D.C. Power Games Box Set

by Ivy Nelson

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing Darci?” Bradley demanded when she told him she was getting on a plane.

  “I’m working.” She kept her tone even. There was no way she was going to have a fight with him in front of the stern looking TSA agent.

  “Damn it Darci it’s not safe.”

  “I have to go through security now. We’ll talk when I get back into town.”

  “Security will pick you up from the airport.”

  She took a deep breath. “I think I’m going to stay with Michael when I get back. You don’t have to pay for security anymore. He can keep an eye on me.”

  The growl of frustration that came through the line was nearly enough to break Darci. Yes, she cared for this man, but she had to do what was best for them both.

  “This is clearly about more than you having to work. We will talk Darci. I don’t care if I have to come to New York for us to do it.”

  Damn it. She hadn’t told him she was going to New York. Security must have already talked to him. She glowered at the guard standing next to her.

  When she ended the call, she stalked through security, not bothering to say goodbye to the men who had dropped her off. Twenty minutes later, she was sitting on a mostly empty plane for a late-night flight to New York City. Closing her eyes, she tried not to think about not being in Bradley’s bed tonight. It hadn’t been long, but she had gotten used to having him next to her.

  Once in New York, she hailed a cab and directed it to the hotel near the New York ACSL field office. Zipping around the city that was still wide awake even after midnight calmed her. The travel bug had bitten Darci at a young age and never let go. Being in big cities made her happy.

  Not quite happy enough to forget Bradley but almost. Feeling a bit lighter in spirit, she tipped the driver and pulled her carry-on into the hotel. There was nobody in line at the counter, so she was able to pick up her keys right away. When she stepped out of the elevator onto her floor, she stopped dead in her tracks. How the fuck did he know where she was staying?

  “I told you we were going to talk even if I had to come to New York.”

  24

  ♥♥♥

  “I don’t have time for this right now,” she said hotly. The way he’d sprung dinner on her still pissed her off but deep down, she was glad to see him. There was no way she would admit that to him. Not yet anyway.

  “Talk to me, Darci. What happened? You told me Jim was going to New York. Why did you change your mind? What did I do? And why did you think you couldn’t talk to me about it?”

  She slipped the key card into the slot at her door.

  “Too many questions. How did you know what hotel I would be at and what floor I would be on?”

  “Your security is still getting calendar updates for you and the floor was just a guess. You live on the top floor of your building; you have a thing about cool views of big cities. I just guessed you would ask for the top floor.”

  He was good.

  “Look, I’m sorry I took off. I really did need to be here for Jim. He hates New York. I shouldn’t have told him no in the first place. I really don’t want to talk about this right now, but you can come in if you want. I don’t have to be into the office until eight-thirty in the morning. Maybe we can have breakfast.”

  His expression softened and he stepped into the room past her.

  When the door was shut, he moved quickly and wrapped her in a hug. The feel of his arms melted her a little more and she relaxed into his hold.

  “I’m going to say something, and I don’t want you reading too much into it because I’m still pissed at you.” Darci stepped out of his embrace as she spoke.

  “I’m listening.”

  “I’m glad you’re here. I’m furious at you. But I’m glad you’re here.”

  He chuckled. “Your anger is duly noted and warranted, Miss Sanders. I’m glad I’m here too. Let’s get you to bed. I want to take you somewhere for breakfast.”

  They quietly got ready for bed and to Bradley’s credit, he didn’t try to initiate sex with her. Turning him down would have been difficult and she wasn’t ready to be that intimate with him again.

  The next morning, Darci woke to the gentle nudging and soft voice of Bradley trying to get her out of bed. “Wake up, sleepyhead. We’ve got to get on the road.”

  She groaned and tried to roll away from his nudging. “What time is it?” she mumbled.

  “Early, now come on. Get up.” The commanding tone of his voice sent a little shiver of delight through her despite how sleepy she was.

  Cracking one eye open, she scowled at him. “Why are you only bossy in the mornings? You could have at least brought me breakfast.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I could be bossy other times, but that requires a longer conversation, and you’re not awake enough, so come on before I tickle you. I couldn’t bring you breakfast, because that’s where I’m taking you.”

  She frowned and threw back the covers.

  “This better be a damn good breakfast.”

  His chuckle at her morning grumpiness turned to a hum as his gaze swept her body.

  “The things I would do to you if we weren’t in a hurry.”

  “You aren’t doing anything to me until we talk,” she huffed.

  “Fair point Miss Sanders. Let’s go eat, so we can do just that and get you to work.”

  A few minutes later, they were both dressed and in a cab.

  “It’s not far from here,” he said as he casually stroked her hand. “I think you’ll appreciate the view here, and the food is pretty good.”

  Bradley wasn’t wrong. The view from the rooftop restaurant was amazing, and Darci soon forgot her dislike of mornings as she enjoyed yet another sunrise with him. This conversation couldn’t be avoided forever though, so with one last glance at the gorgeous view, she turned to Bradley and said, “let’s talk.”

