The Finer Details

Adult, enemies to lovers, explicit sexual content.

December 1921  

  

Special agent Katherine Townsend of the US Treasury’s Division of Customs was not in a good mood. In fact, she was furious. Her fury might have been the result of the cold New York weather, long hours at the office where nobody seemed to take her seriously, or because her partner had just remembered that they had failed to deliver an important report a week ago. All of these were possible reasons for her fury. However, if she had stopped for a moment in that fateful day in December, she might have realized that there was something else bothering her, something that ran much deeper. All the way into her core: she had become stuck in her life. If she had accepted this, things might have gone differently.   

“I don’t know what happened,” her partner, special agent Harold Bloomington, said in a voice that betrayed how close he was to tears. “I specifically remember that I wrote this down on a piece of paper and I was going to give it to you.”   

“And where is this paper?” Katherine asked in a dangerously calm voice. They were standing outside the New York Custom House at Bowling Street, in broad daylight with people passing by in a hurry. Katherine had been waiting to get into her office, enjoying the warmth after an arduous morning in the waterfront going through a steamer that had arrived yesterday. She had it all planned out; she had practically tasted the hot coffee. Now she felt the cold air squeezing her toes and fingers tighter, seeping deeper into her bones.  

“I- I don’t know,” Harold confessed with a sigh. Harold was a middle-aged man who had worked for the Customs Division the better part of two decades. He would have been good at his job if he wasn’t so prone to having accidents and misplacing items. Most other people at the service didn’t want to work with him, but Katherine didn’t mind. Usually. Harold might forget to take a note or pour coffee over his desk twice a day, but he worked hard, and Katherine appreciated his experience. But sometimes, like this day, she wanted to grab him by the ear and give him a good shake.  

“Do you remember the name of the company?” Katherine asked, holding her temper in check.  

“It was Your sir,” he answered without a moment’s hesitation.  

“Your sir?” Katherine repeated.  

“Yes,” Harold agreed. “A bit strange name, isn’t it?”  

“And you’re sure it is the name of the company?”  

“Well,” Harold hesitated, “no. But it’s only because Andrews has that droning voice that makes you fall asleep, and I was just wiping some coffee from my shirt when he gave me the information. Hold on, I’ll check.”  

Katherine sighed internally. Marcus Andrews, their boss, did have a voice that could put you to sleep in a second if you weren’t careful. But still, it would be a humiliating moment to go back to his office and ask about their assignment that they should have finished a week ago. This would look bad in her yearly performance review.   

“Here it is,” Harold said triumphantly after he had rummaged through various papers in his black leather case. “Let’s see. Yeah, no, it wasn’t Your sir,” he said sadly. “It’s York’s Import.” 

“Do you have the address and the owner?” Katherine asked, suppressing a sigh. How Harold got Your sir from York’s Import was something best left as a mystery. 

“Yes, I have them right here. The owner is mister Robert Quinn,” Harold said.  

——–  

  

“And you are sure this is the correct address?” Katherine asked. They were standing in front of a building on West 34th Street and it didn’t look like a place where an import company would have its headquarters. If anything, the street looked rather rundown. The buildings were of decent quality, but there was trash everywhere, especially on some of the concrete steps that led to the basement floors of the buildings. It looked like a place where people would live, not run their business. But then again, Katherine had seen even stranger make-shift office spaces for new companies. 

“I’m positive,” Harold responded, nodding toward the building. “It’s this building.” 

“Well,” Katherine murmured, “I guess we’ll soon find out.” She didn’t want to stand outside any longer than she had to. The cold December air went through her coat with ease, and her toes were starting to go numb. 

The front door was open when Katherine tried it, so they went straight in, heading to the third floor. The building was an apartment building. The staircase started from a small lobby, spiraling upwards in an uncomfortable fashion. At least, that is what Katherine thought as she looked up before she started to climb the stairs. She hesitated for a second, but the fire inside her had only rested, it had not dissolved or loosened its grip on her. Thus, she shoved her hesitation aside; second-guessing had never done her any favors. 

“Ma’am? Should we go over our instructions?” Harold asked, breathing heavily after the first set of stairs.  

“I know our job, Harold,” Katherine responded icily, not stopping to look at his partner.  

“I didn’t- “Harold paused stunned, “I didn’t mean- “ 

“Come on, Harold, I don’t want to stay here all day.” 

Huffing and puffing, her partner caught up with her on the third floor. The building was eerily quiet. There had been one woman who had left an apartment on the second floor, hurrying past Katherine after giving her and Harold a wild look. Their outfits didn’t spell out federal agents, but they were too similar and official-looking to be mistaken for a coincidental choice.  

