The Fire Within

by Jan Springer

  “I see I hit you a little too hard. I do apologize, Jim.”

  “What’s the big idea strapping me down like this, Carmella?”

  “Just relax. Let me massage away your headache.”

  He wanted to protest but when her fingers began massaging his temple with tiny, gentle soothing circles, the pain ebbed away almost immediately. It appeared she was an expert on whacking people and bringing relief.

  Despite the tenseness of the situation, he calmed under her ministrations. With the relaxation came curiosity.

  His gaze dropped from her pretty face and followed the slender column of her neck to the curve of her shoulder. A very naked shoulder with a dusting of rust colored freckles. He followed the trail of freckles down to…

  She was naked. Not good.

  Two very large breasts jiggled not too far away from his mouth. Dusky rose nipples poked straight out at him as if to say, here I am, have yourself a taste.

  He swallowed nervously. He didn’t know why he should be so surprised to see her nude. He’d seen her naked as he’d watched her entertain the students during lessons over the past couple of nights since arriving here.

  “What do you want, Carmella?”

  The tip of her tongue peeked through her slightly parted lips and her hopeful gaze raked down to his penis. “You are very well endowed.”

  “I’ve no complaints so far.”

  “Most women say size matters. I tend to agree with them, but the man must know what to do with his hands, mouth and cock, in order to bring about the utmost pleasure in a woman.”

  Suspicion whipped through him.

  “Exactly what kind of game are you playing?”

  “Curious, mia cara? That’s wonderful. It means you’re open to new and exciting things.”

  “Listen, if you’re searching for a fascinating fuck, I can oblige you. Just untie me.” Then I’ll leave, he added silently. There was no way he’d let this woman introduce him to “new and exciting”.

  “I don’t want to untie you, darling. I prefer a…captive audience.”

  Lust sparkled in her eyes.

  He swallowed nervously. He needed to get out of here. Pronto.

  “Carmella? What are you planning to do to me?”

  “Please don’t be frightened, Jim.”

  A shiver of fear crawled up his spine. Past experience had taught him to be scared when someone told him not to be. His breath caught as a warm fingertip pressed delicately against his lips.

  “Shh.” Her finger began to massage the left corner of his mouth with soothing little circles like she’d done to his temple. Slowly. Gently. Erotically.

  The corner of his mouth began to loosen. She switched to his other side and she massaged until the tightness evaporated.

  What was she up to?

  “It won’t work,” he growled, getting pissed off at being a captive.

  “What won’t work, darling?”

  “Whatever you are trying to get me to do. It just won’t work.”

  “What is it I’m trying to do?” she asked sweetly.

  “You’re trying to seduce my mouth into doing something for you. I’m not playing your games, Carmella. I’m a new student here. I haven’t been introduced to all the new exciting things yet. Why don’t we wait until I’m more…experienced?”

  “Jim, you’re way too experienced for this place. You are after all, a Sex Squad detective.”

  “Quit the crap, Carmella. What are you planning to do with me?”

  She pouted. “Oh pooh, you Sex Squad detectives need so much work in loosening you up. I can see you aren’t interested in playing with me tonight. But there is something I do have to tell you before I release you…”

  Jim frowned. The coolness in her voice told him she was about reveal something he wasn’t going to like.

  *****

  “Don’t be frightened, Sky.” Loverboy said as she struggled in his arms.

  “Frightened? Me?” She tried to laugh. Couldn’t. “I’ll show you how scared I am. Would you care to join me in my bedroom?”

  Hopefully at the invitation, Loverboy would let go of her and she could escape. To her relief his grip loosened slightly.

  “I’d prefer to do you right here, Sky. Right here on the cot. Except I won’t make love to you with my fingers, like Jim did at Sex Squad Headquarters.”

  Sky froze.

  Loverboy chuckled.

  “Oh come on! Don’t look so surprised, Sky Kelley, Sex Squad Detective. You honestly think I don’t keep track of my incoming virgins?”

