Crime and Punishment 4: Burning Submission

by Trista Ann Michaels

  Her walls quivered around his length. He gritted his teeth to keep from thrusting hard and fast and bringing himself to orgasm as well. He wanted her to come again. He wanted her to beg him to stop. Only then would he find his own release.

  He thrust slowly as her orgasm cascaded through her, then picked up the pace as it began to wind down. He knew exactly where her G-spot was and used the tip of his cock to rub against it. Jennifer gasped and squirmed, arching and moaning as the tide began to rise once more.

  “You don’t have to wait for me to tell you this time, Jenn. Just go with it.”

  “No! Oh, God. No!” she screamed and exploded again.

  The lights flickered once more before going out completely, leaving only the soft glow of the various candles lit around the room. Had she done that, or had Nathan turned the lights off in anticipation of every bulb in the club shattering? At the moment, Josh wasn’t sure he cared.

  She felt too good with her walls convulsing around him, her screams echoing in his ears. He shifted slightly, pushing his cock balls-deep. In this position, he could easily hit the back of her womb. When he did, it sent her headlong into yet another screaming orgasm.

  “No,” she mumbled, shaking her head.

  Her skin was flushed a bright pink, and sweat dotted her brow.

  “You’ve got one more in you, sweetheart,” Josh murmured as he swiped over her swollen clit with the pad of his thumb.

  “No, Josh,” she panted.

  Josh slapped her on the ass hard enough to leave a handprint. She gasped and shuddered. Despite what her head was telling her, her body was ready.

  “Master, please,” she whispered. “I don’t think I can take another.”

  “You can and you will,” he replied.

  Keeping his strokes slow and steady, he put pressure on her clit. Jennifer bit down on her lip and groaned. When he pinched it, she screamed loud enough to catch the attention of everyone in the club. She kept screaming as her body jerked and convulsed with every pleasurable throb that raced through her.

  Josh closed his eyes and pressed deep, losing himself to his own release just as her last throb rippled through her passage.

  With a sigh, Josh removed the toy and set it aside for the staff to clean. He then pulled from her body and disposed of the condom. He turned and stood at the side of the table and brushed her damp hair off her forehead. She never budged but did moan softly at his touch.

  “You did well, sweetheart,” he whispered as he leaned down to kiss her brow.

  “I didn’t do anything,” she said just barely above a whisper.

  Josh smiled slightly. Yes, she had. Without realizing it, she’d stolen his heart.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Josh paced around the pool behind Nathan’s club. Jennifer was still asleep in the guesthouse, exhausted from the night before. He should’ve been as well, but sleep eluded him. He was too worried about this meeting. Were they making a mistake? Was this safe? Would they all be played for a fool when Dr. Borgan took her from them?

  Nathan believed the doctor was telling the truth about Jennifer’s kidnapping, and Josh trusted Nathan, so why couldn’t he stop this nagging sense of dread? Was it his imagination? Or something else? Maybe he was just looking for a reason to stay with her?

  Josh sighed and glanced at the morning sun that had begun to peek over the horizon. What if he did go with her? Would she eventually hate him because he worked all the time? Would it put a wedge between them like it had every other relationship in his past?

  He hadn’t felt the need to return to work, not like he normally did. Was it because this whole time with her had felt like work? Once the danger subsided, would his need to be in the thick of the action again pull him away from her? Or would she be enough?

  He just didn’t know, and the thought of hurting her made his chest ache. He rubbed his hand over the scar as he began to pace again.

  His father had told him he needed to do something else. His boss wanted him to go through a full mental workup before returning, which Josh understood and loathed at the same time. The doctors who had operated on him told him his heart had stopped twice while they were doing surgery. Josh had no memory of it and would’ve actually preferred not to have even known about it. He didn’t want to talk about dying. It was bad enough that it had happened. The last thing he wanted to do was rehash it over and over, or at least what he could remember. Maybe that was the real reason why he wasn’t chomping at the bit to go back.

  Nathan was right, although Josh would never admit that out loud. He was in love with Jennifer, but he didn’t dare tell her. That would be cruel—tell her he loved her, then leave her. What kind of ass did that? But then, what kind of ass did what he’d done?

  He’d slept with her, knowing full well he shouldn’t.

  “Josh.”

  Hearing Nathan’s voice made Josh cringe. Nathan had probably picked up on every wave of emotion running through him right now and no doubt had some unwelcome words of wisdom. Josh turned and braced himself for the lecture. “You’re here early.”

  “I sent Connelly home and slept in one of the rooms upstairs. I didn’t want her here for this if something went wrong.”

  Josh gave a nod.

  “The agents are here. I thought we could hide them strategically close by…just in case.”

  Josh frowned at his friend. “I thought you felt secure about Borgan.”

  “I do, but I’m also not stupid. The others may be following him.”

  Josh stared toward the colorful clouds. “I didn’t even think of that.”

  “Your mind is on other things,” Nathan replied. “Right now, you can’t think like an FBI agent, Josh. You’re too involved.”

  “Speaking of the others,” Josh began, “what is she going to do about them?”

