On Her Master's Secret Service (Masters and Mercenaries #4)(55)

She wanted to tell him where to shove his cinnamon roll, but he was right. Damn it. She could complain all day long, but she knew she should stay in her cover. If he’d brought Amanda with him, she would sleep in his bed and be his sub twenty-four seven because it was so much easier to stay in character than to figure out when and where to act. This was why longtime undercover officers had trouble. The role became their lives because it had to.

Alex easily opened the door again, and she slipped inside. Adam was standing by the table with a plate in his hand.

He gave her a smile and a shrug. “It was an easy bet, sweetheart.”

She frowned and took the plate. “I’m never listening to your wife again.”

“Hey, Serena knows how to find a happy ending, honey. Maybe you should trust her.” Adam gave her a wink and turned away.

But her happily ever after had ended the night before. She was not going to cry, damn it. She was going to do her job. She walked back out into the warm morning air.

“One cinnamon roll. Fine. I’ll eat it.”

He sat back on a deck chair. “I’ll feed it to you. Sit on my lap.”

“Alex.” Was he going to torture her?

“We’re supposed to be lovers. I have to know you can play the part.” He patted his lap.

Her heart fell. He was going to torture her. She’d forced him to say good-bye, and he was going to get his payback. She hadn’t expected that from him. She’d been trying to do right for them both.

His expression softened. “This is about the mission. You can’t expect me to let you go into this without knowing you can do the job. If you can’t obey me here where it doesn’t matter, how can I be sure you can do it in the field? You’re a very independent woman. It’s why I originally chose someone different for the job.”

He knew just how to kick her in the gut. She’d screwed up. She should have found him a proper operative, but no, she’d thrown herself into the mix. She was being a damn brat over a few carbs. She lowered herself into his lap.

His arm went around her waist. “That’s better. Relax. You have to look like you’re very comfortable in my arms. Like this is where you belong. Put your head on my shoulder. You don’t have to do anything, pet. Just follow my lead. It’s easy if you just embrace the part.”

He was killing her. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. She could smell him. He’d taken a shower, unlike her. He smelled clean and perfect and masculine. His skin was warm where it touched hers. It was cruel, but maybe once she proved she could play the part, he would ease up when they were alone.

“Open, pet.” He’d torn off a chunk of the soft roll, creamy icing dripping onto his hand.

The sweet smell wafted all around her. Cinnamon. Like home. She opened her mouth and nearly groaned. The taste hit her like a freight train of pleasure. Sweet, so sweet it melted on her tongue. She hadn’t tasted anything like it in years.

“You missed some icing, pet.” Alex put his finger to her lips. “Lick it off.”

Without a thought, she opened her mouth and sucked his finger inside. She just wanted some more of the splendid connection he was offering her. She let her tongue rub the underside of his finger, drawing the cream inside.

“Perfect. Again.” He offered her another piece and she took it. “Coffee. It complements the sweet.” He held his own mug up to her lips and she drank.

Just like that, she was practically in f*cking subspace. Her breath had slowed, her eyesight dimmed until she could only see him. And all he’d done was offer her a damn cinnamon roll. This was what she’d been afraid of. Alex was a drug. Her drug. The minute he used that dark voice on her, she lost her mind.

“Very good.” His approval rolled over her like some crazy endorphin that made her smile. “I was worried, but I think you’ll do nicely. Don’t break cover, pet. For the next few weeks, I want you to think of yourself as pet. You belong to your Master. You’re his to command. You’re still brave and oh so smart. You still have your mission because nothing will please your Master more than completing your mission, but know that your Master wants you safe above anything else. The most important thing is for Master’s pet to be safe and whole at the end of the mission.”

This was all that was left between them, and his words were still so sweet, they almost brought tears to her eyes. Since she’d let go, every damn thing brought tears to her eyes. She’d spent years bottling up her emotions, but now they were always at the surface. “I’ll be careful, Alex.”

“Master,” he corrected gravely.

She had so little time to call him that. “Master. I will obey. I will fulfill my mission to please my Master.”

Eve let her head rest against his chest. They only had until the end of the operation. Alex was trying to give them some time. Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe it was a way to make their parting sweeter. A few more memories.

“Spread your legs for me.”

“I’m following your orders, Master.” He couldn’t still mean to get intimate with her. “I’m not wearing any underwear.”

“I didn’t ask a question. I gave an order. What’s your safe word?” His words came out accompanied by a low growl that sort of rumbled along her flesh because they were so close.

“Red.” They had always communicated using red, yellow, and green during scenes. Red meant stop. Green told Alex that she was fine, and yellow meant she was feeling some anxiety. She was really, really yellow right now, but that wasn’t what he’d asked. If she kept pushing him, she would only find herself in more trouble. Alex was testing her, pushing her boundaries to see if she could really do the job she’d signed up for. They would have to do some scenes, and those scenes would involve intimacy. He wasn’t asking for anything truly unreasonable.