Page 34 of Jacqueline's Quest

Chapter 5

The last few days were tense, to say the least. The ache in Murray's balls hadn't abated and every time he looked at Jaqueline, he was reminded at how close they'd come to blowing their cover. After watching the scene together and knowing full well it turned her on, he couldn't resist pushing her. She'd let him to. Now, she wouldn't talk to him. She avoided him at every turn and a few times, he heard her talking to herself and Asher.

Murray confronted her after the second conversation because he'd heard her ask for a replacement. The thought of losing Jaqueline because of her issues tore his apart. He couldn't allow her to walk away from the mission. He knew deep down, she'd regret it. She'd want to be there to be the first good-guy her brother would see. The conversation he had with Asher didn't bolster his confidence though. She was having a hard time. She'd told Asher everything about the night at the club and, when he saw the whole situation from her eyes, he couldn't blame her for wanting to walk away.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for Murray, Asher didn’t have anyone to pair Murray up with, so Jaqueline had to stay. It hurt their dynamic, he could already tell. The trust between them was fragile and her talking to his commander, behind his back, cracked the foundation. Nevertheless, he understood it too. She’d said it several times she couldn’t be a Dom. She didn’t have the gumption or tenacity for the position. She didn’t want to control everything, hell she’d been doing it for a better part of her life. Being submissive gave her the ability to turn off her brain and just be.

So, how did he fix their mess?

Luca pushed through the door of the library and grinned. "There you both are. I thought since everything went awry the other night, we'd try something different today." He pulled a set of keys from his pocket. "This place has more rooms than what you see here." He crossed the room to one of the inlaid bookshelves and placed a skeleton key into a hidden lock, something Murray hadn't noticed when they'd first arrived or the subsequent trips to the quiet space. "I thought my playroom would give us more privacy." He turned the key and the door swung inward against the wall, exposing a cinderblock staircase descending below the house.

Jaqueline stepped forward first. “I think it’s for the best. We don’t need to get caught or be interrupted.” Her words were flat as though she went through the motions. He hated it for her. She should want to let loose and have fun, not treat this as some chore.

“You led, I follow,” Murray replied.

The minute they stepped over the threshold, small circular spotlights came on, illuminating the passage. Murray hadn’t known what to expect when they got to the bottom of the stairs. Though Luca appeared to be a level-headed, but cocky guy, Murray listened to AJ. Luca was an unknown to Murray. For all he knew, Luca was the Christian Grey of the CIA and the room they were about to walk into was a ‘red’ room.

Luca placed his palm against the biometric pad to be scanned. When the door popped open, he ushered Jaqueline and Murray inside. Like with the steps, the minute they stepped over the threshold, the lights came on, brightening the space. It was bigger than Murray expected it. Glass French doors lined the western wall of the house and opened to a large secluded patio overlooking the five acres of property.

Along the south wall were several instruments and equipment he'd used before in a club setting. Another section of the room had been turned into a sitting area with a plush couch and a few leather wing-backed chairs. Luca also installed a small wet bar, however, Murray didn't see any liquor. Overall, he approved of the space. It was comfortable and inviting along with functional.

Murray glanced over his shoulder and spotted the medical table under a single light, positioned into an inclined sitting position and became curious. He’d seen them in clubs over the years, but not necessarily in someone’s home collection.Did he order it from Ashley Furniture? Badcock? He chuckled to himself.

“Let’s chat for a minute,” Luca said. “See if we can figure out what the issues are and why this isn’t clicking, besides the obvious.”

Murray crossed his arms. “Besides the obvious?”

“Yeah, you’re the Dom and she is the submissive,” Luca stated. “Is there a reason why you have flipped roles?” He motioned for Jaqueline to sit across from him.

“She knows the ins and outs of the club the best. Couldn’t walk in there and stumble around can I?” Murray cocked a brow, taking a seat on the couch.

“True,” Luca agreed. “How do you feel about all of this, Jaqueline?”

She glanced down at her hands. Before they left, she tied her hair up in a ponytail, weaving her colored locks in with her dark-chocolate hair. “Not very good.”

“Oh?” Luca cut his gaze to Murray. “Why’s that?”

"I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't even know if this will work. We could very well raid the place and be done with it." She tsked in frustration as she shot out of her chair. "I don't know Murray well enough to even pretend I'm in a relationship with him. What if I misstep? Besides knowing the inside of the building, shouldn't it be the person who's in the lifestyle leading this? Then, the other night... It put everything into perspective. I'm not cut out for this. Wouldn't it be easier to put Murray with someone who, I don't know, gets it?"

Luca motioned to himself. The move had a superior flare to it. "It's why I am here to help you." He sat forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "The other night you were turned on by the scene we watched. It got you excited. Hot." Luca wiggled his brows. "Wet. Your response to the scene showed Murray and me everything we needed to know. You were perfect for this role."

“How can you make me something I’m not? How do you know it was the Dom who got me hot and bothered and not the two submissives?”

“Let’s try this another way,” Luca said. “First, sit.”

She tilted her head as if she hadn’t realized she’d been standing, or even pacing the area between her and Murray. “Okay.” She sat, turning slightly so she faced Luca. “What next?”

“You were part of the Cuerpo de Fuerzas Especiales,right?”

She nodded. “Si, what’s your point?”

“Ever go undercover?”

Murray saw where Luca was going with his questions and he sat back. He'd been treating Jaqueline all wrong. He'd been using real-time scenarios with her, bringing her into the lifestyle by showing her what was expected. She didn't have a dominant bone in her body and yet, he treated her as if she did. Murray, if it were possible, wanted to kick his ass for being so obtuse with the whole situation.

“I did. Once,” Jaqueline stated.

“Did you become someone else while you were undercover?”

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