Breathless Surrender Read online

  Breathless Surrender

  Tory Richards

  Months of running into her sexy new neighbor have taken a toll on Alexis’ libido. There’s interest in his smoky gaze every time they meet, but he seems reluctant to ask her out. They never share more than a slight nod and a polite hello. She’s about to take matters into her own hands when she finds herself thrown into a situation that could end her life.

  With nothing but erotic fantasies of Alexis to warm his bed at night, Reid knows he has to stay away from her until his undercover assignment is over. But when a cold-blooded initiation to prove he’s trustworthy forces him to involve her, nothing can keep him from claiming her.

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Breathless Surrender

  ISBN 9781419929502

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Breathless Surrender Copyright © 2010 Tory Richards

  Edited by Jillian Bell

  Cover art by Syneca

  Electronic book publication October 2010

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Breathless Surrender

  Tory Richards

  Chapter One

  Reid Masters, temporarily going by the name Mike Dunstin, entered the room quietly. His gaze immediately zeroed in on Alexis. He swore beneath his breath and thanked God she hadn’t been there long. She was hanging by her arms in the center of the room, feet barely touching the concrete floor. Blindfolded, gagged and almost naked. They’d undressed her, leaving on only her red lacy thong and matching bra, the kind that emphasized her full breasts by pushing them over the top. The first time he’d laid eyes on her he’d been able to examine their perfection. Now her jet-black hair, long and thick, hid them from his view.

  His gaze skimmed over the room, taking note of the two-way mirror giving whoever was on the other side an unobstructed view of everything that went on. He clenched his teeth—he knew what they expected him to do. This was a test to see if he made the cut and could be trusted. One of several, he’d been informed. And Reid knew he’d have to see it through to the end.

  Or he and Alexis would both die.

  Except for the bed, which he was supposed to make use of, there was no furniture in the room. Walking quietly toward Alexis, Reid let his gaze roam over her lovely shape from the top of her bent head down to her painted toes. How many months have I imagined her without her clothes on? Nothing escaped his scrutiny. From what he could see, she was flawless, her skin like a sun-kissed peach. Healthy, with a natural sheen, toned where it needed to be, soft where it mattered. He saw the slightest stirring of her belly when she breathed.

  Reid walked slowly around her. His gaze explored the enticing swell of her ass, the graceful curve of her hips and small waist. Damn, the sight of her is arousing. He felt something hot twist in his gut and his cock began to swell. He hadn’t expected it to be this easy, not with an audience. But then this was Alexis, and he’d been aching for her. His mission was simple and crude. He was supposed to fuck her, and then they’d probably make him kill her. One reason he’d made damn sure to exchange the syringe given to him earlier for his own. While he couldn’t afford to fail and see six months of hard work go down the drain, he wasn’t about to kill an innocent woman either. The end was so close—all he had to do was make it through the next few days.

  It was a stupid initiation, but he was dealing with Juan Rodriguez and the man was a freak. A weirdo who got his kicks playing games with other people’s lives to suit himself. The only way Rodriguez let anyone new in his organization was to make them perform an act they found reprehensible, to prove they were as unscrupulous and evil as he was.

  Reid came to a halt in front of Alexis, standing for a moment and just staring at her. She gave no sign that she knew anyone was there. But instinct told him that she did. Reid gave her credit. She had to be terrified, yet she remained quiet. No screaming out or pleading for release, no twisting at the rope binding her wrists in an effort to break the restraint. The only signs of her turmoil were the tear tracks lining her cheeks.

  Resisting the urge to look at the two-way mirror again, his gaze dropped down her body slowly, feeding the need uncurling and growing in his belly. He’d never had to perform with an audience before. Could he do it? He reached forward, needing to see more of Alexis. He answered his own question when he pushed her hair back to expose her luscious breasts, swelling over the top of her push-up bra. The shape of her full, sensuous body was hot enough to bring him to full arousal.

  She let out a whimper when he touched her face, her body stiffening. It didn’t stop Reid from removing the tape over her mouth, exposing pouty lips that were meant to bring a man to his knees. She parted them immediately and sucked in air. Then her tongue came out to wet them. His gaze roamed slowly over her features, drinking in her flushed beauty. Fuck! The bastards had hurt her. A bruise discolored her cheek. He was careful not to let his expression give him away.

  Tony, the brown-nose rat, had to be the reason Alexis was here. They’d gone barhopping a couple nights before. Tony had a big mouth. Reid should have remembered that. While making idle conversation with the man to gain his confidence, the topic had turned to women and Reid had casually mentioned there was a hot babe living next to him that he’d like to get his hands on.

  Alexis opened her mouth and Reid knew she was going to speak. He moved his mouth to her ear and made a sound for her to be quiet. “Alexis.” He’d made it his mission to learn who all his neighbors were when he moved into the building, but he’d have wanted to learn the beauty’s name regardless. “Don’t say anything.”

