The Price of Secrecy

by The Price of Secrecy [Evernight] (mobi)

  It seemed impossible for her to consider living a lie for the rest of her life. She’d discussed it with her mother once, and had been told it was only a name. No different than if she’d decided voluntarily to change her name for another reason.

  To Angela’s mind, it wasn’t only the new name. It was everything that went with it. She’d be pulling the threat that hung over her head onto another person, and onto any children she had with that man. How could she do something like that?

  Dominic was watching her closely. He’d just told her he hadn’t had a serious relationship in five years because a woman had tried to hurt him and his company, so she had to say something. “It’s in the past, and has to do with my mother’s family. I don’t have a lot of information, but I know it still worries her. That’s all. I just wish I could take that from her and give her some peace.”

  He nodded slightly, and the muscles in his face relaxed. He brushed a finger along her mouth. “You’re a good person. Thank you for telling me.”

  She smiled to cover up the horrible guilt. It wasn’t a lie, per se, but neither was it the complete truth. Angela couldn’t face this right now. She wanted to bury it for tonight. Dominic was here, dressed in only a robe, and she wanted him inside her again. She needed him like she’d never needed any man before.

  Angela kissed him, hard and rough, shoving her tongue into his mouth. She loved his full lips and the way he moved them and his tongue over hers. He had a commanding, possessive way of kissing that left her breathless and ready to fall to her knees.

  He groaned deeply, tangling his fingers in her hair and pulling her head closer. She released her embrace to unbutton the shirt she wore, letting it fall open. As soon as he realized what she’d done, he pulled it off her shoulders and arms, and let it drop to the floor. “You know, I’ve always wanted to fuck in my office.”

  She giggled. “You mean here, right?”

  He gave her a droll look. “Yes. Unless you want to walk down the street naked so we can fuck in my office at work.”

  “I think I’ll pass. For tonight, at least.” She winked at him, eliciting another loud moan, and then grabbed the belt on his robe and pulled it as she turned to walk toward his office.

  He caught her around the waist as she crossed the threshold, and then pulled the belt from her grip and lifted her into his arms. When he placed her on her feet again, they stood in front of the sofa in his office. “I’ve decided how I’m going to punish you.”

  Shivers ran down her spine at the tone in his voice, humorous and wicked. “I’m all ears, boss.”

  He pulled a cushion off the sofa and tossed it on the floor, and then he removed his robe. Her gaze traveled over his hard body while her nipples grew taut and her pussy became even wetter than it already had been. He was truly magnificent.

  Dominic took a seat in front of the cushion and grinned at her, pointing toward the floor. “On your knees, beautiful.”

  Oh my… Angela did as he said, and then he scooted forward until she could easily reach his swollen cock. She smiled at him, overcome once again with how different he was from the man she’d expected him to be. “This will be fun.”

  “Hmmm … maybe I should have thought of a punishment that you aren’t so pleased about?”

  Angela grasped his dick in both hands and gently stroked him from the base to the tip. “Too late now.” She licked up and down the shaft as she continued to pull on him, and he shifted in his seat to push his hips forward even further.

  “Baby … that is fucking incredible.”

  “I like hearing you call me ‘baby’.”

  “I’ll call you that all day long if this is how you give a blowjob.”

  She didn’t answer him, but in her mind she was thrilled that he enjoyed her so much. No man had ever made her feel this desirable or skilled. Then again, she hadn’t exactly opened herself up like this to any other man. Now she was glad she’d waited, or she might not be here right now with Dominic.

  Angela licked his balls, and then she took a few inches of the tip inside, smacking her lips at the salty, musky taste. “Yum.”

  “Less talking, more sucking, please.”

  His voice was rough and gravelly, and a shiver ran down her spine at the realization he was barely hanging on. This time she did laugh, but only briefly, because he tangled his fingers in her hair and gave it a good tug. Not enough to really hurt, but it did get her attention.

