Charmed and Dangerous [Clandestine Affairs 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Zara Chase

  “Take the rest of your clothes off,” he said.

  It took Maddie mere seconds to step out of her jeans and panties. She threw them aside and resumed her submissive position near the wall, eyes downcast. Her pussy was leaking like a drain, juices trickling down her inner thighs as excitement swamped her senses. Would the trickling moisture earn her a punishment? She had absolutely no idea. Axel was still seated on the couch. Chancing a swift upward glance she found that he was watching her intently, rubbing his cock as he did so. He then stood up, stepped out of his clothes, and approached her. This was it. He’d touch her in some way and it would be game on. He was as aroused as she was, so he couldn’t possibly hold out, could he?

  Axel walked straight past her as though she wasn’t there and left the room without offering any explanation. So much for her being irresistible, she thought with a wry smile, humiliation washing through her. What was she supposed to do now? Stay where she was, stark naked, and wait for him to return? Or was she to assume he’d lost interest and go and find something else to occupy her? Damn it, this wasn’t so much fun now.

  Before Maddie’s annoyance had time to flourish, Axel returned clutching a length of rope he’d obviously found in the garage, and other items that she couldn’t make out.

  “This is to be your first lesson in submission,” he said, approaching her. “You have to learn to hold one position indefinitely, until Riley or I are ready for you to do something else. Normally we’d have all the equipment we need on hand. Since we don’t, we’re gonna have to improvise. Give me your wrists.”

  She held them out, and Axel bound them loosely together with a scarf he must have found in her room. He then threw the coil of rope over one of the exposed ceiling beams and fastened it to the scarf binding her wrists.

  “Raise your arms above your head, babe. Spread your legs but not too wide. I need you to be able to balance on your toes.”

  She did so, excitement building as Axel adjusted her limbs to his satisfaction. He then pulled the rope so tight that with her legs spread she really could only balance on her toes. She gasped, feeling anxious and yet liberated, completely at his mercy.

  “We need a safety word, darlin’,” he said in a seductive purr. “If it gets too much for you, use the word and we stop immediately. What word do you suggest?”

  “Copeland,” she said without hesitation, thinking of the horrible major who’d so patronized her.

  Axel laughed. “That’ll be easy enough to remember.”

  Axel tied something over her eyes and her world went dark. Balancing spread-eagled and naked was liberating, exciting, and painful all at once. She wasn’t sure how long she could hold the position. She needed a distraction—something to take her mind off the cramping in her toes. As though he read her mind, she sensed Axel moving closer. She could smell the essence of him and actually felt the heat emanating from his body. A piquant thrill ran through her own oversensitized body because at last he was going to touch her.

  He didn’t touch her. At least not with his hands, but something so delicate it could almost have been a figment of her imagination rimmed one of her nipples. Maddie gasped. How could something so innocuous send such delicious shivers spiraling through her? Presumably because she couldn’t see what was coming, couldn’t anticipate what he would do next, but already had total faith in his ability to broaden her horizons.

  Something was being done to her other nipple, which caused her to forget all about her cramped toes. The contact with one was almost nonexistent, while the other was being pinched so hard it made her eyes water, sending even more sensation to mess with her mind. The amalgamation of tickle and torture was explosive, and Maddie was almost crying with need.

  “I don’t understand…I think…what— ”

  “Wait for the pain to transmute to pleasure,” Axel said in a soft, commanding voice.

  “But it already has.”

  Shit, it wasn’t his fingers pinching her, it was his teeth doing the damage. She relaxed into the pain, trusting him completely, and was rewarded when exquisite shards of intense awareness trickled from her breast and pooled in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to push herself into his mouth and have him suck her nipple far deeper, but she didn’t dare move for fear of losing her balance.