  She caught her breath in obvious surprise. Reid sensed it was because she recognized his voice, not because he’d spoken her name. “Mike?” The voice that passed through her trembling lips was soft and frightened. “Why are you doing this?”

  “That’s not important right now.” Reid said against her ear. “Do you want to live?” Ever aware they had an audience, he ran his hand along her collarbone and around the back of her neck, burying his fingers into the fall of her hair. Damn! Just like I imagined, thick and silky. He rained kisses along her soft cheek to her mouth. But he only toyed with her lips, teasing them with the barest touch of his. Letting their breaths mingle.

  “Yes,” she whispered against his mouth. “I—”

  “No talking.” His hand was still buried in the luxurious mane of her hair. He pulled her head back, exposing her throat to his hungry mouth. The light scent of her flesh was intoxicating and he had to fight the urge to devour her.

  “Please…” she pleaded softly, trembling wil
dly. “Let me go. I won’t say anything.”

  She didn’t listen very well, but then he couldn’t blame her. And Reid didn’t have time to explain what was going on. He had his orders, and his gut told him to get on with it and get her out of there as soon as possible. He had to wonder whether once he removed the blindfold, she would fight him tooth and nail. Or would survival instincts kick in, allowing her to succumb unwillingly to a situation out of her control? And mine.

  “Mike”

  He felt her slight resistance when his mouth covered hers but he steeled himself to ignore it. Her lips were soft and the taste of mint caught Reid off guard. His moved his hands over her, from her hair down to her waist, taking hold of her hips and bringing her close to him. He kissed his way to her bellybutton, wrapped his arms around her knees and lifted her to give her arms some relief. But it placed her thong-covered pussy right in his face.

  Her arousing scent prompted Reid to bury his nose into her and inhale deeply. At the same time, he drew her legs over his shoulders so that he was supporting her weight. He groaned, realizing she was wet. Before he could stop himself his tongue came out and brushed over the silk covering her mound. Alexis gasped and stiffened, her sweet thighs clamping his head. Reid turned his face to catch his breath, biting Alexis gently on the thigh.

  Damn, he’d forgotten where he was. His cock was pounding behind his zipper with the urgent need to fuck her. It would be easy to take her hard and fast, without regard for her feelings, yet he loathed what he was being made to do. At that moment, he wanted to kill Juan and forget about the mission. Since he’d been working undercover, Reid had been forced to do a lot of things he didn’t like. Forcing himself on a helpless Alexis wasn’t the way he wanted to make love to her for the first time, or ever for that matter.

  Fucking Alexis wouldn’t exactly be a hardship. He’d been attracted to her from the moment he met her outside her apartment door. And he knew she was interested in him too. Reid was trained to notice and interpret minor physical responses, and her pupils had dilated almost instantly when their eyes had met for the first time. Her unwillingness to meet his eyes after that told him she was aware of her reaction to him.

  How many times in the last few months had he fantasized about being with her but let his job stop him? Moving hadn’t been an option. Living in that building gave him a discreet view of the harbor and Juan Rodriguez’s warehouse. Something he would have needed if he wasn’t brought into Rodriguez’s confidence, and had to maintain once he was.

  Maybe he’d wake up and find out this had all been a bad dream, but right now Reid was going to let the scene play out. He couldn’t help one more sweep of his tongue over her silk-covered mound before gently lowering her legs again. There would be time for eating pussy later.

  He returned his lips to hers and forced her mouth open until he was inside her warmth. She stabbed her tongue against his in an effort to push him out. Reid smiled inwardly. All it did was drive him a little wild, turn his blood a little hotter. He slid his hands down to her ass and began to knead the soft half-moons.

  “No…Mike!” she cried out, trying to twist away from him.

  “Hush, Alexis.” Reid ran his tongue along her throat, down her chest to the swelling curves of her breasts. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He kissed the soft flesh spilling over her bra, then took the edge of the lace in his teeth and gently pulled it down until she was exposed. A taut nipple sprang free, staring him straight in the face. Sweet Jesus! It was the prettiest nipple he’d ever seen.

  His fully aroused cock twitched hungrily, agreeing.

  The need to bury himself inside her was almost crippling. Reid couldn’t recall the last time a woman had turned him on so much and so fast, and had to wonder if it was the situation. He recognized that the scene was straight out of a role-playing fantasy. Or a good porn flick.

  “Please let me go.”

  “I can’t do that.” She gasped sharply when he tweaked her nipple, then lapped at it as if it were a sweet sucker before returning his mouth to her ear. “You know you want this too. You’ve been wondering what it would be like with me.” His teeth tugged at her ear. He prayed she showed some common sense.

  “I… What?”

