“In some ways, I suppose.” He walked over to sit next to her on the couch. “We’re both survivors. We both make the best of a situation even if we’re dealt a shitty hand. But I’m guessing that’s where it ends, doesn’t it, Carrie?”

  “The disparity is that I know the difference between right and wrong.” And it didn’t matter how sexy or enticing he was, he was wrong, this whole situation was wrong. “Tate’s going to find out what you did. He’s going to come after you. You can’t get away with this.” She jerked again on the tape.

  Jax sighed. “We’re wasting time. I have enough to worry about without throwing your pansy-ass brother into the mix.” He rose from the couch and began to pace. “Listen to me. We’re going to have company soon. His name’s Ben. Just follow my lead when he gets here. Can you do that?”

  Carrie jutted her chin out. “I’m not doing a damn thing until you answer me. Why would someone put such an expensive painting under the one coming to my gallery? It doesn’t make sense.”

  He sighed. “There’s big business in art smuggling, Carrie. Ever since World War II when Germany stole so many paintings. You’d be amazed at the paintings and sculptures being bought and sold on the Black Market.”

  “So you’re smuggling paintings? For who?” She furrowed her brow. “I don’t understand.”

  He circled the chair again and sat down. “Look, a buyer makes it known that he’s looking for a certain piece of art. People like me go in search of that piece. When we find it, we broker a deal between the buyer and the seller. Expensive paintings are easily transferred underneath lesser-known paintings. We make the transaction, and we get a cut of the profit.”

  “So you’re like the middle man?”

  He shrugged a muscular shoulder. “For lack of a better term.”

  “You haven’t answered my big question, Jax. What about me? I’m guessing it’s not a good thing for you that I know about this.” She looked up at him, searching his handsome face for answers. “Are you going to kill me?”

  Chapter Five

  Jax

  She was so fucking beautiful. He knew he couldn’t hurt her, but he needed her to be afraid of him, at least until he got Ben in and out of there.

  “I’m not going to answer that, love. Because it depends.”

  “Depends? On what?”

  He really loved the way she jerked on that tape every so often. The thought of sinking his cock into her soft little body when she was tightly bound made his spine tingle. What would she do if he took her down the hall to his dungeon?

  Focus, Jackson.

  “Carrie, someone’s going to be here soon. We have to—”

  The slamming of a door down the hall stopped him. “Fuck,” he muttered.

  “Hey, man! Where the fuck are you? Let’s see this thing!” Ben’s footsteps sounded down the hall.

  Jax should have done a better job explaining the situation to Carrie instead of flirting with her. But all he could do was pray that she went along with him on this. Flipping the chair back around, he grabbed the length of rope that he kept in the desk for the times when he liked to tie up a submissive in this room. Walking toward Carrie, he noticed her face flinch as she saw the rope in his hand.

  “Please, Jax, don’t. I’ll—”

  “Shh, baby.” He quickly yanked her up. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He kept one arm around her waist as he walked her to the corner and reached up for the retractable hook he’d had installed in the eight-foot ceiling. “I don’t have time to explain. Just, please. Please follow my lead.”

  Reaching down, he yanked the knife from his ankle holster once more and reached around to slice the tape from Carrie’s wrists. He wished he had a moment to let her stretch her sore shoulders, but there was no time.

  “Jax, what the fuck?” Doors slammed down the hall. “I know you’re here. I saw your car!” Ben was getting closer to them.

  Jax looped the rope around Carrie’s wrists and tied it in a simple square knot before pulling her wrists up. She cried out a little bit, most likely because her shoulders were so stiff.

  “I’m sorry, baby.” He looped the rope over the hook in the ceiling just as the door to the office swung open.

  “Are you in here, man? What the fu—” Ben stopped as he spotted Jax in the corner of the room with his arms circling Carrie. “Jesus Christ.” Ben’s face was red as he approached them.

