Catch and Release

By Josie Leigh

Anton Galen and Sophie Briggs have been partners for nearly two years. After helping build a case against Anton's mother, the two have been relegated to much small cases. However, the agents want nothing more than to get back into the field and do what they do best. When they finally get the break they are looking for, Anton and Sophie find themselves in close quarters and discover a chemistry neither one expected.

Sophie Briggs comes from a family with a history in law enforcement and wanted nothing more than to make her family proud, until tragedy tore them apart. Even eight months later, she's still burning with the betrayal that took away her ties to her family. So, even though she's curious, she isn't sure if she wants to explore the world Anton is offering.

Anton Galen has always referred to himself as a Catch and Release Dom. Training submissives for their eventual Master, and never keeping anyone for himself. However, after standing up for his former submissive, Sabrina, at her collaring ceremony something in him changed. One scene with Sophie has him wondering if she's the one he's been waiting for.

With their attentions split, their target, Connor Bledsoe, takes the opportunity to try and claim Sophie for himself. Will Anton be able to bring Connor down and keep Sophie for himself? Or will Sophie be taken in by the charismatic CEO?

Warning: This book contains consensual acts of BDSM and is for adult audiences only.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Josie Leigh
• Release date: Jan 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310920486

Josie Leigh

Josie Leigh is an independent author who focuses on writing Romance because she loves a story with a happy ending. Writing has been an escape for her since a very young age, and she cherishes the time she gets to spend with her characters. After graduating with a Bachelors degree in Nutrition in 2008, she pursued a challenging career in the field of nutrition insecurity and anti-hunger advocacy. She is grateful to be able to feed hungry families on a daily basis and chase her literary dreams in her off time.

Book preview

Prologue

The early morning sun accosted Sophie as soon as her gray-green eyes cracked open. Groggily, she sat up and took in the foreign surroundings. A set of warped and slightly open, dusty but white Venetian blinds covered an, obviously, east facing window. The directness of the sunlight peeking through the slats told her that it was still fairly early in the day. Looking down at the dingy beige sheets pooling at her waist, she wished that she were waking up in her four poster bed on her robin’s egg blue Egyptian cotton 1800 counts rather than these, which felt like burlap against her milky white skin.

For an undercover agent, Sophie was doing a lousy job recalling how she’d ended up in this bed last night, but the familiar ache of her lower muscles and her advanced state of undress let her know exactly what she’d done once she got there.

A husky groan sounded from beside her and an oddly-familiar tanned arm slid around her naked waist. Don’t get up yet, Sophie, he murmured against the small of her back as he wrapped himself around her like ivy. Trailing his lips up her spine, she shuddered, involuntarily as the stubble from her bed-mate’s chin flipped her mood from confused to aroused in no time. I was hoping for a repeat of last night’s performance, he continued, his lips now at her neck as he got on to his knees behind her and moved her hair to the side to allow for better access.

Mmmmm, she moaned as his hands skated across her ribs to the underside of either breast.

These are amazing, he praised, letting his thumbs tease her already erect nipples as he nibbled on her ear. I didn’t get nearly enough of them before we passed out last night.

Connor, she breathed, trying to remind herself that she’d just spent the previous night being fucked by the man she was supposed to be building a case against. She was supposed to be his secretary, not his girlfriend or even his fuck buddy.

I love it when you say my name like that, he growled, moving her back toward the bed and positioning himself on top of her and between her legs before she could process how things had escalated so quickly. But I think I like it better when you scream it, he declared before filling her to the hilt with one sharp thrust, his gray eyes were gleaming silver into hers as he fucked her with long, hard strokes. His jaw was tight and his nose touched hers as he demanded her gaze. The steely determination, with an odd mix of warmth toward her, but also a general coldness in them, almost frightened her. She didn’t know if he suspected her job and wanted information from her, or if this was him letting her know that he owned her.

Fuck, she hissed as she felt a hand between them, pulling on the nipple of her left breast roughly, just enough to send a jolt of pain mixed with pleasure straight to her pussy, overriding her thought processes and rushing her building orgasm through her body. Connor, she whimpered as she slid off the edge and rocked up to meet his strokes into her body, feeling his thickness pushing against her cervix.

