by Lexi Blake
“Well, someone has to. You don’t seem to be able to handle her.”
Grace had had just about enough of Ian. She might be pissed at Sean, but by God this was between them, and she was sick of other people putting their noses in it. She was the one standing here cold and naked in front of complete strangers. She didn’t need for Sean and Ian to have it out now. “He handles me just fine. Get out.”
Ian’s eyes widened, and his chest puffed out. Sean stepped firmly between them. “Not going to happen. She is not yours to discipline. You heard her. Grace, he’s worried about you. Tell him what you call me.”
“Mostly, right now I call you asshole.”
Sean growled.
She decided to get it over with. The sooner Ian left, the sooner she wasn’t showing him everything she had. “Fine, Sir. Master. Whatever, this is between us.”
Ian shook his head. “You have one hour. No more. Come along, Eve.”
He started out of the dungeon without another look back at the woman named Eve. They didn’t appear to be intimate partners, though the blonde had seemed perfectly comfortable in the dungeon. Eve turned her head and smiled, giving Grace a little thumbs up before the door closed.
Sean turned to her. “You’re manipulating me again.”
Grace pulled at the leather belt, but there was no give to it. “Again? Me, manipulating you? I think it’s the other way around, Sean.”
“No?” He pulled off his own shirt, much calmer now than he had been before. “You’re angry about my deception. You’re angry I caught you. You want to get me just as pissed as you so I’ll take you without any kindness, and then you can hate me.”
“What makes you think I don’t hate you already?” She deeply feared she didn’t. Maybe she was trying to do exactly what he said.
“Well, your defense of my person, for starters. Then there’s the fact that we’re here. You might be angry, but you know this is between the two of us. There’s no place for anyone else in this relationship.” He picked up the towel, and she held back a sigh as he started to rub her body with it. He began with her outstretched hands.
“We don’t have a relationship, Sean. We have a bunch of lies you told me.”
His hands moved the thick towel across her in a sensual glide. He paid close attention to her breasts. The lush towel moved over and around first one, and then the other. When he was through, every inch of her breasts felt sensitized.
“Really? Besides my name and my vocation, what lies have I told you?”
Her skin tingled as he moved down. The chill was gone, replaced with a slow heat. He got to his knees, still in the stiff denim he was wearing. He paused at the apex of her thighs. Grace bit back a groan as he gently patted down her pussy and went to work on her legs. She had to stay in control. It would have been so much easier if he’d just stayed pissed off. “You said you cared about me.”
“Not a lie, little one.”
She didn’t buy it, but it had been easier to completely disregard that he was anything but a liar when they were fighting. Now he was at her feet, wrapping them one by one in his hands. He was still soaked to the bone, but she was getting warm and dry. “I don’t believe you. You’re just saying that because you want to control me during this interview thing.”
Sean got up from his knees, his hands going to the fly of his jeans. Grace couldn’t help but notice the way his big cock was already tenting the denim. She ached to touch him. She was suddenly very glad her hands were tied above her head. Sean pushed the soaked jeans over his hips and briskly dried off his magnificent body. He seemed infinitely more comfortable since he’d walked into this room. He was at home in the dungeon. He was back to being a Dom.
He invaded her space. His naked body pressed against hers, the connection humming all along her skin.
“I’m doing this to protect you.” His hand trailed from her neck down to her straining nipples. “I’m going to get you out of this, Grace. Trust me.”
Trust him? Tears filled her eyes. “How can you ask me to do that when you don’t trust me at all?”
His bright blue eyes became hooded. “This is neither the time nor the place for this. We’ll get to the evidence against you soon enough. Now I need something, and I know you do, too.” His erection prodded her belly.
Grace pushed against him as much as the restraints allowed her. “I need you to leave me alone.”
He sighed heavily. His hand touched her neck, tracing the line where her necklace used to lay. “That’s the last thing you need.”
