Embers: A Dark Romance Love Triangle (A Special Agent Novel Book 5) Read online

  If I can’t get her to come with the crop we’ll be here all day, and Lois hasn’t got all day left in her.

  “Get the whip out, James. Just get it over with.” Adie knows what I’m thinking, of course. He can probably feel the fear that is pouring off me in waves.

  “What if she loses the tube?” Although we only have two to go, that still doesn’t mean I have this challenge in the bag. If I can’t get her to come, I could be here all day, and Lois is getting tired. Besides, with each passing orgasm, she’ll be getting more and more swollen. It’s entirely possible that she won’t be able to come with the crop at all after what she’s been through, but I’ll have to figure something out. I need to get her out of this dark hole ASAP. I’ve got to at least have a go, and if I fail miserably, I’ll have to give her a rest and try again. I don’t want to do that, though. She’ll be getting cold by now. Although the water isn’t freezing, it’s not warm. It will have lowered her body temperature and the longer I leave her in here, the worse it will be when she comes out.

  “What if she does?” Adie says. “It’s not going to be any better if you leave it until last, either. She has less chance of climaxing under the whip the longer you leave it, and you’ll still be in the same boat if she drops it. Just get it over with, James.”

  Swallowing tightly, I know he’s right, but that doesn’t make it any easier to get my head around it.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to do it?” I whisper. Adie is probably better at dishing out pain than I am. He certainly started much younger than I did. All of my confidence suddenly seems to have left me, and I don’t know what to do about it.

  “Fucking positive, and you wouldn’t let me if you thought about it for a second. You’re better at this than I am, James. Just concentrate and you’ll get her through. I know you can do it.” Adie raps the side of the tank in confirmation, but I’m not convinced. It’s a rare day that I’m trapped in indecision and angst, but I can’t stand here and mess about. This needs to end, and I need to grow a pair.

  There is only one acceptable solution to this problem, and it’s up to me to deliver it. I’ve had plenty of assignments where there’s no room for failure. This is exactly like that - it just carries the risk of killing the woman I love. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  Chapter Four - James

  The crop feels unbearably heavy in my hands. To make matters worse, my palms are sweating, and I have to dry them on my jeans before I can wield the thing worth a damn. Swinging it through the air a couple of times to get a feel for it, I hear the familiar whistle of intent, and try my best to refocus my thoughts.

  Adie doesn’t make a sound beside me. He probably thinks I’m losing it, and he’s not far wrong. It won’t take much to tip me over the edge today, but I’m not going to think about that right now. I’m getting Lois out of this tank, and we’re so close to the finish line I can taste it.

  When I’m satisfied that I’ve got my swing down to a fine art, I tap the riding crop on her leg. It’s a soft tap, and I begin peppering her thighs with them. Putting my free hand on the inside of her leg, I can feel her muscles wobbling. She’s got no control over it. It’s a combination of orgasm overload and tiredness. This is another reason I can’t hang about. It’s time to get the ball rolling.

  The next swipe with the crop is harder, and each subsequent slice delivers a little more bite. The warm-up is careful and precise, and so far, Lois is taking everything like a good girl. The question is: will she climax for me? I pray to God she does because we’re in deep shit if she can’t.

  Each leg gets the vicious end of my crop attacking it with a good degree of fervour. I don’t want the pressure I’m about to place on her clit to be any kind of shock, although I appreciate it will smart a little. When I’m reasonably convinced she can take what I have to give her, I place the keeper of the crop over her swollen bud. I leave it there for a good few seconds, knowing that if her head wasn’t buried in water she’d be moaning to hell right now. She then gives her legs a little shake, as if to say, ‘get on with it.’ It makes me smile. Lois is such a feisty thing. I wonder if there’s a man alive who can tame her? I suspect the answer is no, but I’ll be testing that theory out to the max later. We have two days before we’re at Il Piacere, and it’s not enough. She’s still new to this lifestyle, and while she’s come a hell of a long way in a very short while, the woman still has a long way to go. The thought makes me smile. I’m talking as if we’ve already made it through this, and that has to be a good thing. Get on with it. If I do this right, it’ll all be over in ten minutes.

