Reluctant Surrender (21 page)

Her whole body tingled.

He let go of her chin and said, “Pull up your skirt.”

She took a steadying breath. Thinking.

“Come on, Miss Reneaux. Pull it up. I’m waiting.”

Stop thinking and do it.
Grabbing hold of the hem on either side of her thighs, she shimmied and worked the fabric up a good two inches.

“A little more.”

She bit her bottom lip and eased it up another inch.

He leaned sideways so he had a better view. “You can do better than that. More.”

If she went too much farther he’d be able to see her panties. “Mr. White, are you sure you want me to do this? Someone may come in.”

“There’s no one else here, Miss Reneaux. Let me see your panties.” He continued to stare at her lap. “Just a few more inches. That’s right. Another inch. Good. Spread your legs, Miss Reneaux. More. More. Wider.” And when she complied, he sighed, “Beautiful.”

She felt flushed from the roots of her hair to her ankles. Her breathing went short and raspy and she had to clasp her hands together to stop them from shaking. He must have noticed.

“I want you to move your hands behind you. Grasp the edge of your seat and arch your back. Perfect. Hold that position for me. Don’t move.”

He leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee. Giving it a gentle squeeze he warned, “What did I tell you? No moving.”

Closing her eyes, she whispered, “Okay.”

He slid his hand halfway up her thigh, then hesitated as he directed, “Say ‘yes sir’.”

Her heart instantly dropped to her stomach.

“Miss Reneaux?”

She was being silly. This wasn’t actually her using the title. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was her pretend student to his professor saying it. She swallowed her discomfort and whispered, “Yes sir.”

“Good, very good. Your skin is like silk. Like blazing satin. I can feel the burn right here.” He dragged his bent knuckles down the strip of cotton panty between her legs. Applying the slightest pressure, he pressed in and then eased, making her crazy until she moaned and flexed forward.

Instantly his hand was gone and the rush of building pleasure ceased. She opened her eyes, prepared to ask him what was wrong, but stopped when he shifted. Leaning back, he took hold of both her knees and held them open. Steady. And even though she’d spread them herself just a few moments ago, this kind of captured position seemed intimate. Bold. As if the choice was no longer her own.

“From now on, Miss Reneaux, no panties and when I tell you to lift your skirt you won’t hesitate.” Slowly he closed her legs. “You may let go of the seatback now.”

She did and her hands started shaking once more.

“What do you say, Miss Reneaux?”

“Y-yes sir.”

Drawing the hem of her skirt down, he said, “There, now you can thank me.”

“Thank you.”

“Sir.” His commanding voice combined with the methodical way he moved was making it hard for her to breathe.

“Thank you, sir.”

“That will be all for today.” He stood, took his glasses off and gave her enough room to get up. When she did, he stepped in front of her and warned, “Tomorrow I expect you to be on time.”

“Yes sir.”

She made her way toward the door on wobbly legs. She was glad to be out of there until a scant few minutes later, barely enough time for her to have collected herself, he showed up right behind her.

He wasn’t gentle either as he grabbed her around the shoulders and yanked her into him, squeezing as he growled, “Colin R. You think you’re getting out of this that easily? They might have believed you but we don’t. We want the truth. We want it now.”

He pulled her along with him to the next room. Once inside when her eyes became accustomed to the dimly lit interior, she realized she wouldn’t be given the usual count with deep breaths to get started. This new game had already begun and by the look of her surroundings she wasn’t going to like it.

Chapter Twelve

Colin was a natural. She was quick and responsive, which was making these little tapas lessons mini trials of stiff-cock endurance for him. Knowing she’d do anything he told her to at the moment got him off big-time. Building on this he decided to move forward and reinforce that tenuous trust. He had planned on leaving this next scene for tomorrow, but he’d get better results initiating it today.

He pushed her into the interrogation room and without letting go of her he slammed the door behind them, making a point to snap the lock into place so she’d hear it.

“What are you doing?”

“Something that should have been done months ago.” Pinning her against the wall, so the front of her met brick, he shifted a good deal of his weight her way. “We have a right to the truth and one way or another, before you leave this room you’re going to give it to us.”

