Uncommon Romance (19 page)

And really, how would she explain that to her classmates? “No worries, folks. Give me back my sex toy and go about your business, please. Nothing to see here.” Yeah, right.

That scenario, however horrifying for Jude, would be equally exposing for Hollis, if not more so. She would trust Hollis to not place her in a losing situation that would embarrass them both.

She liked to linger in the shower, the feel of the water soothed her skin and eased her into the day, but she didn’t have time for that, thanks to Hollis’s gift and her giggle fit. She hurried through the basics and delayed inserting the balls until the last possible second.

She had her shirt on, shoes tied, and pants drooping around her thighs when she finally eased the first one inside. She didn’t project a very sexy image in her bathroom mirror, but no one was there to watch. And the balls, while a lot of fun, quickly turned to too much stimulation. The longer she waited, the less likely she was to orgasm in front of her classmates.

The extra few minutes she gained by waiting until she was fully dressed wouldn’t make much difference at all, but she felt slightly more in control because of it.

She inserted the second ball and shifted slightly, just to get used to the feel of them inside her. They moved within her, pressing against her vaginal walls in the most delicious way. She pulled up her pants, fixed her belt, and trained her expression in the mirror.

When she looked sufficiently placid, she stepped out, ready to face the day.

*

The gun range was nicer than the one Jude used in Portland. Bigger, too. They’d issued her a Glock 19 that looked serviceable, but she preferred the feel and weight of her own Sig Sauer P226. She could have brought it with her, but the amount of paperwork required for her to bring it on the plane was staggering. There was a time when all she had to do was show her badge and that was enough. That was, of course, before 9/11.

The one big advantage of the Glock over her Sig was the extra two rounds in the clip. At this point, though, she’d spent so much time shooting her P226 that she automatically stopped squeezing the trigger after she counted out thirteen shots. Then she’d remember the other two and work through them quickly. The extra bursts made her smile.

“You’re good.” Reeva yelled the words because she’d left her ear protection over her ears at the end of the last round. Jude pulled them off and let them drop around Reeva’s neck.

“Thanks.” She stepped to the side to let Reeva move into position, then dropped her magazine out and set the pistol on the low shelf beneath the top counter. She didn’t want Reeva grabbing the wrong gun by mistake because the kid was a shaking mess. Whereas Jude found the muffled gun blasts almost soothing, Reeva found them completely disturbing.

“I still don’t understand why we’re doing this.”

Jude didn’t really get it either, since the gun range was part of basic training and had nothing to do with terrorist-specific training. But it took up only a couple of hours at the end of the day, just like the insane course Hollis had made them run the previous week. Maybe those exercises were meant to give the students a chance to clear their thoughts and return to normal.

And that might have worked for her if it wasn’t for the damn balls inside her. They shifted and slid every time she pulled the trigger. And of course she’d clench to keep them in place. The internal pressure against the motion of the balls had been building inside her all day. The shooting range was the evil, erotic cherry on top.

Hollis stared at her from across the range, a small, knowing grin on her face. She gave Jude the barest of nods, then turned her attention to a student closer to her. She knew how close Jude was to rubbing up against the nearest warm body until she came. The thought was mortifying because, how in the hell would she explain that to Reeva, the nearest warm body? Not to mention that if she gave in to the impulse, Hollis would punish her mercilessly later. Although that might make it worth it.

“Seriously, what does this have to do with terrorists?” Reeva continued her complaint as she snapped her ammo clip into place.

“No idea.” Jude squeezed her thighs together and almost fell over. Maybe when the next round started and everyone else was distracted, she could do that a few more times and let herself come finally.

“Everything okay over here?” Hollis spoke from behind her, her mouth closer to Jude’s ear than she ever got to any of her classmates, but still far enough away to not raise suspicion. It no longer surprised her when Hollis did that, came out of nowhere and spoke directly into her ear from behind. But it still set her heart to racing in anticipation of what was to come.

“Everything is fine.” Jude tried like hell to keep her voice level, and it worked for the most part. Hollis knew her well enough to sense the slight tremble, but it wasn’t pronounced enough that Reeva would have noticed.

“Really?” Hollis lowered her voice half a register, and Jude’s body responded immediately. Just like that, she was ready to leave and let Hollis take care of the need that had been building inside her with every shift of those damn, wonderful, awful balls. She already knew how to shoot. She didn’t need any more range time.