  Nathan strolled over to stand closer to Josh. “My guess is there’s not a lot that can be done. She wasn’t supposed to be kidnapped. She was supposed to go willingly with Borgan and be a part of the study. The corporation had been watching her and had other plans. They didn’t want her to be part of the study. They wanted to study her. Because of the sensitivity to the whole program, Borgan had trouble getting anyone higher up at the government involved. They didn’t want word about their telekinesis study getting out. But now that she’s free, Borgan wants to convince her to continue with the study, but for the government.”

  Josh scowled. “In exchange for protection from the corporation, I would hope.”

  “That would be my guess.”

  “How is that better for her?” Josh asked in exasperation.

  “Depends on the terms.” Nathan gave a shrug. “The program is very similar to the fellowship she was supposed to start at UT.”

  “That doesn’t…” Josh sighed and dragged his fingers through his hair for what felt like the thousandth time since Jennifer had gone to sleep.

  “We’ve all got to hear him out. And that means you need to sit back and keep your angry comments out of it.”

  Josh narrowed his eyes at Nathan.

  “I mean it. I can’t have you blowing up like a lunatic if you don’t like something he says. This meeting needs to remain calm. Jennifer will have a big decision to make, and she will not need you muddying it.”

  Josh opened his mouth to argue, but Nathan cut him off angrily. “If you don’t plan on going with her, then you have no right to interject an opinion. It’s her decision.”

  Josh’s anger instantly faded. Nathan was right. It was her future, and he had no right to intervene.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Jennifer sat at the patio table, twisting her fingers. There were five FBI agents surrounding the patio, hidden from view. Josh was there with her, but he stood a few feet away.

  To anyone else, he would look like a regular FBI agent. Dressed casually in jeans and a brown suede shirt that was open down the front, exposing the beige T-shirt he had on underneath, he looked incredibly delectable and confident. But Je
nnifer could see the worry lines around his eyes and the anxiousness in the way he periodically paced.

  He was just as nervous as she was but hadn’t said it. He probably wouldn’t either. Josh didn’t seem like the type who talked about his feelings much.

  The back door to the club opened, and Nathan walked out with an older man in tow. Jennifer recognized Dr. Borgan instantly. She stood, and he walked up to her with a warm, slightly nervous smile.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said.

  He lifted his arms to hug her but then stepped back, uncertain. Feeling bad for him, Jennifer stepped forward and hugged him briefly. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but it seemed to put him more at ease.

  They pulled apart, and Nathan indicated they should sit. Dr. Borgan took the seat across from her, while Nathan sat at the head of the table between them. Josh remained standing.

  “I want to start by saying how sorry I am about all that happened to you. The corporation was supposed to approach you about your fellowship and convince you to work with them.”

  “What changed?” she asked.

  “The professor you were dating. He told them about your abilities. Their focus changed from working with you to working on you. They’d never run across anyone with your varying degree of talent…or gifts. They wanted to see if they could increase them.”

  “Turn me into a weapon,” she murmured. “They taught me I could kill people by just thinking about it. Strengthen that ability, and I could clear out a room without even having to lift a finger.”

  Dr. Borgan’s eyes widened as he swallowed, and his face went pale. Jennifer felt a twinge of guilt for saying what she had.

  “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I tried to get you out. Every time I got close, they would move you again. I tried to get the government to intervene, but…”

  “But what?” she asked.

  “The corporation and the government were supposed to be working together on this. It was to be a military project. When the corporation kidnapped you and changed the focus, the government pulled out.”

  Jennifer snorted. “And were willing to let me rot, all so no one would find out about the program. Right?”

  Dr. Borgan at least had the decency to look ashamed. “Yes.”

  “What makes you think they still won’t?” she asked.

  Dr. Borgan took a deep breath and then let it out. “That’s what I’m here to talk with you about. Now that you’re out, in exchange for your silence on the matter, the government has given me the go-ahead to offer you a job, as well as its protection.”

  She stared at the doctor warily. “What kind of job?”

  “Restarting your original fellowship with full government funding.”

  “What would stop the corporation from repeating past mistakes?” she asked.

  “You would be under the government’s protection this time. Your target will be teens with similar abilities to yours. You can set it up however you like. Dorms, a camp environment, a school environment, or even a day facility. We would pull them from all over the world. How you do it will be up to you. You will be in charge.”

  Jennifer’s eyes widened in shock. Were they really offering to fund her fellowship and allow her to run it however she wanted? She glanced up at Josh in both excitement and uncertainty. He said nothing, and her excitement faded just a bit. He was leaving it up to her, and why wouldn’t he? He had no stake in it. He would be returning to the FBI.

  “There’s just one catch,” Borgan added.

  Jennifer tensed. “What?”

  “The Pentagon gets access to all your research and findings.”

  Jennifer shook her head.

  “It’s no different from at a hospital,” Borgan explained. “If you did this at the university, you would have to turn your research over to the hospital as well.”

  Jennifer sighed. He was right. But what would the Pentagon do with that information? And was this demand something she could work her way around at a later time?

  She glanced questioningly at Nathan. He gave a slight sympathetic smile before he replied, “He’s telling the truth, Jennifer.”

