Crime and Punishment 4: Burning Submission (12 page)

Josh dismissed the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. “It’s probably just that sense of danger you’re picking up on. I have cameras around the house to alert us to anyone snooping around. I have my guns. We’ll be fine.”

He wasn’t sure if he said that to make Nathan feel better or himself.

“Just keep checking in with me,” Nathan replied.

“Will do.”

* * * *

Nathan disconnected the call and stared at the now dark screen of his phone. Should he have told him? As he sighed, he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back off his brow. He felt like shit.

“Did you tell him?”

He glanced up in surprise to see Connelly standing in the bedroom doorway, a cup of coffee in each hand. He’d been so wrapped up in his thoughts about Josh he hadn’t even sensed she was here.

“Hey, pet.” He reached out and took the cup she handed him. “Thank you. I thought you would still be at it.”

She smiled slightly as she sat on the bed next to him. “I pulled an all-nighter and finished it up. If I go to sleep now, it will throw off my days and nights, so I’m just going to wait and sleep later.”

Nathan touched a soft curl next to her ear. “You look tired. Are you sure you want to do that?”

She smiled at him, and the dark feeling in his soul lifted, just like it always did whenever she was around. “Yes,” she replied. “I’ll be fine. But you never answered my question. Did you tell him?”

Nathan dropped his hand. “How do I tell him the woman he’s protecting and possibly falling for is the one who may be responsible for what I
think
might be his death?”

Connelly placed her hand on his knee. “You don’t know that for sure.”

He squeezed the bridge of his nose. “No. I don’t. Damn it, I wish I would just go back to being an empath. These ominous visions—or whatever the hell they are—are going to drive me to an early grave.”

“Can you shut them out?”

“I’m not sure I should. Maybe, if I can decipher them, I can warn him.”

Connelly leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his shoulder. He brought his hand up, trapping her cheek against him. The strands of her hair tickled his fingers as he massaged her scalp. He dipped his chin and kissed the top of her head. He really shouldn’t be worrying her about all this. She had enough on her plate.

“What do you say you and I go out for breakfast?” Nathan asked. “I think much better on a full stomach.”

She grinned up at him. “That sounds perfect, because I’m starving.”

He bent down and kissed the tip of her nose. “I also punish much better on a full stomach,” he whispered. “And I know a certain little sub who needs her ass busted.”

Chapter Seventeen

Josh lowered his phone but kept it in his hand. Since it was attached to the motion cameras, he preferred keeping it close. With a tired sigh, he stared out the kitchen window. The sky was just beginning to show hints of sunrise. A cold breeze brushed across his chest, and he lifted his hand toward the window. Old house, lots of drafts. Jennifer should probably consider replacing the windows as well.

“Do you normally stand around in the kitchen naked?” Jennifer asked from behind him.

“Got a problem with it?” he asked, teasing her.

He turned his head and grinned. She still wore the shorts and tank from last night, and her hair was mussed from sleep. Since she was barefoot, he hadn’t heard her approach, but the sight of her did what it always did—got him hot.

Her gaze slid down his body, igniting his lust and making his cock thicken.

“Not when you look like that,” she purred as she brought her gaze back to his.

“Girls always did like my ass,” he drawled, making her smile mischievously.

“Personally, I like your pecs the best. I’ve always thought there was just something so sexy about a man with a strong chest.”

One corner of his mouth lifted in amusement. “To each her own.”

“So, what’s your favorite part of a woman’s body?” she asked as she walked over to the coffeepot and poured two cups.

As she handed him one, he turned to face her and almost chuckled at the way her hungry stare took in his chest and growing cock.

“Depends on the woman,” he replied. “On you, it’s definitely the breasts. Although your ass isn’t bad either.”

Jennifer made a coughing sound deep in her throat. “Why don’t men ever notice the eyes or the hair?”

“We do, but it’s the breasts and the asses that get us all worked up, so that’s where our attention tends to stay. Should I tell you how many times I’ve counted your gaze dropping to my cock?”

