“Yes, Master.”
“Goddamn it, Shelby. I want you to be truthful. Don’t say what you think I want to hear. Tell me the truth.”
“I’m telling you the truth.” The truth? What did she know of it?
She let out a breathy moan and wiggled her bottom, but that only enraged him.
He swatted her again and again and again. He spanked her so many times that his hand burned and he had to switch to the other one. He was so absorbed in delivering her comeuppance that he barely held himself back. When he stopped and sucked in a breath, his dick throbbed with a want greater than he’d ever experienced before. Her legs trembled, ass in the air in a silent beg.
“God, baby, you’re so wet.” He unzipped his pants because he couldn’t stand the pressure anymore. He could come just by watching her, looking at her like this, and still the anger inside him swelled. “Looks like you’re telling me the truth, but I need more proof.”
He spread her ass cheeks wide and spat onto her puckered hole. He rubbed his thumb all over it and pushed. “You ever been fucked here?”
“No, Master,” she squeaked.
He spread her a little and spat again. He used another finger to push in and stretch her. The knowledge that he could take something no other man had experienced had his primal side roaring, but he did his best to ignore it. This was about punishment, not pleasure. If he touched her core, she’d come…and then he’d cave hearing the beautiful sounds she made. Playing with her like this would buy him some much needed time. If he gave in, he’d hate himself for falling victim to the allure of her body when he’d sworn to himself he would deny it.
“I’m inclined to believe you.” He leaned over her, his cock poised at her anus, and gripped her hair so she’d be forced to look at him. “Though, I don’t know why. All you’ve done is lie to me, Agent Landry.”
Her eyes grew wide as she stared back at him, understanding dawning in her gaze as to why he was so pissed.
“What’s your safe word?” he asked, deadly soft.
“Red,” she whispered.
“Are you going to use it now?” he challenged. No matter how much he wanted to keep pushing her, punishing her, he would stop if she wanted him to.
“No, Mason,” she whispered.
He growled at both her disobedience and his inability to just walk away. “Head down.”
She immediately obeyed.
“You want me to fuck you like a dirty whore?” he asked as he rubbed his cock along her cheeks. “You’re getting paid to fuck me, aren’t you?”
“Mason,” she said, pleadingly, though she didn’t deny it.
“That’s not an answer.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
He did not want to hear that! She wasn’t sorry, and he wasn’t dishing out forgiveness. He reared up. He was too enraged now, his control a thing of the past. He fisted her hair so she partly faced him as he started jacking off. He wouldn’t let himself fuck her, but if she got paid for being a whore, he’d fucking treat her like one by coming all over her face. She opened her mouth, though, willing to accept him, even now with everything that had happened…even now with the appallingly awful way he was treating her.
And he felt played all over again. He couldn’t do anything right when it came to her.
Not. One. Fucking. Thing.
Instead of wanting to punish her more, he just wanted to get as far away from her as possible. He wanted to end this nightmare. He was so damn screwed because, deep down, he knew he’d never be rid of her. She was burned into his soul.
“Goddamn it!” he roared, letting go of his dick and unhooking her restraints. He worked quickly, not looking at her, not acknowledging her presence. Nor his raging hard-on. When she was free, he stomped toward his bathroom and yelled, “Get the fuck out,” without sparing her a glance.
He slammed the bathroom door shut between them and banged his head against it once as he heaved in the air his lungs were starved for. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed there, burning in the Hell of his own making.
When he heard her soft sobs, he still didn’t come out.
Chapter Nineteen
Shelby had sent a text to Rick the moment she was out of Mason’s house, informing him Mason knew she was an agent and requesting a few days off. She hadn’t really asked for the time, but her boss hadn’t argued with her on it either. Why would he? Her assignment was effectively over. She couldn’t work undercover if her mark knew she was an agent.
She’d also fired off a message to Viola, so she wouldn’t worry when Shelby didn’t show up for work. Both texts had ignited a barrage of incoming calls by Viola and some of the others on their team. The constant soft buzzing of Shelby’s phone had made her realize it’d only be a matter of time before they gave up on electronic means of communication and just showed up at her house. She wasn’t ready for that. Without much internal debate, she quickly packed a bag and got in her car.
Shelby was in Mayflower, Arkansas by nightfall.
She’d considered renting a vehicle, using a fake name to book a hotel in some random town, and paying for everything in cash. As she ate up the miles, though, her desire for solitude slowly shifted and the thought of going to the small southern town gradually took over. Shelby didn’t have many friends outside her close-knit team, but there was someone she could talk to there. Someone who knew what it meant to be on a difficult assignment involving a man she loved. Someone who’d been faced with the dilemma of professional life versus personal life. Her former teammate, Anna Sue Fisher.
Although Shelby and Anna no longer worked on the same team, they had worked on a major assignment together, the assignment that changed everything for Anna, forcing her to confront her feelings for Blade and altering the path of her career. Anna had been ordered to stick by Blade while Shelby had been stationed at the Bang shift Garage, digging into the guys who worked there. It had caused heartache and tested bonds, and frustratingly enough, that assignment was also all because of Mason Showalter.
Yeah. If anyone could relate to what Shelby was going through, it was Anna. Not that Shelby was sure she wanted to talk just yet.
When she pulled up to Blade and Anna’s house, she killed the engine and stared at the front door. How was she even going to explain why she was here?
Taking a deep breath, Shelby got out.
“I wondered how long it was going to take you,” Anna said from the porch. Shelby’s gaze shot to her. The woman held up a bottle of wine and wiggled it enticingly. “Viola called.”
“Of course she did,” Shelby muttered. At least she didn’t have to explain now.
“Get your bags. You’re staying here.” She’d planned on driving into Conway and getting a room there, so she opened her mouth to protest. Anna stopped her short. “Don’t argue, girl. We’re drinking, which means you driving anywhere else is out. C’mon. I’ll open bottle number one.”
Anna walked back into the house, and Shelby rolled her eyes, but got her stuff before following. She’d been questioning whether she was ready to talk, but wine sure did sound nice. She dropped everything just inside the door.
“In the kitchen,” Anna called out.