  The first tap of the crop isn’t hard, but it makes her jump, and I watch as her cunt tenses. There’s no way she can quell the reaction, so she’ll have to learn to deal with the aftermath. This is why I’m starting slowly. The second tap has her body twisting away from me. Lois is trying to avoid me because the pressure on her clit is too much. To be honest, I expected her resistance much sooner and I’m quite surprised she’s lasted this long. It’s probably only because she scared the hell out of herself a few minutes ago. The adrenaline overload in her body has helped her cope with what I’ve dished out after, but that will be waning. What she’s feeling now is pain and I’m about to make it worse. There’s no way to get around that, though. I just hope she can push through it.

  The taps turn to swats, which then progress to sharp, nasty flicks. Lois is struggling. She’s now swinging about in the water, and that’s not a good thing. We don’t need any more accidents. Just as Adie and I have suspected, she’s going to find it hard climaxing under this beast. Another twenty slices with the crop, and still nothing. This isn’t going to work. Where do I go from here?

  Grabbing the vibrator, I set it to max, and slot it gently inside her. She needs a breather and I need to rethink my course of action. There will be a way to get around this problem, I just need a moment.

  “You just need to let loose. She’ll come from the pain,” Adie says, after I’ve been silent for too long.

  “What happened last time I did that?” I reply darkly. Beginning to pace up and down the room, an idea forms, but I’m worried about the outcome.

  “What are you thinking?” Adie interrupts my thoughts, and he stands over Lois and trails his fingertips up and down her legs. At least she’ll know someone is there for her. For a complete and utter sadist, Adie can be infinitely gentle at times. It’s like yin and yang. He has these two opposing sides to him and if you didn’t know him well, you wouldn’t realise that there’s actually a decent human being lurking under his façade. He hides it well. His years with Alain have taught him that much.

  “I’m thinking that anal stimulation would do it. I’m just worried that she’ll lose her shit afterwards.” It’s the only idea I can think of, though, and my options are limited.

  “It’s worth the risk. Lois is tough, so she’ll pull through. She knows what’s at stake. The longer we drag this out, the worse it will be for her. She’s exhausted now. You just need to pick the quickest option to finish the job.”

  “What if…” My voice hitches and I can’t finish the sentence.

  “Let’s tackle the ‘what ifs’ as and when they happen. We’ll get her through it. Just focus on getting this one under your belt.” Adie’s voice is meant to be reassuring, and I know that what he’s saying makes sense, but I’m still trying to find a different solution – one that doesn’t involve an element of danger. That’s not how this game works, though. It’s why Alain designed it.

  Raising my voice, I say, “How many people have survived this, Alain?” I know he’s in the room because I’ve heard him, although he isn’t down on the floor with us. I suspect there’s a room overlooking us above.

  Silence greets that question, and my lip curls in distaste as I suspect he’s not going to answer me. I probably don’t want to know the answer to my question, so perhaps it’s a good thing. I begin to walk back to the tank.

  When his voice does filter down, it comes as a bit of a shock
, and I can feel my body jolt.

  “Three. All were men. No women have ever survived. I’m very curious as to whether Lois is going to be the first, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up, James.” Alain sounds smug. He doesn’t think we’re going to make it. That little comment has just made me more determined than ever to prove him wrong, and it gives me the courage needed to finish this damn thing.

  “Let’s do this,” I whisper, more to myself than Adie, but I’m sure I can see a ghost of a smile form on his lips. Pulling his fingers away from Lois, he stands back, giving me space to work.

