by Lexi Blake
But Alex had a plan for that and Jake was right where he should be, his eyes bloodshot and his normally pressed suit just the slightest bit wrinkled. His eyes slid over Alex and then back to Eve. He leaned over to the man seated to his left and whispered something in his ear.
Chazz laughed and leered a little Eve’s way before shaking his head. Alex could just catch the last of the conversation. “I don’t think he’s the sharing type, buddy.”
The VIP section of the club had been transformed into a dining area. Only the kitchen staff was around at this time of the day. The rest of the club was quiet. Chazz and Jake sat while three other men were gathered together talking quietly.
He slid his fingers through Eve’s, completely satisfied with the connection. God, he’d gotten to touch her more in the last several days than in the years that came before. Even though they were in the middle of an operation, he allowed himself to revel in the way her hair smelled. She’d changed her shampoo. She used to favor floral scents, delicate rose and lilacs. Now, her hair smelled like grapefruit, sharp and alive.
He dropped his head close to hers and whispered, “Don’t give away Jake, angel. He’s here for a reason.”
“Yes, Master.”
He was almost disappointed with the blank doll look on her face. He’d gotten used to bratty Eve. He would never admit it to her, but when she’d said she was worried that they hadn’t been as solid as they’d seemed back when they were married, he’d agreed. He hadn’t told her that he’d worried their life had become a dull set of never-ending protocols, and he’d actually resented having to select her clothes for her toward the end. That look on her face now was the one she used to get when she simply agreed to everything.
Maybe they’d both lost themselves somewhere along the way. He’d had five days of getting to know her again. Five days of holding her. Five days of completely withholding his cock.
That had to change.
“Although you could have told me in the car,” she whispered, her whole face turning stubborn and resentful.
And so cute. She was adorable when she thought he was a dumbass. He leaned over and kissed her. She didn’t flinch anymore. She was beginning to openly accept his affection even when they were in private. “I wasn’t sure he’d made it in. I found out about this investor meeting thing yesterday afternoon. Chazz mentioned he was going out to party. I wanted to see just how reckless he is. I sent Jake in to party with him. I hadn’t heard anything since. Apparently it went pretty well because he hasn’t changed his clothes.”
It proved that Chazz was a bit reckless. Jake had partied with him the night before. This was supposed to be a serious, rather secretive business meeting and Chazz had invited a virtual stranger in. Now, Jake had been playing a high roller, throwing money around, so Chazz might honestly think he was going to get something out of it, but there was no way the man had vetted Jake.
And it was also the perfect time to bug the little fucker’s car. Jake ran a hand through his hair and blinked twice. To the casual observer, he would simply look like a man who was a little tired, a little unkempt, but to Alex those two gestures meant the world. Jake had completed two of his three objectives. He’d bugged the car and Chazz’s private residence. Jake sniffed and gave him a little shake of his head. It was a no go on the keys to the office.
Damn it.
He was going to have to find another way in. Every day that went by put them in danger.
“He’s going to be obnoxious, isn’t he?” Eve asked, proving she knew how these things went.
And that was another reason he’d asked Jake to play a small role. If he needed to learn something about Chazz, then Alex wanted Chazz to learn something very specific about him. “Oh, yes. He’s going to prove a couple of points about me as well as getting his hands on some financials for us. But I can’t keep him in the game for long.”
Eve cuddled close, keeping her voice low. “Because Serena needs him and we need Adam.”
He ran his hands through her hair, fisting it gently and forcing her to look up at him. He damn straight liked the new hair. Even the color looked good on her, making her skin glow. She’d been a cool blonde for so long that he’d forgotten how the more natural brown shade brought out a flush in her cheeks. He’d made her leave off most of her makeup, allowing only a little mascara and some gloss. She’d been bitterly angry about that. Apparently, she didn’t find the dusting of freckles across her nose and cheekbones as sweet as he did. And someone was walking up behind them. He hardened his voice. “Be a good girl. I need to plant a GPS on one of the fuckers we’re meeting with. I would really like to know where some of the strongholds are. If I get a chance, I’m going to try to slip it into a pocket.”
The tiny GPS locators were one of Adam’s new playthings. He was a tech guru who very likely could have made millions off some of his little toys, but luckily, Adam was damn loyal. The tiny locator was black and would stick to a piece of clothing or a briefcase. He just had to find the right time to tag one of the bastards.
The blank doll face was back. “Yes, Master. I am always a good girl. Not that it does me any good.”
He felt a grin slide across his face and quickly quashed it though he couldn’t dampen the joy he felt. Withholding sex had been hell on earth, but he had a point to prove. She wanted to start over? He could do that, but it would be his way this time, and part of his way was proving he was boss in the bedroom. He slept with her in his arms every night and then showered with her in the morning, washing every inch of her himself. At first she’d stood stiffly in his arms as though it was something to endure. Slowly but surely, she’d softened, allowing him to touch her and comfort her. Somewhere around day three, she’d started rubbing against him. And this morning she’d been damn sullen about the fact that he wouldn’t take her.
His plan was working perfectly. At least the plan with Eve was working. The operation was another story.
