The Black Room (25 page)

Stacey’s hands returned to Jo’s body. She could feel the woman’s fingers stroking her legs, caressing their entire length as she moved slowly upward. The man’s hand reached down and brushed against the heated swell of Jo’s pussy lips. His fingers stroked the length of her labia, then gently rubbed at the nub of her swollen clitoris.

Hating herself for enjoying it, Jo moaned excitedly.

Her cries increased when she felt his fingers gently toying around the rim of her anus. He pressed carefully against the yielding muscles and Jo gasped as she felt a finger slide into her arse.

The pressure of warm breath fell against her shaved pussy. Jo was not surprised when she felt Mistress Stacey’s mouth against the lips of her vagina. The woman lapped at Jo’s sex, guiding her tongue skilfully over the bald inner lips.

Jo moaned happily. She tried shifting her position so Stacey could guide her tongue fully inside. Her manacled hands made the movement awkward but her need for Stacey’s mouth forced her to try.

Then she felt the man’s cock. Naked and hard, it pressed against her back for a moment. He continued to slide his finger in and out of her arsehole. Jo felt a moment’s panic as she wondered what the man was preparing her for. He slid his finger slowly from her forbidden depths and then she felt his hands on her hips.

There was something familiar about the pressure of his fingers. It was a disturbing thought but Jo did not have time to consider the matter. She heard herself gasping happily as the cock pressed against her and she vainly tried to wriggle herself closer to him.

The tip of his cock pressed gently against the rim of her anus and Jo moaned, a low guttural sound. She expected him to push down on her and enter her there. She braced herself willingly for the penetration.

Then his cock moved away. It slid over her arse a final time before moving further between her legs. Slowly it entered the cleft of her sex. He pushed himself easily into her warm velvety depths and Jo shuddered with pleasure. Mistress Stacey continued licking at the pearl of Jo’s clitoris. Her able tongue occasionally flicked against the rigid cock that filled Jo’s hole.

As Jo was bracing herself for the impact of orgasm, she felt the man’s hands reaching down. Careful of her nettle-sore buttocks, he, once again, slid his finger inside her anus.

Jo screamed with delight.

She lost track of how long she was there. The dull ache in her arms was forgotten. The torture she had suffered was quickly becoming a distant memory. The man’s able dick rode in and out of her with long, measured strokes. Jo was breathless with pleasure. Deep in her anus, his finger seemed to know exactly where to touch. He knew exactly how much pressure to apply.

In front of her, Mistress Stacey continued her gentle lapping, occasionally reaching a finger upwards to tease one or the other of Jo’s nipples. Unable to see any of this, Jo revelled in the tactile delight of the moment.

She was puzzled by a niggling memory. There was something disturbingly familiar about the man behind her. It was so indistinct a feeling she easily ignored it. There were other, more relevant, things for her to concentrate on.

When her orgasm finally came she shrieked happily. The inner muscles of her pulsing sex clamped tighter and tighter on the cock inside. Jo could feel that the man screwing her was close to climax himself. She was not surprised when she felt his cock shudder deep inside her. It felt as though the tip was pressing against the neck of her womb. The sensation inspired another climax.

As he slid his cock from her warmth, Jo realised the man was kissing her gently on the neck and shoulders. Again, she remembered her earlier feeling of familiarity. This intimacy, and those other thoughts, now seemed of vital importance.

‘Should I release the manacles?’

It was Mistress Stacey’s voice and Jo did not bother to answer the question. Her mind was still racing with this unexpected turn of events. She valiantly backtracked through her memory, trying to recall what had felt familiar about the man and why.

When he spoke, she stopped trying to remember. His voice was enough for her to know who he was.

‘Yes. Take off the manacles and the hood,’ he said quietly. He kissed Jo once again on the shoulder. His hand carefully cupped her breast.

She pulled away from him, suddenly furious. When her hands were freed from the manacles she felt a wave of relief but it did not calm her anger. If anything, she blamed him for the pain she had received. And not just the physical pain he had administered with his hands and the sauna whip.

Jo held him responsible for everything that had happened this evening and she knew she had every right. He was the one who had blown her cover. He was the one who had told Mr Smith and Mistress Stacey to take her to the black room.

When the hood was pulled from her head she blinked awkwardly against the room’s dim lighting. Eventually her gaze settled on Nick’s face.

‘You lousy bastard,’ she spat.

He considered her words for a moment and then smiled at her fury. ‘Yes,’ he agreed amiably. ‘I suppose I am.’