  “Not kidding, Angela. This is supposed to be a punishment.”

  The combination of humor and dominance in his voice sent a fresh gush of wetness to her pussy. She hoped he had a plan for fucking her again if he was going to come during this, because she was ready to burst. Angela licked and sucked his cock now, alternating between hard and gentle. The more she did, the louder he groaned and pushed toward her.

  “Angela … I’m going to come, baby.”

  That was fine with her. She braced for it, and with a loud moan he jerked and thrust hard. Her mouth was filled with hot cum, and she swallowed every tasty drop. He held onto her for a few seconds, resting his forehead on top of her head, and then he picked her up and placed her in his lap with one fluid motion.

  “That was incredible. Thank you so much.”

  “I enjoyed it, too.” His body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, but she didn’t care. That only meant he’d been really worked up, and she had done that for him. Pride surged through her, along with renewed desire. “How long before you’re ready again, because I’m dying here.”

  He snorted and pulled her close, kissing her neck. “I’ve unleashed a monster.”

  She pulled away to gaze into his eyes. “Yes, you have.”

  They stared into each other eyes for long moments while conflicting emotions washed over her. She’d lied to him. She’d told him she wasn’t hiding, merely that she wished she could give her mother some peace. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it also wasn’t the truth. He trusted her, and she’d betrayed that trust.

  But what else could she do? If she walked away now, he’d be confused and hurt. Angela didn’t want to walk away, and she sure as hell didn’t want to hurt him. She wanted to stay in this plush apartment with this gorgeous man until the threat to her and her mother were gone forever.

  He kissed her again, and that pushed the doubts deep into the dark places of her mind once more. There was no room for the past intruding on her present tonight. She wanted to thoroughly enjoy Dominic without her fears mucking it up.

  When he released the kiss, Dominic placed her on her feet again. “Come with me.”

  He led her upstairs to his bathroom and ran the water in the tub. It was a sunken one, and large enough for at least four people. He added bath oil that filled the room with the scents of lavender and sage, and she inhaled deeply. It smelled like he did, and she knew for the rest of her life this combination of smells would remind her of this night.

  Dominic kissed her slowly, seductively while the water filled the tub. When he released it, he opened one of the drawers and took out a bar of soap wrapped in a paper. “Egyptian cotton soap. This was retrieved from the surface months ago, along with a few other items I wanted.”

  He unwrapped it, and a subtle, soothing scent wafted past her nose. “You’re the first one to use it.” He placed it in a ceramic dish on the edge of the tub, and then he pulled out of the drawer one of those bath scrunchies she used to see all the time before they became impossible to find.

  “Did someone find this on the surface for you, too?”

  He grinned. “About three dozen in various colors. I thought red would be an appropriate color for us to use tonight.”

  Then he kissed her again, and Angela could barely breathe. So much had happened today, and she never wanted to return to the real world. This was heaven. By the time he took her hand and helped her step down into the tub, she was putty in his hands and she knew she’d give him anything he asked for.

  He sat down and pulled her close, facing away from him.
The tub was enclosed by windows that soared to the domed roof on three sides. The glass was frosted, so she knew they couldn’t be seen, but right now she wouldn’t give a shit if they could be.

  Pushing aside her hair, he nuzzled her neck. “Shall I wash you?”

  “Oh … yes, please. How sexy. Thank you.”

  “Angela, I’m the one who should be thanking you. You’ve set me free, and it’s been a long, long time coming.”

  She closed her eyes and swallowed against the lump in her throat. Guilt consumed her once again even while her arousal level skyrocketed at his tender words and gentle touch. He had no idea how much he’d liberated her, and she could never tell him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dominic reached for the soap and bath scrunchie, working up a nice lather on the nylon before placing the soap back in the dish. He began with Angela’s arms, moving the scrunchie up and down them slowly. Her soft moans made his dick hard again within minutes. This woman could take something as innocuous as soap and water and make it a sensual, decadent experience. Everything delighted her as if it was brand new.