  “I’ll ask the same questions I asked last night. What happened? Why didn’t you talk to me?”

  She took a large drink of coffee and composed herself.

  “You forced your parents on me without even discussing it with me. It was a shit thing to do. It reminded me of the controlling, dick move things Damion use to do. There are some things you don’t know about me yet that I’m not ready to talk about, but things like this are why I took my collar off. I decided maybe I should walk away before things got worse. If you were inconsiderate enough to force something like a meeting with your parents on me, what else might you be inconsiderate about? Especially if we were to ever add kink and power exchange to our relationship.”

  The regret she saw in his expression lifted some of the weight from her shoulders. Damion never showed regret.

  “I hear you and I’m sorry. I fucked up. You’re absolutely right. I can assure you it won’t happen again. Not to stray from the subject too much, but my parents loved you.”

  A small smile spread across her face.

  “I liked them an awful lot too. I’m not angry about having met them, I’m angry that I didn’t get a say in it.” Her therapist would be proud of her. That thought reminded her she needed to schedule another session soon. Things had been so crazy lately that she’d missed her last one. Bradley reached across the table and gripped her hand.

  “Baby, I’m sorry. How do I make it up to you?”

  She squeezed his hand in return. “Just understanding what you did is wrong is a really good start. I care about you Bradley. I miss power exchange, but I can’t do what I did with Damion. I have to be your equal even if we add kink.”

  He nodded. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. We need to talk, but right now we need to get you to work and I have some things to take care of myself. When are you flying back to D.C.?”

  “Monday morning. It’s a holiday so I thought I would take a day to enjoy New York after I finish helping here. I’m just here to get this field office up to par and ready to open back up on Tuesday.”

  “I can work with that. I promise to s
tay out of your way. I even left security in D.C. I would like to talk about you keeping your detail when we go back.”

  They paid their bill and hopped in a cab.

  “My security detail isn’t something we really have to talk about. I know I need protection,” Darci said when they were moving.

  He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

  “I’m really glad you agree. I was prepared to get Michael involved if I needed to.”

  The conversation turned to whoever the stalker was. “I had a thought yesterday,” Bradley said as the cab sped through the city. “I feel like I have more of a connection with these women than you do. I mean, I didn’t really know Marlie that well, but Peggy was planning to work with her on a new project which is part of why I went to that benefit with her.”

  “I was with her that night,” Darci reminded him.

  “True, but you only met Peggy because of me. You have no connection with her the way you do with Marlie. If this guy is stalking you, why target Peggy? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “I don’t know, but he broke into my apartment, not yours.”

  “Just in case, maybe I should look at the list of names you gave Michael. Maybe we both know this guy.”

  “I’m surprised Michael hasn’t tried to interrogate you about your connections with all of us,” she said.

  Bradley squirmed uncomfortably.

  “He didn’t!” she gasped.

  “He came by my office yesterday. But he didn’t want you to be pissed at him, so he made me promise not to tell you. He said he was scared of you when you’re angry.”

  “He has a right to be scared of me. I can’t believe he did that without telling me.”

  She pulled out her phone, intent on calling him, but Bradley stopped her. “Down girl. No need to yell at him. He doesn’t think I have anything to do with this, but he had to cover all his bases, baby.”

  With a sigh, she put her phone away. “I suppose you’re right.”

  Soon they pulled up in front of the building that housed the ACSL field office. Pressing a soft kiss to Bradley’s cheek, she promised to stay in touch as the day went on. It would be a long day, but she assured him they would go to dinner and have a longer conversation later.

  • • •

  Bradley watched from the cab as Darci walked into the office building. It was a relief that she wasn’t still angry with him after his colossal fuck up. He knew better than to pull a stunt like that. Especially with someone who had trust issues.

  When he found out he could beat Darci to New York City, he had arranged a couple of last-minute donor meetings, or rather, Adara had arranged them for him. In between meetings, he planned to scope out a place to take Darci for dinner. There, he hoped to have a long conversation about their relationship and where it was heading.

  During the cab ride across town, he spoke with Adara, Michael Silas, and his mom, who really had taken a liking to Darci and was insistent that they plan a trip home soon. He told her he would try his best to convince her but since he was in the doghouse over springing them on her to begin with, he wasn’t going to make any promises.

  Two hours later, he was wandering the streets of New York between meetings. A small custom jewelry store caught his eye and he went in. His mind was going places it had no business going but looking couldn’t hurt.

  A silver chain with an amber colored pendant caught his eye. The color reminded him of the scent of her body wash, and he could almost smell her standing next to him as he thought of it. The thought of the thin chain circling her slender neck sent a grin spreading across his face. He had to banish the thought quickly though. A glance at his watch told him he was going to be late for his next meeting if he didn’t hurry.

  The rest of the day flew by, and soon he was on his way to pick up Darci in the back of a black town car he had hired.

  At the restaurant, Darci asked him point blank, “What did you mean about needing to have a longer conversation when you woke me this morning?”

  He was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his tone was thoughtful.

  “I was serious when I said I want more. We need to talk because we need to negotiate what more means to us.”