Jo sat sullenly in Mr Smith’s office trying to get her arse comfortable on the chair. She would still have been naked if Stephanie had not chivalrously volunteered her trench coat. Wrapped inside the warm folds of her friend’s clothing, Jo wished she could stop herself from feeling cold.

‘Why are you here?’ Jo asked quietly.

‘Nick said he was coming down here to sort things out,’ Stephanie replied quietly. ‘I insisted he bring me along.’ She paused and studied Jo’s face. Concern was etched into every feature. ‘Are you OK?’

Jo considered the question for a moment. ‘I’m fine,’ she said, staring at Mr Smith. ‘Never better.’ There was a cold, hurt tone to her voice that seemed to ridicule her words.

Stephanie noted the look she had given the man, then fell into silence. There were times when it was best not trying to talk to Jo. She realised that this was one of them.

Jo stared angrily at the four people behind the desk. Dr McMahon seemed absorbed with her fingernails whilst Mr Smith and Mistress Stacey were locked in a furious, whispered debate. Nick, sitting between Mr Smith and Dr McMahon, stared fixedly at Jo.

She returned his gaze defiantly.

‘Where the hell is Vanessa anyway?’ Mr Smith demanded angrily. He was studying his watch as he spoke. After asking the question he glared angrily at anyone whom he thought might have the answer.

‘More to the point,’ Nick replied stiffly, ‘what the hell is she doing with a trainee off the premises?’

‘I don’t think answering that would take a lot of imagination,’ Stacey said quietly.

Nick glared at her.

He turned the expression on Jo. ‘You’ve put us in a very awkward position,’ he said quietly.

‘How ironic,’ Jo replied tautly. ‘You just had me in a very awkward position.’

Nick had the good grace to blush.

Stacey and Dr McMahon both turned their faces away to conceal broad grins.

‘Where the hell is Vanessa, anyway?’ Nick demanded impatiently.

‘She called to say she was on her way,’ Stacey told him. ‘She’s bringing the trainee with her.’

Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head in desperation. ‘How incredibly security conscious,’ he said sarcastically. He glared at the top of Mr Smith’s desk with an expression of dark contempt. ‘This isn’t good enough,’ he said to no one in particular.

Before his mood could darken any further, the office door pushed open and Vanessa Byrne entered the room. Kelly Rogers followed her at a respectful pace. She closed the door softly behind them.

‘Dear God!’ Vanessa exclaimed theatrically. ‘My worst nightmare has come true. It’s a 3.00 a.m. board meeting and we’re all fully dressed.’

‘Well spotted,’ Nick said, speaking between clenched teeth. ‘But it was convened as a 2.00 a.m. board meeting. We’ve been waiting for you.’

Vanessa shrugged off Nick’s anger with a grin. She glanced at Stacey and asked, ‘Who pissed on his Cornflakes?’

Without replying, Stacey pointed at Jo.

Vanessa blushed slightly when her gaze fell on the private investigator. ‘Jo?’ she said incredulously. ‘Jo Valentine? What the hell are you doing here?’

Jo glared miserably at the woman. ‘It’s a long story but stick around, Vanessa, and I’m sure you’ll hear it. Then you can tell me your story. It might help to explain why you’ve come to this board meeting. I’m only curious because this is an organisation that you know nothing about. Isn’t that what you told me when I asked about the Pentagon Agency?’

‘What the hell is she doing here?’ Vanessa demanded. This time she threw the question at Nick.

He rubbed splayed fingers through his hair and shook his head. ‘Sit down Vanessa,’ he said quietly. ‘Now we’re all here, we can begin.’

Mr Smith put a restraining hand on Nick’s shoulder. ‘I can understand Valentine being present for this,’ he whispered. ‘But what about the other two?’

‘Stephanie stays with me,’ Jo said softly. There was no obvious threat in her voice but her instructions were heeded.

Gratefully, Stephanie slid her arm through Jo’s.

Under other circumstances Jo would have revelled in the nearness of her colleague but tonight things were different. This evening she felt cold, miserable and deeply unhappy. She only wanted to get this stupid meeting out of they way so she could go home. There she could try to forget she had ever heard of the Pentagon Agency and its damnable black room.

Mr Smith pointed at Kelly. ‘What about her?’

Jo glanced at the redhead, recognising her features instantly.

‘She can go,’ Nick said quietly.

