Empowered [Sexual Magic 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

Sexual Magic 3

Empowered

A psychotic Domme stalking his partner, Madelyn Girard, makes Enricher Noah Bishop's current assignment—helping ultra-successful businessman Gabriel Fleming embrace his Dom-ness—fraught with danger.

Krista, a former assignment for the pair who wants to break Madelyn beneath her whip, almost killed Madelyn once. Noah has vowed she'll never have another shot.

The real danger could be to his heart…when Madelyn, not just his sub and partner but lover for ten years, falls for Gabriel.

Gabriel isn't sure what he needs to fill the dull ache in his soul. Falling for Maddie is crazy. It's clear her heart belongs to Noah.

Fortunately Maddie's a sub who's not afraid to tell her Doms what she needs—both of them.

When Krista grabs Maddie, the men work together to save her, forging a bond that provides the strength to fight for their sweet sub…and give them all a happily ever after.

Genre:
BDSM, Fantasy, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

Length:
70,136 words
 

Sexual Magic 3

Jennifer August

MENAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

EMPOWERED

E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-077-4

First E-book Publication: September 2012

Cover design by Harris Channing

All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of 
Empowered
 by Jennifer August from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

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This is Jennifer August’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. August’s right to earn a living from her work.

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For all the strong women in my life. Thank you for your support, your generosities, your strength, your pep talks and your belief in me.

EMPOWERED

Sexual Magic 3

JENNIFER AUGUST

Copyright © 2012

“I’ll get to the point, Noah. I am opposed to assigning you and Madelyn this case.” Clarissa’s face tightened in sorrow and anxiety as she flapped her ever-present manila folder.

Noah Bishop crossed his arms and lifted a brow. “Why is that?”

The usually inscrutable head of the Council looked ragged and worn. New lines etched her porcelain skin.

She snorted. “Don’t play games with me, young man, you know very well why. It’s too soon after what that woman did to you, Madelyn, and Mason. I detest the idea of sending you back to the same place.” She shuddered. “I don’t like it at all.”

Noah sighed. “With all due respect, our last clash with Krista happened over a year ago. She’s not likely to be on Pleasure Isles again.” He studied Clarissa with a narrowed gaze. “Is this why we’re meeting alone? You’re going to try to talk me out of it?” Before she could respond, he shook his head disgustedly. “I appreciate the concern, Clarissa, but we
need
to get back to work. We’ve only had a few safe clients since last year. Sitting around while everyone else gets plum and challenging assignments is driving us both crazy.”

“Do you speak for me now,
chéri
?” The lightly accented, gently sarcastic question sounded from behind him.

Noah groaned then turned and met Madelyn Girard halfway across the room. He bent and kissed her lightly. He gave her a tight squeeze as he swept his palm up her lean back and then pulled away. “Of course not, but weren’t you the one bemoaning the fact you’re bored as hell?”

She made a small moue as her exquisite sea-blue eyes snapped a silent reproach. He grinned and eased her toward Clarissa’s desk.

Clarissa rounded the heavy mahogany piece and enfolded Madelyn in a hug. “I do not doubt your abilities,” she said and flicked a glance his way. “But I worry for you. I worry for all of you. The world is increasingly dangerous, and I am the one responsible for sending you into it.”

Madelyn patted the older woman’s hand. “We are well trained and well protected. Do you not remember I have been working with a Krav Maga expert for nearly a year now? I am very proficient. Besides, what happened with Krista was a minor error, nothing more.”

Noah and Clarissa both stared. “Are you crazy, Madelyn?” he roared. “She almost killed you.”

Madelyn waved a dismissive hand. “
C’est vrai
, things went a tiny bit out of control, but you were there as always. You saved me. Now the Council knows about her and the danger she poses to our society.” She arched a brow at Clarissa. “I’m sure they have taken proper steps to contain her.”

Clarissa’s face pinched and her gaze slid away.

“Clarissa?” Noah pressed.