  “You mean kink or a relationship?”

  “Both, baby. I think for you and me the two kind of go hand in hand, don’t they?”

  She nodded, but her expression told him she had something else to say. “What is it?” he prodded.

  “So, you’re not happy with just vanilla?”

  Bradley knew he needed to craft his response carefully. The last thing he wanted was to pressure her into a dynamic she wasn’t ready for.

  “I’m thrilled with you baby. I just think you want, maybe even need more, and I know that power exchange and kink would only make us better. But I also want something that has nothing to do with kink.” When he paused, she nodded and looked at him expectantly, encouraging him to continue. “I want to be able to tell my parents that we’re more than friends. I want to be able to tell my assistant to put dates with you on my calendar instead of calling them business appointments. Yes, I want to explore some power exchange with you, but that can come with time and behind closed doors.”

  Bradley knew it was a lot for Darci to take in. He hoped he hadn’t overwhelmed her. There was a long pause, and she seemed to be letting his words sink in. Finally, she took a sip of wine and said, “I think I can work on some of these things. I don’t know if I’m ready to tell your parents yet, but I’m fine if your assistant knows you’re dating me. As for power exchange, I’m open to a longer conversation about adding it to our dynamic. I think we could probably have a lot of fun, and I miss that aspect of a relationship.”

  He smiled and leaned in to kiss her deeply. “Thank you. You delight me.”

  Their kiss sent his pulse racing. Her next statement sent it racing even more.

  “Perhaps we can have a conversation on the trip home. Travel is the perfect time for that sort of thing.”

  His grin widened, and he moved in to kiss her again.

  “I like the sound of that. Let’s enjoy our dinner. Then maybe we can go sightseeing.”

  25

  ♥♥♥

  As dinner wound down, Darci felt much better about her relationship with Bradley. She still didn’t know where it was going or how long it would last but now, they stood outside the restaurant waiting for their car.

  Taking a deep breath, she made a decision. “Take me back to our room. We can go sightseeing later.”

  “I can probably do that.”

  “Probably?” she questioned with a twinkle in her eye.

  “It depends on whether or not you’re going to invite me in.” He was grinning now.

  “Really, Mr. Givens, I’m not sure you can behave yourself if I do that,” she teased.

  “You’re probably right, but I’m not sure you want me to behave.” His hand slipped into her hair at the nape of her neck and gave a sharp tug. She gasped. “What do you say, baby? Want to play with me?”

  “Play?” Her face paled. They hadn’t even negotiated anything yet.

  “Sorry, poor choice of words. I’m not going to tie you up or spank you tonight. I would very much like to make love to you though. I miss being inside you.” She relaxed, though the thought of him spanking her sent a rush of excitement through her body. It was on her bucket list of things to experience with him. His hands had proven to be quite spectacular in many ways, and she had no doubt they would warm her ass up nicely. Instead of voicing any of that, she moved toward the car that had just pulled up and waited for him to open her door.

  At the hotel, she unlocked the room with her keycard and motioned for him to step inside. “I guess I’ll invite you in,” she said saucily.

  A wicked gleam was in his eyes as he passed her. Closing the door, she stood against it while he moved to the bed. When he unbuttoned the casual button-down shirt he wore, she swallowed as his tight abs came into view. His smooth, musc
led chest was practically begging her to kiss every inch of it. “It’s not polite to stare, Miss Sanders,” he teased as he peeled his shirt off and tossed it on the bed.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

  “It’s OK. I’ll just have to blindfold you.” Her eyes grew wide as he crossed the short distance to the door where she was still leaning. The kiss he gave her was gentle, but so hot. She groaned as his hands slid into her hair.

  “God, you taste incredible,” he murmured against her lips.

  She wrapped her arms around him as they kissed. The intensity increased and soon he was pulling her hair to angle her head better as his tongue explored her slick mouth.

  Without warning, he grasped her by the hips and hoisted her off the ground. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked backward toward the bed, then turned and gently lowered her until she was sitting on the edge of the mattress. She hummed and ran her hands over his muscular chest. His nipples were hard and puckered and she wanted to draw one into her mouth, but he was just out of reach of her lips, and he still had her hair in his fist.

  Standing between her legs, he grasped the hem of her pink blouse and drew it up and over her head. Seconds later, he relieved her of her bra, and she was sitting on the bed in just slacks and panties. Her own nipples pebbled under his gaze as the air around them hit her bare chest. “Fucking perfect,” he said as he bent to suck her right nipple. “I can’t wait until you come for me,” he whispered when he came up for air. “Lay back.”

  When she obeyed, he unbuttoned her pants and made quick work of pulling them down her slender legs. Leaving them on the floor at her feet, he kissed a trail from her calf to her inner thigh, stopping as he reached the leg of her boy short panties.

  “These will be the first to go when you’re mine,” he declared as he slipped a finger inside, causing her to gasp. “Mmm, someone is ready for me.” He stroked his finger across her slick opening, and she whimpered. Raising up, he hooked his fingers into the waist of her panties and scooped them down her legs.