You are mine, he stated through clenched teeth. You will move out of this hell hole today, he decided, yet again reminding her that the only reason she was in this apartment at all was so that she didn’t blow her cover last night. Fuck, what if she hadn’t been thinking and took him to her house rather than the dummy address the Bureau had set up for her when she started this assignment? It looked sufficiently lived in, but she knew that wasn’t because she was actually staying here. Connor roared his release, throwing his head back before meeting her gaze again as his breathing calmed. After a minute, he allowed his body to sink onto hers, his head nestled between her breasts and his black hair fell into his eyes as he looked up at her, waiting for her to confirm that she would move in with him. As she sent up a silent prayer hoping that he thought her rapid heartbeat was from the sex they’d just shared, she started to question how she got into this mess from the beginning.

The answer came quicker than she would’ve expected. This was all Anton’s fault.

Chapter 1

Two months earlier…

What are we working on? Anton asked as he sat on the edge of his partner’s desk.

We’re in a holding pattern, Sophie frowned up at him from the file she was reading, her eyes narrowing when she took in the cup in his hand. What the fuck? she asked.

What? he asked, looking behind him and around the office. What am I missing?

Every morning, I stop and get us coffee, she started, throwing her chestnut ponytail over her shoulder. The one morning I text you that I didn’t have time, you stop and get your own? You don’t think to return the favor?

Sophie Briggs knew that she barely registered on her partner’s radar on a personal level, but there was such a thing as professional courtesy. They’d worked together for a year now; their first big case had been a success, even if it involved conquering his past. However, after taking down his mother, they hadn’t seen the same kind of multi-million dollar busts and had been relegated to smaller cases. She knew they were both dying to play in the big leagues again. With a not-so-anonymous tip and a well-placed resume, it looked as though they might get a new opportunity sooner rather than later.

You doubt me? he asked, his green eyes shining down at her as he pulled her favorite salted caramel mocha frap from where it sat on the desk just behind him.

"Awww, you do care," she joked, smiling brightly at him and ruffling his haphazardly styled blonde hair as she took the drink from his hand. Pulling away, she watched his eyes flash as he took in her v neck t-shirt and jeans.

Is it Casual Friday? he asked, quirking a brow in her direction.

Something like that,’ she said with a small amount of snark, taking a sip of her drink before sinking back into her chair.

So I see, he nodded, finally vacating his place on her desk in favor of his own. How long until we find out? he asked, looking at the clock against the back wall, reminding her what today was.

Could be any time now, she told him, her eyes flitting over the other agents present in the office that morning.

If we get this, are you ready for everything that comes with it? he asked, his face serious. I mean, this cover flies in the face of women’s liberation and all of that. The way you are going to be strong armed in with me is going to send a very loud message about our supposed relationship, he continued. I’ve been known to become extremely possessive, he warned, his eyes darkening with his words. "If I feel like your place by my side is being threatened, I will take action."

What do you mean? she asked, her brow furrowed.

It means that I will make it very clear that the rumors that we are going to walk into are true, he said, point blank.

What if someone thinks you are sexually harassing me? she folded her arms over her chest, only half joking with her question.

"You’ll clarify that I’m not, and that any advance I make on you is more than welcome, he informed her, mirroring her position. Look, he broke, relaxing his body for a beat, it’s going to be a feat to pull this off, so we don’t want to look suspicious from the start or we’ll never get anywhere with this assignment."

Fine, she said with a sigh, glancing at the clock, now desperate to change the subject. Your mom’s hearing starts in thirty. Go, she encouraged. I’ll call you if anything changes.

Thanks, Soph, he said, shooting her his most devastating smile. You’re the best, he finished, ruffling her hair as he grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair and headed toward the door.

