by Ivy Nelson
Closing the distance between them, he gently lifted her arms away from her body and placed them at her sides. “I want to see all of you, beautiful.” This time she didn’t hide, and he grinned.
“God, you’re so damn sexy.” He grabbed her and pushed her toward the bed. This was where she wanted to be.
“You’re still wearing pants,” she said.
He raised an eyebrow. “Eager, are you?” She nodded, and he chuckled, climbing on top of her. “If you’re a good girl, I might take them off for you.”
His expression changed to one of concern, and he searched her face. “Are you sure you want this?”
The eager nod she gave him was all the encouragement he needed. A wicked gleam flashed in his eyes. His hand drifted downward, and he grasped her pussy, causing her to gasp.
“Fuck, you’re wet. I like that.” He slipped two fingers slowly inside her, and she groaned.
“Bradley please.”
“Please what baby?” He placed a thumb on her clit but didn’t move his hand at all. “Tell me what you want Darci.”
“Fuck,” she cried out.
“You have to tell me, baby.” He slowly slid his fingers out of her tight pussy but left his thumb where it was, applying just a little pressure. She tried to squirm, but he had her pinned. “No, no, naughty girl. No escaping.” He increased the pressure. “Tell me. Don’t be shy. Don’t be stubborn. What do you want?”
“I want to come.” It came out louder than she intended.
“Good girl.” His mouth was on hers again, and he plunged his fingers deep inside her, curling and pushing in and out until her breathing changed.
“There. Right there,” she whimpered, letting him know he was hitting that sweet spot. The pressure on her clit increased as he stroked faster and harder. His mouth moved down her throat and captured a nipple between his teeth. “Come for me baby. I want to watch you lose it for me.”
His naughty words in her ear were enough to push her over the edge. She clenched around his fingers as waves of pleasure washed over her body. Unintelligible nonsense was all she could manage to cry out as he continued his assault on her sensitive clit. “Oh, good girl,” he whispered close to her ear. “I’m going to have fun with you.”
“Pants,” she said emphatically when she recovered from the intense orgasm. When she unfastened the button on his jeans, he rose up. Still straddling her, he slid the denim down his thighs along with his boxer briefs. Her eyes grew wide as his cock sprang free. It was hard, and thick, and begged for her touch. Holy fuck that’s big. She reached for his erection, but he grabbed her hand and pinned it above her head.
“I want to play,” she pouted.
He grinned and kissed her forehead. “All in good time sweet girl. If you touch me now, I don’t get to fuck you, and right now I am dying to be buried inside you.” Could her touch really unman him? That was a powerful thought, and she ached for the chance to find out.
“Can I fuck you, pet?” he asked intently. Words failed her, so she nodded. He released her hand from above her head and captured her mouth in another searing kiss.
Shifting and pushing her thighs apart, he slowly sank into her an inch at a time. He was so big. More than a year had passed since she’d felt a man inside her, but this was unlike anything she had felt before. And it was so. Fucking. Amazing.
He gave her time to adjust to him before he moved. Slow at first but then as she begged for more, he picked up speed.
“Fuck,” he hissed. “You feel so good wrapped around me.”
A moan of agreement was all she could manage as the sensation of him filling her overwhelmed her senses. His fingers found her clit once again as he continued to pump in and out of her. “Come with me, Darci.”
Hearing her name on his lips was her undoing. She cried out as another orgasm spiraled through her. As he found his own release, groans of pleasure came from deep in his chest. He collapsed on top of her, and she wrapped her arms around him panting.
“Jesus. That was hot,” she said breathlessly. He mumbled something unintelligible, but it sounded like he agreed with her.
“I think I could get used to this,” he said, rolling off her. “Say yes, Darci. Let’s explore something bigger.”
“Shh, don’t ruin the afterglow with complicated things. Besides,” she said, reaching down and wrapping her hands around his still hard cock. “I’m not sure I could handle anything bigger.” He laughed and tweaked a nipple causing her to squeal.
“Behave,” he growled in her ear.
Her giggles subsided and he sobered as she stared up at him. “OK, we don’t have to talk about anything complicated today. But we will talk about it, Darci.” He kissed her hard, hopped up off the bed and walked out of the room.
A moment later he was back with a damp cloth in hand, which he used to gently clean her up. When he finished, shyness overcame her again, so she grabbed the comforter and covered herself with it. A frown flitted across his features. He slipped into bed with her and pulled her close. She didn’t protest even though she was anxious about what had just transpired between them.
“Don’t over think this baby,” he whispered. It was like he could read her thoughts.
“I’ll try not to,” she said as her eyes drifted closed.
“Wasn’t that so much better than breakfast?” he whispered.
• • •
Darci’s eyes fluttered open. Shit. They must have fallen asleep again. She checked the time on her phone. Nearly nine o’clock. Her cheeks flushed at the thought of what they had done earlier that morning. She nudged Bradley. “Hey, wake up.” He mumbled incoherently and shoved her hands away, so she nudged him again.
“Shhh, sleeping here.” She giggled. He was cute when he was half asleep.