  The gentle tickling was working its way down her torso, but his teeth continued to attack one nipple. He was inching closer to her throbbing nub. Please! She’d beg aloud if she thought it would do any good. Maddie was too desperate to worry about her pride. She restrained herself, somehow knowing that he wanted her to beg, just so he could punish her by making her wait a little longer. Maddie couldn’t possibly wait, not another second. She thrust her pelvis toward him without realizing she’d done it. All contact with her body immediately stopped, and Maddie let out a pathetic-sounding whimper.

  “Sorry, master,” she said meekly.

  He didn’t answer her, making Maddie feel wretched for having disappointed him. There was nothing she could do now but submerge herself in the moment, waiting, hoping. There wasn’t a sound in the room, other than that of her labored breathing. She couldn’t even be sure if Axel was still with her, except she assumed he wouldn’t leave her tied up like this with no means of escape.

  Without warning, she felt that almost nonexistent sensation resume on the top of the cramped toes of her left foot. Her breathing hitched as she waited to see where it would lead. It crept agonizingly slowly up her calf, paying particular attention to the area behind her knee. Hell, it felt so damned good! Maddie had never given much thought to her knees before and certainly wouldn’t have classed them as an erogenous zone.

  She forgot all about knees when extreme pressure was put on one of her nipples again, sending her into sensory overdrive. How could he be bending to tickle her calf and biting her nipple? She gasped when the truth dawned. He couldn’t possibly be doing both—not unless he was a contortionist—so he must have attached something to her nipple. She longed to ask him what it was but feared he might remove it if she did. She wasn’t prepared to take that chance and remained silent, absorbing the desire that slammed through her without making a sound.

  She felt Axel’s hot breath on her pussy—just his breath, damn it. Not his mouth or his fingers. It was too much to endure. If he didn’t let her come soon she’d expire from frustration. His rich chuckle echoed through the quiet room, almost as though he could read her mind. Not that that would be too difficult, given the circumstances, she supposed. Suddenly she felt his hair against the insides of her thighs and his mouth latched onto her cunt, sucking at her aching nub as his fingers delved deep inside. She probably wasn’t supposed to come—make that she definitely wasn’t supposed to—without his permission. Knowing it caused the heady sensations rippling through her to multiply tenfold. She struggled to breathe deeply and evenly, hoping it would help her to maintain control. It didn’t do much, and Maddie was now conscious of the perspiration peppering her brow and her limbs trembling uncontrollably.

  Screw it! It was too hard, her desperate need too powerful for her to fight against it. With a reckless cry she thrust her hips forward as far as her bound arms permitted and orgasmed in his mouth, bucking and thrusting her way to release. It felt soooo good. Maddie allowed the heady feeling to stream through her body, not caring about the consequences.

  She thought Axel might stop what he was doing because she’d disobeyed him. Hell, she’d never speak to him again if he did. Instead he increased the pressure of his lips, his tongue swishing firmly upward and barely touching her pussy on its return journey. He was an expert at giving cunnilingus, which hardly came as a big surprise.

  “Shit,” she said, unable to maintain silence. “Don’t stop, Axel, I’m still coming.”

  Chapter Nine

  Riley’s drive to the veterans’ center gave him an uninterrupted fifteen minutes in which to think about the developing case. Under normal circumstances that would have meant using the time to figure out what Copelan
d had hoped to discover on his fishing trip to Maddie’s home that morning.

  But circumstances were far from normal, so he didn’t go down that route.

  He should also have spent the time trying to decide how to play things when he got to where he was going. What questions to ask and why his sixth sense told him the place held clues when all the time he’d assumed the reason for the major’s death was connected to something he’d stumbled upon in his work for GIS.

  Riley’s mind was having none of it. His concentration was shot to pieces, and all he seemed to be able to think about was Maddie herself—about what had happened between them the previous night and how he felt about her in the cold light of day. He should be chasing his tail, trying to tie this case up so they could all go back to their lives. That way he wouldn’t have to think of ways to put Maddie off, should another opportunity to get up close and personal arise.

