Naked Sushi by Jina Bacarr Read Free Book Online Page B

licked my lips, nice and easy, my tongue making a wet circle around my open mouth. “Are you?”
    He crossed his brows, and I swore I saw a flicker of interest in his eyes. It quickly disappeared. “You can’t blame a guy for wanting to make love to a beautiful woman, Pepper. But I’d never leave her hanging, unless my ass was on the line.”
    “You mean my ass.”
    “Don’t be so squeamish,” he said, making light of my misery. “You know the drill. I saw an opportunity and I took it. Nothing more.”
    Inside I was hurting from his remark, but I kept my game-face on. I refused to let him see how much his words stung me. “I don’t believe you. A man doesn’t come like you did if it’s only a quickie.”
    “It’s a perk in my line of work,” he said with a snicker.
    “Oh, yeah? Who do you work for?” I dared to ask him. “A syndicate? A rival software company? Or are you just an ordinary thief?”
    I saw his mouth set in a firm line, his breath coming faster. I’d hit a nerve.
    “There’s nothing ordinary about me.” He gripped my wrists tighter, the sheer power of being helpless stimulating me, though in this situation my primal urges were better left suppressed.
    “Oh?” I teased him. “I don’t remember. Show me.”
    “I didn’t come back here to make love to you—”
    “C’mon, fuck me. I dare you.” I wiggled, making my breasts bounce up and down, giving him an eyeful. I refused to panic. Keep him talking. “I bet you can’t get it up again.”
    “Your game won’t work, Pepper. I have a job to do and you’re in the way.”
    Uh-oh. I didn’t like the way he said that. Like I was about to get tossed out of a speeding car in the middle of the night. I would have wet my panties if I was wearing any. I wasn’t. In my mind, a thong didn’t count.
    I saw him reach into his jacket pocket. I tried to scream, but he clamped his hand over my mouth, shutting off my air. I struggled while he ripped the pink silk belt off my thin kimono and gagged me with it.
    “This will keep you quiet,” he said. I kicked him in the shin, making him yelp. “ Damn , I’ve never had so much trouble with a woman. Why didn’t you mind your own business?”
    I twisted and turned my body, going wild. What did I have to lose? He was going to plug me with a bullet between the eyes anyway.
    I couldn’t believe my luck when Cindy burst through the door.
    “Pepper, I got the job—” She screamed when she saw him sitting on me, my hands cuffed and pulled up over my head, my mouth gagged. “Don’t anybody move,” she cried out as if she were auditioning for a cop drama. “I’m calling the police.”
    “Stay right where you are, miss,” the stud ordered her, pulling a gold badge and ID out of his coat pocket and shoving them into her face. “Special Agent Steve Raines, FBI.”
    “ Oh , my God , Pepper,” Cindy gasped, her hand going to her mouth. “What have you done now?”
    No, no, no. I twisted my head back and forth, trying to get the gag off, tell her the badge was a fake. Had to be. He would have told me that night in the copy room if he was working for the FBI, right?
    I kept struggling, anything to get him off me. I knew he was going to kill me as soon as she left.
    “Tell my partner standing guard outside to come in,” he said. “I’m going to need a hand here.”
    “Yeah, sure.” Cindy gave me a look of pity. “Don’t worry, Pepper. I’ll get you out. Promise .” Then she ran out, slamming the door and leaving me alone with this guy.
    Come back , Cindy. He’s going to kill me.
    It was too late. She was gone.
    But I wouldn’t give up without a fight.
    I learned how to take care of bullies growing up. Kids calling me names, knocking my glasses off, trying to take me down. I fought back, used my brains to get through school and secure a good job.
    No phony secret agent man was going to take it away from me.
    I couldn’t describe the survival-like spasms jolting through me, energizing