Free White Collared Part Two: Greed by Shelly Bell Page A

break the rules every chance she got.
    She moved into position and waited for the heat of his hands on her ass.
    “I’m going to give you five.”
    The sound of his hand smacking her ass resounded in the small room. Unlike the earlier spanking, he didn’t warm her up. Didn’t rub the area. Didn’t attempt to arouse her. Just hit her five times in succession, leaving both her butt and her pride sore.
    When it was over, he tugged down her skirt and turned her. “I’m proud of you. Proud you took your punishment without complaint. And proud the woman inside of you cared enough to risk punishment in order to ask the questions that needed asking.”
    The scent of pine enveloped her as he cupped her face in his palms and kissed her, his lips soft and warm. The kiss was slow. Indulgent. Controlled. But no less passionate than their earlier frantic coupling. His kiss and careful touch reassured her that she hadn’t disappointed him in breaking protocol. If she had to break the rules again, she would.
    For Jax.
    Anything for Jax.
    And that scared her more than any punishment ever would.

Chapter Nine
    Ten Days to Elections . . .
    S ITTING AT HER cubicle, Kate sipped her store-bought cappuccino, grateful for once that she didn’t have to drink the firm’s sludge. Except for a few junior associates trying to impress the partners by working on a Saturday, the office was empty.
    Nick had brought her to work, and they’d met with Jaxon over fresh coffee and crullers. They relayed what they’d learned last night from Mistress Casey and Eric Graham about Alyssa’s mysterious “Master.” Following their strongest lead yet, Jaxon had left a message for Master Cole to have Anthony Rinaldi call Kate to set up a session with him. Apparently, the man was into electricity. Hopefully, she’d be able to ask her questions before he did whatever sadistic electrical play entailed.
    After, they watched a recording of Nick on the news debating the legal definition of consent. He’d vigorously advocated for Jaxon and championed the rights of people who lived alternative sexual lifestyles against a religious leader, a social worker representing a local domestic violence shelter, District Attorney Ronald Savage, and his opposition for DA, Mason Ford. Despite his best efforts, in one fashion or another, all the other guests agreed a woman could never consent to a “harmful touching” and charges should be brought against Jaxon for battery. Of course they sidestepped the issue raised by Nick as to whether a man could consent.
    Kate was in awe of Nick’s gift of the spoken word and the passion he exuded. In the last few days, her attraction to him hadn’t waivered, even as her feelings for Jax took root.
    It wasn’t easy to pretend that she didn’t want to strip Jaxon naked and screw on top of the conference room table. The way his gaze burned into her as she spoke about Benediction had her squirming in her chair. So far, Nick hadn’t noticed the sexual tension between her and Jax, but how long until he did? What would he do?
    Too wound up from Benediction, she hadn’t slept more than two hours before the alarm woke her. Her dreams were filled with erotic images of her and Jax making love in a room packed with voyeurs.
    Even now, her body remained primed and ready for him. Every time she sat on her bruised backside or the silky fabric of her bra brushed against her tender nipples, she was reminded of yesterday. Her pussy had flooded the moment she’d seen him waiting for her and Nick in the firm’s lobby.
    Not exactly conducive for staying in a professional state of mind and terribly inappropriate since in an hour she’d accompany him to Alyssa’s funeral.
    Thank goodness Nick had given her the assignment of checking the popular fetish website to see if Alyssa had listed a profile. If the Anthony Rinaldi lead didn’t pan out, they’d have to consider the possibility that Alyssa’s murderer didn’t have any connection to