Captured Innocence (CSA Case Files) (33 page)

Again, he scattered taps of the crop across her already tender flesh, leaving her suspended in the midst of euphoria.  The pleasure that he’d created over and over seemed to dangle her senses over a vast void.  Sure enough, when he touched her clit once more, she screamed.

“Would you like to come?” Connor asked, his voice breaking through the sound of blood rushing through her ears. 

“Y-yes, Sir,” Lauren said, practically chattering. 

She was almost afraid to come for fear that he’d taken her body too far.  Connor pulled away, causing a tear to fall.  It slid sideways and landed on the bed, soaking into the fabric.  Was it possible to perish from an orgasm? 

“You’ll come when I’m inside of you, so that I can feel the intensity from making you wait.”  Lauren heard a wrapper tear and felt a sob rise in her chest from relief.  Connor’s hands touched her hips and she expected him to slam into her with force.  Instead, his words surprised her.  “Crawl onto the bed and lay on your back.”

Lauren turned her face into the sheets, squeezing her eyes shut.  How was she going to get the strength to do that?  With sluggish arms and legs, she managed what he wanted, although the entire time she worried she’d come.  Her clit felt like a grenade with its pin removed.

“I want your hands wrapped around your ankles,” Connor ordered, moving above her.  “Don’t let go.”

This position opened herself up to Connor’s view, as well as gave him full control over what was about to take place.  Lauren was well aware that his words alone bound her to this position and she wouldn’t disappoint him.  He leaned over her and suckled on her right nipple.  Her hands jerked on her ankles as pleasure once again took hold.

“Perfect,” Connor murmured, moving to the other one.  The peaked nipple got its turn as he placed his hands on either side of her.  “You are still not allowed to come unless I say so.”

Lauren could only watch as he rose up on his hands.  She felt his cock at her entrance, which was wide open for the taking.  Looking down, his huge tip seemed to be sucked into her as her pussy decided it needed him.  He stretched her, sinking slowly inside of her until their bodies were one.

“
Do you remember how many times the crop struck your ass?” Connor asked, kissing her jawline.

Lauren had no breath to speak, so she simply shook her head.  She was trying too hard not to come, as his full width and length were testing her limits.  The minute he pulled back, she knew her orgasm would strike.  What had he asked her again?

“No?”  Connor pulled back and looked at her with a small devilish smile.  A ripple of excitement shot through her.   “I wasn’t keeping count either, but I’d say at least twenty.”

Why was that important?  And why wasn’t he moving?  Lauren tightened her grip on her ankles, trying to shift her lower half.  His weight made it impossible.

“That is how many strokes I will have before you are allowed to come.”

“But, Sir,” Lauren instantly protested, after sucking in some much needed
oxygen.  He couldn’t be serious.  What would her punishment be if she did have an orgasm before he reached his last stroke?  It might be worth it.  “I can’t —”

“You can.”

With those two words, Connor didn’t waste time.  Pulling out, he plunged his cock back into her.  She gasped, feeling a stirring in her toes.  By the fifth stroke, she tried to clamp down on his dick to keep the orgasm from overtaking her.  It only seemed to cause the stimulation to intensify.

Her breathing was shallow and her vision dimmed, causing his face to fade from her sight by the time he gave the command for her to come.  On the twentieth stroke, Lauren screamed as her release consumed her. 
Her body shuddered and her pussy clenched his cock as Connor followed her to utopia. 

Connor’s voice reached her ears, but Lauren was still struggling for oxygen.  Only when she felt his fingers enclose over hers was when she realized that she still had ahold of her ankles.  He helped her release each one, kissi
ng every knuckle.  Once he had her snuggled deep into his sheets and comforter, Connor slipped from the bed.  She wasn’t sure how long he’d been gone, but when he did return, there was no condom and his body temperature had cooled.

“Come here,” Connor murmured, gathering her up against his chest.  She pulled her hands around until they were tucked under her cheek.  “Feel okay?”

“Mmmm,” Lauren replied, hoping he would take that as an affirmative.  She had no energy left to have a full-fledged conversation.  “Hmmm.”

Lauren could feel Connor chuckle as his chest vibrated against her back.  She let herself drift, knowing he would watch over her.  For the first time since he’d saved her from Rus
sell Treace, she slept peacefully.  It was sometime in the middle of the night that a niggling thought had her opening her eyes.  She smiled softly as she felt Connor move, somehow knowing that she’d awakened.

“Everything okay?” Connor asked sleepily, tightening his arms around her.

“Yeah,” Lauren whispered.  “I was just thinking about something you said earlier.”

“What’s that?”

“Do you really want children?”

“A pretty little girl, with freckles and red hair running around chasing after her older protective brother sounds like fun,” Connor replied, seemingly more awake than before.  “We’ll have enough time for that in the future.  Right now, you are in need of some more training.  Are you up for it?”

“Since you’ve captured my heart, Marine, I’m up for anything,” Lauren replied, laughing when he flipped her over.

“I think it’s you who’s captured me,
Red.”