“How much longer?” She lowered her voice to match Hollis. Normally, she worked hard to remain indifferent during class, but normally she didn’t have steel balls inside her cunt. It tended to make a girl a little bold.

“Why? Are you eager to get out of here?” Hollis’s voice was deadly serious, her face deadpan. Still, Jude was pretty sure she was being teased.

“God, yes.” She breathed her response. If Hollis didn’t like the extra attention during class, she shouldn’t shove Jude’s cunt full of sex toys at the beginning of the day.

The light came on to signal the next round was about to begin. She could see people around her dropping their ear protection into place, but she waited. She wanted to hear what Hollis had to say.

“I want to take you to my house today. Is that okay?” Hollis asked the question, then took Jude’s earmuffs in her hands and settled them over her ears. Then she did the same with her own. Apparently Jude’s opinion didn’t matter.

She nodded, pretty sure her mouth was hanging open. Hollis smiled and walked away.

Jude watched her go and checked the clock. Fifteen more minutes, and it couldn’t pass quick enough.

Reeva entered their room before Jude and turned to watch her enter. She stood with her arms crossed and foot tapping. She would make an excellent mom one day.

“When are you going to tell me?” Reeva asked.

That question could have meant any one of a million things, and Jude wasn’t about to volunteer anything.

“What do you mean?”

“You and Special Agent Hollis.” Reeva raised an eyebrow and tapped a little faster.

Jude dropped her book bag on her desk chair and debated changing clothes. They hadn’t worked out at all that day and, other than the light scent of gunpowder, she smelled clean. Still, a shower was in order. She picked out a clean change of clothes, cargo shorts, a tight tank top, and her favorite belt. It wasn’t particularly sexy, but it was clean and one of the few personal outfits she’d brought with her. And anything was better than the standard-issue FBI clothing she’d been forced to wear while at this damn training seminar.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jude took her clothes into the bathroom and set them on the counter. She debated stripping with the door open, as that would surely convince Reeva their conversation was over, but given the state of her underwear and the fact that she had Ben Wa balls inside her, she decided not to. The thought of losing track of one and it slipping out and rolling across the floor with Reeva watching mortified her. Instead, she stood in the open door and propped one shoulder against the frame.

“Oh, come on. She was totally flirting with you today.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Of course Jude knew exactly what Reeva referenced, but she really, really wanted to enjoy the evening with Hollis. She was pretty sure that confessing to their illicit affair to Reeva ran counter-intuitive to her goal for the night.

Reeva threw up her hands. “I was standing right there! I could hear you guys.”

Jude did her best to look nonplussed. “And? It doesn’t mean anything, Reeva. If you’re asking if I like flirting with her, the answer is yes. Who wouldn’t? She’s hot. Don’t turn it into something it’s not.”

Reeva looked almost convinced. “That makes sense, but what about her? Is she supposed to flirt with her students?”

“Jesus, I’m not a child. I’m in my forties. Trust me, she’s not going to take advantage of me or exert undue influence over my life. Fuck.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

“Maybe? Reeva, you need to stop. The things you’re saying could have a serious impact on her career, and for what? We’re leaving in a week. What difference does it?”

“I don’t want to hurt her. I just want to know what’s going on.” Reeva looked like Jude had hurt her feelings, something Jude couldn’t wrap her head around. It wasn’t like they were besties who shared everything. She’d known Reeva for two weeks.

“Nothing’s going on. I already told you that.” Jude struggled with her temper. This whole scenario was ridiculous. She should be able to fuck whoever she wanted. Still, pissing Reeva off wouldn’t help the situation. “I’m sorry if I upset you earlier. I promise not to flirt with anyone else for the next week, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. I guess.” Reeva scuffed her toe on the carpet, and it took every ounce of Jude’s willpower not to laugh at the display. She was like a scolded child.

“I’m going to take a shower. Are we good?”

“Yeah.” Reeva nodded sullenly and pulled out a textbook. She sat on her bed and started reading. Jude was dismissed.

Thank fuck. Jude didn’t have time to keep hashing this over. She had more pleasant things to think about than Reeva’s hurt feeling. As it was, she’d have to rush through the shower if she didn’t want to keep Hollis waiting.

*

Jude scanned the street for Hollis’s car, then realized she didn’t know what Hollis drove. She descended the steps, resolved to wait. Standing there wasn’t particularly subtle, but she didn’t know what else to do. Wait until Hollis showed up was her only option.