  “You better be careful, Loverboy.” Sky warned. “I am a government agent. People know I’m here. It can get quite sticky if I should disappear.”

  “Oh Sky, ye of little faith. Nothing’s going to happen to you. That is, nothing that you don’t want to happen.”

  Sky swallowed, her throat suddenly went dry.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It means we’re going up to your room, Sky.”

  Dread grabbed hold of her. There was no way in hell she was going to have sex with Loverboy. No way in hell!

  On the other hand…The cuffs! She had handcuffs stuffed in a secret compartment in the lining of her purse. The purse was in her room. But she didn’t remember seeing it when she’d searched for her clothes. Panic welled again.

  No! Wait a minute. She’d left her purse in the bathroom. By the sink. They might have missed it when they’d taken her clothes. She’d already had a fictional story ready too in case the cuffs had been discovered. She enjoyed bondage.

  “Let’s head up to your room, Sky. Nice and slow. No funny moves. When we get there, if you’d like we can have drinks and I can slip something in, like in the bar.”

  Jim had been right!

  She could scream. She should have done so already, but she’d never been the screaming type. Now would be a good time to change that.

  As if sensing what she was about to do, his hand clamped over her mouth.

  “I don’t want my students disturbed, Sky. Not that they would come to your aid anyways”. His palm remained over her mouth and his arm stayed snug around her waist as he led her from his office. They entered the dark living room.

  Frantic, she searched for Jim. He was nowhere in sight.

  As they ascended the stairs, her mind tumbled with escape ideas. The thought of pushing herself backward against Loverboy was foremost. One swift shove would send him falling. But with the tight grip around her waist, she’d roll down with him. Her best bet lay with the handcuffs.

  At the top of the stairs, her legs wobbled as she poised to break loose when Jim jumped out to her rescue. Nothing happened. A drop of perspiration dribbled down the side of her face. Another one dripped down her back.

  The hallway was long. The longest hallway she’d ever walked down in her life. She didn’t know how she managed to keep herself together. Didn’t know how she didn’t bolt and run.

  As she passed the open doorways, men’s groans and women’s sensual whimpers mingled with creaking bedsprings. Fear encased her, making her only thought of escaping Loverboy, finding Jim and getting the hell out of here.

  When they reached her room, Sky stopped in the doorway and blinked in shock.

  Candles flickered everywhere. The distinct scent of lilac permeated the air. Filling her room with candles meant only one thing. He meant to have sex with her.

  Chapter Six

  Terror at the prospect of an attack made her dizzy. Her insides shook. Her legs wobbled like jelly. The door closed behind them and Loverboy uncapped her mouth but he didn’t let go of her waist.

  “No screams, Sky. You don’t want any harm to come to Jim do you?”

  Instinctively she knew his cover was blown too.

  “What have you done to him?”

  “He’s…tied up at the moment, but you’ll see him shortly. I promise.”

  She needed to get to the cuffs. Now!

  “I have to use the bathroom,” she said tightly.<
br />
  “I’ll accompany you.”

  “I…I can go myself.”

  “No,” Loverboy said firmly.

  He walked her into the bathroom. Her anxiety mounted when from the candlelight flickering through the open doorway she spied her purse on the countertop, exactly where she’d left it.

  “I have protection in my purse,” she said as she reached out and grabbed it.

  He yanked the purse out of her hand. Sky almost screamed in frustration.

  “Go. Now.”

  “I don’t have to go anymore,” she whimpered.

  He grunted angrily and led her back into to the bedroom.

  A moment later, he began nuzzling her neck, his free hand sliding up and down her arm in a caressing gesture.

  “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Sky,” he whispered.

  Her heart cracked like a whip as she frantically tried to figure out her next move. Jim was in trouble and she had to find out where he was. Looking down, she noticed he’d dropped the purse onto the night table. The purse was angled in such a way that she was able to dip her hand into the side pocket and rip the special tear-away material of the secret lining. A split second later, her fingers slid onto the cold metal of the handcuffs.