  It doesn’t take me long to locate a butt plug. I opt for a medium-sized one and coat it in lube. It might smart a bit going in, but I don’t think Lois will mind. She loves anal, and this beauty is going to light up some nerve endings she never knew she had. Removing the vibrator, I trail the end of the plug across her tight little hole and I pump it in gently a couple of times. Lois isn’t trying to avoid me now, and if she could speak, I know she’d be purring with delight. Taking my time, I let her get used to the growing girth of the plug while I use the fingers of my other hand to work her clit and cunt. I’m as gentle as I can be, just soft little flutters with the pad of my thumb, and a quick little dip inside her now and then, so I can constantly feed her level of arousal. In and out, round and round, up and down, my fingers don’t stop, and they work her over for a good five minutes. It’s time well spent because I know when I go back to that crop, she’ll be gagging for it. When the plug finally slots into place between the globes of her ass, I pat it gently and get ready for round two. This time I’m going to be successful – I can feel it.

  Picking up the crop once more, I trail it over her legs and begin my gentle taps. With my other hand, I’m flicking her very swollen clit, which is at least three times the size it should be. This time she’s as aroused as I can make her, so I’ll just have to cross my fingers that pain will tip her over the edge. When I’ve let her know my intentions, I transfer the tip of the crop to her sex and begin swatting it, while pumping the plug in and out with my other hand. I know she’s aroused. I can feel the tension humming through her body, but she’s still holding out on me. I’m throwing the whip down harder and harder, but achieving nothing, bar a pair of very wobbly legs.

  “You need to go harder. She’ll come, trust me.” Adie’s voice pipes up from the side-lines and I know he’s watching every move I make. “Give her three or four really hard slices, and she’ll go.”

  “That’s probably very good advice, but I’m reluctant to take you up on it. That’s the kind of thing that will make her scream, and if I do that, we have problems.”

  “If she doesn’t come under the crop, you have bigger problems. Do it and deal with the fall out. I don’t think she can go another round with pain.” Adie’s voice is deathly serious, and I have a sinking feeling he’s right. It’s a do or die. If it all goes wrong, we’ll have to figure it out. I can’t think of another solution that’s going to work.

  Slamming the crop down hard, once, I wait and see what happens. The answer is nothing. Lois has hold of her tube like someone has superglued it to her lips, and that is a relief. Maybe we can do this after all. I deliver another swat, which sends her swinging, but still doesn’t achieve the desired result. Gritting my teeth, I then begin pumping the butt plug in and out of her ass while raining a shit storm of strokes down upon her clit, each with vicious intensity. Less than ten seconds later, and it’s all over. Her pretty pink petals are convulsing sweetly, and I lay the crop down carefully. Breathe, just breathe, I tell myself. It’s nearly over. Just as I’m beginning to relax, a single bubble pops on the surface of the water. My face immediately disintegrates. Oh fuck, no. Not again.

  Adie and I stand motionless against the side of the tank and wait for something to happen. Is she going to retrieve the tube again? There’s then a massive flurry of bubbles and the breathing tube shoots up to the surface, dispelling all of our hopes in an instant. We are screwed.

  “Don’t fucking lose it,” Adie growls. “You have to dish out one more orgasm, so you drag that damn bastard out of her, and you do it quick.” His voice is loud and brutal in my ears, but it snaps me out of my terror-filled paralysis enough to yell at him.

  “If she can’t come up for air because you’ve whipped her too badly, I am going to fucking kill you,” I hiss.

  “Atta boy,” Adie whispers smiling, just as two yellow balloons bursts through the top of the tank. Lois follows shortly after, her hair plastered to her face as she sends water flying everywhere. Her eyes are wide as she struggles to the surface, blinking madly as she tries to make out her surroundings. I can hear her choking before she finally manages to inhale a huge, gulping breath of air.

  “Deep breaths,” I yell. “We’ve got one more to go and you’ll be clear. Save your energy.” I have no idea if she can hear me, but I hope she caught a few words here and there. As her face dips back below the waterline again, I know I have to pull one out of the bag. I wouldn’t like to put a figure on how many times Lois can drag her body out of the water, but I do know it isn’t many.

  Knowing I’ll need to pull out all the stops to wring the last climax out of her, I slide three fingers between her legs and clamp my mouth over her clit. She’s not getting a break. We’re riding this baby out until the finish line, whether she likes it or not. This time I don’t give a fuck if Alain’s watching. He can videotape the thing if he wants, and knowing him, he probably is. He’ll want to check to make sure she’s actually climaxed at the end. If he thinks I’ve cheated him in any way, there’ll be hell to pay.