“Who is we? What truth?”

She tried to push him off, but he didn’t let her. He didn’t even allow her to twist her head enough to see more than the concrete in front of her.

“You know damn well who we are. Hank and Scott are behind the two-way mirror. You know the drill,” he said, then dipped his head, getting close to her ear to whisper, “I’m going to do you a solid, Colin. Between me and you, for old times’ sake. All you have to do when I let you go is tell us you lied. You lied about Denver and you betrayed my partner after sleeping with him. Admit to your betrayal and we’ll let you go. It’s that simple.”

“No.”

“Careful, Colin. Hank and Scott don’t know I’m offering you this out,” he breathed. “Whether you’re guilty or not, I know Allen would have wanted me to do this for you.”

“I didn’t lie and I certainly didn’t betray anyone.”

She sounded really mad. Good, he’d touched a nerve. This pleased him. It also told him his plan was working better than he’d anticipated.

“You’re innocent?” He eased some weight off her.

“Of course I’m innocent. I don’t lie, nor have I betrayed anyone. Ever.”

“Swallow your principles today, Colin. Put them aside and we can have done with this without you having to sacrifice.”

She sounded as if she were speaking through her teeth when she replied, “Sacrifice? What do you think I’d be doing if I put aside my principles?”

“Getting out of here with your pride intact.”

She sucked in a breath and the startled sound of it tempted him to rub his chin across the top of her head to reassure her, but he couldn’t do that so he cleared his throat. “Colin?”

“What?”

“The only other way you get to go free is to prove to us you’re innocent.”

“And how would I do that? Lie detector? Magic 8 Ball? What? Tell me and I’ll do it.”

She was awfully feisty for a woman who was pinned and helpless. “The snitch had a birthmark. It was cherry colored and shaped like a horseshoe.”

“Snitching? Is that what you’re accusing me of?”

She began to struggle, getting all huffy. He found himself enjoying her outrage until she bucked back and her ass slammed hard into his groin. He didn’t enjoy that. “Stop it.” He sank against her so she had to comply. “You would do well to make nice with me. Unless you want me to invite the boys in here so I can share.”

That got her attention. She went completely still.

“That’s better, baby girl. Now, tell me, do you have one?”

“A horseshoe-shaped mark? Where is it supposed to—”

“We don’t know. Somewhere on your body.”

“I can assure you I don’t have one.”

Brushing his chin down the side of her cheek, he spoke low but firm. “And I can assure you, your denial is not good enough for us. We need to see the proof…or not.”

“Meaning?”

He let out a breath in her ear. “I think you know.”

She shivered, but he had to give her credit. Her voice was steady when she asked, “You want me to strip?”

“Strip?” He squeezed in, crowding her better than before. “It will be a little more intense than that. There’s still time, Colin. Just say the words. Screw principles and truth. Screw loyalty.”

“No.”

He admired her conviction, but how long would this stand up against the next few minutes? “All right. I’m going step back and bring you to the mirror. You’ll have one last chance. You can either admit to your reflection, where Hank and Scott are watching, that you slept with, lied and then betrayed our buddy, or you can be stripped and examined very intimately. It’s your choice.”

Before he moved he whispered, “Choose wisely.”

Colin didn’t know what to think. Her stomach was doing somersaults until it lurched to a halt the second she turned and spied the smoked-glass mirror. Was there someone beyond the glass? One of his real friends? Ted or David, maybe both?

As promised he brought her to a place in front of it and said, “Good. Stop right here.”

She stared at her reflection and even though the stupid words were just that, stupid words, she couldn’t say them.

“Have you decided, Colin? What’s it to be? No, don’t look at me. I want you to look into your own eyes when you say it.”

“I can’t—I won’t lie.” It was odd how hearing her voice, watching her lips move and seeing herself straighten up affected her. Strangely, those things gave her courage. Resolve. “I would never betray a friend.”

“Hmm…” He walked around her full circle, as if assessing her and she automatically dropped her gaze to the floor. “Who said he was your friend?”

“What?” When those words penetrated she shot a look up. He was staring. At her. Through her.