‘She better stay,’ Jo told him. She turned to the redhead. ‘Your name is Kelly Rogers, isn’t it?’ she asked.

Kelly nodded. Her face remained blank and she showed no emotion at being recognised.

‘This concerns you as much as it does the rest of us.’

Mr Smith sat heavily back in his chair. ‘Why not call in the rest of the trainees?’ he asked pompously. ‘I suppose we could go out on the streets and drag in a couple of passers-by to make up the numbers. The more the merrier.’

Prick, Jo thought contemptuously. She did not give voice to the thought. Standing awkwardly, she wrapped the trench coat tight around her naked body and tried to address the entire room at once.

Seven faces stared back at her expectantly.

‘I think Kelly should stay in the room because this case is all about her. She’s the reason why I’m here. It was her husband who asked me to locate her.’ She glared angrily at Mr Smith. ‘Now, perhaps you’ll realise that I’m telling the truth. I didn’t come here to expose you and your sadostic friends. I have no interest in upsetting your perverted little apple cart.’

For a moment Mr Smith seemed lost for words. It did not take long for him to find his voice. ‘We have a reputation to maintain here,’ he began quickly. ‘A scandal could cost us everything that we’ve worked for.’

Jo pulled a face. It was a childish, juvenile expression but she could not stop herself. ‘Tell it to someone who cares,’ she snapped churlishly. She turned her back on Mr Smith and walked over to Vanessa.

‘Thank you for all the help you gave me with this case,’ she began icily.

Vanessa frowned. ‘Like he just said,’ she replied, ‘we have a reputation to maintain. What was I supposed to think when you called me? You’re a private investigator, Jo. I was bound to think the worst.’

‘A couple of honest answers at the beginning, and you could have saved me an awful lot of trouble,’ Jo said stiffly. ‘I believe you owe me.’

Vanessa nodded. ‘You’re right, Jo,’ she agreed. Her lips creased into an apologetic smile. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Not as sorry as I am,’ Jo said. She looked at Kelly. ‘Do you want to go back to your husband?’

‘I no longer have a husband,’ Kelly said boldly.

Jo nodded as though she had expected this much. ‘I’ll take that as a definite no,’ she said calmly. She gestured for Stephanie to join her side. Her legs were still aching and she needed the support of her friend just to stay on her feet.

‘You can send my things on to me,’ she told the room. ‘I won’t be returning.’

‘Hold on a second,’ Nick said firmly.

Jo paused, her hand on the office’s door handle.

‘There’s a couple of points to be addressed here,’ he said quietly. ‘You’ve shown us that our security and our cover here are piss poor,’ he remarked. ‘You’ve also shown us that you have tremendous integrity. Because of that, I’d like to make a proposition.’

Jo shook her head. ‘Don’t bother, Nick,’ she told him quietly.

‘You haven’t heard my proposition yet,’ he pointed out.

‘And I haven’t told you to stick it up your arse yet,’ Jo said impatiently. ‘But I will.’ She opened the door and walked out of the room with Stephanie at her side, closing the door softly behind them.

Nick stared around the room. ‘Well,’ he said with an unhappy frown. ‘I suppose that’s it then.’

Vanessa shook her head. She turned to Kelly and said quickly, ‘Stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.’

As she rushed out of the door they all heard her calling after Jo.

*   *   *

Jo collapsed on the bed, exhausted.

‘You look like you’ve been through the wars,’ Stephanie said sympathetically.

Jo grinned tiredly at her. ‘One day, you’ll have to get me drunk and I’ll tell you all about it.’ She turned over on the bed and nestled her head into the pillow.

When she next opened her eyes, the lighting in the room had changed. Jo guessed Stephanie had turned off the main light and replaced it with the bedside lamp. She wondered what had woken her, then realised Stephanie was trying to ease the trench coat from her body. Amazed she had fallen asleep so effortlessly, Jo shrugged her arms out of the garment and passed it to the blonde.

‘Jesus!’ Stephanie exclaimed. ‘Look at the marks on your body!’

Jo glanced down at her bare breasts. She was not surprised to see the rash of nettle stings that spotted her flesh. The burning spots were interspersed with darkening bruises where the sauna whip had bitten her. She turned over and glanced down curiously at her backside. She was still marked with the red lines where Mr Smith had caned her. The crimson stripes merged together in places. In other areas they were lost beneath a million prickly nettle stings.

Jo sucked in her breath unhappily.

‘What the hell did they do to you?’ Stephanie asked. She was staring at Jo’s body with a look of horror on her face.