  One set of fingers pump into her cunt, stroking her G-spot, while the other hand pulses the butt plug in and out. At the moment, I’m gentle with her because she’ll be hyper-sensitive, but after a minute or two, I’ll up the pressure. It will depend on how she’s doing with her watery sit-ups. As fit as Lois is, after over an hour of this torture, she’s got to be on her last legs.

  I concentrate on letting my fingers slide and curl, while my tongue laps at her cunt as if it’s just discovered chocolate. I take that back – this is far better than chocolate, and I could sit here and suck upon her for weeks. This is not the time to think about that, though. In my head, I’m currently counting the seconds, seeing how long it will be before she has to come up for air. If she can’t hold her breath for very long, we’re going to be in trouble. As per usual, I’m surprised. She can stay underwater for well over a minute, and when she comes up for air, this time she even manages to speak.

  “I’ve got about four or five of these left in me, James,” she says on a wheeze. I watch her tits rise up through the water, the floats wobbling on top of them, as she inflates her lungs as fast as she can. Her eyes are looking directly at me and they are bloodshot and full of fear. If she stays like that, we won’t finish up here.

  Tearing my face away from her cunt, my lips still slick with the taste of her, I say, “Relax, Lois. Use that wonderful imagination to think up the naughtiest scenario you can think of and play it over and over in your head. That’s all I need you to do. Okay?” Withdrawing my hand from the plug, I tap her leg to let her know I’ve got this. We are not falling at the last hurdle. We’ve come too far, quite literally as it happens, to fall. Besides, failure is not in my vocabulary, and I know damn well it’s not in hers.

  My lips are already back between her legs, suckling enthusiastically, as I watch her face slide slowly back through the water. The balloons float on the water for a second, as they are tugged taut, and then they too disappear back below the surface. She needs to get her fear back under control. It’s easy for me to bark out orders, but I’m not the one chained upside down in a glass tank filled with water, while some bastard tries to suck out my insides. Would I be calm if the circumstances were reversed? Doubtful. I just hope she can get her heart rate down to something reasonable. That’s all I need.

  As much as I want to race on ahead, I know that’s not how it works. I’ll have to build
up to this gradually, and it will take its own sweet time. If Lois has to make another two or three push-ups, she will. There’s no way my woman is ending her life in a fucking fish tank – that much I know. Fingers, thumbs, pulse, push, stroke, bite. I haven’t met a woman who could take what Lois has had to endure today, and still power on through it. Even now, there are no tears, and no hysterics. Now when she rises up through the surface of the tank, her eyes are clouded, lost in thought, and I hope she’s where I want her to be – namely underneath me.

  I can feel her orgasm building slowly, and I know we’ll get there, eventually. All she has to do is keep on going up and down, while my fingers, tongue and lips do all the work. It’s all really simple, until it isn’t.

  This time, when Lois breaks through the water, her face is clearly distressed. “I can’t do this anymore, James. This is the last one.” Her voice breaks on the last word, as she tries her best to get enough oxygen into her body for the next trip down.

  I immediately stop what I’m doing. “Don’t even think of pulling that stunt on me, Lois. You will keep playing this game until I give you permission to stop, and that’s the end of it.”

  “Can’t…” There’s another strangled breath as her head goes under, and my body freezes in panic. Is this the last time she’s going to come up for air? Is she going to leave me here on my own? Have we managed to get all this way for nothing? My pulse rate goes through the roof as I begin counting, waiting for her to come up through the water. She is not going to give up on me. I won’t allow it. I can’t do this without her.

  The next time she rises out of the tank, I can see how close she is to giving up. Every muscle is rigid with strain on her body and her face is as white as a bleached sheet. Her whole body is screaming in pain, and to make matters worse, she can’t get enough air into her lungs. Even I know we’re nearing the end.