you like to explain to Ryleigh why we would all be a little worried about you sending toys from your toy box?” Jacks asked.
“Not really, Alpha,” Ethan replied.
Cash was trying so hard to hold out. He was practically dancing in his seat.
“But Ethan, Ryleigh is technically your superior right now. So, if she wants to know what is in your toy box, you are bound to tell her. There is no gag order out on what you keep hidden in your toy box,” Cash teased.
Ethan squirmed, “You’re fucking hilarious, asshole, but I think Jacks should explain my toy box to Ryleigh; maybe later and in private. Ryleigh, just keep in mind that I have the utmost respect for women, and I would never hurt anyone unless they wanted me to.”
Ryleigh was confused, why would Ethan say he would never hurt anyone unless they wanted him to? Had she been wrong about these guys? She thought he had a hidden stash of sex toys. She needed answers.
“Okay, now you guys need to explain yourselves and PDQ because causing harm to women willingly or not is something I cannot overlook, even for family. Someone better starting talking and now,” Ryleigh demanded, getting concerned.
“Shit, honey, it’s not like that I swear it’s just…” Ethan tried to explain himself.
Jacks finally spoke up. “Baby, Ethan as well as the rest of us have been trained in the D/s lifestyle, as in BDSM. He is a Sadist. Before you get all bent out of shape, it's entirely consensual. The submissives that he plays with either want or needs what he has to offer.”
Yeah, she could feel her face getting red again. Dang it, she didn’t openly talk about sex, and in the course of her time with Jacks, it seemed to come up quite a bit. Sugar, she just wished that she could control her response in front of these guys. She had never had a problem before it was embarrassing.
“Of course, I have heard of BDSM,” she said. “I read, guys. I would have had to be living under a rock not to have heard of it. Ethan, sorry, but on second thought, I really don’t want to play in that toy box. Tech toys, heck yeah, whips and chains, not so much.”
But Ryleigh couldn’t help but think, Jackson’s toy box might be exciting to play in.
Ethan was visibly upset, “Oh shit, thanks a lot, guys. Now she isn’t going to want to be my little sister any more, assholes. Ryleigh, I swear I think a woman should be cherished and worshiped. Never would I do anything to them that isn’t consensual. I understand with the type of work we all do, where you might get the wrong idea about sadomasochism, but I don’t abuse anyone.”
Ryleigh let him off the hook. She didn’t care what he did behind closed doors or in dungeons.
“It’s okay, Ethan, and it is fine. Like I said before, I read a lot. Some aspects of BDSM even intrigue me. I’m not judging you,” she assured him.
Then Ryleigh threw them all for a loop and started asking Ethan questions.
“So, do you just do it in your bedroom or do you have a dungeon or a club that you attend?” She inquired further. “Where exactly do you find your masochists, and are they only women or do you work with men too? Are you bisexual? Which implement do you prefer more a cat-o-nine-tails or a bull whip? Do you use those if so why? I can figure out what it does for the submissive from what I read but what does it do for the dominate? How did you get into the lifestyle?”
She would have gone on if Ethan hadn’t interrupted her.
“Whoa there, those are questions that maybe Jacks can answer for you.”
At least, this time, their faces were the ones sporting a blush, interesting.
“Fine, but I don’t see why you guys keep on saying Jacks will explain.” Ryleigh stated. “We are all adults here. Why can’t you tell after I asked you all of the questions? It is your kink we are talking about, after all.”
“Well, because Jacks is your mate,” Ethan said.
“And that is another thing you guys keep on saying; Jacks is my mate, or I am his.” Ryleigh was baffled. “We have known each other for one day. I know what a mate is supposed to be, but how can you be so sure that I am Jackson’s. I mean, doesn’t it take longer than a day to have a relationship, let alone one that creates loving bonds on the spiritual level?”
“Sorry, sugar some things just are,” Cash said. You know how earlier you stated that you felt a connection with all of us, that didn’t even take a couple of hours why would mating be different?