“It’s almost nine in the morning. We’re both late.” He sighed and rolled over trapping her under him.
“Fine. I guess we should get up. Are you OK?” he asked, his voice shifting from being sleepy and grumpy to tender and laced with concern.
A smile formed on her face. “I’m great, but I could use breakfast.”
He grinned. “I think we can figure something out.” When he rolled off the bed, the blanket went with him, leaving her exposed. Embarrassment and the cold air hitting her bare skin had her grabbing a pillow to cover herself. A dark look flashed across his face as he stalked back to the bed and plucked the pillow from her hands.
“What did I say about hiding yourself from me?” She flushed and fought the urge to cover her breasts.
“God, you're beautiful,” he said, his voice husky with desire.
Arousal saturated her as she stared up at the naked man towering over the bed. His cock had grown hard and was standing at full attention. The urge to take him in her mouth overwhelmed her, and she crawled toward the edge of the bed intent on doing just that. Instead, he slipped his hands into her hair and hauled her up to kiss him. “There’s time for all that later,” he whispered. “I need to feed you and get us both to work.”
Chapter Nineteen
Darci had trouble concentrating at work. She spent most of the morning sorting through her box of files. So far, the only thing missing was a folder of her own personal records. It was a good thing that none of her clients appeared to have been compromised, but she was still disturbed by the items that were taken.
On top of that, she couldn’t get Bradley out of her head. It had been a mistake to let him make love to her, but it felt so good to just be loved by someone. They needed to talk about some things now. Set boundaries. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to bring BDSM into the relationship yet.
Relationship. She shook her head. That was just silly. They had sex one time. Sure, it was something she was eager to experience again, his hard body on top of hers. But enjoying him on a regular basis brought all kinds of complications with it, complications she wasn’t sure how to address. Maybe they could figure something out after things settled down.
Right now thou
gh, it was time to reorganize her files. The contents of the two boxes were scattered everywhere. An hour later, little progress had been made. Files had been shuffled from pile to pile, but her mind was too scattered to really focus. It kept wandering to thoughts of a certain chief of staff.
Those thoughts had her so consumed, she didn’t hear her office door open. When she looked up, Bradley was standing in the doorway in a dark blue suit grinning at her. “Bradley! What are you doing here?”
He moved to the chairs in front of her desk and sat in one. “I thought I would see what you were doing for lunch today. I have a couple hours free because the senator is out of town and doesn’t need babysitting.”
The site of him had her heart racing and all she could offer him was a shy smile. Why did he make her so nervous? “Let me see what’s on my calendar this afternoon.” Clicking on the calendar app on her phone, she felt a twinge of disappointment. A lunch meeting was already scheduled. “I’m sorry, I’m supposed to be having lunch with my boss. I was supposed to go to New York next week but he’s going to take my place. Michael thinks it’s better if I stick close to home.”
“He’s probably right. An early dinner then?” he asked hopefully.
“Sounds perfect.” She grinned, less nervous now.
“Good girl.” He smirked, and she shook her head. They had to talk about so much tonight.
“Go away, Bradley. I need to work.” With a laugh, he headed for the door.
“Bradley,” she said, stopping him. He turned around expectantly. “I had a good day yesterday… and this morning.”
“I had a good time too.” He winked and then he was gone. She sighed. This might be a tough day to get through. Not long after Bradley left, her phone rang. It was Michael. She answered cheerfully.
“Hey, Darci. Did you get everything you needed from your apartment yesterday?”
“I think so. I could use my laptop. That’s where I keep my file cabinet inventory. It will be the easiest way to tell if anything is missing.” She opted not to tell him just yet that her own personal file seemed to be gone. It was something he needed to know, but she wanted to wait until she did a full review of the boxes.
“I’ll get it back to you as soon as possible.”
“Do you know anything yet?”
“Not yet. We’re looking at the guest log at your apartment. You’ll need to look at it too. You’re sure you don’t remember seeing anyone at the munch? I’ve been going over it in my head and I didn’t see anything, which irritates me.”
Of course it would irritate him. He had the training to spot surveillance, so it would hurt his ego to miss something. Especially considering it was probably the killer that snapped the photo.
“Don’t beat yourself up too hard. Based on this photo he wasn’t in the dining room with us. It would have been hard to spot him.”
The tall officer sighed. “I know. I just hate that whoever this prick is has his sight set on you. Be careful please. Stay away from your apartment unless someone is with you.”
“But I want to sleep in my own bed, Michael.” It was one thing she had planned to talk to Bradley about at dinner tonight.
“So help me God, Darci if you try to stay there, I will physically remove you and take a hairbrush to your ass. I thought you were staying with Bradley.” The threat in his voice was obvious. Even though they didn’t have that kind of relationship and he had no interest in dominating or spanking her, something in his tone told her he might make an exception in this case.
However well intentioned, the overprotective threat still pissed her off.
“I have to go, Michael.” Darci punched at the screen with a little too much force, ending the call. Why couldn’t things just go back to normal? She missed her bed and her own personal space. If she was honest with herself, she needed to get away from Bradley too.