  Loverboy’s warm breath sizzled across the back of her neck, tickling the fine neck hairs. He pressed his lips against her skin. Fear wrapped around her body making her legs tremble. She would have to act very fast if she was going to get out of this mess.

  She managed to slip the cuff around his wrist and readied to snap it shut when Loverboy suddenly pushed her. In a flash, she lost her balance and flopped onto her back upon the bed. She gasped in surprise when Loverboy grabbed both her wrists, swung her arms over her head and in a second he snapped a cuff over one wrist. He then slid the cuff around a wagon wheel spindle in the headboard and cuffed her other wrist. She was effectively secured to the bed.

  “You son of a bitch!” Sky shouted. She tried to bring down her arms but pain ripped through her wrists as the cuffs dug into her tender flesh.

  “Please relax, Sky.”

  “Oh, I’ll relax. When you’re in a court of law brought up on kidnapping a government agent.”

  “Easy, honey. I already told you. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “And the cuffs are just toys!” She spat.

  He frowned.

  “What else am I supposed to do when you attack me with them?”

  Sky exhaled in frustration. “What are you planning to do to me?”

  “Talk,” he replied.

  “About?”

  “Sally Green.”

  “I saw Sally Green’s Contract. You sold her for five hundred thousand dollars. You promise your slaves three hundred thousand. You’re worse than the government. What you’re doing is illegal, Loverboy.”

  “The rest of it is my finder’s fee. I can offer you the same deal. That’s more than you make in four years, isn’t it? I can make you an expert at pleasing others and how to get someone to please you.”

  “I’m not for sale, Loverboy.”

  Loverboy grimaced and shook his head. “No, you’re not. You want to get married. Live that old-fashioned dream about raising kids in a two-story house with a big backyard and a white picket fence. That’s where Sex Squad Detective Jim McBride comes in.”

  Sky bit her bottom lip as her darkest fear engulfed her. Loverboy did have Jim. That’s why he hadn’t come to her rescue.

  “Where is he?” she snapped and yanked angrily at her restraints.

  His gaze softened. “He is being prepared.”

  “Prepared for what?”

  “For your marriage, of course.”

  Had Loverboy gone nuts?

  “I’m a preacher, Sky. You want to marry, Jim. He obviously loves you. I plan to proceed over the ceremony. As you know, marriage on Saturna requires the preacher to view the consummation. It’s the law and then we’ll leave you two to your honeymoon.”

  “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why are you forcing us to get married?”

  “Forcing you? No one is forcing you, Sky. You don’t have to marry him. But it might be in your best interest if you two got hitched and displayed a united front. I’ll be doing you a favor as husband and wife cannot testify against each other.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Loverboy smirked.

  “It means what Jim did to you at Sex Squad Headquarters is illegal, Sky. Sex on the job, is illegal. You were taped there and you were taped here. I have the tapes. If the Chief’s superiors saw them you would lose your jobs and you’d be reprimanded and given stiff prison sentences.”

  “The Chief gave us his blessing to have sex if we needed to get your attention.”

  “I’m sorry Sky, but according to the revised assignment records on file, you weren’t supposed to have sex.”

  Sky swore inwardly.

  The smugness on Loverboy’s face meant he’d obviously fixed everything in his favor. His next words confirmed her suspicions.

  “As far as Sex Squad Headquarters is concerned, Sally Green never went missing . The Chief never gave you the go ahead to engage in sexual activities. A little behind the scenes face to face persuasion about what he was engaging in with his daughter has made him forget a few things that would have saved your asses. Your assignment was to merely infiltrate my farmhouse to check if I was training sex slaves illegally and get out with the information. No sex.”

  “You bastard! You paid someone off. Who’s your contact?”

  “You and Jim and the Chief are our contacts, of course. At least that’s what will come out if you chose to tell anyone what transpired here.” He withdrew an envelope from his back pocket. From it he dug a slip of paper and shoved it before her eyes.