  He washed her back next, and then reached around to lather her abdomen and legs. He saved her breasts for next to last, and nearly lost it as she moaned loudly and writhed against him. When he moved the scrunchie between her legs, she panted softly, and he couldn’t take anymore.

  “Sit on the edge of the tub.”

  She did as he asked, and then he held her gaze as he spread her legs. “That blowjob you gave me was so damn magnificent that you deserve the same thing done to you.”

  She leaned forward, grasped his face in her hands, and kissed him until he could hardly breathe. When she released it, she lay back on the tiles and spread her shapely legs wide. Oh, how he loved a woman without inhibitions! He’d never expected her to be this way. He had truly unleashed something inside her, and he was thrilled.

  When she reached down to touch her pussy lips and clit, he groaned loudly. “Oh, baby, yes. That’s it. Play with yourself. God, that is so fucking sexy to watch!”

  Her soft whimpers sent his arousal to a frenzied peak, and he knew he was close to coming again, but first he intended to make her come with his mouth. Dominic gently moved her fingers aside and thrust two of his into her wetness. She cried out in pleasure, and then he sucked her clit, hard.

  “Oh my God!” She bucked her hips into his face, but he didn’t mind. That only spurred him on more. She came within seconds and clung to his hair, tugging at it. Before the contractions ended, he pulled her to a sitting position, and then remembered he didn’t have a condom on.

  “Fuck. Wait here, baby.”

  He had some in a drawer in the bathroom, so he put one on as quickly as possible, and then he sat down next to her on the tiles and cupped her face. “Sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize.” Her eyes were all soft, and his heart gave an odd lurch at the look of desire in them. What had he done to earn such trust from her so soon? This was moving quickly, but it didn’t feel wrong. Not even close. He’d never had such an emotional connection to any woman this early in a relationship, but he liked it. He liked it a lot.

  He had intended to take her into the bedroom, or even stand her up and lean her against the bathroom counter, but she lay back on the damn tiles and held out her arms. “Fuck me, Dominic. I need you inside me again.”

  “Jesus,” he whispered. “Are you sure? Here? On the floor?”

  “Yes.”

  How could he say “no” to anything this woman asked of him? He covered her body with his and kissed her again, and then he sank his cock into her soaking wet pussy. She cried out and wrapped her arms and legs around him. It was damn uncomfortable on the floor but she didn’t seem to mind, so he sucked it up and thrust inside her like a runaway train.

  She came again, which shocked him, and then he couldn’t hold back any longer. He pumped into her until he’d squeezed every damn drop of his seed out, and then he held her for long, luscious moments, stroking her thick hair. When he lifted his head to gaze into her eyes, she had the most peaceful, fulfilled look on her face. It tore at his heart.

  This woman was going to be his undoing, and he didn’t mind. Not even close. He wanted it that way. He’d waited a long time to be this close to someone again, and this time he wasn’t going to let anything ruin it. He wanted Angela in his life.

  ****

  Angela felt like she’d walked into a fairytale during the next two weeks. She and Dominic worked together on setting up the department parameters, and on a database where they could track IP addresses and machine IDs across the country.

  She learned that Liane Peyton had been hired by Emmett Radcliffe to build a database where all the Weathermen were keeping track of the names they found that were possibly linked to the hacking of The Madeline Project, so she sought Liane’s help in making sure the two databases could interface seamlessly.

  Liane’s database contained masking properties that would keep it hidden in case anyone hacked into one of the companies’ systems, and they agreed that Angela’s database needed to be masked as well. Dominic thought that was a smart idea, and had Trish work with Angela on writing standards of practice for the new department that included that parameter.

  Dominic hired three more people, in addition to the three he had hired before interviewing Angela. He also finally replaced Merrick, so while Merrick trained the new members of the team, she and Dominic continued to work closely together each day on the database, and on setting up the day-to-day work for the department. They were professional and discreet at work, and if any of the others knew they were lovers, no one said a word. Trish had never mentioned the fact she’d spotted them holding hands when they came back from lunch on Angela’s first day, and Angela wasn’t about to bring it up.