“Well, I don’t know,” Ryleigh continued. “Maybe because it is more intimate and on a much deeper level. What about the emotion love? You can’t tell me that you guys believe in love at first sight, maybe lust, but not love. It is my belief that you cannot have a genuinely committed relationship without love.”
Could it be? Could Jacks have felt that for her? God knew it was defiantly love at first sight for her. Ryleigh just didn’t want to be that girl. She also just wasn’t ready to admit it out loud. She could see herself with Jacks for the rest of her life, and it wasn’t logical. Could a connection deep enough happen so instantly?
Jacks felt uncomfortable now. Shit, how could she not feel love for him when he was already head over heels for her? But she was a human with some Shifter DNA; maybe it didn’t affect her the same way it did him. Time to deflect, he thought.
“Hey, we can get into the mating stuff later, or not,” Jacks interjected. “Right now, we have a mission to discuss. And for that mission, Ryleigh, you are my mate, or rather wife. Everyone is just trying to get into the head space we need to pull this mission off.”
Yeah, he thought, good bullshit save.
Well, apparently, Jacks wasn’t going to answer her questions; just like Ethan evaded her earlier ones. What was it with guys and getting all squirmy when they didn’t want to hear what she had to say?
So, she decided two could play that game and replied, “We need to concentrate on getting in and getting out of the Franklin house without detection. Do you all feel that we have prepped enough for that to happen?”
Jacks acted immediately when it had to do with work, just not the personal emotional stuff. Ryleigh could relate; that stuff was hard.
“We have prepped as much as we can,” Jacks stated. “Cash and I have managed to navigate the residence from out mock up. I was able to get to the office, break into the safe, and then replace it in 40 minutes. That will give us a bit of leeway. I have learned the proper lifting and positioning techniques thanks to Eli. Ryleigh is, or soon will be, wired for sound thanks to her new toys. I say we call it a night. Zero Five Thirty is going to come faster than we want. Come on, wifey, time for your next lesson.”
“What do you mean Jacks? You just said we were as prepared as we were going to be. What else do I need to learn?” Ryleigh asked.
“Why, how to sleep with your husband, honey” Jacks stated.
Yep, she was going to have to invest in some type of pill to control her blushing with this man or men. She didn’t even know if there was something like that on the market. Maybe she would just finance a trial because she was getting kind of sick of showing how much she was affected all the time. Funny, she never had this problem before; it only happened since meeting Jacks.
“What exactly do you mean I need to learn how to sleep with my husband? I think sleeping is the least of our worries,” Ryleigh replied.
“Well, Baby, Cash and I took the liberty of going through the clothes you brought for this mission,” Jacks admitted. “Besides the scrubs, you will need for working with Mrs. Franklin, we had to make a few changes.”
“What do you mean you made a few changes?” Ryleigh questioned. “My clothes are just fine, Jacks, and why in the hell would you and Cash need to go through my clothes? I know how to dress myself, Jacks; I have been doing it for a
long time. I plan on wearing my scrubs the whole time we are there. Why would I need anything else except pajamas and underwear?”
“Exactly, Baby. Night everyone, see you in the morning,” Jacks announced. “Come on wifey, time to learn how to make your husband happy.”
Chapter 31
“Sugar, does he mean…? I am so not having sex with this man, she thought to herself. I mean we just met and what is he going to do when he finds out about my V-card? Maybe I should just tell him that should put a huge damper on whatever he has planned.
She could say, ‘Sorry, Jacks, but I can’t have sex with you. Yeah, I have never slept with a guy, and even though we have this weird connection, you apparently think this is just part of the mission. And well, I really had kind of hoped that I wouldn’t lose my v-card to prep for said purpose’. Yeah, that would go over really well. Ryleigh thought.
Jacks was still practically dragging her towards what she assumed was a bedroom. But when they got there, she realized that it was more like an office with and attached bathroom and a bedroll, how romantic. I guess the guys did neglect one area of the temporary base.
“By the way, how did your guys get a temporary base set up so quickly? You seem to have every amenity available to you?” Ryleigh asked.
