Page 28 of Captive

"Guess underground still beats living on the streets." I force a light tone. My stomach growls, and I press my arm againstit.

Blake points down at my arm. "We'll get you breakfast just as soon as we get you primped and pretty." He tilts his head. "You sure have an interesting hair color. And with that face, it'll be fun to get you spruced up." Blake is wearing Birkenstock sandals. They shuffle over the lush ivory carpeting that covers the room from wall to wall. He tosses open one of the doors to reveal the entrance to a shiny marble-linedbathroom.

I throw my bare legs and feet over the side of the bed. The aspirin is only just starting to work its magic. With some food, I'll be my clear headed self again. Then it's time to start mentally logging evidence. It seems I'm going to find out exactly what goes on in the Lace Underground. I'm anxious to start tiptoeing through the Kane Freestone's notorious secret world. At the same time, I have to prepare myself for whatever is expected of me to get the job done. It's not going to be pleasant or easy, and it'll probably take me years of therapy to get the scars out of my head, but in the end, I'll show Clark and Maddox and the guys in the precinct just how a woman detective gets things done. After all, none of them could have gotten even this far on the undercoveroperation.

Blake has disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of water rushing into a tub and the fragrance of bubble bath fills the air. I'm still shaky from the champagne and long night, and I make my way toward the bathroom like a hundred-year-old lady. A quick glimpse in the vanity mirror assures me I look like onetoo.

Blake's smiling face appears in the bathroom doorway. He holds up a bottle of something and a towel. "First thing we need to do is get rid of unsightly hair," hechirps.

My step falters. "Unsightly hair? Youmean—"

Blake's purple glazed contacts flash to my pussy. "The pubes have to go. Mr. Freestone likes things smooth andclean."

I swallow back the sudden dryness in my throat. Up until that second, I could only surmise that I was going to sleep with strangers. Now it's a solid fact. I just wonder how many sweaty, grabby billionaires I'm going to have to bed before I have enough evidence and a safe way out of the underground. Get in character, Angie. You areTawny.

I shake off the tension and walk toward Blake. "I guess Freestone likes to make everything just right for his club members,eh?"

Blake shoulders rise in surprise, effectively blocking the door. "Darlin', you're not here for his club members. Mr. Freestone has chosen you for his own personal use. At least for now." He smiles proudly. "Puts a little more pressure on me, but I'm up to thetask."

His earlier statement about being there forhimmakes sense now. I am going to be the mad genius's toy until he tires of me. Then he'll throw me out to his pack of wolves. I was going to need to work fast and stay clear headed through it all. It wasn't going to be easy. First and foremost, I needed to avoid thechampagne.

I enter the bathroom. It's much larger than its sleek marble opening portends. My heart skips a beat and rare, girlish excitement overtakes me as the massive soak tub comes into view. For a second I forget where I am and fleetingly imagine I'm in a posh five star resort about to get pampered into feminine oblivion. The bathroom is bigger and more well furnished than my entire apartment. There is a plush chaise lounge at the foot of the bath and two velvet upholstered benches sit across from each other in the center of theroom.

"What, no wet bar?" Iask.

Blake has a humorous glint in his eye as he walks to a panel on the wall and opens it. With a few button pushes, a marble panel opens up and a motor buzzes as a shelf filled with liquor bottles and glasses rollsout.

"Silly me forasking."

"You look like a rock and roll type but something soft for a bubble bath." Blake reaches back into the controls and suddenly Rod Stewart is crooning one of his slow songs. The echo is loud. Blake adjusts the music lower and it becomes a soothing backgroundhum.

"Go ahead and strip off the dress, darlin'. Hope you don't mind if I call you that, it's just a habit Ihave."

I shake my head. I've already concluded that I have met my perfect connection to all that goes on in Lace Underground. It seems Blake and I have no choice except to become close friends, but maybe a little closer than I expected. I hesitate about taking off mydress.

Blake catches the pause and laughs. He has a good laugh, the kind that makes you want to hang out with him just because you know he likes to have fun. He puts his hands on his hips, reminding me of my Aunt Terry just before she was about to lecture me on being too wild in the house. "Darlin', I can tell you that I have about as much interest in seeing pussy as you have, so off with the dress." He shows me the can of hair remover again. "This was specially formulated by the boss. We need to get you foamedup."

It's more than a little unsettling having a strange man knelt down between my naked legs spraying foam around my privates but Blake is a pro. He goes right on with his conversation as if we're just two friends having a latte at a coffee bar. The foam starts to tingle on my skin. I fidget as the light tingle starts tosting.

"Don't worry about the stinging sensation. There's a soothing lotion to go with it. After this, we'll drop you in that tub, and I'll go get your breakfast. But while this stuff does it's thing, I need to get a blood test." He says it casually as if it's a perfectly normal thing tosuggest.

I'm still processing his statement as he walks to yet another panel in the bathroom. It seems to be some kind of medicine cabinet. He returns with a band of rubber, a syringe and a vial. "Don't worry, I'm a trained nurse. I'm sort of the go-to doctor in thisplace."

I'm only half listening as I watch him prepare to take my blood. "Exactly why are we taking blood?" Iask.

"To make sure you're healthy and not carrying any STDs. We've got a full-time lab technician. By the way, are you on birthcontrol?"

A terse laugh shoots from my mouth. "The whole fantasy of this bubble bath scene just went to the cold side of practicality and yes, I am but my belongings are back at thepark."

"No problem. You'll be getting a different kind to start. It'll basically stop those peskyperiods."

"Mr. Freestone really likes things to run efficiently down here," I comment. It seems the Lace Underground is not a seedy two-bit operation but a well-managed, high endbusiness.

"Well, when your clients are paying seven figure yearly fees, you have to make sure things are perfect." He laughs faintly. "It's a lot to take in, Iknow."

He mistakes my silence as awe when I'm merely trying to tuck it all into my head for later, when I'm back in the real world. Because there is absolutely nothing real about the world I'm sitting in rightnow.

I'm sitting on a cushioned bench leaning back on my hands as he masterfully cleans away the foam with atowel.

---