“Don’t tell me what I need.” He was frustrating her to no end. She brought a foot up to kick at him, anything to get him as out of control as she felt. She didn’t even make contact. His hand shot out to catch her.
“Don’t try it again. I’m being patient. At the next infraction, I get out the crop, Grace.”
His calm voice did her in. She was a roiling mass of emotion, and he was perfectly calm. It wasn’t anywhere close to fair. She kicked out, finally catching his leg. He stepped easily back and disappeared from sight.
“Get back here and fight with me,” Grace snarled. It sounded like he was opening drawers. She knew exactly what he was looking for and part of her was so grateful for it.
“I don’t want to fight with you.” His words were clipped as though he was losing some of that patience of his. “Damn it. Apologize or use your safeword. Otherwise, it’s a count of twenty, sub.” He held a crop in his hands. Grace stared at it. It was roughly the length of Sean’s forearm and the tip looked like soft leather. What would it feel like?
He brought her head up, his fingers gentle against her chin. His eyes held hers for a moment. “I don’t want to do this. I would rather take you down, unbind your hands, and make love to you.”
He wanted to make love to a woman he believed capable of all manner of crimes? He hadn’t even laid out what he wanted to accuse her of, but he wanted her to lie back and welcome him into her body? She wanted him, but not like that. This was the end. She wouldn’t touch him after this session, and she wanted none of his tenderness. “I hate you.”
His eyes closed momentarily as though the words brought him pain. He was a spectacular actor, but then she already knew that. “If this is what you need…count of twenty, sub.”
The crop came down across her ass in an arc of flame, licking her skin, making her gasp. Her skin burned, and then the heat sank in.
“I need a count, Grace.” His words were heavy, weary even.
“One.”
Immediately the crop came down again, the sound cracking through the room like thunder. Tears pooled in her eyes, making the world a soft, watery place. She let her head fall forward as the second stroke lashed across her. “Two.”
She’d always wondered. She’d always dreamed of this. She knew it was a perversity, but something about the way the pain became heat and the heat became pleasure made Grace feel free. This was what she’d been looking for. It wasn’t about the pain, exactly. It was about trusting him enough to give over. She didn’t have to think or worry in this place. She was only allowed to feel.
Sean had perfect rhythm. He seemed to know exactly what she needed, and Grace was strangely grateful to him. After so many years of bottling up the need, she let herself float.
“Five,” she said as the fifth stroke came. She bit her teeth against it and then let the heat flow.
The crop came down over and over. Her count continued, moving past ten and eleven into twelve. Her own voice seemed far away now, as though it wasn’t really a part of her. Now she was in a place where nothing mattered but that sweet heat and the rush of arousal that caused her pussy to throb. The world and all its worry receded, and she could concentrate on feeling.
“Nineteen.”
She panicked a little, coming out of her safe place. One more and she had to give him up. One more and she had to be alone again. The crop came down, and she couldn’t say it. She couldn’t give him that final number that marked the end of th
em.
He didn’t wait for it. She heard the crop hit the floor and felt his hands skim the cheeks of her burning ass.
His lips pressed into the curve at the base of her spine, and it felt too sweet to fight. He ran his mouth all along her back, depositing kisses along the way. When he got to the nape of her neck, his mouth nuzzled her. His body cradled her. He cupped her breasts, his cock nestling in the cheeks of her ass. His mouth found her earlobes and licked and teased them.
“I need you, Grace.” He plucked at her nipples, the sensation making her moan. He rubbed his cock against her. “I need you so much.” His hands skimmed down her body and found the V of her thighs. “You’re so wet. You’re so wet for me.”
His fingers slid easily into her pussy. She was soaking wet. Her clit quivered with every pass of his hand. He fucked a single finger into her as his cock pressed between her cheeks.
And she couldn’t fight him. She wanted him. She wanted one last time with him. She protested when his hand came out of her pussy. It earned her a nip to her ear, an erotic little torture. Sean knew just how much pain to give. He knew just how to make her feel. He opened her heart in ways she thought impossible, but he didn’t feel the same way about her.