  He wasn’t doing that because the plain fact of the matter was he didn’t want to put her off. She’d gotten beneath his defenses without even trying, and he wanted to explore the depths of her sensuous nature. They’d barely scratched the surface last night. He knew that for a certainty but was pretty sure Maddie didn’t. He chuckled. Well, she’d soon find out because Axel would be putting her through her paces right now.

  He and Axel always thought alike when they found a woman they wanted to play with, and they always shared. Axel hadn’t said anything more about Riley breaking his own rules, crossing the no-man’s-land until the boundaries between business and pleasure became blurred. No, old Axel would be feeling smug and vindicated right now. He’d been telling Riley for years that it was time to let Stella rest in peace and move on with his personal life. He and Axel couldn’t afford the luxury of a permanent female in their lives, but hell, a bolt of lightning hadn’t struck him down because he’d fucked a client. He’d done what he’d done, and all the time this case went on, he’d continue to want a piece of Maddie. Once wasn’t enough for him. No, sir, not nearly. Riley knew in his gut that he’d never be able to get enough of Maddie McGuire.

  Hell, he was in trouble!

  The downside of mixing business with pleasure was walking around with a near-permanent hard-on. It was happening to him again now, just because he’d been thinking about her and that cute little mewing sound she made when she was close to orgasm.

  Shit, this isn’t good! He ought to have his mind on business. His cock apparently agreed and was thinking about its business. It had swelled up inside his pants, making it near impossible for him to move.

  He found the vets’ center, a renovated warehouse in a rundown part of downtown with no parking facilities. He followed signs to a nearby parking garage and waited for his erection to subside before locking the truck and walking across a narrow street that backed onto the center. Finding the front door, he pushed all thoughts of Maddie and her wild reaction when she climaxed to the back of his mind. There was a small reception area with a notice board filled with job vacancies, notices of meal times, items for sale, classes—all the usual stuff a person would expect.

  Riley looked around, waiting for someone to respond to the bell he’d just rung. The place was sparsely furnished with mismatched chairs and tables that had obviously come from Goodwill, yet meticulously clean and tidy. He’d expect nothing else from an establishment run by former military types. Tidiness came second nature. A smell of cooked food reminded him not so fondly of his old mess hall. He smiled to himself. Some things never changed, and that obviously included the quality of the chow in this pseudo-military establishment.

  “Can I help you?”

  The question was addressed to Riley by a trim senior, dressed in smart casual clothes, his graying hair cut with military precision, his stance upright, shoulders squared as though still on parade.

  “Ah, yes.” Riley replaced the leaflet on government benefits he’d been perusing. “I sure hope so.”

  “You don’t look as though you’re in need of our services,” the older man said, “although I can tell you’re ex-military.”

  “Guilty as charged.” Riley stuck out his hand. “Riley Maddox, former marine.”

  “John Reynolds,” the other man responded, giving Riley’s hand a firm shake as he continued to size him up. “Career solider.”

  Reynolds was probably being as economical with the truth about his career as Riley was about his own. He seldom told people that he’d been a SEAL. It was definitely need to know, and this guy didn’t need to.

  “This looks like a worthwhile operation, what I’ve seen of it,” Riley said.

  “We do our humble best. Never enough volunteers or money, of course. Speaking of which, dare I hope you’ve come to volunteer? We’re always in need of mentors, or just other military types to talk to our people. Only those that have been there themselves can really understand what our veterans go through.”

  “That’s certainly true, and I’m sorry to disappoint,” Riley said, meaning it. “I’m just passing through, but I was hoping to pick someone’s brain while I’m here.”

  “What about?”

  Riley was a good judge of character and had already decided that Reynolds played with what his British friends would call a straight bat. “Major McGuire,” he said. “I gather he volunteered here.”

  Reynolds’s face darkened. “What business is that of yours?”

  “I’m a friend of his daughter’s, and of Claudia Greenway.”