“You made your choice, Colin. Not the wis—” He held a finger up and touched the earpiece he was wearing that she hadn’t noticed until now. Turning away from her, he spoke. “Yes. No. Where?” She watched as he walked to a filing cabinet to the right of them and rummaged through the top drawer. “Got it.”

In one neat move he spun around and homed in on her, but it wasn’t until he was back beside her that she saw the slender flashlight in his hand. “What are you going to do with that?”

He held it up. “Additional help. Take off your blouse.”

First she eyed him, then the flashlight and finally the mirror, trying to see through the opaque glass.

He must have guessed her intent because he assured, “They’re there, Colin. Waiting. Watching for you to make one wrong move. Be a good girl.” He pushed the hair off her shoulder, his fingers trailing a tingly path down her back. “Do as I tell you. Take off the blouse for us.”

His words were mesmerizing. Hypnotic. Commanding.

“Colin. You made your choice. We’re waiting. Are you having second thoughts?”

Taking a steadying breath, she shook her head. “No.” There wasn’t much to it. Four buttons, a shrug and she was naked to the waist as he’d already commandeered her bra. Folding her arms over her chest, she twisted right and then left. “See? No mark.”

“Stand still and keep quiet.” He turned his back to the mirror and looked down at her. “Eyes straight ahead. That’s right. Now, the guys can’t hear us because I had the intercom cut. The only way they can communicate with me is through the earpiece. They don’t want to make this easy on you, Colin. Blink if you understand what I’m saying. Good. Now hold your arms straight out at your sides.”

When she hesitated to do as he said, he whispered, “Trust me.” And with those words she lost it.

Her knees buckled and she swayed. That intense climatic squeeze instantly gripped her midsection and she felt hot desire gush between her legs.

He grabbed hold of her just before she crumbled and spoke as if he hadn’t noticed her rampant lust. “You’ll have to if you want to get through the next few minutes with some dignity.”

She marshaled her strength and looked up at him. When her frantic gaze met his calmer one, she relaxed. After taking three deep breaths she said, “I trust you.” She saw herself as she must have looked yesterday. Sprawled on his couch, crying out that phrase over and over again as her body surrendered to him. “But only you.”

He nodded and helped her bring her arms up in a T. “Yes, that’s the right way to do it.” His hands moved as if he were going to take hold of her breasts, but paused as he swore under his breath. Touching his earpiece he growled, “What? I’ll get to it.”

She knew this was about her. Damn, he was frowning. Whatever they’d said to him couldn’t be good. She closed her eyes, hoping he’d hurry up and do his inspection. Her breasts were tight and her nipples tighter.

“Open your eyes, Colin. Look at me. Focus on me and we’ll get through this together, okay?”

“Yes.” Just then he came forward and put his arms around her waist. “W-what are you doing?” His hands were working the clasp of her skirt.

“They want this off.”

She felt her skirt sag forward as he unhooked the clasp and took down the zipper. “I trust you,” she whispered. Unsure at the moment whether she said it for his benefit or her own.

“Stay with me. Forget they’re even there.”

She nodded and sucked in a breath as he pushed off her skirt past her hips. The material bunched and then slid with a
whoosh
down her legs, pooling around her Manolo pumps.

“Here.” He helped her step out of the circle of fabric and when she went to take off her shoes he shook his head. “No, the heels stay on.”

Her heart thumped as nervous energy raced through her. If not for his calm and measured movements she probably would have run for the door, even in her heels, but he kept her grounded. Invested. Attuned to him.

“I’m going to start at your neck. I’ll need to move your hair out of the way and when I do, tilt your chin up for me. I’m going to shine the light over your skin. Every inch of it so we can be sure you don’t have that mark. Okay?”

“Okay.”

The flashlight came on with a click and she jerked.

“Easy now.” He spoke quiet and steady. “No one’s going to hurt you. Not them and not me. Let’s prove to them you’re telling the truth. Chin up, sweetheart.”

He was so composed when all she wanted to do was fall apart. “Like this?”

“Exactly right.”

He stepped aside, making a point of positioning himself so they’d be able to see what he was doing. There was too much space. A foot span of distance. “D-don’t leave me.”