  She asked Dominic one day what would happen if the others did find out, and he rose to close her office door. He fixed her with a molten gaze. “I don’t care who knows,” he said quietly, but with conviction. “I want to shout this to the world, Angela. As long as we each do our jobs, I dare anyone to say shit to me about seeing you outside of work.”

  Trish was out on an errand, and Angela knew the others were hard at work with Merrick. She reached underneath her skirt and pulled off her panties, leaving on her heels. She wore a skirt nearly every day now because she knew Dominic liked them on her, and because they offered him easier access once they got back to his apartment after work. Most afternoons they didn’t wait to eat dinner first before they made love.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, his eyes filled with lust.

  “What does it look like I’m doing?” She moved toward him, slowly, letting him think about it. When she reached him she put her arms around him and kissed him, grinding her body against his. He reached underneath her skirt and slipped two fingers into her pussy, forcing a loud moan into his open mouth.

  He broke the kiss and nuzzled her neck. “Is that what you wanted?”

  “For starters.”

  Dominic slapped each ass cheek, hard, and Angela gasped as arousal flooded her senses. He turned her around roughly and bent her over the desk, lifting her skirt. She heard the sound of a condom and glanced over her shoulder, laughing. “Where did you get that?”

  “I carry them with me.” He unzipped his pants and donned the condom, and then he smacked her ass cheeks again several times in a row. The sting was hard enough to cause her to bite her lip to keep from crying out in pleasure. “You love this, don’t you?”

  His voice was rough and gravelly, and it was all she could do to keep breathing. “I love it.”

  Without warning, he slid his cock into her soaking wet pussy and fucked her hard and deep. She clung to the edges of her desk and tried not to cry out too loudly, but it felt so damn fantastic she could barely think let alone control her vocalizations. She came within seconds, and still he thrust in and out. When he finally came, she was breathless and panting.

  He pulled out and ripp
ed off the condom, tossing it onto the floor. Then he wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck until she was ready to beg him to fuck her again. “Oh, Angela … that’s a first for me. Fucking an employee at work.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Baby, I told you I wasn’t nearly as ‘bad boy’ as everything thinks I was.”

  “It doesn’t matter to me if you were. It’s in the past.”

  He straightened her up and turned her around, cupping her face with one strong hand. “That’s true. We all have things in our past we wish weren’t there, but they can’t hurt us. Not if we don’t let them.”

  Her pulse raced, but not from the crazy desk sex they’d just had. Did he know? His dark gaze bored into her, and she had trouble catching her breath. There was no way he could have found out, but his eyes were so damn intense it almost frightened her. “That’s true,” she whispered.

  He let out a loud sigh and released her, then retrieved his condom and wrapped it in a tissue he plucked from a box on her desk. “Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. Dominic … I’m not even sure what I want to ask. What you said just now, about things in our past that can’t hurt us—were you talking about the woman you told me about, or something else?’

  He tucked the tissue into his pants pocket, frowning as if confused for a second, and then he nodded. Had he forgotten he’d told her that? Maybe it’s the fact he has no blood in his brain right now, genius.

  He picked up her panties and handed them to her with a grin. “You’d better put these back on just in case.”

  She took them and slipped them back on, feeling strangely unsatisfied. “Thank you, but are you going to answer my question?”

  He ran his hands through his hair as he averted his gaze. She rarely saw him so caught off guard. What the hell was going on? “Forget I said that, okay? You have me so bewitched I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”

  The words were sincere enough, but his tone, coupled with the haunted look, deep in his dark eyes, told a different story. She was about to ask him another question, but Trish’s voice plus Merrick’s, just outside her door, stopped her. This discussion would have to wait for a more convenient—and private—place and time.