‘Don’t ask,’ Jo replied.

Stephanie frowned. ‘Have you got any calamine lotion?’

Jo shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Is it alcohol based?’

Stephanie could not stop herself from snorting laughter. ‘No,’ she replied, grinning.

‘Then I doubt I ever bought the stuff,’ Jo told her. ‘Try the bathroom cabinet,’ she suggested. ‘If I have any, that’s where it’ll be.’ She lay back on the bed and placed her head on the pillow. When her eyes closed, she was asleep.

This time the rest seemed to last longer before it was disturbed. Jo did not know how long she had been sleeping. When she opened her eyes and saw what was happening, she was not even sure she had really woken. This looked like a scene from her favourite dream.

Stephanie was rubbing creamy layers of calamine lotion into Jo’s body. The bottle sat in a cup of warm water by the side of the bed. Once she had kneaded the lukewarm liquid into one part of Jo’s body, Stephanie poured some more into her hand and began to work on another part.

Jo felt the blonde’s hands encircle her thighs. She rubbed the emulsion softly into her legs. The warm liquid was a soothing balm and Stephanie’s dextrous manipulation hinted at an innate talent for massage. As her fingers moved up Jo’s body, Stephanie seemed to hesitate near her bare vagina. Jo could not recall the nettles being brushed there. She still felt sore from where the electrodes had been attached but she did not feel unduly uncomfortable.

She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when Stephanie’s fingers moved away from her sex. Jo could feel the pulse beating in her loins and she wondered if it was safe to let Stephanie carry on. The young woman was oblivious to Jo’s feelings. She did not know about the strong passion she was inflaming. Her hands moved over the flat of Jo’s stomach and she stroked the calamine lotion slowly over her nettle-stung body.

Jo reached out a hand to try to stop her. She was weary and her arms still ached from the time she had spent in the black room. Her fingers fell clumsily against Stephanie’s arm, then rubbed accidentally against the woman’s breast.

Stephanie smiled knowingly down at her. ‘Lie still. You’ll feel better after this.’ She poured a handful of calamine lotion into one hand and then massaged it into Jo’s breasts.

The cream was not so thick as to be unpleasant. In fact, it was just the right consistency to stimulate her. Jo was not surprised to feel her nipples harden beneath Stephanie’s touch. It was both soothing and exciting to have the lotion rubbed into her sore and aching breasts. She blushed slightly as Stephanie drew her fingers accidentally over the taut nubs of her arousal.

It seemed unfair to let Stephanie see her like this. Jo felt it was only right to warn her what she was doing. She had yearned for Stephanie for months now. There had been times when she would have sold her soul to have the woman massaging her like this. However, a sense of decency told Jo that this was not right. She was lying here, getting sexual pleasure from her colleague simply because the woman was trying to treat her injuries. She knew that things would have been different if she had confessed her feelings before. Jo believed that Stephanie would not have dared come near her now if she had previously told her how she felt. As a mark of respect, Jo decided that, regardless of the consequences, now was the right time to tell Stephanie how she felt.

After that, the blonde could make up her own mind as to whether she stayed or left.

Before she could think of the right words to use, Stephanie kissed her. Her sweet young mouth was placed over Jo’s. Within a moment, their tongues were intertwined. Her hand continued to massage calamine lotion into Jo’s body, concentrating on her breasts and upper body. Then she moved on to the bed and straddled Jo. The hem of her short skirt lifted slightly and Jo was treated to a tantalising glimpse of the skimpy panties she wore.

‘I’m sorry,’ Stephanie breathed softly. ‘I shouldn’t have kissed you like that, but I couldn’t help myself.’ She was blushing deeply. ‘I guess I was taking advantage of your vulnerability.’

Jo wondered if she was dreaming. This was something Stephanie would have been likely to say in a dream. The idea of it actually happening in real life was a notion Jo had not dared to entertain. ‘If you hadn’t done it to me,’ she said quietly, ‘I would have done it to you.’

She tried to change positions on the bed. She wanted to sit up so she could look into Stephanie’s face as she spoke.

Stephanie pushed her back down. ‘You need calamine first,’ she said primly.

That’s not what I need, Jo thought as she stared happily into Stephanie’s eyes. She reached out for the buttons on the blonde’s blouse and slowly began to tease them open. After three, she could see a glimpse of the lacy black bra Stephanie was wearing. It was an enticing sight and she could have marvelled at it for hours.