Katherine was painfully aware of her attire. The Department of Treasury didn’t supply any official uniforms to its agents or officers, which meant that you were responsible for your own uniform. This offered an opportunity to Katherine’s male coworkers to wear their own clothes at work, but Katherine had soon realized that this luxury didn’t extend to her. She had to wear more official looking clothes than her colleagues. Once, when she had just started working for the Customs, she had inspected a ship that had docked on New York. It had taken her half an hour to convince the captain that she was, in fact, a customs officer and he did, in fact, had to do what she said. She could still remember the disbelief in the man’s eyes, and the wondering look that measured her up and down. She had worn a light-blue dress that day, a mistake she was quick to correct. After that day she only wore dark blue, simple clothes that projected authority of her status. 

Which meant that she couldn’t wear her warm fur-lined coat even in the coldest days of the winter. Instead, she had bought a dark-blue wool-coat, similar to coats worn by the police officers in New York City. The coat wasn’t that warm, and it fitted her rather badly: either she had to take a coat that was too big or fitted her otherwise fine but was too tight around her chest. She could feel how her breasts were squeezed inside the coat. The coat also gave a visible hint of her bosom, but Katherine had deemed it acceptable compared to wearing what amounted to a tent. 

Standing outside the room Harold had pointed out, she could feel the coat squeezing her chest more than usual. She paused for a moment outside the door, feeling something nudging at the back of her mind. Then, the irritation lifted its head once again and she shrugged her hesitation aside. She knocked on the door, three forceful knocks. She had heard what sounded like talking coming from the apartment, so she knew someone was home. Katherine took a step back and drew a breath to steady herself. 

Nothing happened. She waited for a good time, but there was no answer. She glanced at Harold who seemed to shrug without moving, but then again, he always seemed to have a look of uncertainty printed on his face. The voices had stopped. Katherine knocked again, even more forcefully this time. 

“Robert Quinn?” she asked in a loud voice. “This is the United States Customs, open up, please.” 

Still nothing, but she could hear someone moving inside the apartment. Then, suddenly, the door opened, and Katherine was staring at a man looking at her through the crack. 

“You’re not a customs officer,” the man said, causing the irritation inside Katherine to nearly boil over. The man was probably in his mid-thirties, he had a wheat-colored hair and a dark mustache. His eyes were grey, and they looked had a rather unfriendly look. 

“If you don’t want me to return here with a police officer, I suggest you step aside and let us in,” Katherine said steadily. The man looked at Katherine and then he seemed to notice Harold behind her. Now he was clearly hesitating, but soon he did as Katherine had told him. He stepped back and opened the door for them. 

“Thank you,” Katherine said, and stepped inside the apartment Harold following close behind. The apartment they entered was a modest apartment with little-to-no furniture. The hallway continued in both directions from the door to what seemed like identical rooms. “Are you Robert Quinn?” she asked. 

“No,” the man answered with a smile. “That way.” He pointed to the left-hand side room. 

Katherine nodded and turned toward the room. The room itself was surprisingly large. It had a big table with chairs around it, bookshelves on one side, a sofa on the other, and it seemed there was a small kitchen adjoined to the room. There were four men in the room when Katherine entered it: one, rather heavy-built man was sitting on the sofa and smoking a cigarette. He had a round face with a nasty scar on his left temple. The man sent shivers down Katherine’s spine. 

The three other men were sitting at the table with papers and ledgers opened on the table. Nobody said anything when Katherine and Harold stepped into the room. 

“Which one of you is Robert Quinn?” Katherine asked to break the silence. 

“Who wants to know?” the big man on the sofa asked with a grunt. 

“The Division of Customs,” Katherine answered without hesitation.  

“Does the Customs send secretaries to do their work now?” the big man laughed. “Why don’t you speak for yourself?” The words were pointed toward Harold, who stood behind Katherine. 

“I, umm…” Harold mumbled before Katherine cut him off. 

“The Division of Customs does not send secretaries on the field, and if you don’t stop wasting my time, I will have you arrested for interfering with a federal investigation. I ask again,” Katherine continued after she had waited for a second for a reply from the man, but the man fell silent, and he wasn’t smiling anymore, “which one of you is Robert Quinn?”  

“I am.” Katherine looked at the man who had spoken. He was sitting at the opposite end of the table. What Katherine noticed first about Robert Quinn was his eyes, or to be more precise, the lack of fear or doubt in them. Most people whose paths crossed with Katherine, first exhibited signs of disbelief – like the captain of the steamer – or fear, because they recognized the world of trouble they were in. But this wasn’t the case with Robert Quinn. He just looked at Katherine with his calm, grey eyes. Katherine had a hard time guessing his age; surely he was over thirty, but the hard lines on his face made it impossible to guess by how much. He was clean-shaven, and his brown hair was cut neatly. He was wearing a white shirt and a tie with a dark-brown vest. The man was handsome, there was no denying that. He made it difficult for her to concentrate on the job at hand. “What can I do you for, agent…?” 