As she watched him leave, she wondered if she’d be able to resist his fake advances without melting into a puddle at his feet. She’d been through so much in the last year with all the stuff that went down with her ex and her sister, but she was starting to get to the other side of her grief. Not to mention, she hadn’t gotten laid in nearly eight months, so she was pretty sure if Anton even brushed against her in the right way she might have an extremely embarrassing, extremely loud, and extremely public orgasm.

**

Anton made his way into the quiet court room just as the judge appeared from his chambers. He’d been hoping to find a window to get out of the office earlier than he had, but with no luck. He was glad he had a partner like Sophie that was willing to cover for him while he listened to his mother’s fate.

Be seated, the judge said before turning his attention to the Federal Prosecutor. It is my understanding that a plea has been struck in this case, he stated. Is that correct, Ms. Keller?

Yes, your honor, the prosecutor confirmed, standing from the table and smoothing out her black pencil skirt.

Very well, he nodded before turning toward the defense table. Mrs. Carrington, please stand.

Anton watched his mother stand from her place behind the defense table as the bailiff came over to swear her in so that she’d be able to enter her plea. She looked so much older than the last time he’d seen her. Her formerly lustrous auburn hair was dull and straw-like from what he could see. The bun she wore her hair in made her look matronly, almost grandmotherly, definitely not the pit viper she’d proved she was earlier in the year. What had once been a sprinkling of gray now infiltrated huge chunks. Her make-up was simple, just a small amount of blush and lipstick, maybe some mascara, but he couldn’t really be sure from where he was sitting. Her once golden skin was pale underneath the smart black pantsuit she was wearing. He wished he could see her eyes.

I am going to question you about the facts of the crime alleged and your decision to plead guilty; you have been placed under oath, and it is important for you to tell me the truth. If you say something here under oath that you know is not true, you could be charged with committing perjury. If you intentionally lie under oath, the things that you say could be used against you in a criminal prosecution; also, I would not give you credit for pleading guilty and your sentence in this case would be higher. Do you understand all that? the judge explained.

Yes, your honor, Celeste said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I’m going to need you to speak louder and more clearly during these questions, Mrs. Carrington, the judge reprimanded before starting his line of questioning to assure his mother’s competence in her ability to enter her plea.

Yes, your honor, she spoke louder this time, her head still slightly bowed. He hadn’t heard the details of the plea bargain, but he knew it couldn’t have been very favorable toward his mother since her accomplice was offered a lighter sentence in return for her testimony.

It had been nearly a year since he’d seen her lashing out at him from across a squad room as she was processed and booked for her role in embezzling millions of dollars from a local University. He’d had more than a small role in bringing her down and clearing his former mentor, Professor Damien Areleon, of any nefarious activities on accounts willed to the Professor by Anton’s step-father. It was merely a coincidence that he’d been in the right place at the right time to be assigned to the case. The Bureau did not allow family of the person they were investigating to be a part of an undercover sting, in general, but when his mother called him out of the blue for the first time in years, he was able to sell the operation to his superiors who were already looking into the missing money, as long as Sophie was listed as the point person on all the paperwork.

The entire case ended up giving him a very surreal lesson about how small the world truly was. The fact that it, not only, reconnected him with his former mentor, but also with the first girl he’d ever trained as a submissive, Sabrina, who was now Damien’s wife, only solidified this message. Since he’d participated in their collaring ceremony, he’d been questioning his own relationships and if finding a permanent submissive would ever be in the cards for him. The love that they so clearly had for each other was humbling in a way he’d never experienced before. As a dedicated trainer, he’d attended many ceremonies in the past, so he wasn’t sure why Sabrina and Damien’s dedication had hit him the way it had.

The government has a recommendation that your sentence should be at a particular level, the judge said, pulling him from his thoughts. After an endless stream of clarifications and questions, they were finally getting to the agreement between his mother and the US Attorney’s office. I will carefully consider the recommendation, but I cannot guarantee that I will follow it. I will if I think it's proper. However, whether or not I follow it, you will not be allowed to back out of your plea because this is a permanent decision on your part. Do you understand that?

What do you mean? the shrill, panicked voice of his mother sounded through the room. I wasn’t told that!