  “How can I be sure?” she asked quietly.

  “Agents will go with you to Washington and make sure you’re safe.”

  Nathan passed her a note and gave a nod, silently indicating she should read it. She sat back and opened the paper. Written in neat scroll, she read,

  We’ll also install an electronic tracking device under the skin on the back of your hand, just in case.

  Jennifer looked up at Nathan. He winked, and she smiled, relieved he would go to that extreme to keep her safe. She looked back down at the paper and slowly folded it.

  Could she trust them? The government? Granted, they hadn’t kidnapped her, but they hadn’t tried to get her out either. But what choice did she have?

  “I have complete control?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Dr. Borgan replied.

  “No one will come in and tell me how to run things?”

  “No.”

  “And these teens… They won’t have to worry about experimentation?”

  “No,” Dr. Borgan replied with a firm shake of his head.

  She glanced at Josh. He smiled softly in encouragement, warming her heart and making her wish for things that couldn’t be.

  “What would Xavier do?” he whispered.

  Jennifer’s lips twitched as tears gathered in her eyes. He’d remembered her X-Men fascination. He was right, though. This was her chance to do things for kids that hadn’t been done for her such as help them understand their gifts, learn to use them, and maybe find out what caused them…and in some cases, maybe even get rid of them altogether.

  She would’ve jumped at the chance as a kid to be normal. Maybe she could offer that to them—give them what she’d never had.

  Taking a deep breath, she dived headlong into her future. “Well, Dr. Borgan. I guess we have a deal.”

  * * * *

  Six months later

  Josh sat at his desk and tapped the tip of his pen against the thick file of paperwork he had yet to finish. His heart just wasn’t in it. His heart, his mind, his attention. All of them were locked on Jennifer and had been for months.

  He missed her.

  A lot.

  With a sigh, he flipped the file open and stared at the report. He’d caught six criminals since he’d been back, including one serial killer. The thrill was gone, though. The desire to be in the thick of the hardest cases was also gone. He moved through his days like a robot on autopilot.

  Last year, he would have told anyone who asked that his life was complete. He had a great job, he could date anyone, anytime, anywhere. He had no obligations. He enjoyed being a bachelor.

  Or at least he had.

  Now he found himself daydreaming about Jennifer. What was she doing now? Had she met someone else? The thought of her with another man tore at his chest like a jagged knife. He balled his fingers into a fist, and the desire to hit something nagged.

  This was ridiculous. He needed to get a grip and move on with his life. She probably had. She was too young for him anyway.

  “You’re an idiot, Josh.”

  Josh frowned and glanced up in surprise to see Nathan standing just on the other side of his desk. “What the hell are you doing here?” Josh asked, deliberately ignoring Nathan’s comment. “You hate Washington.”

  Nathan shrugged and set his coffee mug on the edge of Josh’s desk. “The powers that be asked me to come in and do a profile.”

  “Serial killer?” Josh asked.

  “Possibly. There are three bodies. The way they were killed is similar but not exact.”

  Josh frowned. “Close enough, though?”

  Nathan’s lips twisted. “I think it might be more than one. Time will tell. I’m going to keep checking in on this one. There’s something about it that has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.”

  Josh smiled slightly. “The powe
rs that be would do well to listen to your gut instinct.”

  “They usually do. Can you break away for something to eat? I’m starving.”

  Josh snorted but stood and grabbed the jacket he’d slung over the back of the chair earlier. “You’re always hungry. I swear I don’t see how you keep from weighing three hundred pounds.”

  “I work it off,” Nathan said, smiling.

  Josh didn’t doubt that for a minute. Nathan’s muscles had muscles. Josh sometimes wished he had the time to work out more than he did. Some days he was lucky to get a meal in, much less a workout. Especially lately.

  “Where do you want to go?” Josh asked.

  “Somewhere that has steak.”

  Josh chuckled as he led the way out of the office building. They climbed into Josh’s truck and headed to his favorite steak house.

  “Connelly didn’t come with you?” Josh asked.

  “No, she had a deadline.”

  “When does that woman not have a deadline?” Josh asked with amusement. “She’s either working on the edits to her current book or starting a new one.”

  Nathan laughed softly. “She loves what she does, and her readers certainly love the stories, so… Speaking of love.”

  “Nathan,” Josh warned.

  “Jennifer is setting up shop in Atlanta. She has a temporary office on the northeast side while they look for property and draw up plans for the facility. She decided to go with a school-type environment.”

  Josh frowned over at Nathan as he turned into the restaurant parking lot. “Nathan, I swear to God, I’ll leave your ass here and drive home by myself.”

  Nathan sighed and climbed out of the truck, but he didn’t say anything more. Thank God.

  As much as Josh wanted to hear about Jennifer, he also didn’t want to hear about her. He needed to move on, and Nathan needed to let it go.

  “Just because you’re happily shackled doesn’t mean I need to be,” Josh grumbled as he stepped through the restaurant doors.

  They were greeted by a young, smiling hostess. “Good evening. Just the two of you?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Josh replied.