“Townsend,” Katherine replied. “Special agent Katherine Townsend. You can, for start, provide me with the manifest of the shipment your company, York Import, received on April 2.” 

“April 2? That’s a long time ago, special agent Townsend,” Robert answered, tapping his finger slowly on the table. “I’m not sure they still exist.” 

“For your sake I hope they do. I would hate to come back here and arrest you for failing to comply with a federal investigation.” Her wide stance, defiant look, and over-all slightly more aggressive demeanor than necessary signaled quite clearly that she would like nothing more than arrest the man. 

“Tell me, agent Townsend,” Robert answered after a while. “Do you always start your conversations with a threat of incarceration?” 

“I’ve noticed it is quite effective when talking to certain people,” Katherine answered calmly. 

“Yes, I am sure. But I can’t help but to think what it does to your social life.” Robert leaned back, sizing up Katherine. “You must be captivating company.” 

The other man next to Robert, the dark haired one, smiled but didn’t say anything. No-one else seemed to react to the man’s words. It didn’t surprise Katherine that the man was looking down on her and questioning her authority. She was used to it by now, but it really didn’t help her bad mood. 

“My social life, Mr. Quinn, is none of your business. My personality is none of your business.” She took a step closer to the table, removing her leather gloves while keeping eye contact with Robert Quinn. “But if you insist on keeping up this nonsense, you will find out just how arresting I can be.” 

“I must say the US Customs seem to be more than what they are made out to be.” Was there just a hint of smile on Robert’s lips or was it just shadows playing tricks on her? “I have enjoyed your visit, agent Townsend. But I do have to ask you to leave now.”  

The boldness of the statement caught Katherine off guard, and it took her a moment to compose her again. “Mr. Quinn, you don’t seem to understand,” she said, forcing herself to stay calm while her irritation was starting to burn red hot, and it was now solely aimed at Robert Quinn. “Your options are to either help with this investigation or be taken to a federal prison where you will stay until the investigation is completed.” 

“And I suppose you’re going to take me there?” Robert asked, and now there definitely was a smile on his lips. “You and your partner?” 

“If need be,” Katherine replied, leaning forward and placing her hands on the table. She gave Rober the best smile she could conjure up at that moment. “I am sure there is more than enough room for you and your friends.” 

“Why isn’t Adam Hoover handling this affair?” the other man sitting at the table asked. Katherine didn’t flinch or move a muscle. She was caught in those grey eyes opposite her. For some reason, the staring contest between Katherine and Robert seemed to be about something more than just authority in this situation. It felt like he was reading her inner most thoughts, and she knew that if she lost now, there wouldn’t be another chance. She had no idea how she knew that or even what it was that they were actually competing for, but she wasn’t about to lose to a man like Robert Quinn. 

“He’s retired,” Harold answered after a long pause. “He retired last week.” 

“Retired?” the man at the table asked surprised. “He wasn’t that old, was he?” 

“He was 68,” Harold answered helpfully, though he wasn’t sure if the man was actually looking for an answer. 

“It doesn’t matter where Adam Hoover is, and if he’s retired or not,” Katherine interrupted while keeping an eye contact with Robert. She knew she had him, the news about Hoover’s retirement had clearly surprised him. “This is my investigation, and unless you’re planning on calling chief George Ashworth himself, you have to settle this matter with me.” Director Ashworth was the head of Division of Customs in the US Treasury, and while there certainly were number of people between her and director Ashworth, she wasn’t going to give their names to these people. And the case was hers, and in theory only director Ashworth could reassign cases.  

“What is this case all about?” Robert asked, motioning to the other men. “In your haste to throw us all to jail, you forgot the mention why these documents were needed.” 

The triumph Katherine felt over winning the staring contest was quickly replaced by a rising embarrassment. She had been rather eager to assert her authority and as a result she had forgotten to go through all the procedures. 

“You are marked the sole renter of the steamer SS Agincourt,” she answered and straightened back up. “The shipment you brought on April 2 is under investigation for exceeding the declared amount of tobacco products.” Katherine could have sliced the silence in the room with a dull knife. 

“I see,” Robert answered. “And how long do I have to comply with your investigation, agent Townsend?” 

“You have ten days to provide me with the necessary paperwork and to give your account of the shipment.” 

“Ten days, you say,” Robert tapped the table with his fingers while lighting a cigarette. “And I am to present these papers to you in person?” 