According to the agreement you signed, you were made aware of these facts, Mrs. Carrington, the judge pointed out, turning to his mother’s attorney. Was she made aware of this stipulation, Counselor?

Yes, your honor, the attorney responded, sharply, turning his gaze toward his client. "She understands how lucky she was to get such an agreement. Ms. Keller and I are confident that you will agree that Mrs. Carrington will be sufficiently punished for her crimes."

Mrs. Carrington? the judge prompted.

Yes, your honor. I understand that my fate is now in your hands, the words rang out, churlishly.

Mrs. Carrington, your fate will be in better hands if you would show me the respect I’m due, the judge reproached her as Anton felt his phone start to vibrate in his pocket. With a resigned sigh, he crept out of the courtroom to answer it.

Galen, he said into the phone as the door closed behind him.

Anton, get your ass back here, Sophie hissed over the line. The call came down and Simmons is on a war path looking for you.

On my way, Soph, he confirmed before ending the call. He’d have to check the court notes later to find out how long his mother was going to be incarcerated. Pushing out of the courthouse doors, he let the smoggy, mid-winter Phoenix air settle over his skin as he made his way to the car.

Chapter 2

After returning to the office, Anton was informed of his new position at Kindamax, a new healthcare supply agency that had been suspected of healthcare fraud. This was the break they’d been waiting for the last week. Unfortunately, evidence was lacking, but the company had set a record for claims to Medicare in the last year, all of which was highly suspect. The company argued their success was merely a result of excellent marketing and growth. However, a tip from inside the company alleged otherwise.

The Bureau had been looking for a way in for the last three months and today, they finally got it. A senior-level management position in their marketing department had opened up and Anton had been ‘head-hunted’ to fill it. They had been briefed that, should the position be offered, Anton would insist that the company also bring along Sophie, his extremely talented, hardworking, and completely loyal Administrative Assistant, or he wouldn’t accept the job. Luckily, they’d been agreeable to the terms and moved the previous assistant to another manager on the floor.

So it looks like I’m officially your secretary now, or as the rest of the office will see it: your built-in booty call, Sophie frowned as she took the stool beside him at the bar down the street from the field office. I give it forty-eight hours before I’m branded the office slut, she continued, pulling her chestnut locks into a makeshift bun at the nape of her neck. Why can’t I be the big time marketing manager?

Probably because I’m the senior investigator, Sophie, he pointed out, holding up two fingers to the bartender to indicate the need for a refill, as well as a drink for his partner.

I know, she rolled her eyes as her beer was set in front of her. Thank you.

You’re welcome, Anton acknowledged as he brought his own beer to his lips for a long drink. It’d been awhile since he’d gone through corporate training, but he’d minored in marketing in college so he had plenty of theoretical knowledge on the subject to be, at least, passable. Fortunately, the company had an extensive training process for their executives, which they claimed was to ‘break the bad habits that other firms and education tended to perpetuate.’ To Anton, that screamed of a retraining of ethics.

So where is this place we are going for training? she asked, brushing something off the leg of her jeans.

We’re spending the next month in Stamford at their corporate headquarters. They have us sharing corporate housing, even though they say it’s a two bedroom apartment, he shook his head. The way the HR manager winked at him when he said it had disgusted Anton and he was glad Sophie hadn’t been in the room for the video conference. If the man had been able to take her in, though, he wouldn’t have assumed the reason Anton had insisted on bringing Sophie aboard had anything to do with extra-curricular activities.

Ugh, fine. Just remember to put the toilet seat down, his partner grimaced then laughed at her own bad joke.

Overall, Sophie was a beautiful woman. She’d been hired by the Bureau a year after him and had been hungry for the job. Like him, her family had a long history of law enforcement and she’d been aching to get into the family ‘business’ since she was a little girl.