Epilogue

Crest walked down the sidewalk after having just left Terry’s place.  His friend was doing well under the circumstances, but had a lot of healing ahead of him — physically and mentally.  With the help of his father, he had no doubt that Terry would pull through.  Family meant everything and now that Crest’s obligation had been paid, maybe the three of them could move on from past regrets.

“Gavin?”

Crest had just reached his car when Kenneth Sweeney’s voice had him turning back around.  The biting wind had picked up this evening and Crest slipped his hands in
to the pockets of his dress coat.  He’d left his gloves on the dash.

“Thank you for everything you did,” Ken said.  The older man had come out without his jacket and he’d hunched his shoulders to fight off the bitter air.  “I think maybe Terry is finally coming around to forgiving me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Ken.”  Gavin scanned the area, as old habits were hard to break, before setting his gaze back on his biological father.  “The past is the past and nothing can change the events that have led us here.  Terry is my half-brother, and as such it is my duty to watch over him.  I knew that he wasn’t capable of murdering his wife.  As for your relationship with him, Terry loves you regardless of the mistakes you made in your past and I think these events have made him realize how fleeting life can really be.”

“
Your mother and I —”

“Did what you thought was best,” Crest said, finishing his sentence.
  He looked into the eyes of the man who’d had an affair with his mother without telling her he was married.  While Carolyn Crest had wed another man and built a happy family, Ken had to deal with the fallout of his actions.  “We’ve been over this, Ken.  I have no hard feelings toward you.  My parents raised me in a stable, well-adjusted, happy environment.  Your relationship with Terry has always been tremulous, but maybe now that can heal.”

“I’m grateful that he has you,” Ken replied, his eyes still filled with remorse that Crest knew would never go away.
  “He’s always had you.”

“He’s blood.”  Crest turned to his black Koenigsegg CCX and opened the door.  “It’s cold.  You better head back inside.  I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

Ken nodded and slowly turned, making his way back to the house.  Crest turned over the engine of his most cherished possession, giving the engine time to warm up.  He waited patiently for the older man to enter the front door.

Life had a funny way of making complete circles.  Crest finally put the sports car in reverse, backing it out of the driveway.  He knew that another storm was brewing and that he’d have to put his baby back in the garage in exchange for his four-wheel drive, but it’d been nice to take this little one out for a drive.  Looking down at the passenger seat as he shifted into drive, he saw the file that would make Jax’s past come full circle to meet his present.  His foot pressed on the gas
pedal.  Crest just hoped like hell that he was ready for it.

~ THE END ~

Continue reading for a sneak peek of
Sinful Resurrection
, CSA Case Files 2…

Sinful Resurrection

CSA Case Files, Book Two

Copyright © 2013
Kennedy Layne

Prologue

Crest heard the telltale vibration of his phone and remembered that he’d left it on the other nightstand.  Reaching carefully over the woman sleeping beside him, his fingers captured the familiar glass rectangle.  He settled back on the pillow, grateful that tonight’s blonde didn’t stir and pressed a button on top of his cell.  The screen lit up to reveal an incoming text alert.  He didn’t need to read it to know that the time had come to initiate a case that he wanted no involvement in, but unfortunately he needed the details.  Owing favors was part of the job, but that didn’t mean he had to relish the idea.

Easing the sheet off of his body, Crest leaned up on his elbow.  It was rare for someone to notice he had to enter eight digits into his phone keypad rather than four.  After inputting the correct sequence, he placed his right thumb in the square that appeared in the middle of the screen.  On the rare occasion someone did remark, he simply commented that it was a new model. 

Crest carefully read the entire message and crafted his succinct reply.  He didn’t want his words to be misconstrued, so he kept his response as brief as possible.  That was something he’d learned as a junior staff noncommissioned officer, when his executive officer would email him another copy of the
Manual for Naval Letter Format
.  The damned thing had been so big it filled up his mailbox and prevented him from receiving any other mail.  The executive officer’s message had always accompanied a voluminous amount of corrections and a not so subtle reference to read the fucking thing.  Crest had learned early on that clear, concise messages tended to be terse but effective in conveying what his executive officer wanted to say.

This current situation was going to affect one of his team and he took that to heart, as he knew Jax Christensen would as well.  Crest ran through several scenarios as to how he could contain the situation and lessen the damage it would cause, but knew it was an exercise in futility.  The past, like the Phoenix, had a way of resurrecting itself.

“Leaving?”

Crest had just sat up, his feet touching the cold hardwood floor of the bedroom when she’d spoken.  He held back a sigh, wishing he’d been able to find his clothes and leave before she had awakened.  They’d enjoyed a few cocktails and indulged in one of his favorite proclivities, which was displayed nicely on her slightly flushed curved bottom.  Both knew that this would go no further.

“Yes, I’ve got to head out,” Crest replied softly as he reached down for his black gabardine dress pants.

After exchanging light conversation over drinks, she’d invited him back to her place.  She lived in an upscale apartment building within the city of Minneapolis.  It hadn’t been closer than his penthouse downtown, but it did give him the luxury of leaving when the time came.  It had crossed his mind when he’d accepted her invitation that she looked nothing like Jessie, but he’d quickly discarded that thought.  Jessie was nothing more than his personal assistant — very young personal assistant — and he would do well to remember that.  He banished her image from his thoughts once more.  There was enough moonlight streaming in the window to afford him a view of the other articles of clothing that were strewn on the floor.  His shirt lay on top of her dress.