She would never find another man like him. Despite everything he had done, Grace was going to miss him for the rest of her life.
He pulled her hands off the hook above her head, and in a moment the belt was gone and she was free. He ran his strong fingers all along her arms, making sure she hadn’t lost circulation. When he was done, he pulled her close. His gorgeous face was so serious, it was hard to believe this was just a game to him. “I…I’m going to look after you.”
“But you don’t trust me.” It wasn’t a question. She knew the answer. The knowledge was a bitter pill, but she had swallowed it.
His jaw tensed, and his hands tightened around her. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you.”
He lowered his lips to hers, and his tongue licked the seam, demanding entry. He licked her lips the way he would a decadent dessert. She opened beneath him. She knew she should fight, but she couldn’t. She wanted one last moment with him. After this, she would be alone with only memories of him to keep her warm. She allowed her arms to wind around him as he lifted her up.
“Wrap your legs around me. I can’t wait.”
His big dick unerringly found her pussy, and Sean pushed his way in, filling her up, making her moan. He pushed her down onto his cock and held her against him, forcing his way in. She held on for dear life as he walked them to the bed. He never lost their connection. He tipped them over and came down heavily on top of her. She was caught between the silk of the sheets and warmth of his skin.
His hands came out and framed her face. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. She didn’t care about her sore skin. It was just one more sensation to be had at this point.
“Thank God.” Sean lifted his torso up and stroked into her. “Oh, you feel so good.” His eyes were heavy with desire. “So fucking right.”
He used long, slow, maddening strokes on her. He worked his way in to the hilt and held himself there for a moment before slowly pulling almost all the way out. Grace tightened her legs around him, not wanting to lose him. Over and over he pressed in and pulled out. He filled and retreated with purpose. Grace tried to push her hips up. She wanted to force him to lose that iron-willed control of his. He simply growled and let his weight hold her down. She had no choice but to take everything he gave her. His cock pressed deep, and Grace thought she would go crazy if he didn’t finish it. Every millimeter of her pussy was aching.
“Please.” It came out unbidden.
His mouth curled up, and Grace knew she’d made a mistake. He’d been waiting for her to beg. He was a game player to the end. “If this is what you need, little one, then I will give it to you.”
He slammed his cock in. He came up on his knees, his hands on her thighs forcing them apart so every inch of her pussy was exposed and open to him. Sean looked down, and Grace knew what he was doing. He was watching his dick plunder her pussy. He was watching as he fucked what he felt belonged to him. He pounded into her. His face flushed, and his breath came out in ragged draws. He pushed up into her, hitting that magic spot. Her pussy came alive, and she went flying. Sean’s thumb dragged across her clit, sending her into spasms of pleasure. She barely heard his strangled groan as he held himself against her and flooded her with his come.
He pushed into her even though she could feel his dick softening. It was as though he didn’t want to lose the connection. After awhile, he slumped down, holding not an ounce of his weight off of her. His face found the crook of her neck, and he lay cradled against her body.
“Mine.” She heard the whisper, felt the possessive kiss he bestowed on her neck.
But she wasn’t. And she wouldn’t be again.
Chapter Sixteen
Sean watched through the two-way mirror and thought briefly about what a complete pervert his brother was. How many people had a room with a two-way mirror and a viewing area in their homes? Ian Taggart did. He found it useful when training Doms and subs. Now Ian had moved out all of the sex toys and installed a very boring looking table with folding chairs. It looked like the set of any procedural room on television, right down to the nervous-looking suspect and the overbearing interrogator.
Except Grace didn’t really look nervous. She looked tired and withdrawn as she sat, coldly ignoring everything Ian said. Eve was sitting in the room with them, but she was watching Grace rather than participating in the interrogation. He’d watched as Eve’s face went from wary to concerned to downright sympathetic. The profiler of the group seemed to think Grace was an innocent bystander. Anxiety started to pulse through Sean’s system, making him edgy and restless.
