Crime and Punishment 4: Burning Submission (26 page)

“Josh—”

Josh slapped her hard on the ass. How could it hurt and feel so good at the same time? It took her a second to realize what she’d done. She’d forgotten to call him Master.

“Master…please,” she begged. He moved his mouth closer to her throbbing nub, which was now so sensitive that it hurt. “Oh, please,” she begged. “Please.”

She didn’t care how she sounded, how much she had to beg. If he didn’t let her come soon, she’d surely explode. Her body felt so overloaded she’d swear the slightest touch to her skin would send her skyrocketing.

Josh had called it sexual torture, and it most definitely was. It was a blissful torture she could experience over and over again for the rest of her life.

Josh swirled his tongue around her clit, and she shuddered from head to toe. “Oh God, oh God,” she panted. “Don’t stop, Master. Please.”

“Now, Jenn,” he whispered just before he wrapped his lips around the swollen bud and sucked.

Had she really heard him, or had it been wishful thinking on her part? Whichever it was didn’t matter. Her body gave up the fight and exploded in a wave of light and heat. Every nerve ending sparked, making her nipples tingle and her womb shudder. The muscles surrounding the toy in her ass clenched and unclenched around the invading rod in a way that sent sparks of blissful shocks up her spine.

Josh let go of her clit and stood. She barely noticed him lowering the table. She didn’t even know if he’d put on a condom before he shoved his cock deep into her pussy, making her come instantly.

JOSH GROANED AS her walls contracted around his cock. She was always tight, but with the toy in, she was even tighter. He’d almost forgotten the condom, he’d wanted inside her so bad. Every time he was with her, it became easier to control the electrical pull between them, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there.

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 Jennifer 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.