“Gentlemen, these are the two I was telling you about. This is Master A and his slave. What should I call her?” Chazz asked.
Mine. He felt a growl start in the back of his throat because the slimy fucker was practically looking down Eve’s shirt. “Slave will be fine in a dungeon setting or one in which we’re working in high protocol, like today. In a more casual setting, you can call her Amanda. For the purposes of today, I thought we would be formal.”
Chazz nodded. “Absolutely. Everyone is very curious. I’ve seated you at the head of the table and your slave next to you.”
Alex shook his head. That simply wouldn’t do. “She doesn’t need a chair. She sits in my lap or at my feet. And I’ll feed her from my plate. She takes only what I give her.”
She would look very nonthreatening and she would be able to make a careful study of every man in the room. Still, her nails slightly dug into the flesh of his hand even though her expression never changed. She kept her head lowered submissively, but she got her point across. He would pay for it later. Or he would spank her ass for brattiness. Either way, he was looking forward to it.
She’d said good-bye on the balcony five days before, and he’d woken up knowing she’d been right. They would never have a clean slate. He didn’t want one. He wanted to acknowledge the relationship they’d had before, but he’d made a shrine of it and he’d been forced that night to really look at it. Their marriage had been far from perfect. He’d made mistakes. She’d made mistakes.
They were starting over.
Because he’d realized one thing. She still loved him. Deep down and underneath it all—Eve still loved him. Still needed him.
He wouldn’t let her down this time.
But he might piss her off. Since they’d come to Florida, she’d received three disciplinary spankings. She’d been late to workouts twice and mouthed off at him when he’d very politely requested that she perform another set of squats. He’d kept her off-kilter all week long.
And he had no intention of changing that.
He led her to t
he seat they had offered him. Four men sat around the table besides Chazz and Jake. Jesse, the little fucker, already had eyes on Eve. And he wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was carrying. Alex could see the round edge of his shoulder holster peeking from under his jacket. The ex-soldier looked a little awkward in a sport coat.
The other three men did not. They were all either South American or Middle Eastern. In the normal course of events, their nationality didn’t mean a damn thing. Alex had known plenty of all-American criminal assholes, but they were here “investing” in Michael Evans’s club.
These were men with ties to Evans. Evans was quite the terrorist entrepreneur. Alex was almost certain Evans was using the club to launder money, and having control of the money would give Evans a certain amount of power in the cells.
These were either jihadist terrorists or they worked for cartels. And every single one of them was looking at Eve.
He sat down, tugging her into his lap. He wanted her on the floor, safely at his feet where they couldn’t see her, but he needed her expertise more than he needed her hidden away. That was what the old Alex did. Damn, but she’d gotten to him that night on the balcony. He’d been thinking about his actions all week.
Had he turned away from her? Had it been easier to focus on Evans than to try to deal with what had happened to them?
And it had happened to them. He’d spent too many years not acknowledging that they were truly in this together. Eve had been the victim and Alex the man who had failed her, but sometime that night, as he held her close and felt her breath on his skin, he’d discovered something important.
They had to survive this together or neither could really survive it at all. Eve was right that they needed to move on, but she was wrong about how they should do it.
She thought he needed someone whole? He couldn’t be whole without her.
And that meant allowing her to be the partner she needed to be.
He pulled her into his lap and she immediately responded, allowing her head to find his chest.
The door to the kitchens opened and Sean walked through carrying a plate, followed by several young men who looked like they’d been forced into proper serving attire. Sean had spent his time getting the kitchen staff in order. They were running like a well-oiled machine.
“This is promising,” one of the Middle Eastern men said. “The last time I was here, your cook was horrible. If you intend to entertain my associates, you have to be better.”
Sean was wearing a perfectly pristine white chef’s jacket. “Today’s luncheon starts with lobster ceviche. There’s a beet and endive salad. Our main course is a rubbed rack of lamb with a celery puree. Enjoy.”
Kristen walked by, opening a bottle of wine. “I am the bar manager and sommelier for the club. Hopefully for the clubs. I believe you will find this first offering pairs nicely with the lobster.”
Kristen was wearing a black jacket that she seemed to be having a bit of trouble with. She subtlety pulled the sleeves down a couple of times as though they kept riding up and she was trying to maintain a professional air.
She was taking pictures. One of the buttons on her jacket was a camera.
Adam would have some work to do tonight.
She stopped when she got to Jake, and her face tightened. Fuck. He had hoped that she wouldn’t recognize him, but apparently she’d really done her homework. She finished her job and nodded as she walked off, not sparing him another glance.
He knew an angry woman when he saw one.
Jesse Murdoch looked down at his lunch like he’d hoped for fries and a burger.
One of the investors turned to Murdoch. “You were a soldier, correct? I remember your face.”
Alex felt Eve tense. He cuddled her closer. She was interested in a reaction. He could feel it. He shifted her so she could see the younger man whose face had flushed immediately. He wasn’t particularly good at hiding his reactions.
“I did my time,” Jesse said in a hard voice.