  Reid tore off the rag covering her eyes and their gazes met—his brown to her blue. Her eyes widened and she blinked several times, probably to focus her gaze. “I don’t know what kind of game—”

  He let his hands smooth down the backs of her thighs and said in a low tone, “This isn’t a game, Alexis. I promise I’ll explain as soon as I can. But for now I need you to trust me.” If he couldn’t get his meaning across they were in trouble. Their gazes remained locked. Reid could almost see the wheels turning inside her head. She was weighing his words, making an obvious effort to understand him. “I want you to act like you’re afraid.”

  “I am afraid,” she whispered.

  “No, I mean like you were, before you knew it was me.”

  “I don’t—”

  Faced with the prospect of six months of hard work going down the drain, Reid decided to force the issue. He kissed Alexis roughly, caressing her exposed breast and running his thumb over the taut crown. She stiffened and tried to pull away. Good. He knew Juan, in his sick, twisted mind, expected to see resistance and action. Less talk. Reid tangled his fingers into her hair to hold her head still, forcing his tongue inside her mouth. She promptly bit down on his bottom lip.

  Shit! Reid pulled away, fingering the wound. They were both breathing heavily, though for different reasons. The fear he expected to see in Alexis’ eyes was overshadowed by her growing anger, which only fueled his. “We only get one chance at this little show, baby.” He drew her nipple into his mouth and sucked it while touching her in places that kept his cock rock hard. “We better make it count.”

  Reid could see the change come over her face the second he pulled away. He could see it in the sudden clarity of her eyes. Either she finally understood what he wanted of her or she was desperate and grasping the only lifeline she’d been offered since her nightmare began that morning. He kissed his way along her jaw to her ear. “I’m going to fuck you, Alexis.” He whispered the words.

  She caught her breath. Reid brushed the hair behind her delicate ear, inhaling a subtle fragrance that teased his senses further into overdrive. Holding her gaze, he removed the knife he carried in his pocket. Her eyes widened with fear, but before she had a chance to react he reached up and cut the rope above her wrists. As she fell, he caught her against him. Then he gathered her into his arms and headed straight for the bed. He dumped her onto the thin mattress and stood above her, eating her up with his eyes. Giving her time to run her gaze over him to confirm for herself that he wasn’t kidding.

  Reid damn near lost control when her eyes reached his hard-on and lingered. His cock throbbed and he damned himself for the raw lust coursing through his veins. Maybe he was a little more like Juan than he thought.

  There was no disguising the fact that Alexis was frightened. But there was something else in her eyes too, a kind of excitement, perhaps an acceptance of things to come. Maybe her instinct to survive had kicked in and she figured she’d do whatever it took to stay alive. Even if it meant giving herself to a man she didn’t know other than a polite acknowledgement when they passed in the hallway.

  Aware time was slipping by, Reid pulled his tee shirt over his head and reached for the snap to his jeans. He hesitated only a second when her eyes flared, then kicked off his shoes. Before long his jeans were joining his shirt on the floor. A whimper escaped her but nothing else. Reid couldn’t tell if it was a sound of fear or pleasure. He decided to leave his briefs on, lowering his body until he covered her. The second his raging cock came in proximity to her pussy it strained and pushed in a demand to be released.

  A grunt escaped him before he could stop it and Reid ground his hard flesh between Alexis’ thighs. She cried out and she pushed against his shoulders. He slapped his mouth down on hers,
easily forcing his chest down against her breasts. When her hands came up, her long nails scraping the flesh at his sides, he took hold of her wrists and pinned them to the bed above her head.

  “Easy, baby,” he breathed against her lips. His mouth skimmed down to her breasts. Transferring both of her wrists to one hand, he brought the other one down to her bra, surprised at how easily he was able to unsnap the front hook. When her full globes broke free of the restraint, Reid nuzzled his face between them, drinking in the musky fragrance of her warm, silky flesh.

  “Please,” she gasped, arching into him.

  Reid could only hope her plea sounded like a protest from where Juan was standing on the other side of the mirror. He knew Alexis’ compliance wasn’t what the drug lord was looking for. “Fight me, damn it!” he grated against her ear before giving it a not-so-gentle bite. Maybe he needed to get a little forceful with her to get the reaction Juan was expecting. He began to move his free hand over her curves roughly, exploring from her breasts to her waist, hip and down her thigh, then sliding beneath her body to squeeze her ass.

  He took a full breast into his mouth and suckled like it was sweet, ripe fruit. Her flesh was sweet and responsive. He rolled her nipple with his tongue and when he was done loving one he slid his open mouth over to the other. Nibbling and sucking, he took that nipple into his mouth too, tugging on it fiercely.

  “Nooooo,” she drew the word out on a long breath. “Please stop, Mike! This isn’t right!” She gasped and arched her body wildly beneath him. Reid knew when a woman was receptive to his advances. His gut told him she was unwillingly turned-on by what he was doing. He’d been about to remind her to fight him again, but her squirming made him think of only one thing. Completing the journey to losing himself in her body.