by Ivy Nelson
“Alcohol wasn’t allowed on campus, and anytime the power went out the police would come through all the campus buildings to make sure everyone was OK. Of course, they discovered the booze, and I think there were a few high school girls there too. They rounded people up, but I was still too paralyzed to move.”
Bradley gripped her hand. “Baby,” he whispered. Darci squeezed his hand and offered a wry smile.
“Michael is the one that found me, and he knew instantly what had happened. I'm not sure why he did it, but he took me straight to the hospital himself instead of calling the ambulance—which was completely against protocol. I think he had a crush on me for a little while after that, but now we’re just like brother and sister. Only he’s bossier than a big brother.” Darci threw in the last line, hoping to lighten the mood for a minute.
“He took my statement when I was ready to talk. We never could prove who did it. But even when the school tried to get me to not file an official report because cases like these rarely see justice, he pushed me to file anyway. We may not have been able to prove it, but I knew who it was, and I could name him in an official investigation. I did. It ruined his reputation on campus, and he ended up dropping out and leaving town. I haven’t heard anything else about him since.”
Bradley brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Taking a deep breath, Darci decided to correct a mistake she had made in withholding information from him about their current situation.
“There’s one more thing you should know, and you might be mad at me. If you are, I’m sorry. I just wasn’t ready for any of this to come up, so I didn’t tell you.”
“Darci, what is it?”
“My attacker had a fiancé at the time. She tried to cause trouble for me on campus after he left town. I didn’t think it was that serious, we were only ever in the same room together once, but her name has come up in Michael’s investigation. I don’t know what it means and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“Given the situation, baby, I think I understand why you didn’t tell me. I’m not mad.”
Sometimes when a man found out she’d been raped, they looked at her differently, but not Bradley. He was concerned, but he wasn’t looking at her like she had grown a horn.
“So that’s my story. Now, anytime the power goes out there’s a chance I’ll have a panic attack. Sometimes it’s worse than others, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t made it to my therapy sessions lately.”
Bradley frowned. “That’s my fault. I’m so sorry, Darci. I had no idea.”
She shook her head. “No. It’s my fault. It’s my responsibility. Michael always calls me if he knows the power is out. He usually doesn’t tell my boyfriends about this little fear of mine though. I’m kind of mad at him for that.”
Bradley laughed. “Don’t be mad at him, baby. I think he loves you almost as much as I do. Just not the same way.” Darci’s eyes grew wide. This was the first time he’d ever used the L word.
“That’s right, I said it. I love you baby girl. I’m glad he called me. I want to know everything about you, and I want to take care of you.” As if on cue, the power came back on, and Darci breathed a sigh of relief. She had to look like hell.
“Thank you for listening, Bradley. I’m glad you love me. I’m pretty sure I love you too. I’m sorry I’m still scared of everything that entails.”
“I’m going to ask a question and there is no wrong answer.”
She nodded for him to continue. “Can I help you remember your therapy sessions? I understand that’s a private thing and I will never force the issue, but I know I’m the one that’s been keeping you occupied these last few weeks. I don’t want to be the reason you’re having panic attacks.”
She smiled. He was so thoughtful. “You’re not the reason for my panic attacks, but I am OK with you helping me remember to make time for myself. I’m sure Dr. Martin has tried to call me several times.”
He smiled at her. It was a tender-hearted smile, and it made Darci want to curl up in his arms.
“Come on,” he said, rising from the barstool and taking her hand. “You look like you could use a bath and a good night’s sleep. I’ll fill the tub.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Bradley walked into the bathroom and filled the tub for Darci, making sure it was nice and warm. There was a bottle of lavender bath oil on the shelf, so he grabbed some and poured it in. Recounting the nightmare of her past had taken its toll on Darci, and e wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and love away the pain he saw in her eyes.
It wasn’t fair that someone so good and kind had had to endure so much tragedy. It made him angry. He wanted to hunt the bastard down and kill him. Reaching forward, he brushed a wayward curl behind Darci’s ear. She sighed as his fingers grazed her cheek and some of his anger faded into arousal.
“Don’t do that,” he whispered.
“Do what?” she asked with a puzzled expression.
“Sigh like that. Otherwise, I’ll have to take you here on the bathroom floor, and you really need rest.”
Her blush made him smile. After he reached around her and turned the faucet off, he pulled her into his arms. As usual, she smelled incredible. He let himself get lost in their embrace for a moment before pulling away and tenderly undressing her. It was difficult not to make good on his threat to make love to her right here and now. His pants were getting uncomfortably tight, but he forced himself to focus on taking care of her.
Holding her hand, he helped her step into the tub. As she sank into the hot water, she groaned. Leaning down he kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll be back to dry you off in a little while, baby. I need to make a couple of calls.” She nodded and sank deeper into the water, closing her eyes as she did.
Once in his office, the rage came back full force. Before he realized what he was doing, he picked up an empty coffee mug from his desk and hurled it at the wall. It shattered, and he winced. Darci was sure to have heard it. He made his way to the kitchen and got a broom and dustpan. After he cleaned up his mess, he sat at the desk willing himself to calm down. She was strong, she had survived so much. His anger over something that had happened in her past wasn’t something she needed. It wasn’t helpful, he told himself.