The man next to him smiled, a smooth, practiced expression. “Yes, I rather thought that was you. I shouldn’t be too surprised to see you here. Smart man. You picked the right side.”
Jesse took a sharp breath and then slammed out of his seat, his chair barking across the floor. “I’m not hungry. I’ll be on the door outside.”
Jake snorted a little as the door slammed. “He’s a pistol, that one.”
Chazz frowned. “He can be a hothead, but he’s proven to be a loyal soldier.”
Eve was staring at the door, her brown eyes curious. She was interested in the young dumbass in an intellectual way. That made Alex interested as well. Was there something to the kid that he was missing?
“I believe our mutual friend would find him intriguing. You know how he loves to corrupt Americans,” a second man said.
Now Alex’s attention was focused. He maintained a quiet air, paying attention to Eve, feeding her soup as he took his own, but he was all about the mutual friend.
Chazz proved just how reckless he was. “Yeah, Mikey is going to love Jesse. He’s a little too soft on the pussy though. We need to teach that boy how to handle his scene. Master A should be able to do that. I think Master A could be good for all my men. He’ll get the women in line before the big boss shows up.”
Oh, he so wanted to meet the big boss. His heart beat a little faster. Evans was coming and soon. He needed that date. He needed to know where and when.
Eve stiffened slightly.
And he couldn’t hold her close because everyone was watching. She was supposed to be a pretty plaything. He couldn’t show his softness or they would know he wasn’t what he said he was.
She was scared, and he was going to fail her again.
Goddamn it. This was why he didn’t want her on this op.
“He seems fairly soft on women.” The third man stared at them, his nose wrinkling as though he found the entire thing distasteful.
He was losing them. He didn’t change his expression at all. “She’s behaving. I like to reward proper behavior.”
“Women should know their place whether they are rewarded or not,” the second man said. He turned to Chazz. “You said he was going to perform a scene. Is this what you meant?”
“No. A scene is much more involved.” Chazz nodded toward the door where Jesse stood. “I’ve brought in some equipment. If we choose to go this way with the clubs, we would need to invest in better quality ‘toys’ as we say in the lifestyle. We want everything to look good.”
The third man huffed a bit. “I don’t need equipment to bring my women in line. I simply need the back of my hand.”
Oh, that fucker would feel the back of Alex’s hand. Eve snuggled a little closer, her very presence calming him. It struck him rather forcibly that she hadn’t calmed him down in years. Since the divorce, since the incident, his blood pressure ticked up when she entered a room whether from guilt or fear of losing her, but after the week before, he felt different.
He was in control again, and she was his partner. It might not last past the mission, but he was going to enjoy it for now.
He had to put on a show because he’d just figured out what Chazz was doing and why.
“Up, pet.” He moved Eve off his lap as Jesse reentered the room carrying a whipping bench. The younger man moved easily, hefting the heavy bench like it weighed next to nothing.
“I was told to bring this thing in here.” He set it down a good twelve feet away from the table and then turned. He didn’t meet eyes with the men at the table, but he stared at Eve like she was a lamb going to slaughter.
The boy seemed to have a problem with D/s, but then if Chazz had been his only instructor, it was to Jesse’s credit that he had a problem.
“Thank you.” Alex turned to his audience. He got it now. He was the distraction. If Chazz hadn’t figured it out yet, he was about to help him along. This was what Evans wanted. This was why they’d come looking for a Dom in Residence.
Sean chose to make a very well-timed entrance with the second course. As the soup course was taken out, he managed to have a few words with him and Sean agreed to the plan.
Alex was about to make himself indispensable.
Jesse took up residence at the back of the room, his eyes squarely on that chair.
“Come, pet.” He reached into his well-worn kit and withdrew the silk rope. He’d switched to silk from jute as soon as he’d been able to afford it. In the last five years, these toys were the only presents she would accept from him, so they were top of the line. She was wearing a thin leather collar around her throat, the one he’d picked up for Amanda with little thought past the fact that it was supposed to be part of their cover. He didn’t like the look of that cheap thing against Eve’s silky skin.
He was going to buy her a new collar. Something with diamonds and maybe an emerald or two. It would look beautiful around her throat.
For the time being, she belonged to him and she would accept his gifts. Ian was right. He’d been a pussy for far too long. It was time to be her Dom again. Eve needed his domination. Without it, she’d become far too strict on herself. She needed to know it was all right to relax from time to time.
And he needed her to give him purpose.
“Why aren’t you in proper position?” He growled the words at her, forcing his fingers into all that hair and tugging lightly. Her head came back and a throaty gasp left her mouth.
It was an act. From the outsider’s point of view, he would seem brutal, but Eve’s easy compliance guaranteed she felt no pain. Eve had always enjoyed “angry Master” scenes, and they had played it out many times in front of an audience. This was a delicate dance they’d perfected long ago. She’d known exactly what he needed the minute he’d growled. He watched her eyes flare slightly and her body relax, sure signs that she was following his lead.
She sank down with him, her every move pure precision and grace. She’d fought so hard to gain her agility again. For the longest time he would wince every time he saw her practicing, a reminder of how he’d failed her.