Hollis pulled to a smooth stop in front of her as Jude hit the last step. She climbed into the dark sedan, thankful for the dark-tinted windows. Hollis seemed pretty casual about taking her off-site, but after her conversation with Reeva, Jude was a little uncertain.

“Hey there.” Hollis sounded disturbingly normal when she wasn’t playing the role of instructor. Or Dom. Jude would freak completely out if Hollis held her hand like this was some sort of date.

“Hi.” She answered because it was polite. But it still felt weird as fuck. She didn’t spend a lot of time talking to Hollis casually. She followed orders. And tried not to scream when she came.

“How are you?” Hollis stared straight ahead, but the expression on her face indicated that this was all perfectly normal for her.

“Uncomfortable. It’s hard to shower with Ben Wa balls inside your cunt.”

Hollis smiled, lopsided and sexy, and said, “Language.”

Jude felt the impact as if it were a paddle connecting with her butt cheeks. She stiffened and sat up straighter. “Sorry, ma’am.”

“It’s okay. I was teasing. Relax.”

Jude tried to ease back into the seat, but her body simply wouldn’t relax fully. She had no doubt Hollis would make her pay for her loose words when they reached her house. She squirmed and the balls inside her shifted.

“Talk to me. Tell me about your day.” This time Hollis sounded as rigidly formal as Jude felt.

“Is this okay? Our relationship? Like you wouldn’t get fired if anyone found out about it, right?” She spoke because Hollis told her to, but she should have considered her words a little more carefully beforehand.

“What is this about?”

“My roommate was asking about you.”

“Reeva? That girl is very smart. She’ll make a good agent someday. Not in counterterrorism. Maybe as a profiler.” Hollis focused too closely on the details about Reeva, and not enough on the question Jude asked. It was irritating.

“But would it be a problem?”

“Depends. If she found out we’re…seeing each other? That would be okay. If she found out
how
we’re seeing one another? That would be awkward.”

“You wouldn’t lose your job.”

“No, of course not. If you were a twenty-something, fresh out of college, that might raise a few more eyebrows, but even that would be overlooked.”

That news was good enough that Jude was able to relax into the seat as previously directed. Until she thought about it. Then she was tense all over again.

“How often do you do this?”

“This?” Hollis asked distractedly as she turned onto the freeway on ramp.

“This, have an affair with a student.” Jude knew she wasn’t special enough to be the only one, and she
hated
the way she sounded all controlling and needy. Still she asked the question and cringed because of it.

Hollis chuckled. “Are you jealous?”

Whether she was or not, she certainly sounded the part. Jude considered her emotions and then answered honestly. “I think I might be, but I’m not sure why.”

“How interesting.”

Jude felt a little like a bug under glass, there for Hollis to examine and inspect. Of course she had to explain.

“I don’t think this is some great romance. And I don’t think I have any particular claim to you. But I like what we share enough to want it to be special.”

“I see.” Hollis nodded. “I think it is. I’ve had affairs before, just as you have, but nothing quite like this. We fit together effortlessly. I’ll be sad when you leave.”

“Me, too.”

“Let’s not talk about it then.”

And then Hollis did the unthinkable. She picked up Jude’s hand, laced their fingers together, then dropped it into her own lap, all without fanfare. Even more disturbing to Jude was the fact that she quite liked it. Given a choice, she’d choose the bite of leather cuffs digging into her wrists, but it was also nice to drive down the road and simply touch one another in an unassuming, completely vanilla way. It was comforting.

She tightened her grip on Hollis’s hand and rested her head against the headrest. She closed her eyes for the remainder of the ride to Hollis’s house and tried not to think about what it all meant. She didn’t open them again until Hollis pulled to a stop and said, “We’re here.”

*

As soon as they crossed the threshold, Hollis’s demeanor changed completely. It wasn’t anything noticeable, just a subtle shift in the way she stood. Yet it made all the difference in the world. The woman before her was firm, commanding, and so in charge Jude got wet just looking at her. She clenched and the balls inside her pushed against her inner walls, making her tremble.

“My bedroom is down the hall. Only door on the left. Wait for me there.”

Jude nodded and kept her gaze averted. Yes, Hollis liked to be watched, but this was different. Right now she wanted to be obeyed properly, and that meant Jude’s head needed to be bowed, her eyes focused on the floor. Her throat ached to voice her approval, but for now that wasn’t allowed either.