Tonight, she would have dinner with him so they could talk, but she couldn’t spend the night with him again. If she couldn’t stay at her house, maybe she could stay with a girlfriend for a few days. Elise was probably busy with her man, but Stephanie lived alone. Maybe she would let Darci crash on her couch for a night or two. Michael and Bradley would probably hate the idea, but they would just have to deal with it. Pushing it out of her mind, she got ready for her lunch appointment.
After lunch, she was able to get in touch with Tessa again. The girl apologized for disappearing, admitting that she was scared. Much to Darci’s comfort, Tessa agreed to speak to a therapist.
The rest of the afternoon flew by as she made short work of organizing her files and worked on press releases and social media posts. A glance at the clock told her it was almost time for Bradley to arrive. As if on cue, her cell phone buzzed.
“Hi.” It came out softer than she wanted it too.
“Hey there. You all wrapped up for the day?” He sounded happy.
“I was just shutting down my computer. Are you here?”
“I’m parked on the side of the building. Should I come in?”
“No need. I’m on my way.” She hung up the phone and headed out to meet him. He was leaned against the passenger door of his car. His arms folded, ankles crossed. He had removed his tie, and the top button of his white shirt was undone. He looked hot with a day’s growth shadowing his chin and throat. Darci swallowed as she made her way toward him. Resisting temptation was going to be hard, and she had a feeling he knew it.
“Hey, gorgeous.” The corners of his mouth drifted upward in a sexy smile, and he leaned in to kiss her cheek when she reached him.
“Hi.” She blushed when his lips brushed across her cheek, and she was nervous all over again. Mercifully he opened the car door for her, and she slipped inside. She was grateful for the few seconds she had to recover as he made his way to the driver’s side.
“Hope you don’t mind, I’ve made reservations at a little place close to my building.”
“Sounds perfect.”
They spent a few minutes in awkward silence.
As he changed lanes, he glanced at her and asked, “You OK? You seem nervous.”
“I am,” she admitted quietly. Bradley reached over and patted her leg.
“I am too, honestly.” She was a little shocked by his admission.
“What are you nervous about?”
“Several things, but let’s talk over food. It’s not a long drive. Tell me about your day,” he said as he navigated traffic.
She relaxed and told him what she could about her most recent clients. It wasn’t long before they were pulling into the driveway of the restaurant. It was an upscale place that had valet parking. Bradley hopped out and opened her door. The valet driver took his keys, and they walked inside together.
They were seated quickly at a corner table, and Darci wondered if he had requested the secluded spot on purpose. Probably. The man seemed to have a plan for everything. Before he picked up their conversation again, they ordered wine and food.
When the waiter was gone, he looked at her and said, “Darci, I hope it’s obvious I care about you, and I want to pursue a relationship.”
“I care about you too, but I’m still hesitant to start anything,” she confessed.
“Why exactly?” Bradley’s voice held concern and true interest in what she had to say. It made it easier to be honest with him.
“Because I’m so open about my lifestyle. Because I would kill your career.”
Bradley narrowed his eyes at her, and she instantly recognized the dominant expression. He reached across the table and picked up her hand. “Two things. First, I’m a member of Exposure. I put myself at risk of being outed regularly. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. Second, you must really want a spanking because I’ve asked you to stop worrying about my career and I warned you what would happen if you brought it up again.” He gave her a stern frown and Darci squirmed under his disapproving expression. Would he really spank her?
But he continued, “Who says we have to engage in anything other tha
n a normal relationship for now? You’ve already expressed misgivings about being in a D/s relationship again and I respect that.”
Darci felt a twinge of disappointment that he likely wasn’t going to spank her but quickly shoved it aside and said, “That might be all right at first, but I think it’s obvious that power exchange is ingrained in me and I think it’s important to you as well. I’ve noticed you have to stop yourself from ordering me around and I’m stopping myself from asking you to.” His eyebrow rose, and she thought he would have something to say about that confession.
Instead, he said, “I’m attracted to you, and you’re attracted to me. I think we owe it to ourselves to at least see where it leads. Say yes, Darci. Say yes to trying a relationship.”
“No kink?”
“Not at first. We can work up to that.”
“But it’s the kink that will kill your career,” she blurted. She closed her eyes. “Sorry. I don’t mean to keep bringing it up. I’m just a worrier.”
“I understand. But let me do the worrying on this one please.”
“I can worry too.”
He sighed and picked up her hand. “I want you so much, Darci. The taste of you I got this morning just made me want you even more.”
Their meal arrived and interrupted the conversation. The food was delicious, but Darci mostly picked at her plate, feeling anxious. Finally, she spoke.
“Fine. I’ll agree to normal, whatever that means.”
He grinned. “Thank you, Darci.”
“I worry that because of our natures we will wind up slipping into something kinky without having a proper discussion about it first,” she confessed.
“That’s a valid concern. I promise we'll have that conversation when the time comes. I can’t promise not to get bossy, but you have my full consent to call me on it if you think I’ve crossed a line we haven’t negotiated.”
She nodded. “I can live with that.”
“Would you give me a ride home after we finish here?” she asked innocently, trying to steer the conversation away from this subject.
