Free The Fire Within by Jan Springer Page A

myself.”
    “If you love to fuck women, why bother becoming a preacher?”
    His eyes glazed over with remembrance. Sky poised herself ready to run for the door.
    “I did it for the nuns. They thought if I became a preacher I’d stay with them.”
    Okay, this guy was nuts. His whole background was loony.
    “And you could forgive them for their carnal sins during confession?  I bet they thought you would be the closest thing to making love to God, am I right?”
    His eyes twinkled with amusement.
    Sweet heavens, he actually thought she was serious?
    “Actually, yes. You’re right.”
    She needed to get out of here. Now!
    She dashed toward the door. Her back prickled in warning and she screamed as Loverboy’s strong hands curled around her waist.
    *****
    Damn, his head hurt like a son of a bitch. The last thing he remembered was Sally Green holding him around his waist. And Carmella’s perfume. Then excruciating pain as someone bashed him over his head. And his cover being blown by one of his own Sex Squad team members.
    He tensed and opened his eyes.
    Directly above him was a thick beamed ceiling with a lit bare light bulb. The air smelled musty. Damp. They must have dumped him in one of those other rooms in the basement. He tried to turn his head to get a better view of his surroundings, but something had been strapped over his forehead, preventing movement. Panic hummed along his nerves.
    He smelled leather. Leather restraints.
    A band was across his forehead. Another velvety strap pinned down his neck.
    He tested his arms. Restraints pinned his elbows and his wrists. He noted his arms stretched outward at ninety-degree angles. He wiggled his fingers. At least something was free. It gave him a glimmer of hope.
    Mentally he checked the rest of his body. His legs were spread-eagle. Bands lashed over his knees and ankles. Everything was secure.
    He lifted his hips up and then down, gasping at the sharp needle pricks of pain biting into his ass cheeks. What the hell? He repeated the maneuver.
    When he lowered his ass, this time ever so gently, the same thing happened.
    Ouch.
    Okay. So he was supposed to keep his ass still. He could do that.
    He was totally defenseless. And totally naked.
    Great. Just great.
    What the hell did they plan on doing to him down here? Were they going to turn him into one of those sex slaves? Pump drugs into him like they’d done to Sally Green?
    Making love to strange women wasn’t his cup of tea. He wanted only one. Sky. And now that he’d experienced the sexual side of her, he wanted her in his life even more.
    A soft sexy moan drifted to his ears. A woman’s moan. A man’s grunt.
    The light bulb overhead swayed slightly. Mattress springs creaked making Jim’s pulse begin to hammer.
    Was the moaning woman, Sky? Was Loverboy fucking her?
    White-hot anger flared.
    The moans grew louder. They didn’t sound like Sky. Her moans had been distinct. Sweet and sexy and innocent.
    This had to be someone else. Maybe his kidnappers?
    Jim rolled his eyes. His kidnappers could be having sex right over his head. More grunts and moans followed. Whoever was up there was certainly going at it. Good and hard.
    The stairs creaked and he held his breath. Someone was coming down the stairwell. He winced at the sound of a heavy bolt screeching across a metal door. A key grated in the lock.
    Having him trussed like a Thanksgiving turkey and held under lock and key meant they didn’t want him going anywhere. His heart cracked against his chest as the door opened. Footsteps echoed as someone entered the room.
    Carmella hovered into view. Shit! He couldn’t deny she was a beautiful woman. He’d had a hell of time getting her attention when he’d started to frequent the Sexy Toys Shop she owned, but to his surprise she’d invited him to the farmhouse. He should have known he was being set up, but he’d been blind with worry for Sky and a chance that she may not have backup. So he’d done a few things he