She found Hollis’s room easily. The lights were on a dimmer, so she set them to a low output and shut the door behind her. There was a large, four-poster bed in the middle of the far wall. No canopy. A matching trunk butted against the end of the bed. A tall chest of drawers sat on the wall opposite, close to the door. Several objects, toys Hollis hopefully planned to use that evening: nipple clamps, a pair of leather cuffs, a strap-on with a moderately sized blue dildo. Jude was pleasantly surprised because she’d expected something obscenely oversized and impossible to accommodate without risk of injury.

Jude had no doubt how Hollis wanted her. The message communicated through her tone and the few sparse words made her wishes clear. Jude stripped quickly, folding her clothes and stacking them neatly on the low settee by the closet. She set her shoes, laces tucked inside, beneath it. Then she kneeled by the door with her hands resting, palms down, atop her thighs. And she waited.

She focused on the weave of carpet directly in front of her. She’d already indulged too freely by looking around when she arrived. Any more would be a clear violation of the trust Hollis extended by bringing her into her home.

She didn’t wait long. Hollis entered the room, her movements nearly silent. She sat on the trunk and said, “Come here.”

She didn’t specify how, and Jude wasn’t willing to take any chances. She crawled over and knelt at Hollis’s feet.

“Hands behind your back, please.”

Of course, how could she have forgotten something so simple? Hollis liked her shoulders back, breasts jutting forward. She complied immediately and hoped she was graceful enough to earn forgiveness for her transgression.

“Thank you.” Hollis stroked her hair, playing with the ends. “Are you hungry?”

She really was, but that didn’t mean it was a good idea to eat now. She didn’t know if she was allowed to ask, but wasn’t sure how to do so.

“You may speak.” And that was why she appreciated Hollis so much. She was the perfect Dom, paying close attention and anticipating her needs.

Jude raised her eyes and chose her words carefully. Hollis had prepared a plate of fruit, crackers, and cheese, easy-to-eat finger foods that were also filling. Jude didn’t want to insult her efforts.

“I am hungry, but I don’t know if it would be best to eat now or wait until later.”

“Mmm, good point.” Hollis selected a slice of strawberry and painted Jude’s lips with it, then pushed it into her mouth. “You’re probably right. We should wait.”

Hollis picked up the plate and carried it somewhere out of Jude’s line of sight, probably the chest of drawers. She heard the plate being set down and the sound of something else, something small and metallic, being picked up. Her skin pricked with awareness.

“Please stand.” The command came cool and smooth and directly behind her. Hollis certainly liked to sneak up on her.

Kneeling with the balls inside her hadn’t been too much of an issue. She’d been able to use her hands for support, and Hollis hadn’t been there to witness her struggle. Getting up was another story entirely. Being graceful wasn’t an option; it was required.

She clenched tight in her core to hold the balls in place and to give her balance, and it took every ounce of her control not to grimace with the shifting pressure inside her. The balls had been there too long, and she’d worked hard to ignore them while simultaneously being hyper aware of their positioning. It was a fine balance, and the longer she went, the wetter she got. They became harder and harder to hold in place.

After a deep breath, she rose without faltering. It wasn’t as smooth as she would have liked, but given the circumstances, she was pleased.

Hollis trailed a fingertip over her shoulders as she walked into view. She stopped directly in front of Jude with one hand draped over her shoulder. She bounced the nipple clamps in clear view, and Jude was fixated. They were the adjustable kind with a weighted chain that dangled between the two. Very effective.

“I’d like to put these on you. Would that be okay?” Hollis asked the question formally and her words made Jude shiver.

Jude met Hollis’s gaze and nodded steadily. She was being given so much control, and it left her confused and excited.

“Thank you.”

Hollis dipped her head and kissed Jude’s breasts, first one then the other. She licked and sucked them to hard peaks, then drew back to inspect her work. She drew one finger carefully over her lips. “You really didn’t need that, but I certainly enjoyed it.”

She held one clamp delicately between her thumb and forefinger, twisting it to catch the light, hypnotizing Jude with the reflection. As Hollis kissed her, Jude’s eyes slipped shut and she lost track of the clamp until Hollis gripped her nipple, pulling it taut and then slipping the clamp into place. Fire burst through her breast and down to her overstimulated cunt. She moaned into Hollis’s mouth. She wouldn’t last long tonight.

Before she could open her eyes, before she could gasp, before she could fully appreciate one, Hollis slipped the other clamp into place, and Jude had to hold herself painfully still to keep from falling to the floor in a sopping-wet, delirious mess.