She sighed then sank back into her chair, rubbing her forehead. “She’s slipped our security posts. We don’t know her current location.” Her head snapped up, and she pinned them both with a ferocious glare. “Which is exactly
why
I don’t want you to go to Pleasure Isles.”

Noah picked up the file and opened it. Inside, a glossy photo of a very handsome man stared back at him. Despite his model looks, Noah thought he seemed distant. The candid shot was taken at some kind of elegant event, and the man was dressed in a black tux with a green cummerbund. Noah handed the picture to Madelyn and smiled at her in-drawn breath as he began reading the dossier.

“How did she bypass our people?” Madelyn asked.

“We’re not sure. She appeared never to have left her residence, but after three straight weeks of no in and out, someone finally, uh, figured it out.”

His partner’s laugh was musical. “Broke in, did you?”

“Hush, Madelyn. But yes. No signs of inhabitance, and they could not determine how long. She’s still the owner of record on the property, and her bank account is still showing signs of activity, albeit automatic debits. Other than that, nothing. She’s ghosted on us.”

“How long have you been trailing her?” Noah asked.

“We’ve been watching her since you returned with Mason last year.” Clarissa sighed. “She has taken many trips in that year, including a few to Seattle for some one-on-one encounters.” Clarissa raised her palm. “Before you ask, yes, we made certain her play partners were safe afterward.”

Noah nodded. “I’m certain you did. Where else did she go?”

“DC, Texas, and Africa.”

“She went to Africa for a play date?” Madelyn asked in surprise.

“No.” Clarissa’s mouth turned down even more and stress lines appeared on her brow. “She went on a safari hunt. My reports say she preferred a high-powered rifle for big game.” She shook her head, disgust dislodging the distress. “She also used various things such as bows, slingshots, and even blow darts for smaller game.”

He felt sick to his stomach. “She hunts for the pleasure of the kill.”

Clarissa remained silent.

After a moment, his gaze dropped back to the dossier.

“This Gabriel Fleming is very interesting,” Noah said. He gave Madelyn the folder. “On the surface, he appears quite ordinary. One might even say vanilla.” He pursed his lips. “How does that work with us in particular?”

Clarissa tapped one long fingernail against the wood. “This man has a wealth of untapped knowledge and drive. He is the perfect vehicle for a Dom, but he doesn’t know it.” She looked between the two of them. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

He shared a glance with Madelyn and saw the assent in her eyes. After ten years together, he read her as easily as the morning paper.
Most days.
He looked back at Clarissa. “No, we’re going to do our jobs. So, tell us what he needs and how we can help.” His gut twisted, and he clenched his fingers below the desk so Clarissa wouldn’t catch his anxiety. “Though I will go on record and state I will never let anything happen to Madelyn again. She won’t suffer like she did with Krista. If this Gabriel guy even tries to pull something along those lines, he’ll answer to me.”

Clarissa nodded, ferocity tightening the planes of her normal placid expression. “Agreed.” She cleared her throat and smoothed a hand over her straight silver-and-black hair. “I assure you, Gabriel exhibits none of her habits. If we’d looked closer at Krista’s past, I feel we would have discovered the atrocities of which she is capable.”

Her haunted glance swept to Madelyn. “I am so very sorry.”

Madelyn waved a hand. “It is of no moment,
n’est-ce pas
? The past is done, we are on guard. Besides, in the three years since we took on that harridan’s case, I have learned
many
valuable means of defense. She will not get to me again.”

“Don’t get cocky, Madelyn,” Clarissa said. “It only invites trouble.”

“Did we not diffuse her at Pleasure Isles last year? Without any trouble?”

Clarissa shrugged, but Noah knew she saw the truth. They’d had Krista’s case—a professional Domme careening wildly out of control—three years prior. It had taken exactly two days for both him and Madelyn to realize the woman was completely nuts
and
unsafe. They’d pulled themselves from the case, reported back to Clarissa, and moved on, but she’d done her damage. Krista’s unnatural obsession with inflicting pain on her submissives drove her to engage in extremely dangerous and potentially lethal acts.