Now someone else was after her. It seemed cruel. He vowed again to do whatever he had to, to keep her safe.
When he was calmer, he made the work calls he needed to make, then he dialed Michael Silas’ number.
“Hey Michael, thanks for the heads up about Darci.”
“No problem, I’m glad you’re with her. She can be stubborn about letting people take care of her.”
“Lucky for us, I’m just as stubborn as she is.”
“I bet you guys will have epic fights someday.”
He chatted with Michael for a few more minutes and then asked, “Have you got any new leads on this guy taunting her?”
“Not yet. I’ve looked closer at the names you guys gave me but so far I’m coming up empty. I hate to say it, but we may have to wait until he strikes again. If he is after Darci and he can’t get to her because of the security we have around her, my gut is telling me he will get angry and strike someone else. The thing is if he’s mad, he may make mistakes. I don’t want anyone else to die, but we’ve got to catch this bastard. I’m looking into Theresa Holden but so far I’m coming up empty.”
Bradley hated the idea of the killer striking again, but he was determined to make sure Darci stayed safe. He finished up his phone call and went to check on Darci. She looked relaxed in the water. Her eyes were still closed, so he leaned against the door frame and watched her for a while. “You’re so beautiful,” he said. Her eyes opened halfway, and she smiled.
“You don’t look so bad yourself, Sir. Especially with your sleeves rolled up and your top button undone like that.”
Chuckling, he crossed the spacious bathroom to the garden tub and sank to the floor next to her. They didn’t speak for a while, but
he picked up the hand she had rested on the edge of the tub and grazed his thumb across her fingers. He periodically brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
Finally, he said, “Thanks for trusting me enough to share with me tonight, baby. I know it’s difficult to talk about.”
“You’re easy to talk to. Even about the hard stuff. Besides, if we’re going to be in any kind of long-term relationship, it’s something you needed to know.”
She shifted in the bathtub and changed the subject. “Now that I’m more relaxed, I wanted to run something by you.”
“What is it, baby?”
“Peter and Carrie would like to visit Exposure while they’re here. I know you have to be careful, but I wondered if maybe we could all go together tomorrow night.”
A frown formed as he considered her request. The danger she was in seemed to stem from her involvement in the kink scene, so he hesitated to take her to the club. On the other hand, the thought of taking Darci there for some fun was appealing.
“I’m concerned about how safe it is for us to go because of whoever is after you. I know security can’t come with us, but we can make it work. Let me make sure my schedule will let me get away tomorrow night.” The smile she flashed him made it worth it.
They continued to talk quietly until she shivered.
“The water getting cold?” When she nodded, he hopped up off the floor and grabbed a fluffy dark towel from the nearby shelf.
“Stand up and rinse off,” he commanded.
She did as he asked pulling the plug on the bathwater as she did. When she finished rinsing to his satisfaction, he held out the towel for her to step into. He wrapped her in it and pulled her close for a moment. Kissing her forehead, he set to work drying her off. She giggled when he would hit a sensitive spot that tickled.
“Quiet,” he said with a playful growl as he tickled her ribs.
“Hey,” she squealed. “Be nice.”
“Oh, I’m being very nice,” he said with a gleam in his eye. She giggled again, and he scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. Dumping her on the bed, he trapped both of her hands above her head in one of his and tickled her mercilessly with his free hand while straddling her. She squealed and squirmed, desperate to get away, but he was too strong for her.
“You might as well just lay still and take it, baby, you’ll never escape.”
Darci groaned trying even harder to get away. Suddenly he stopped and swooped down to kiss her.
“I’m supposed to be putting you to sleep and look at us,” he murmured against her lips a moment later. Her giggle turned into a yawn and he stood to pull the dark towel off her and throw it in the hamper. He tossed the covers and motioned for her to crawl in. Stripping off his own clothes, he crawled into the bed beside her and pulled her close. “Sleep, baby girl.” He kissed the back of her head.
“Thanks for taking care of me,” she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Darci could barely contain her excitement. Bradley was able to clear his schedule for Friday night, so she set things in motion so they could go to Exposure with Peter and Carrie.
Bradley asked if she would like to do a scene while they were there, and she enthusiastically said yes. It felt good to be back into the full swing of the lifestyle. She had no idea what he had in mind, but she knew he was conspiring with Peter. It gave her so much pleasure to see Bradley getting along with her oldest friends.
Since she had no fetish clothing at Bradley’s apartment, and there wasn't time to get to her place, she wore a simple black dress and that was it. Before getting in the shower she had laid her clothes out on the bed, and when she came back into the bedroom, her bra and panties were missing. She grinned, knowing Bradley was behind it. He walked into the bedroom just as she was slipping the dress over her head.
“Gorgeous,” he murmured as he crossed the room. Darci didn’t notice the small velvet bag in his hand until he was standing in front of her.