“Yes.” Katherine nodded, still reeling from the embarrassment of forgetting her duty. “You’re to deliver them personally to the office of the US Customs Services.” She could see in her peripheral vision that Harold was moving nervously, but she decided to ignore him for now.  

“Very well, I will bring them to you. Personally.” Robert nodded. 

“I’ll be expecting you. Ten days, Mr. Quinn. Don’t forget it, or I will be forced to arrest you.” 

“I won’t,” Robert answered. “We can go over the finer details then, and I will personally see that you will get what you ask for.” 

Later, when Katherine and Harold were walking back to the office, she felt oddly happy when she thought of Robert Quinn stepping into her office. She had won their game, there was no question about it in her mind. It would be satisfying to see him pleading his case. She would be fair, she wasn’t about to abuse her power like she knew some of her colleagues were doing by taking bribes from people, but she would make him earn his freedom. That was, if he wasn’t hiding something. If there was something shady or illegal about the shipment, she would bring the whole might of the US Customs on Robert Quinn. And there was nothing he could do to stop her. 

“That is how you handle a tricky situation,” she said to Harold, who had been walking next to her in silence ever since they left the apartment. It was too bad that Robert Quinn clearly mistrusted the government officials, and he obviously didn’t respect Katherine as a federal agent. He did have nice eyes. 

“Yes, I suppose,” Harold answered gloomily. 

“What is the matter with you?” Katherine demanded. “Why are you acting as if someone had stolen your lunch?” 

“I think Robert Quinn is a dangerous man,” Harold answered. “And I don’t like the idea that you’re against him.” 

“Bah, you worry too much,” Katherine snorted. “I can handle Robert Quinn. Besides, now he has to come to me.” 

“Well, that’s the other point,” Harold added carefully. “Now you have to wait for him to come to you. And he can decide when he wants to deliver the papers.” 

She hadn’t thought about it like that. She had been so triumphant when she made him come to her that she hadn’t realized that now she would have to wait for him. He could dictate the next step. The small ray of light that had brightened her gloom had disappeared, and they walked the rest of the way in silence. 

********************************** 

Robert Quinn considered himself to be a businessman. Yes, he did run an illegal smuggling business with his brothers as well as a speakeasy and some gambling on the side. To him, these were all business ventures. He didn’t have any romantic notions about criminal life; he didn’t justify his actions with a hatred toward the government, the police or the Internal Revenue Service. He didn’t see himself as a champion of the weak. He and his brothers did help their old neighborhood and people who had practically nothing, but this was just one side of the business he was running. As an immigrant from Ireland, though naturalized in the face of law, there wasn’t a legal path to any position he was aiming for. He and his brothers had tried to live a respectable life when they arrived in New York, but it had lasted only for a week.  

After that first week, he had worked tirelessly to create the organization he was now running with his brothers. When the US government implemented Prohibition, you couldn’t stop money from pouring in. And money meant power in this city. And power meant that you didn’t have to take care of every little thing that came into your way. Like this investigation to their shipment. He could have sent an envelope to a right person at the New York Customs House, and the problem would have disappeared. His brothers had insisted on this course of action, but against their wishes – and his own better judgement – Robert had decided to handle the matter personally. There had been something in Katherine Townsend’s eyes, the way she carried herself, and, indeed, challenged him that Robert just couldn’t forget. 

“That woman is going to be the end of me,” he muttered as he climbed the stairs of the Customs House. It was six in the evening of the tenth day after their meeting. Robert knew he was pushing his luck, but he couldn’t very well go on the next day. She had challenged him in his own house, in front of his brothers; he had to show her what it meant to threaten Robert Quinn. 

The hallways of the federal building were almost empty. It wasn’t a surprise since it was Friday. Most people had probably clocked out already, but he had learned that Katherine Townsend practically lived in her office. Career driven and ambitious, special agent Townsend had earned herself a certain reputation and a long list of disgruntled co-workers. She had refused to take part in the network that was so profitable to all members of the network, save for Uncle Sam. Customs agents and inspectors were on the top of the list of people Robert and his brothers had bribed, along with a few carefully selected police officers and judges. Prohibition had ended the legal supply of alcohol, but it had provided Robert with the means to get to the position he had longed for. All he had to do was deal with this nuisance of an overly eager agent Townsend, and things could continue as they had. 

“Can I help you?” a clerk asked him behind a massive reception desk. The clerk was a middle-aged woman who had her hair in a tight bun and wore a plain grey-colored dress. She eyed Robert suspiciously over her golden-framed glasses. 

“Robert Quinn to see Katherine Townsend,” he replied. 

“Is she expecting you?” the clerk asked, clearly wanting to be anywhere else on a Friday night. 

“I think so,” Robert answered with a small smile.  