  Jax immediately stepped in front of Carrie to shield her, and he could feel her body shaking behind him. He didn’t think Ben would hurt her, but if his partner thought Carrie was his submissive, then that was a guarantee he would back off. “Jesus Christ, man, don’t you ring the fucking doorbell? How did you even get in?”

  Ben craned his neck to look at Carrie, and Jax could only imagine how terrified she must look. Ben was a big guy. Even when he smiled, he looked menacing. When he was pissed, he looked down right deadly. And at that moment, he certainly wasn’t happy.

  “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” Ben’s eyes flicked back and forth from Carrie to Jax.

  Jax forced himself to stay calm. “I told you this wasn’t a good time. Or I tried to anyway, before you hung up.”

  “Yeah, you also told me the bitch left, not that you had her tied up in your fucking house.”

  Jax took a step toward his partner and couldn’t stop the savage growl that escaped his throat. Ben swallowed and backed up.

  “What I do with a submissive in my own house is none of your damned business,” Jax spat out. “And you’ll refer to her with respect.”

  Ben’s eyes widened incredulously. “Submissive? You haven’t kept a submissive in ages.”

  Shrugging casually, Jax turned to Carrie, reaching to brush a few stray blond hairs from her face. He hated the fact that she looked so frightened.

  He directed his words to Ben, but his eyes stayed on Carrie. “So? Maybe I haven’t found a sub worth keeping until now.”

  “Really?” Ben ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair in disbelief. “And you find one who happens to be running the gallery where we have a job? What about that? What if she goes to the police?”

  “Why would I do that?” Carrie asked. Jax could hear the fear in her voice even though she tried to keep it from wavering. “Jax is giving me a cut of the money. It’s not like I’d do anything to ruin that.” Her eyes flicked to him. “Right … Sir?”

  Raising both of his eyebrows in surprise, Jax was rendered speechless for a moment. But his cock responded to the word “sir” in an instant, hardening in anticipation. “Uh, exactly.”

  “A cut of the money?” Ben’s mouth hung open. “Have you lost your fucking mind, Jax?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Sweet Jesus, don’t be so dramatic. What I do with my cut of the money is none of your concern.” He took another step toward Ben, slowly backing him out of the door. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you got the hell out of here. I’d like to fuck my submissive.”

  Ben stared at him for a beat and then sighed. “Fine. But what about the painting? And what makes you so sure she’s not going to leave here and go straight to the police?” Ben shot a glare at Carrie. “No matter what she says.”

  Jax didn’t like the way his partner was looking at Carrie. “I’ll prep the painting, so don’t worry about that.” He glanced at Carrie. “And she’s not going anywhere tonight. By the time she leaves tomorrow, the painting will be safely in the hands of the client. Even if she were to go to the police—which she won’t—there won’t be any proof of anything. So you contact the client, tell him everything is on schedule, and don’t bother me again until morning.”

  Ben’s face turned red. He was frustrated. About that, Jax had no doubt. But he’d addressed all his partner’s concerns, and took satisfaction in the fact that Ben had seemed to run out of arguments.

  Finally his partner huffed out a breath. “Fine.” He turned and walked out the door of the library, slamming it behind him.

  Chapter Six

  Carrie

  For a moment, Carrie wondered where the heavy breathing was coming from, and then she realized it was her own. There had to be something wrong with her. That was the only excuse. She’d been scared, downright terrified, when that Ben person had walked in, all big and growly. But the second Jax had said he wanted to fuck his submissive, she had been laser-focused on him and on what that would actually feel like.

  She didn’t want to be tied up. She didn’t. She also didn’t enjoy being kidnapped. But if that were really true, and she really didn’t enjoy those things, then why did Jax’s smoky dark eyes make parts inside of her clench that she hadn’t even known existed before tonight?

  Carrie took another deep breath, trying to force herself to remain calm. But after Ben had left the room, Jax turned to stare at her with a look in his eyes that she couldn’t quite place. His eyes had darkened, and the way he circled toward her like a wolf stalking his prey made liquid heat pool at her center. She hadn’t had much sexual experience, but she knew for certain she’d never been so turned on in her life. “Are you going to let me down now?”