What if he was wrong? What if he was allowing his past to color the current situation with Grace? If she was innocent, then he had a lot of apologizing to do.
There was a fine tremble in her right hand as she lifted it to her neck. She was reaching for something. Damn, she was reaching for the necklace he’d given her. In the few days she had worn it, it was obvious she’d become used to playing with it, possibly rubbing the little heart between her thumb and forefinger. It would have given her comfort. Now she reached for it, and it wasn’t there anymore. It was still outside, lost in the muddy yard. He would find it, fix it, get it back to her.
And she would potentially throw it right back in his face.
Her hazel eyes seemed focused on some point behind Ian’s head. Her mouth was tight, and the little lines around her eyes seemed so much more pronounced than usual. Sean wondered when she’d last eaten something. He’d pushed her hard, and now Ian was doing the same. He wanted nothing more than to walk into that room, haul her into his arms, and take her home. He would feed her and bathe her and cuddle her against him while she slept. He wanted this whole thing done with.
“She doesn’t seem very helpful.”
Sean felt his stomach tighten. Mr. Black. He’d shown up just after Sean had escorted Grace out of the dungeon. Sean had showered with her and taken care of her pink backside. He’d gotten dressed and was ready to go find her some clothes when Eve had brought him a bag. Someone had driven out and found Grace a skirt, shirt, and fresh underwear. Probably Adam, since the sizes were perfect, but Sean was grateful anyway. The whole time he’d taken care of her, Grace had just stood there like a doll, listless and lifeless. She was in a complete post-scene plunge. She followed all of his instructions, but she wasn’t with him. She was someplace else, someplace where she didn’t have to deal with him. He needed to smash through that wall.
“Maybe she doesn’t know anything,” Adam said.
Adam, Jake, and Liam stood in the back of the small viewing room. Sean had done his best to tolerate the man. Jake had asked him to be understanding. There had been some talk about something Adam was going through, but Sean didn’t care. If Adam made a mo
ve on Grace again, he was a dead man.
“I doubt that, Mr. Miles. The evidence is clear.” Black stood beside Sean, not bothering to look back at Adam. His cold eyes were clearly fastened on Grace Hawthorne. Black didn’t try to hide his identity this time around. He was dressed in an expensive, probably hand-tailored suit to match his expensive shoes. His dark hair was fashionably, though conservatively, cut. He was attractive but bland, the kind of man it would be easy to look past. His brows lifted quizzically as he turned toward Sean. “You got a look in his safe box? Taggart said you were the one who found proof I was fudging the truth.”
“You were lying. It’s what you do.” Sean still didn’t trust the man. He never would as long as Mr. Black worked for the Agency.
Mr. Black merely shrugged. “It’s a living. Did you find out what he’s trying to steal this time?”
“Something from the Bryson Building. How long has Parnell been doing this?”
Black chuckled, but the sound was oddly cold. “Parnell? Sorry. I still think of him as Wright. I was his handler, you know, though he was always a stubborn one. Damn fine agent, but then the rogue ones usually are. He’s been at this for at least three years. He faked his death five years back. It took me a little time to track him down. I never thought he would involve his brother. He didn’t have a close relationship with his family. His father was somewhat rough with him. No close family ties is one of the reasons we recruited him. He’s smart and cautious. We need to handle him carefully or he’ll run.”
If Sean thought for a moment Parnell would run and forget all about Grace, he would give the man a pair of sneakers. But a man like that would tie up his loose ends. Kayla’s body proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. He turned his attention back to the interrogation room.
“I don’t know.” Grace was shoving a piece of paper back Ian’s way. Sean strained to see what it was. It looked like her signed checks for the security deposit box. Ian, or perhaps Mr. Black, had pulled some strings and gotten copies from the bank. Her voice sounded tinny and tired over the speakers.