“Well, if it were anyone else, they would’ve gone home already, but agent Townsend…” the clerk said, and got up from her chair. “Wait here.” 

Robert nodded and leaned against the wall. He couldn’t hear anything once the steps of the clerk had faded away. He waited calmly, going through his options. He needed to convince Katherine that the shipment was fully legal and by the books. The problem was that the shipment had been their biggest haul of alcohol from Europe this year. It had been a gamble, and Robert knew the risk they had taken with it, but the chance had been too good to ignore. They had made a killing with the stuff, and it had really moved their operation to a whole new level. But it had left a paper trail, and he needed to make that trail disappear. But that meant he had to deal with Katherine Townsend, and he already knew she would be trouble. 

“Mr. Quinn.” A woman’s voice aroused Robert from his thoughts. Katherine Townsend was standing next to the clerk’s desk. She was a formidable woman: young, proud, and defiant. She was wearing a long navy blue skirt and a white shirt with a slightly mismatching dark-blue vest. It was a conservative outfit, but it couldn’t hide her figure completely. The clerk sat down behind her desk and gave Robert a disapproving look. “If you follow me,” Katherine said, and started to walk down the corridor to the right. 

Robert nodded to the clerk and followed Katherine a few steps behind her. Was it just his imagination or did her hips move in a more suggestive manner? He had to get a grip before he would ruin everything by fantasizing about a federal agent. Then again, there might be something in that, if she didn’t plan on arresting him. As if she had read her mind, she spoke before they got to her office. 

“You know, I’ve asked around about you, Mr. Quinn.” She glanced at him over her shoulder but didn’t stop or even slow down. “And from what I hear, you’ve got quite a reputation.” 

Robert usually enjoyed these little interactions with people who served the law, who held up the establishment and then came up with someone who wields true power. There was pleasure in seeing the humility in their eyes, the humility that came with a shattered world view when the power they had served could no longer protect them. He enjoyed those moments, but this time he would have preferred to do this nice and quiet. But then again, he should have known Katherine Townsend wouldn’t just let things go. 

”Oh? And you still agreed to meet me?” he asked, cocking his head slightly. 

“Why wouldn’t I? I said you’ve got a reputation, not that it affects me,” Katherine said. She stopped at the door and pushed it open. It was just like the dozens of doors they’d passed by: a dark-brown with a frosted half-window that said the Division of Customs. “After you,” she said. 

Robert stepped into the small office. It had two desks, one directly opposite the door and the other on the left-hand side of the room. On the right hand side there were unremarkable file cabinets. There was also a chair next to the door. It was a rather sombre office, but that didn’t really surprise Robert. He waited in the middle of the room while Katherine stepped behind the desk on the left and sat on her chair. 

“Now, Mr. Quinn, I do hope you have something for me, or I will make your life miserable from this moment on.” She had a pencil in her hand. The tip of the pencil was hard pressed against a blank page on her desk. The was something in her that probably made people afraid of her. 

Robert looked at Katherine, saw the challenge in her eyes, and made his decision. 

************************************** 

It was all Katherine could do to not blush when she realized she was alone in her office with Robert Quinn. The man looked really striking in his black coat and dark grey suit. She had to squeeze the pencil in her hand to keep her focus from wandering off. The truth was, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Robert Quinn. He had invaded her mind night and day. It was partly because he was so good looking, in the rugged kind of way – hell, he was good-looking, period – but also because of the way he had looked at her. As if everything she had ever built to protect her was just gone, as if he could really see through her.  

As the days went by, she couldn’t focus on her other cases, so she had done everything to find out more about Robert Quinn. Where he lived, how old he was, if he was married, or if anyone knew if he had a girlfriend. The last question was really difficult to come up with without raising any unnecessary eyebrows, but she had made inquiries about his connections and possible companions. She hadn’t really learned much, except that he had three brothers, and that Robert Quinn was, like Harold had warned him, a dangerous man. One colleague warned her to drop the investigation before it was too late. She hadn’t dropped the investigation. She had, in fact, grown fascinated by Robert Quinn, or the Wolf of Waterfront or the Irish Devil as some called him. 

When the tenth day turned slowly toward evening, she was certain that she would never see Robert Quinn again. Disappointed, she had sent Harold home. She was ready to go home herself, and she’d packed all her belongings away already when Martha, the clerk, had told her she had a visitor. Martha clearly didn’t approve of this, but it wasn’t her place to say anything. 

And now here they were, in her small office, and she suddenly realized he was standing between her and the door. God damnit, she thought, get a grip. You’re a federal agent, not some frivolous girl swooning over a man! But still, it was hard to ignore her bounding heart or the increasing pressure between her legs. 