  Sky’s blood ran cold as she read it.

  “And for all your help in keeping quiet about my dealings in the sex slave industry, here’s a wire transfer, Sky. To prove you are on my payroll. It is for $500,000 dollars placed in your account. There’s one for Jim too. You say anything to anyone and this bribe will become public knowledge.”

  “You can’t buy my silence.”

  He grinned smugly. “I already have.”

  This cannot be happening!

  “You won’t get away with this, Loverboy. I spoke directly to the Chief to get this assignment.”

  “As I said, the Chief will deny giving you permission for sexual encounters.”

  “Like hell he will.”

  “It’s all been arranged, Sky. The Chief’s daughter, Sally, is training in my farmhouse willingly. She wants to be a sex slave, but not for her father. If word gets out what he’s been doing to her since she was young, he’d be joining you and Jim in prison. He has every reason to keep his mouth shut. So, do you and Jim.”

  “You’re disgusting. The Chief would never do anything to hurt his only daughter. He loves her.”

  “He fucks her!” Loverboy spat angrily.

  “You’re a liar!”

  “He’s telling you the truth, Sky.” Jim’s bitter voice curled into the room. He stood in the doorway. Anger brewed in his eyes, but relief rushed through her to know he was okay.

  “Jim! Thank God you’re all right.”

  “Take the cuffs off her.” Jim demanded as he walked into the room. She noticed Carmella standing in the doorway, a gun trained on Jim.

  “I have the key. We keep them on, Jim,” Loverboy stated. “The wedding will be more exciting this way.”

  Jim didn’t appear to be surprised about a wedding. He’d obviously been told already about it.

  The bed moved slightly as he sat down and smiled at her. The smile lit up his eyes to the point they twinkled with unmistakable love for her. Happiness and warmth filled her, despite the trouble they were in. Joy that he still cared deeply for her even after the fight they’d had last week.

  “I’m so glad you’re all right,” he whispered.

  “Nothing wha
t getting out of these handcuffs won’t cure.”

  He reached out and caressed her shackled wrists.

  “Did he tell you?” She didn’t know why she was whispering. Loverboy stood right behind Jim within hearing distance.

  “About us getting married? Sally Green? The tapes he has on us? Or the substantial amounts of money he’s stashed in our accounts?”

  “I guess you know everything.”

  He nodded.

  “Carmella told me. He set us up. A damn good job of it too.”

  “Why, thank you.” Loverboy cooed from behind Jim.

  Jim threw Loverboy a cold glare that made him shut up.

  “Is it really true about Sally?” Sky whispered. “About the Chief abusing her since she was young?”

  “I’m afraid so. I talked to her in the Sex Dungeon. She doesn’t want anything to do with her father. She’s made her decision. She wants to be a slave. She is of age. She is here of her own free will. There’s nothing we can do.”

  “Shall we get on with the ceremony?” Loverboy interjected.

  Jim stopped caressing her sore wrists and captured her gaze.

  “Do you still want to marry me, Sky?” His voice was filled with hope and his nearness made her believe everything was going to be all right.

  “With Loverboy watching us?” This was so not how she’d expected her marriage to begin, but what choice did they have? Laws both here and on Earth existed that the preacher plus family and friends, if they were available, watched the consummation of the marriage. She’d always been prepared for an audience at her wedding consummation, just not Loverboy.

  Besides, Loverboy had set them up. If they didn’t do as he said, then he would release the information about the money in bank accounts that were in their names. The sex tapes he said he had, of which she had no doubt he spoke the truth, would be released and they would go to prison. They were at Loverboy’s mercy.

  “If it isn’t him, it’ll be another preacher. I want to marry you, Sky. But I will wait if that’s what you want.”

  “No.”

  Jim’s sharp inhalation and the shocked expression on his face made her realize he’d misunderstood her.

  “I mean no, we need to do what he says. Besides, I can’t wait for you. Let’s get married.”