“Noticed, that, did you?” Jacks replied. “We actually do a lot of work in this area, so it’s more of a safe house than a temporary base. We try to make improvements each year. We have plans for real bedrooms after the mission. The other teams also use the space when needed.”
“Okay, baby, first lesson: no wife of mine is going to wear flannel sleep pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt to bed,” he stated. “I’m not even going to go into your granny panty selection. Although colorful, there isn’t much else to be said about it. Have you ever been to a lingerie store? Shit, I have even seen sexy underwear in Wal-Mart. So, there aren’t any excuses you could give; your underwear is just sad. Now, here this is what my wife would be sleeping in and what you will be sleeping in until the end of the mission.”
What Jacks handed Ryleigh had to have been the softest, silky, white nightgown she had ever felt. It must have cost a fortune. Ryleigh was pretty wealthy herself, but she didn’t allow herself such luxuries, preferring to donate her money to worthy causes. But she had to admit, if the nightgown felt as good on her body as it did in her hands, she might have to rethink her nightwear in the future. One thing did concern her, though; he had given her the nightgown and nothing else. She was not a commando type of girl.
“Ah, Jacks, I kind of need underwear,” Ryleigh stated.
“The second lesson: no wife of mine would be wearing underwear to bed either,” Jacks declared. “Well, not unless she was having her period, then you could wear all those granny panties you seem so fond of. I have no desire to earn my red wings now or in the future. Are you having your period, Ryleigh?” he asked, seemingly concerned.
She could totally lie. That could save her from this conversation, but she just didn’t feel right lying to Jacks.
“Well, no, but I just don’t feel comfortable about not wearing any panties Jacks.”
“Well sorry, baby, but panties are out of the question. Now go and get ready for bed. The bathroom is all yours. I will get ready once you're finished.”
“Fine!” Ryleigh exclaimed.
After spending more time than necessary in the bathroom, Ryleigh had just about convinced herself this wasn’t going to work. Then she thought, what the hell, nothing is going to happen that she didn’t let happen. She was a trained operative. Jacks wasn’t going to take advantage of her, and this is just a role that she had to play; even if it was a role that she would like to stay in for the rest of her life. Jacks doesn’t need to know that, right?
With that last thought, she had finally found her courage. Although, she also had to admit that the nightgown looked and felt exquisite. The man had excellent taste. Ryleigh felt sexy for the first time in her life, and she wasn’t going to let that feeling go to waste. After all, turnabout was fair trade; Jacks had been turning her on all day. Maybe it was his turn to feel a little uncomfortable. So, she straightened her shoulders, it was time to face her “husband”.
Walking out into the room, Ryleigh noticed Jacks was standing by the window talking on his phone. Dang it, she mustered up all her courage and he didn’t even see her big reveal; so much for her moment. At a loss of what to do, she couldn’t help the nerves that were surfacing. Should she just stand there and wait for his reaction, or better yet, just run to the bed, roll, and cover up? Dang it, decisions, decisions.
Jacks heard the door to the bathroom open and noticed Ryleigh standing in the doorway out of the corner of his eye. My Lord, could the women be more beautiful? Her auburn hair shimmered in the light from the bathroom, and her skin was glowing. The little silk nightie enhanced her generous breasts and rounded hips; the woman was the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen. It was time for lesson three: how to be his wife. He just hoped that she wouldn’t go running from the room. It was a possibility as she was currently trying to get to the makeshift bed undetected. Time to finish up my call, Jacks thought.
“Hey, Kayden, thanks for the update. We will get in touch with your team as soon as the operation is over. Roger that sit-rep in six days, good luck man” he said, hanging up the phone.
Sitting on the bed roll with the blanket almost up to her neck, Ryleigh asked, “Was that Kayden and has he met up with Zoey? She hasn’t reported in yet. Is everything going okay?”
“Yeah, it was Kayden, and he and Zoey have met up,” Jacks replied. “It sounds like they got off to a bumpy start. But they must have come to some understanding because they are preparing to breach the facility that Zoey has been watching. It seems promising, but they haven’t seen or been able to locate any signs of Cassie anywhere on the premises.”