“Isn’t it a bit late for you to still be working?” the man asked, taking the free chair and placing it in front of her desk before sitting on it. He seemed relaxed and even amused by it all. Katherine wanted to snap the pencil in two.  

It was annoying how she always seemed to have a thing for the wrong men. I do not have a thing to Robert Quinn, she reprimanded herself. She sat up straighter, glaring at the man before her. 

“You tell me. This was your choice of time.” 

“Yes, well, I would have come earlier if I had known you were waiting for me.” 

“I wasn’t waiting for you to come.” It took no small amount of willpower to not raise her voice. “It was you who came at the last possible moment. If you had walked through those doors tomorrow, you would have been arrested.” That was a lie, but he had a peculiar way of irritating her to no end. 

And he seemed to see through her bluff, because he was just smiling at her. “Tell me, agent Townsend. Do you play poker?” 

“Why? What does that have to do with anything?” 

“I take that as a no?” 

“No, I do not play poker,” she admitted grudgingly.  

“I figured. You have a terrible poker face.” He wasn’t smiling now, but there was an intense look in his eyes.  

“Do you have the papers you were asked to bring?” she asked to change the subject. He wasn’t wrong on this occasion, but usually she could stare down a wall if necessary. But with him it was different, somehow. 

“You mean these?” Robert asked and took some papers from the inside pocket of his coat. He got up from his chair, stepped next to her desk and leaned closer. He stood higher than her and she got to her feet almost automatically. He laid the papers on her desk but didn’t take his eyes off her. 

She was breathing faster. She could smell a faint scent of wood, smoke, and something spicy. It made her flustered, and for a moment she tried to take the papers without breaking the eye contact. If she looked away now, she would have to admit defeat. That’s how it felt. But she didn’t want to look away either, and that realization confused her even more. To stop her upsetting thoughts – and the blush she was feeling rising on her cheeks – she finally cast her eyes down and grabbed the papers. There were three folded, yellow-tinted pages, but when she unfolded them, she could see they were completely empty. 

“Is this some kind of a joke?” she insisted, staring at the man infuriated. “Are you making fun of me?” She stepped around her desk until she was only a few feet away from Robert. 

“No,” he answered, unfazed. “But the answers you’re looking for are not in paper.” 

“You don’t have a written manifest of the shipment?” The man’s unwavering composer was starting to grate on her nerves. “You were supposed to deliver the manifest and your account of the shipment. Failure to deliver them will have consequences.” 

“I know,” he answered, and he even dared to smile at her. “You mentioned confinement?” 

“I will have you arrested,” she said quietly, enraged by his behavior. “I will throw you to the deepest, darkest dungeon there is.” 

He looked at her. She knew her cheeks had a visible pink color on them, but it could have been from the anger she was feeling. How could she still be thinking about how attractive the man was? How commanding his presence was?  

He leaned a little closer until his face was only inches away from hers. “You still have a terrible poker face,” he whispered. “But I’m not completely heartless; I will give you chance to follow through on your threat.”  

Katherine stared at the man, and she felt her cheeks turning into a deeper shade of red. The pressure between her legs was intense now, sending shivers through her. She wanted to kiss him, she wanted him to kiss her. But there was still part of her that resisted the man. 

“Robert Quinn,” she said in a quiet, quivering voice. “I am placing you under arrest.” 

“What is the charge?” he whispered, moving even closer but still not touching her. 

“Insubordination,” she breathed, forcing herself to concentrate on something else other than the man’s breath on her neck. “Failure to follow orders.” It was excruciatingly difficult to keep her voice steady, and not move away from him. “And mocking a federal agent.” 

“Am I mocking you?” he asked, stepping aside so he was standing next to her, still only inches away. Katherine could feel his breath moving from neck toward her ear. 

“You are making a mockery of my investigation.” The federal agent in her still held on, forcing her to stand up to him.  

“I am not,” he replied. “I am giving you what you asked for.” 

“I asked you to bring those papers.” 

“No, you ordered me to bring them.” There was a small smile on his lips. “I don’t respond well to orders.” 

“Then I didn’t ask for anything,” she breathed quietly. 

“Yes, you did,” he replied, stepping closer now, which made her take an involuntary step backward. Now she was pinned between her desk and him, unable to escape. “But not with your mouth, at least, not yet.” His hands were now on her hips, a steel-like grip, pulling her closer. Their lips were almost touching. 

“What did I ask for?” She couldn’t believe what was happening nor that she was letting it happen. Hell, she wanted it to happen. She wanted his hands on her body, his lips on hers, his cock inside her. 