“I made a stop on the way home from work,” he said. “We haven’t talked about this particular activity before, so if it turns out to be a hard limit, I won’t push.” He handed her the bag. She loosened the drawstring and turned it upside down. A small silver butt plug fell into her palm. She looked at Bradley with wide eyes.
“You want me to wear this tonight?”
He nodded.
She swallowed.
Anal toys were never high on her list of things to try. Did she want to do this? The look of pure lust in Bradley’s eyes was her answer. She liked turning him on.
“If I hate it can I say no after I try it?” she asked.
“Of course, baby. I respect your boundaries. Have you ever done any anal play?”
She shook her head. “It’s just never been high on my list of things to try, but I want to for you.”
He grinned. “Good girl.” He skimmed his hands over her hips. “Turn around and bend over. Put your hands flat on the bed,” he commanded, plucking the silver toy from her hand.
A thrill raced through Darci’s entire body as she turned to do as he asked. The small plug landed on the bed where she could see it before he opened the top drawer of the nightstand and pulled out a bottle of lube. Placing the bottle beside her left hand, he slid her dress up to reveal her bare ass.
Her body shuddered as he caressed her. This was exciting. His fingers drifted to her pussy, and he growled as his fingers found wetness. “I like that you stay wet for me.”
Suddenly, a sharp smack landed on her left ass cheek, and she jumped. He chuckled. “You have the most spankable ass. I think we might see how red we can make it tonight.” She shifted as a wave of desire swelled and came to a distinct point between her thighs.
He picked up the bottle of lube and flipped it open. A moment later she felt the cold liquid seep into her crack. He took a finger and spread it over the tight bud then he applied pressure with that same finger until it slipped into her ass with a pop. He inched his finger further into her, taking his time, letting her get used to the sensation.
“You doing OK?” he asked.
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered.
His finger worked slowly in and out until she relaxed. Then he pulled his finger from her and picked up the small plug. He drizzled more lube onto the plug and let more flow between her ass cheeks. “Ready?” His voice was low and gravelly. He sounded as turned on as she was.
“Yes, please,” she said despite her nerves.
The cold metal of the plug against her tight hole made her shiver. “Easy baby. I’ll go slow.” She slowed her breathing and did her best to hold still. He applied gentle pressure with the plug and kept his other hand on the small of her back. There was a sharp twinge of pain as the toy slid past the tight ring of her opening, but it sent waves of pleasure to other parts of her anatomy. It was delicious. Mere seconds later, he had the plug fully inside her.
“I like this look on you,” he said into her ear. One hand trailed from the small of her back, over the curve of her ass and down the back of her thigh. She groaned, enjoying his hand on her. He nipped her ear and slapped her ass one more time. “Up you go. We have guests to pick up.” She stood and smoothed her dress down.
When Bradley came out of the bathroom from rinsing lube off his fingers, she looked him up and down and licked her lips. The man looked fucking sexy in his dark jeans and a black button-down shirt, looking every bit the part of a dominant alpha male.
“I feel like you’re eye fucking me, pet,” he said with a gleam in his eye.
“Maybe,” she responded coyly.
“I’d like you to wear something else, but I don’t want to freak you out with it.”
She raised an eyebrow at his words. “What is it?”
He walked to the bedroom door where he had a black bag sitting. He reached inside and pulled out a box. “I need you to understand that I was serious last night when I told you I loved you. I mean it baby. I’m madly in love w
ith you. I get that you have doubts and fears and I’m praying this doesn’t add to it, but I’d like you to wear this tonight.”
With trembling hands, she took the box he held out to her. Without looking, she knew what was inside. She gasped when she opened it. Inside lay a black collar made of gorgeous leather that she could tell was soft. In the center was a small ring, and on either side, two jewels sparkled.
“Bradley it’s beautiful. I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll wear it. It doesn’t have to be a permanent thing, though you should know that I intend to collar you someday, just not with this. Consider this a play collar to wear at the club.”
The room became quiet as she tried to process everything he had just said. She was certain she was in love with him, but did she want a collar? With a deep breath, she made a choice.
“I’ll wear it tonight.” His eyes lit up as a smile spread slowly across his handsome face.
“Thank you, pet.”
He took the box from her hands and lifted the collar out. Twirling a finger, he motioned for her to turn around. When her back was to him, he secured it around her neck. Perfect fit. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and turned her to face him. “You’re beautiful. Let’s go pick up our friends.”
The ride to the club flew as the two couples talked companionably about their days and their pasts. On the way there, she got a message on Facebook Messenger from Elise.
“So sorry I can’t make it to Exposure tonight! Have fun without me.”
It was odd that she would message her on Facebook, but her cellphone might not have a signal for texts. No matter, she was sad her friend wouldn’t be there. Once they arrived, Peter and Carrie were bombarded with hugs from old friends who hadn’t seen them since they moved. They claimed a spot with two fluffy chairs, Peter and Bradley each taking one and instructing their girls to take their places kneeling on the floor. It would soon be time for them to play, and she was nervous.
