Page 85 of License to Kill

“Then we find out what we do moving forward together. We have options. We can talk them over. Mellisa can help, I’m sure. You’re phenomenal at violent crimes, and that division should be safe for you.”

“Except I’ve gotten my hands a little dirty.”

He snorted. “I don’t care. Just don’t get caught and stay on the right side of the line.”

“Where’s the line?”

“You know that Linsc fellow you helped to eliminate?”

I grimaced. “You found out about that?”

“Karma, I got cornered by your new friends and given a rundown of the entire situation. They want you functional, and that means fixing me, apparently. I’m aware you got your hands dirty. Next time you get your hands dirty, I’ll be helping you get your hands dirty. I want that group gone as badly as you do, and I told the ops that. If you want to work the black market jobs to take out dirty agents, I’m in. I’m all for cleaning out the filth lurking within law enforcement.”

Crap. “They cornered you?”

“It happens I know one of them, and he pulled me aside. He’s in the Inquisition. This is another way the Inquisition creates black op agents. And if we can’t work in the FBI the way we want, we’ll work within the Inquisition—and the black market. You have shown them you’re willing to twist the rules while maintaining your integrity. You wanted proof of guilt before acting, and that’s the kind of people they want doing these ops. I’m the same way. We make a good team, and this is a good chance for us to get to serious work—without traitors within the FBI screwing up our investigation.”

Huh. Apparently, talking about going rogue was enough to rev my engine, especially as my partner was willing to get dirty with me to clean house and make some serious problems go away. Permanently. “I will do my best to be as docile as possible to see how good you treat me for cooperating with your every whim, but you have to talk dirty to me some more later.”

Jake snickered. “You don’t have to bribe me to make plans later, but I am accepting your offering. I plan on thoroughly enjoying your complete surrender.”

Seventeen

I was unaware pampering involved cuffs.

I needed to stop setting myself up for failure. I needed a better diet and a great deal of exercise before I had any hope of keeping up with Jake, although I did manage to keep my teeth to myself. Keeping my teeth to myself tested me in more ways than I liked. As promised, he rewarded me for cooperating with his every whim. He even brought out handcuffs, which he’d modified to have soft, fuzzy fabric to keep them from biting into my wrists.

Fuzzy cuffs beat the real ones, which weren’t precisely designed to be comfortable. To keep me out of trouble, he kept my right hand cuffed to the bed, which amused me as he had needed to link several pairs of handcuffs because the bed didn’t have proper posts or a frame for him to work with. There was, however, a nightstand with a leg close enough to appease him.

I could have easily freed myself, but as I didn’t want to damage anything in the hotel room, I behaved.

Because it amused me, I rattled the cuffs. “I behaved. Why am I still cuffed?” Whining also amused me, and to ham it up, I pouted at him.

“You might wander off if I take those off, and I have to prepare your throne in the really nice tub, so you need to stay there and relax until I’m done. Once the bath is ready, I need to line up all of your treats on the ledge, and then I need to make you more hot chocolate—and call room service to order more hot chocolate, as you have demolished the entire supply. I managed to make you one more mug. Also, dinner has arrived, so I need to set everything up so you can enjoy your soak while eating.”

“Is this the pampering people talk about?”

“Yes.”

“I was unaware pampering involved cuffs, Jake.”

“You’re stubborn, so I have to handcuff you so you don’t wander off on me. Anyway, you like the cuffs.”

I really did. “I really like the fuzzy bits. Also, these aren’t even real handcuffs. If I wanted out of them, I could be free in like five seconds.”

“Well, yes. I figured I’d use the fake cuffs while you were behaving. I’ll make padding for real cuffs for when you’re being rough with your teeth until you’re ready to be gentle.”

“I feel like I’m being trained, and I’m having a difficult time being upset with this.”

“My training pleases you and you like being pampered, although this concept is foreign to you at the moment. The concept will not be foreign to you by the time I’m finished with you.” Jake smirked and headed downstairs, retrieving two covered dishes, which he carried to the tub. Finally, he returned to the bed and popped off the cuff on my wrist.

I attempted to drag him onto the bed.

He picked me up, carried me to the tub, and eased me into the bubbles. “I would dump you in, but then your dinner would be ruined. That would ruin the rest of my plans, as I’d have to find something else to feed you.”

I made room for Jake and grabbed my mug of hot chocolate. “I’m not sorry for demolishing the hot chocolate supply.”

“And I am not sorry, either. That’s a lot of calories, and you need every calorie you can get right now. Your metabolism is almost as ridiculous as mine, but you don’t eat like I do. I’ll order more hot chocolate, and then we’ll relax for a while.”