“I’ll show you,” he whispered. She expected a kiss; a deep, passionate kiss, but he placed his lips on her neck. There was the lightest of kiss on her skin, but it was enough to make her gasp. Before she could react, he stepped backward and turned her to face the desk. She had to place her hands on her desk to steady herself. She stared at her desk, the miscellaneous papers on it, but she didn’t see her work desk. She didn’t really see anything, all her focus was on Robert’s hands, one wrapped around her waist, the other on her throat. Then he pulled her closer, his hand moving from her stomach to her breasts while the other hand moved from her throat to her hair, pushing her head down a little so he could kiss her neck. 

Katherine’s hands gripped Robert’s hand that was on her breasts, her nails biting lightly to his skin. But she didn’t try to move his hand or resist him. She couldn’t think straight, and all his touches felt amazing. 

“Don’t stop,” she sighed, rolling her head to her shoulder, offering more of her neck to him. As a reply, his fingers tightened around in her hair, pulling them lightly, making her moan silently. 

“You do not give me orders,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her hair back. “You can only plead.” 

“Please,” she gasped, surprised how eagerly she had fallen for him. “Don’t stop.” 

“Don’t worry.” He smiled and let go of her hair and started to unbutton her vest and shirt. “I won’t, even if you ask me.” Before she realized, her vest was on the floor, her shirt was opened, revealing her brassiere. His hands moved slowly, opening her skirt and pulling it downward, over her hips until gravity took over and the skirt was just a heap on the floor. There she was, standing half-naked in her office while Robert Quinn’s hands were running on her bare skin. And she loved every moment of it, every touch. 

“Miss Townsend?” A voice called from the hallway, and to Katherine’s horror she could see a human figure behind her door. It was Martha. She was probably leaving home, but why was she here? 

“Yes, Martha. What is it?” Katherine forced her voice steady, but to her shock – and eventual pleasure – Robert didn’t stop. His movements became riskier. His other hand was caressing her breasts through her brassiere while his other hand went down. She watched horrified and mesmerized as his hand moved across her bare stomach and touched her underwear. He can surely feel how wet I am, she thought in a fleeting moment of panic. 

“I am heading out. Do you need anything else?” Martha called from outside the office. 

Thank God she wasn’t going to come in, but Katherine’s reply died in her throat as Robert pressed his fingers against her pussy, sending waves of pleasure running through her body. Her knees almost gave out, and she was forced to grab the table with both hands. His fingers rubbed over her underwear, sending shivers with every movement. 

“Miss Townsend? Are you okay?”  

“I’m fine!” she rasped, placing her hand on his, trying to make him stop. “Please, stop,” she whispered to him. 

“I told you,” he whispered back. “I won’t stop even if you asked.” As to emphasize his words, he moved his hand so he could push his fingers into her underwear and touch her pussy. Her breathing froze when she felt his fingers rubbing her clitoris and pushing down, playing with her. 

“Miss Townsend?” Martha called again. 

“Tell her you’re fine,” Robert commanded. “Send her away or she will see you like this.” 

“Yes, Martha. Everything is fine.” Just as she said that, she felt Robert’s finger pushing inside her, making it harder for her to breathe. His touch was sublime, and she couldn’t get enough of it. But he had to get rid of Martha first. “Y- you can go. I’ll turn off the lights.” 

“Are you sure? I can wait.” 

“Nnno,” she gasped as Robert moved his fingers. “You go on. I’ll see on Monday.” 

“Okay, good night.” Martha said, sounding reluctant, but soon her figure disappeared behind the door. 

“You’re insane,” Katherine gasped after a moment, pushing Robert back and turning to face him. “What if she had decided to come in?” 

“Then she would have seen me do this,” he replied, and without missing a beat, he pushed her backward, lifting her to sit on her desk while standing between her legs. He removed his coat and jacket, letting them fall on the floor, before stepping closer to Katherine. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t ask for anything, he just cupped her head, lifted her chin a little and kissed her. And she was powerless to resist him. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her.  

“We can’t…” she whispered when she pulled away from the perfect kiss. “We can’t do this.” 

“We can,” he replied. “And we will.” She looked at him, and she could see the lust in his eyes, a burning passion that only she could quench. She could read everything from his eyes, every twisted thought and desire he had, everything he wanted to do to her. But it didn’t frighten her; it turned her on even more. 

“What will you do to me?” she asked quietly. 

“Anything I want,” he replied. He pulled her hair lightly with his other hand while his free hand traced the bare skin of her cleavage. “Anything you desire.” Robert followed her collarbone with his fingers, sliding the straps of her brassiere over her shoulders and soon Katherine felt her brassiere sliding completely off, revealing her breasts to Robert.  

“Oh, yeah?” she sighed, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation of being practically naked in front of Robert. “Anything I desire?” 

“You only have to beg,” he said, leaning in to kiss her round breasts. The feeling was ecstatic, making her crave his touch even more. 