  He walked back over toward her, and the slight quirk of his lips lightened his otherwise menacing features. “You still think you’re in charge, love?”

  She would have shrugged a shoulder, but it was a bit difficult with her arms secured over her head. “I did as you asked. I kept my mouth shut.”

  She looked up at him when he reached her. When he lifted a hand, she thought he was going to unhook her, but instead, he ran the backs of his knuckles softly down her cheek making a “tsk tsk” sound.

  A little whimper escaped the back of Carrie’s throat as she leaned into him. Was it wrong that being bound this way turned her on? She didn’t even care anymore. She lifted her face to his. “Jax.” She meant to shove him away somehow, demand to be untied, to be let go … but she wanted him to kiss her. She’d never wanted anything so badly in her entire life.

  He must have sensed it. His hand turned to cup her cheek, his fingers pressing in lightly as he lowered his head and finally claimed her mouth. Her moan was covered by his mouth as he pulled her to him, his meaty arms holding her close. She felt the hard line of his erection against her, and every nerve in her body seemed to light up. When his tongue met hers, she thought she’d died right there. She’d never felt anything like this. Her blood shot like electricity through her veins. This must be heaven. It must.

  She wanted to reach for him, to touch him, but her arms were bound.

  Turning her head to the side, she broke the kiss. “Please,” she panted. “Please untie me.”

  His mouth trailed down her neck, his tongue tracing little circles. “It doesn’t work that way, love.” He turned her face back to his until their eyes met. She saw a wanting there, a desire she’d never though possible in a man’s gaze. He wanted her. This big beautiful man wanted her.

  “You may be used to being in charge, to giving orders, but that stops with me.” His voice seemed deeper now. “When you’re with me, you do what I say, what I command. You give in.” His hands played up and down the sides of her body as he held her gaze. “Let your mind and your body submit to me, Carrie, and I can give you more pleasure than you ever dreamed.”

  His words left her breathless. Right now she didn’t care about anything else. She didn’t care that he’d lied to her. She didn’t care that he’d stolen. She didn’t even care that he’d threatened her. All she cared about was that she wanted him, and he wanted her. She tried all the time to be so strong, to be firm and commanding. Just once, she wanted to let go, to trust someone other than herself. She was so tired of being so tough all the time. She wanted to lean on someone, to lean on Jax.

  She didn’t know what this connection was between her and Jax, didn’t know what it meant, only that it was deep. It was primal.

  And she knew at that moment, she should tell him. She should tell him she was a virgin.

  She opened her mouth to speak, to say just that. Then his teeth found a corner of her neck, and he bit lightly, nibbling until electricity shot through every pore of her body. And all she knew was that she didn’t want him to stop.

  Finally he raised his head, dropping a kiss on her mouth. “You looked like you wanted to say something.” He reached up to cup her face, his thumbs making little circles on her cheeks. “Is there something you want to say?”

  She took a deep breath. She needed to tell him. “I’m … I’m…”

  His touch was so distracting. So much. She wanted him so much.

  “You’re what, little one?”

  “I’m … I’m sure I don’t want you to stop. Please don’t stop.”

  She was going to tell him. But if she did, she was pretty damn sure he would stop. And that couldn’t happen.

  As he kissed her again, she breathed him in, and thought to herself that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t notice.

  Chapter Seven

  Jax

  Never in his life had he met a woman with so much passion, such fire. He’d expected her to turn away. To scream and tell him to fuck off. As much of a bastard as he was, he wouldn’t take her if she said no. He didn’t need to rape a woman to get her into bed. But she didn’t turn him away. She’d trusted him. Even though he hadn’t given her a reason in the world to trust him, she had.