“Well, at least they will be doing it together,” Ryleigh said. “I tried to prepare Kayden for Zoey at the meeting that she is the lone wolf type. She is extremely distrustful and prefers, well actually insists, on working alone. We try to stay out of her way, but we always keep an eye on her whether she likes it or not.”
“Yeah, well, Kayden is pretty much the same way. But being in the military and working with for NAC, he has learned the value of teamwork. None of us could do what we do without our teams or NAC behind us,” Jacks declared.
“I agree with you, Jacks,” Ryleigh retorted. “It’s just that with what Zoey has been through, I have a tendency to give her a long rope. We keep an eye on her and have and will pull her out if she gets into trouble. I can only imagine what she is going through right now. If Kayden’s men are as big and bad as yours, then she is probably half way to a meltdown by now. But please don’t get me wrong, Zoey won’t put anyone else in jeopardy, only herself. She cannot take anyone coming to harm because of her. She will follow whatever protocol they come up with for their mission to the letter.”
“That is good to hear,” Jacks said, walking towards the bathroom. “I am going to get ready for bed now. Be back in a second. Oh, and Ryleigh, prepare for lesson three of being my wife. It will start as soon as I am out of the bathroom,” Jacks said with that sexy little smirk again.
Damn, the man just did things to her.
Closing the door to the bathroom, Jacks rested his head against it. Damn it, if he didn’t get his dick under control and soon, he was never going to make it through the night. He was pretty sure that once he stripped, he would find his balls purple, no, blue; he was hurting that bad. He had been in a constant state of arousal since meeting Ryleigh, and if he didn’t take himself in hand, he was sure he was going to need a hospital to relieve the pressure. Jacks opened the shower door and turned the water on.
Getting into the shower he took himself in hand, and it didn’t take but a couple of pumps to the images he had early of Ryleigh’s plump little lips wrapped around him to make him spew. Fuck, he had never cum so hard in his life by masturbating. Deciding that he
needed a little extra help, he turned the water to cold, hoping that he would be able to have a couple more minutes of peace before his dick got out of hand again. He wasn’t really hopeful because what he had planned next was going to test his limits.
Chapter 32
After what felt like was an hour, but probably only ten minutes, Jacks emerged from the bathroom in all his glory. Well in all his “Freakin Naked Glory.” The man was hot, no question about it. His dark hair was disheveled from rubbing the towel through it, and his green eyes were unusually bright; they practically glowed like one of those light sticks that kids play will on Halloween.
Ryleigh’s eyes caught on a drop of water that he had missed when drying off, dripping down his neck. Her eyes followed that water drop as it descended to his perfectly chiseled chest. He wasn’t bare like some body builders, but he had a light covering of hair on his pecs and stomach. Yummy. As that water droplet traveled, she couldn’t help but notice his eight pack, yes, eight pack. The man was built. But as the droplet moved downward, the next thing that her mind registered was that he was HUNG. She was not talking your average penis. She had been to medical school; she had seen those. He was HUNG and the longer she stared, the bigger it got. She knew it right then, and there was absolutely no way she was Jacks’ true or fated mate because there was absolutely no way that monster would ever fit inside her body. Shoot, she couldn’t even give the man a blowjob as a consolation prize because she would be deep throating him a third of the way through.
Fuck, Jacks thought, everything was going great until Ryleigh caught sight of his dick and then her expression went from arousal, to puzzlement, then fear. Not a good time to lighten the mood. It was like she had never seen a cock before. Jacks knew he was larger than the average man, but Shifters were different; they were all bigger than an average person. Shit, if what he suspected was true, maybe he should go and put on some pants. Could this woman still be a virgin at 28 years old? Jacks thought, I mean she runs one of the top security agencies, and she deals with abuse victims all the time. How could she relate to a rape victim’s trauma if she has never done the deed herself? No way, she couldn’t be a virgin.
Jackson: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 1) Page 20