“What time is it?”

Gavin shot a quick look over his shoulder at the green neon display of the clock sitting on her bedside table.  If he remembered correctly, she’d mentioned that she was an attending physician and was working a twelve-hour shift at the hospital emergency room starting at seven in the morning. 

“It’s only four, so you have a while before you need to get up,” Crest said as he finished getting dressed.  The last two pieces of clothing he picked up were his Armani suit jacket and his Galco holster rig, which he swung over his shoulder before turning to face her.  “I enjoyed last night.”

“As did I.”  They hadn’t exchanged more than first names as there was no need and he was relieved to see that only gratitude and fondness shone in her green eyes.  She had turned slightly, making no pretense of covering herself with the sheet.  There was no need.  She was a beautiful woman and she knew it, although she didn’t need to use it to her advantage.  “Feel free to stop by anytime.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Crest replied, a small smile of appreciation on his lips. 

With a nod of gratitude, he turned and walked out of her bedroom.  The small lamp near the couch lit a path to the door.  He made his way down to the parking garage and bypassed the attendant to where his car waited in the guest parking slot, adjacent to one of the building security posts.  He heard last night’s game being rebroadcast on the radio from within and didn’t fail to notice the attentive pair of eyes that tracked him to his vehicle. 

Crest was thankful that spring was arriving, but that didn’t take away the hint of chill in the night air that stole its way into his clothes and clung to his skin at the precise moment.  The icy wind outside would be brutal.  Old habits died hard, so Crest took in his surroundings as he walked across the cold cement.  It didn’t surprise him to see Schultz Jessalyn leaning up against his vehicle.  

“I thought you might make an appearance,” Crest said, coming to a stop in front of his old friend.  Schultz was currently a Special Assistant to the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States.  He was far away from home, but the mission that he wanted Crest and his team to take was not.  He had to wonder how far this friendship extended.  “I guess it’s futile to ask how you located me.  My GPS
is
encrypted.”

Schultz laughed and extended his arm.  They shook hands and then Crest used the opportunity of silence to shrug into his shoulder holster and suit coat.  He continued to scan the area, knowing full well that Schultz would never arrive here on his own.  The question was how many agents were now in the immediate area.

“Don’t worry,” Schultz said with a smile, “they’re around.”

“I wouldn’t want you to scratch your knee on my watch, Schultzy,” Crest replied, using his friend’s old nickname.  “The President and his cronies might take issue with that.  Speaking of protection, where’s the witness?”

“Safe,” Schultz replied, the condensation of his one word drifting in the air and then disappearing.  He gave no outward appearance that the cold affected him in any way.  “We’ll make the transfer in five hours.  Your team checks out, but I am still concerned about Jax Christensen.  Do you think he’ll be a problem?”

“What about your witness?”

“No.  She only agreed to protection if it was under your firm and that of Mr. Christensen”

“Then you have your answer,” Crest said, crossing his arms and shifting his stance.  “Who will be accompanying you?”

“It will just be me and the witness.”  Schultz looked around, as if assuring himself that he had enough protection even though Crest knew of his background and was confident he could take on an opponent or two without additional support.  Lifting one side of his long black dress coat, Schultz pulled out a manila folder.  “This is everything we deemed necessary for your need to know with regards to her protection.  The Attorney General is in the process of verifying the evidence that our witness provided.”

Crest took the folder but didn’t glance at it.  He’d take his time before their nine o’clock morning meeting to ensure he had all of the facts pertaining to this mission.  There was one thing that bothered him about the scenario that Schultz was presenting.

“You mean this folder contains what I’m cleared to know, not necessarily the truth.”  Crest had made sure upon retirement that he kept certain clearances active.  It had only helped his firm.  The government contracts that his business was allotted paid him and his team a handsome salary.  The assignment that Schultz was giving him superseded most clearances due to the involvement of the United Nations.  “How do you know her?”

“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about,” Schultz replied with a tilt of his head.

“Don’t bullshit me, Schultzy.”  Crest held up the folder.  “You told me that she has evidence that Grigori Alekseev, the United Nation’s Secretary-General, has his finger in the sale of WMDs to mid-eastern countries.  You also revealed that the former Secretary-General was murdered, leaving pertinent facts out.  I’m assuming they’re tied together, but your information is scarce.  How is it that she knew she could go to you, let alone trust you?”

“Because I’m that kind of guy?” Schultz asked, raising an eyebrow.  With a small salute, he stepped away from the car.  “Review the file and have your men triple check the location you’ll be transporting our witness to.  And as I stated previously, trust no one that you wouldn’t trust with your life.”

Crest despised that gut feeling he got when things were about to become some half-assed cluster fuck.  He was feeling it now and didn’t like being kept in the dark.  His ‘need to know’ for compartmentalized information required advancing a notch or two and he knew just the person to make that happen.  Unfortunately, Crest didn’t hold all the power here and had no choice but to see this assignment through.  As much as he would like to prevent it, Jax was about to come face to face with his past.