Her cheeks turned bright pink. “Well, it’s a little hard to miss,” she replied as she lifted her cup to take a sip of coffee.

Josh laughed at her discomfort. He loved teasing her.

“Was that early-morning call anything to be worried about?” she asked as she set her cup down and strolled to the fridge, opened the door, and stared at the contents.

Josh had a feeling she did it more to have something to look at so he wouldn’t call her out again.

“I was hoping that didn’t wake you.”

“It’s okay.” She shrugged. “I’m usually an early riser, anyway.”

“It was nothing to worry about. Just my best friend checking in on me.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “You have a best friend?”

Josh raised an eyebrow. “Does that seem like such a stretch?”

“No,” she said with a firm shake of her head. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Sweetheart, you should probably close the refrigerator door. You’re letting all the cold air out.”

“I know.” She sighed in frustration, then lowered her voice to almost a pout. “But the cold air against my skin is the only thing stopping me from attacking you again.”

Josh bit his tongue to stop himself from smiling. He wouldn’t mind her attacking him this morning. He actually felt a bit more in control. Maybe that was all it would take to keep things from getting out of hand…for him to remain in control.

“So, how long have you and this guy been friends?” she asked in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

“His name is Nathan, and years. We worked together at the FBI.”

“The name Nathan’s nice. Do you ever call him Nate for short?”

Josh grinned at the memory. “Only once. Nathan doesn’t like to shorten names.”

She frowned. “Isn’t Josh short for Joshua?”

Josh nodded. “Yes, but I wasn’t introduced to him as Joshua. He’s always known me as Josh.” Jennifer nodded, and Josh continued. “His girlfriend’s name is Connelly. Most everyone calls her Connie, including me, but Nathan doesn’t.”

“So, he would never call me Jenn like you do,” Jennifer said.

“Nope. That’s just for me.”

She smiled briefly before turning back to the fridge. “I like it. That you call me Jenn. Perhaps I should start calling you Joshy.”

Josh frowned. “Call me Joshy, and you’ll get a spanking so hard you won’t be able to sit for days.”

The most devilish grin he’d seen on her pulled at her lips when she turned to face him, letting the fridge door shut. “You don’t like Joshy?”

“No,” he snarled.

“Oh, but Joshy’s cute,” she sang, teasing him.

“Jennifer,” he warned.

“Joshy,” she replied.

Josh set his cup down and made a move to grab her. She squealed and took off running down the hall, her laughter trailing behind her.

He caught up to her in the entry hall and then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him. Her feet dangled as he carried a wiggling, giggling Jennifer to the living room. Without another word, he set her feet on the floor, put one hand between her shoulder blades, and pushed her over the back of the couch so her ass was in the air.

“Josh,” she squealed as he tossed his phone to the cushions and gripped the back of her shorts.

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me Joshy,” he drawled.

His phone beeped a warning from his motion sensors, destroying the mood. He and Jennifer both tensed as he reached over the back of the couch to grab the phone. Just as he opened the screen, the rumbling sound of a large truck echoed through the house.

“Were you having something delivered from the hardware store today?” Josh asked as he walked over and stared out the window at the box truck making its way down the drive.

“Oh, crap,” she said with a sigh. “It’s the kitchen cabinets I ordered.”

Josh turned to watch her push back up. She looked down at herself in exasperation. “I can’t meet them like this.”

“Grab my jeans from upstairs, and I’ll take care of it.”

She glanced at his hard cock and snickered. “Are you sure you can get them over that thing?”

At Josh’s frown, she spun to leave the room. Josh reached out and slapped her hard on the ass, enjoying the squeak that escaped her lips.

She jerked and reached behind to rub it, her brow crinkling into an adorable frown. “Ow.”

When her pout turned into a glare, he grinned. “That’s for Joshy. Take too long upstairs, and you’ll get another.”

She stuck her tongue out at him but broke into a trot and bounded up the stairs when Josh made a move to go after her. Smiling, Josh waited for her at the bottom of the steps.

“Here,” she said, then tossed the jeans down to him over the railing.