The first thing he noticed about her, besides her tenacity, was her waist length chestnut hair and gray-green eyes. When she arrived in the office and was assigned as his partner, she took great care in her appearance, and Anton found himself drawn to her, immediately. She always had her silky locks piled on her head or they cascaded down her back in thick waves, with the sides pinned back out of her oval face. When she smiled genuinely, a dimple popped up on her left cheek. She’d almost always worn some type of black suit/skirt combination that hugged her magnificent curves paired with black stilettos. In the beginning, he found himself daydreaming about peeling her out of her skirt and working over her perfect little heart-shaped ass until she knelt at his feet and begged him to fuck her.

About ten months after they became partners, and not too long after his mother had been arrested, something in Sophie’s life had changed. Suddenly, she was barely meeting the dress code requirements for the field office and her beautiful hair was almost always confined to a messy bun.

She seemed to lose her attack and drive overnight; a constant haunted look marred her beautiful face and made her less attractive. He hadn’t seen a genuine smile on her face in nearly nine months and he was dying to know why. However, they didn’t have that type of personal relationship. Not yet, anyway. The forced proximity of their new assignment meant that they would probably be getting to know each other in a much more intimate capacity.

I can’t make any promises, he told her. It’s a good thing we are going to be in the same apartment during training, though. You have, supposedly, been my assistant for the past three years, so you are going to have to take notes on my routine and learn to anticipate my needs, he joked, his words sounding more suggestive on his lips than he’d intended.

Is that so? she said, matching his flirty tone. So as your assistant, are you going to make me deliver your memos in my teeth or climb around your office on all fours for your amusement? Do we have the kind of relationship where you’d bend me over your desk for making a mistake? she continued, fluttering her dark eyelashes in jest and having no clue how her words just bounced through her partner. There was no way she could’ve known that the very image of everything she just described started to fill his head so much that he had to shift in his seat in an attempt to calm his mounting arousal.

Only if you want me to, he shot her his All-American boy smile before glancing at the clock behind the bar. If he could find an excuse to leave right then, he might be able to catch Caroline at the club and indulge in the scene Sophie so innocently suggested.

Got somewhere else you need to be, partner? she asked, following his gaze to the clock.

Um, I wanted to check out my mom’s plea bargain before I called it a night, he covered, signaling to the bartender that he was ready to close his tab.

Twenty-four months in lock up at the Federal Corrections Institute in Phoenix, followed by another twenty under house arrest, Sophie offered. Not to mention, the community service she’ll have to complete. The plea bargain allowed her to keep one of the smaller Carrington properties in Tucson so that she wouldn’t be completely homeless. Actually, I’m surprised they are keeping her in the medium security institute and not the minimum security camp.

How did you-

Please, you weren’t the only one curious to see if that bitch was truly going to have to pay for what she did, she scoffed as he signed his bill and put his credit card back into his wallet.

So I see, Anton said, appraisingly. Well, I’ll see you at the airport bright and early on Sunday. Try not to over pack, he teased.

HA! I can’t wait to see how much work goes into your ‘I swear I just woke up like this, but I, somehow, manage to be attractive all the time’ look. I know there has to be, at least, one gel and two face creams, she smirked.

Awww, you think I’m attractive, he mocked earning a roll of her eyes. And it’s one putty, one face cream and a moisturizer, he called over his shoulder as he walked away. He hoped for the chance to blow off some steam at his usual club before leaving the comfort of the local scene for a whole month.

**

"On your knees," Anton commanded, standing with his hips against the deep cherry desk that dominated his office. The downtown Phoenix skyline filled the floor to ceiling windows behind him as he folded his arms over his chest and waited.

Slowly, Sophie sank to her knees, her charcoal gray pencil skirt making it difficult to maneuver until she pulled the tight fabric to the tops of her thighs, exposing the scalloped lace of her black stockings. She could feel her nipples betraying her arousal through her matching gray shirt, which was unbuttoned to the tops of her cleavage. It really was indecent for the office, but Anton insisted. When she was in position, she looked up at him for her next instruction.

"Tell me just how wet you are, Sophie," he said, bracing his hands on either side of the desk behind him, letting her see the prominent tent in his freshly pressed pinstriped slacks. The jacket of his three-piece suit was thrown over the