“And what if I don’t beg?”  

“You will,” he whispered in her ear, pushing her legs wider apart. Suddenly she felt a quick yank. She gasped for air as Robert ripped her underwear, revealing her wet and hot pussy. “I will make you beg.” 

“We’ll see about that,” she moaned silently, leaning back to offer her naked body to Robert. “Do your worst.” 

Robert moved over her body, his breath burning her sensitive skin as she waited for his touch. It was agony to wait for it, to let him control what was happening. But she would not beg, not yet anyway. 

He leaned closer. “Get over here,” he whispered and pulled her on her feet. She opened her eyes confused and a little disappointed. “On your knees,” he commanded, and a small smile spread on her lips. Eagerly she kneeled down looking at him until she saw the noticeable bulge in his pants. She couldn’t wait anymore. She opened his pants and pulled his erect cock free. 

“Wow,” she gasped silently, running her fingers on his cock, marveling its length and hardness. “Can I…” She didn’t know how to finish the sentence, but he only nodded, placing his hand on her head. Katherine opened her mouth and took his cock in her mouth. It was amazing how hard he was, and it excited her to know that she was the reason he was so turned on. He tasted so good, his erection sliding in and out of her mouth, causing him to breathe harder and his fist gripping her hair.  

“Enough,” he suddenly said, pulling her up and kissing her deeply. She opened the buttons on his vest and shirt. He pulled what was left of her underwear down until they were both completely naked. “Are you ready to beg?” 

“No,” she said with mischievous smile, kissing his shoulder while pulling his body closer. “I won’t beg.” 

“No?” he asked, pushing her on her back on her desk. She felt his erection rubbing her pussy as he leaned in to kiss her. She spread her legs and wrapped them around his waist while her arms were around his neck. 

“No,” she breathed against his lips. She gasped loudly when his fingers played with her aching pussy. He pulled away a little so he could touch her better. She wanted him so much. She wanted him inside her, to fill her completely, but she would not beg. 

“Are you sure?” His touch was agonizing. He touched her just enough to leave her wanting more, making her hips move up and down, trying to force him to touch her more.  

She couldn’t speak anymore when his fingers played with her clitoris and her erection pressed against her pussy. It was all too much, the sensation, the setting, her desire intertwined with his. Then she felt him pressing her clitoris between his thumb and index finger while his cock pushed into her at the same time. She arched her back, trying to breathe but her body wouldn’t follow her orders anymore. Her lust had taken full control of her. Then he stopped, relaxing his fingers and pulled his cock away slowly.  

“No, please,” she moaned, trying to pull him closer. “Don’t stop.” 

“You know what you need to do,” he said in a dark voice. 

“Mmmmm.” She tried to resist, but the feeling of him pulling out left her too desperate for his touch. She needed him inside her. “Please,” she whispered. He stopped. 

“Say it louder,” he demanded. 

“Please,” she whispered again. “Don’t tease me anymore.” 

“Beg,” he said softly, but there was an edge in his voice, a command. 

“Please,” she said, giving into her desire. “Fuck me. Take me.” 

Robert didn’t say anything. He removed his hand from her pussy and pushed his cock deeper. The feeling of him pushing into her, and his body pressing against her, made her world explode in light and pleasure. 

************************** 

Later, when the night had fallen, Katherine was in Robert’s arms. They were still in her office, basking in the afterglow of their pleasure. Robert had lit two cigarettes, and while Katherine didn’t normally smoke, it felt good to be in Robert’s arms, to feel his breathing, and hold a cigarette between her fingers. She couldn’t believe what had just happened, but she didn’t regret any of it.  

“I am going to enjoy our next encounter,” she said, stretching drowsily in his arms. 

“Our next encounter?” Robert asked. 

“Yes,” she answered with a smile, and took drag from her cigarette. “Since our lines of work seem to intersect, I bet we will run into each other quite a few times in the future.” 

“And what will happen when we do? What if I, say, don’t file in the proper paperwork?”  

“You will be fined,” she turned around so she could look him in the eyes. “Prosecuted.” Her smile turned wicked as her free hand slide from his chest along his side toward his cock. “And if need be, punished.” She loved the feeling of his growing erection in her hand. 

“Well, agent Townsend,” Robert said with a musky voice, filled with lust. “I guess we’re at beginning again.” 

“It would seem so,” she said, and leaned in to kiss him. 

The thought of Robert Quinn controlling her future was frightening and arousing at the same time. It made her nervous, but she also knew she wanted to find out what it would be like. There would be tomorrow for sure, but the now full erection she felt in her hand pushed those thoughts out of her mind and replaced them with considerably more pleasurable ones.