He caught them and pulled them up just as someone knocked at the door.

JENNIFER STOOD BACK far enough that she could see Josh but the men at the door wouldn’t be able to see her. Every inch of her body still tingled because of his manhandling. She’d loved how he’d shoved her over the couch, how his voice would get deep and literally rumble through his chest as he spoke. If they hadn’t been interrupted, he would’ve spanked her, and she would’ve loved every second of it.

She shouldn’t. Not really. After the past six years, it made more sense she would be terrified of that. The thought of being tied up should make her ill, not hot. But she had a feeling it wasn’t bondage that had her squirming.

It was Josh.

She was attracted to him, more so than she’d been attracted to anyone. Just looking at him had her practically panting. He could do anything he wanted to her, and she would melt like a pat of butter on the roof of a hot car.

That wasn’t really saying a lot, though. The man who’d turned her over to the kidnappers had only been her second boyfriend. Her experience had been limited. In so many ways, she was still innocent.

She stepped back and leaned against the wall. Letting out a long, low sigh, she listened to Josh instruct the deliverymen to set the cabinets in the dining room. She and Josh still weren’t finished with the living room yet. They needed to get busy while Josh was here to help her. When he left, she would have to hire a handyman.

She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the ache that tightened her chest. He’d told her he didn’t do relationships. He put his job first. She shouldn’t fall for him or get attached to him in any way.

She could keep her heart out of it. All she had to do was remember how she’d been betrayed. But how did she stop the need that always made her nerves tingle whenever he got close? How did she keep herself from igniting the energy around them and turning both of them into horny, uncontrollable, sex-starved fiends?

“I need a cold shower,” she murmured before pushing from the wall and heading to her bathroom.

Chapter Eighteen

Josh watched as the truck disappeared down the long gravel drive and turned onto the main road. The cabinets were lined up along the wall in the dining room, but there were still so many things that needed to be done before they were installed. Why had she bought them so early?

He smiled slightly. She was new to remodeling and wasn’t aware there was an order to things. They would finish up the living room and then start on the deck before the weather got too cold outside. Over the colder months, they’d work on the kitchen.

His smile turned into a frown. What made him think he’d even be here that long? Common sense told him he needed to get back to work with the FBI. The desire to do so just wasn’t there this time. Usually, he would practically beg to go in early. Even when he was working on his own house, the desire to get back to work had him antsy.

This time was different.

This time all he could think about was Jennifer and what they would do next, both with the house and with each other. He could hear the shower water running upstairs, and all he wanted to do was join her.

Could she handle what he would want? Could she take being tied up and flogged? Would he scare her?

He hadn’t last night. He’d been surprised she’d actually enjoyed the way he’d talked to her and the way he’d fucked her. He could get rough during sex, so the fact she’d responded so beautifully to him had him getting hard all over again.

He snorted softly. Like he’d ever lost his hard-on at all this morning.

He glanced up the stairs. Her bedroom door was partially open. In his mind, if she didn’t want him in there, it would’ve been shut. It should’ve been locked. He grinned and headed up the stairs.

JENNIFER SIGHED AND let the water roll down her head and shoulders, easing the tension that had her muscles in knots. Her mind went to last night and how he’d bent her over the couch and shoved his huge cock inside her. The walls of her pussy clenched as she remembered how he’d stretched her.

She needed to stop thinking about it. Otherwise she’d attack him again. Had she really pulled his cock out and taken him in her mouth? She still couldn’t believe she’d done that. It had been amazing, and her jaws were slightly sore this morning from his girth and having to open so wide. But it had been worth it, and if he was standing in front of her right now, she’d do it again in a heartbeat.

She could still taste him, feel the throb of his cock against her tongue and lips. Her nipples hardened, and she ran her soapy hands over them. Closing her eyes, she imagined it was Josh who squeezed them within his palms.

“You do that shit on purpose, don’t you?”

The deep rumble of Josh’s voice startled her out of her very sexy daydream. She opened her eyes to see him standing outside the shower. His hungry gaze nearly singed her flesh through the steam that filled the small room.