  “Ah, Claudia. A lovely lady.” Reynolds shook his head mournfully. “Dreadful business with the major. Still haven’t gotten over the shock. I don’t know Miss McGuire. I feel for her, of course, but I feel for Claudia more, to be honest. I served with her first husband. Claudia was devastated by his loss. She finally found some happiness again, and now this.”

  “Yeah, it sucks.”

  “Anyway, why has Miss McGuire sent you here?”

  “There are a few bits and pieces belonging to her father that she can’t find. She wondered if he had a locker here. She’s searched everywhere else and is getting a bit upset.” Riley shrugged. “You know how women can be about these things.”

  Reynolds bridled. “Are you saying that—”

  “Hell, no, I’m not suggesting that anything’s been stolen. These aren’t valuable items anyway, just a few things he always had with him but which weren’t on him when he died. Nor are they at his home. It’s a longshot, I know, but if there’s anywhere here…” Riley allowed his voice to trail off, trusting to luck that Reynolds would fill the ensuing silence. He didn’t disappoint.

  “I’d like to help, but offhand I can’t think of anywhere—”

  “What did the major do here anyway, just as a matter of interest?” Riley asked.

  “He mostly chatted to some of the newer guys, counseled them, I guess you could say. He helped them to adjust, look for work, or just listened to their woes. Sometimes all they need is a sympathetic ear. Uncle Sam doesn’t exactly look after his veterans well, but you don’t need me to tell you that.”

  “I certainly don’t.” Riley flashed a brief smile. “Can I take a look around?”

  Reynolds hesitated for a second and then nodded. “I don’t see why not.” He pushed in a four-digit code and the door to the main part of the building opened for them. “Right this way.”

  “Thanks,” Riley replied.

  “Can you believe we’ve had to add security?” Reynolds asked. “These guys put their lives on the line on behalf of the good old US of A and get ripped off by way of reward. We’ve had several break-ins recently and decided after the last one that we’d have to do something about it. Not that there’s anything to steal, but it’s infuriating, and I still have trouble remembering the code.”

  Riley wondered if it was true there was nothing to steal, or if it had to do with the major’s death.

  “What was stolen?” he asked.

  “Nothing as far as we could tell. That’s what makes it so annoying.”

  “Do you work here full
time?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’m one of just four who do. I live on the premises, but before you ask, I didn’t hear anything when the break-ins occurred, and I was here on both occasions.”

  Riley nodded, his suspicions all but confirmed. They were professionals.

  “How recent was this?” he asked.

  “Quite recent. About a month ago and then last week. Anyway, I hold the whole thing together here. I have the fancy title of Operations Director, which is a pseudonym for general dog’s body.”

  Riley presumed he was supposed to laugh and duly did so. They’d entered a large room, dotted with men of all ages. Some were reading, others playing chess or board games, but most were just staring into space.

  “This is our day room,” Reynolds explained. “We have twenty fulltime residents here, accepted on a basis of need and ability to contribute.”

  “It must be tough deciding who qualifies.”

  Reynolds rolled his eyes. “You have no idea. Problem is, half the people we want to help don’t want to be helped. They come in for a hot meal and a bath every so often but that’s about it.”

  “And live rough?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “How are you financed?”

  “Partly by the state. The major was instrumental in shaming them into that. The rest is through donations.” He shrugged. “Like I said before, it’s never enough.”

  “I don’t suppose it is.”

  “Come this way. We have a few lockers back here in the staff room, but I’m pretty sure the major didn’t ever use one.”

  Riley was, too, because none of the major’s possessions were actually missing. It was just Riley’s way of getting the guided tour. They examined the lockers, but none of them bore the major’s name.

  “Were the lockers broken into during your burglaries?” he asked.

  “As a matter of fact they were. They’re used by staff members, but no one leaves anything valuable in them and nothing was taken.”

  “Hmm, I see.”