  He’d planned to untie her until he’d realized just how much she liked being tied up like this. Oh, she might claim that she didn’t, but he knew the truth. He could see the heat flair in her eyes. Every time he kissed her, he could hear the little moan that escaped the back of her throat and feel the way she tensed, her breathing speeding up as she instinctively yanked on her bonds. She was a sweet little submissive, and she didn’t even know it.

  There was so much he wanted to show her. He wanted her to see how good he could make her feel by tying her to a St. Andrew’s cross and flogging her sweet, heart-shaped ass. He wanted her aroused after he’d pinkened her ass with his firm hand. But right now, more than that, he just wanted her. He wanted to sink his cock into her sweet little pussy.

  Reaching down, he unsheathed the knife from his ankle holster once again.

  “What are you doing with that?” She asked in alarm.

  “Shhh,” he soothed. “Do you trust me?” When she didn’t answer, he asked again, “Carrie, do you trust me?”

  Finally, she gave him what he wanted—her submission. She nodded. “I do. I don’t know why … but I do.”

  He didn’t know why Carrie did it for him, but she did. She was sweet, and smart, and funny, and stubborn, and sexy as hell. He’d walked around the last few months with a continuous erection, hoping she wouldn’t notice. He didn’t know how he’d ever thought he could hurt her.

  He slid her skirt and panties slowly down her legs, watching her face the whole time, waiting for her to protest, but all she did was wiggle her hips to help him slide her skirt off more easily. When it reached her ankles, she kicked it off, and stood in front of him naked from the waist down.

  Gazing down at her pussy for the first time, he licked his lips in urgency. The smattering of dark blonde hair on her delicious mound made his mouth water. He wanted to shave her. He wanted to tie her legs down and shave her nice and smooth. She would feel the sting of a crop so much better on a clean-shaven pussy.

  He’d nearly forgotten he was holding the knife, he was so used to the weight of it in his hand, but he caught site of Carrie’s eyes, which were following each movement of the blade as he twirled it back and forth in his fingers.

  For a second, he studied the pretty pink blouse she wore. He could unbutton it and set her breasts free without even untying her if he wanted to. But then, what fun would that be?

  With a grin, he lifted the knife up and slid it between the gap in her shirt. The rise and fall of her chest betrayed her calm exterior. She couldn’t hide the quickening of her breath. Jax focused his eyes on the porcelain skin of her face, and felt his cock twitch at the sight of her teeth sinking into her lower lip. He was pretty damn sure she was going to kill him. She was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen in his life.

  With a quick jerk of his wrist, the knife sliced through the thread holding on a button, and it flew off with a little ping. Instinctively, Carrie stepped back, but he circled her waist with a commanding arm. “Stay still, love.” Sliding the knife lower, he sliced off the next button. Ping. And the next. Ping. Until the tattered silk of her shirt hung open.

  He tossed the knife on the end table next to the couch and reached for her, pulling her to him. He kept one arm securely fastened around her waist, as the fingers of his right hand trailed up the sensitive skin of her belly. He loved the way she quivered beneath his touch. Reaching her bra, he deftly unfastened the front clasp, and moved the cups aside so her breasts spilled free.

  Her large, full breasts stood at attention. Cupping each one, Jax savored the full weight of them in his hands. Damn, he loved large breasts on a woman. And Carrie’s were truly the most perfect breasts he’d ever seen. He pressed a kiss to the areola on each one just above the nipple, and grinned at how she sucked in a breath. She was so soft, so smooth. And she tasted sweet, like strawberries. He’d never think of strawberries the same way again. On a groan, he gently squeezed one full breast, his thumb sliding a circle around the pebbled nipple.

  He looked at her face, eager to see her reaction. Her eyes were closed, her head back, exposing the line of her throat.

  “Look at me, Carrie. Open your eyes and look at me.”

  When she didn’t immediately comply, he increased the pressure on her nipple with his thumb and forefinger, and her eyes popped open as a little squeak sounded in her throat.

  “Good,” he said. “Keep your eyes on me.”