by Scott, J. S.
She steered her small economy car into the driveway and parked next to the only other vehicle in the driveway. A black BMW. She put her car in park and shut down the engine as tendrils of unease crept through her body. They started at the top of her spine and spread along her spinal column, around her ribs and straight to her gut.
She watched the rain beat down on the windshield as she waited for a break in the storm.
"Happy Birthday," she mumbled to herself miserably as the roar of the rain continued to pound against the glass and metal. She jumped as a crack of thunder pierced the air. "It's a perfect day."
Hannah's mood felt as gloomy as the day. She tried to shake herself out it as she wondered what Cindy had done this time.
With Cindy…it was hard to tell. Her free spirited best friend lived life to it's fullest, experimenting with anything and everything that caught her attention.
Hannah sighed. She was never sure whether she should be envious of her friend or terrified for her safety. There were times...occasionally...that Hannah wished she could be more like Cindy. She just...wasn't.
She had spent most of her adult life in school, struggling for her law degree. Now that she had achieved her goal, she spent most of her time working.
Her social life was nil and she knew she needed to get out more, socialize with someone other than criminals and her colleagues at the Public Defender's Office. She hadn't had a boyfriend since law school and Cindy was about the only friend she saw on a regular basis.
The rain subsided. It hadn't completely stopped but the storm seemed to be moving off toward the east and it might be the only break she was going to get. Time to make a run for it.
She hadn't had a chance to grab an umbrella. It had been a glorious late spring day when she had left for work this morning. She didn't know she would end up driving thirty miles outside the city in miserable weather right after work to claim her thirtieth birthday present from Cindy...whatever it was.
That creepy feeling was running down her spine again.
Cindy thought Hannah needed to let loose a little. She had been completely mysterious about Hannah's gift and Cindy's surprises could probably scare the hell out of Hannah.
She hadn't been able to say she wouldn't go and retrieve the gift. Cindy had been so excited and she was, after all, the only one who had even acknowledged Hannah's birthday.
Taking a tense breath and letting it out, she opened her car door and made a run for the front door. Her sensible heels slid in the mud as she scurried for the stoop where she would be protected. By the time she arrived her brown pencil skirt with the matching jacket were soaked, along with her white blouse that was now clinging to her body like a second skin.
Hannah pulled the tie from her damp hair. It wasn't like there was a crowd here and it was going to be a rat's nest. She pulled her hair free and dropped the tie into her pocket. She kicked herself for not bringing her purse in so that she had a brush. She certainly wasn't running back to the car again. She started to finger comb her shoulder length brown hair the best that she could while she hit the lock button on the key chain to secure her vehicle. She dropped her keys into the pocket of her damp jacket.
Okay...here it goes. Let the birthday surprise begin.
She rang the doorbell, trying to be optimistic. It wasn't as if her best friend would set her up for anything dangerous.
Oh God. It was Cindy. Anything was possible.
She was still trying to straighten out her hair when the door opened. Her knees almost gave out as she saw who stood framed in the doorway.
*****
Ryan Brenner had to mask his shock as he opened the door.
Hannah Rowan? Well, well, well. What a complete surprise.
The woman had been a thorn in his side on more than one occasion. Since he was a prosecutor and she a defense attorney, they had battled it out over a negotiation table several times.
She had an icy demeanor in negotiations and in the courtroom. She was an excellent defense attorney, able to uncover secrets and information that others would probably miss and he had to admit that she drove a damn hard bargain most of the time.
Strange, but he had pictured her as the strictly vanilla sex type, a lets-do-it-under-the-covers-and-in-the-dark type of woman. How marvelous that Hannah Rowan had a dirty little secret.
Ryan opened the door wider and motioned her in. He saw a flash of fear and vulnerability in her sea green eyes as she hesitated before walking through the open door. She covered it quickly, but he had noticed it. At that moment, there was nothing he wanted more than to crack the icy exterior of Hannah and see the real passion behind the facade.
He nodded slightly at her as he closed the door firmly behind her and flipped the lock. "Counselor Rowan."
"Counselor Brenner." She acknowledged him abruptly. "What are you doing here?"
The ice queen was back, but she hardly looked like her usual calm and composed self. Her damp hair hung around her shoulders in adorable disarray and she was soaked from the rain. It was a rather nice look on her. He especially liked the thin, wet blouse.
"Follow me." He led the way to the discussion room. It looked like a normal den, equipped with a big screen T.V. and a comfortable brown leather sofa with a matching recliner. He took a seat behind Mike's desk and requested, "Have a seat."
He watched her perch nervously on the corner of the sofa. He leaned forward and opened her file. "I was instructed to give you this." He slid the white envelope across the desk.
Hannah stretched and grasped the note, ripping it open impatiently. She pulled out a sheet of paper, her eyes darting over it quickly.
Ryan savored her expressions. He wasn't exactly sure what the note said, but he enjoyed watching her face. He had never seen anything but cold distain from her before...and he had definitely looked. He couldn't help himself. She was a cute little thing with her curvy body and brown hair that threw off red headlights when she cocked her head a certain way. He had alternately cursed and admired her intelligence. She was a sharp woman and her eyes usually showed it. Her green eyes were usually cool, but they weren't at the moment.
Embarrassment. Shock. Horror. Fear. A range of emotions traveled over her face and he delighted in each change of expression.
She looked up at him, her confusion and mortification apparent.
"I...you...this...," she was so flustered she couldn't string a sentence together.
"I've never seen you at a loss for words, Counselor." He informed her patiently. He stood slowly, anxious to see what sort of information would so completely bowl over a woman that usually had complete control of her emotions.
I need to see that letter.
*****
Hey Girlfriend!
I found your stash of BDSM magazines and movies in your closet when I went to get the sweater you borrowed. I knew somewhere beneath that prim and proper exterior was the heart of a naughty girl. I decided for your birthday that you deserved your fantasy. Mike is one of the best doms in the country. He can teach you everything you need to know and then some! Have fun and Happy Birthday! Love ya, Cindy
Oh. My. God. Hannah's hands trembled as she started to fold the note from her best friend. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.
She felt the waves of guilt and shame as she thought about anyone knowing about her deeply hidden secrets desires. She buried them...tried not to think about them. Much. There were times when she just couldn't overcome the temptation and she turned to her movies and magazines to satisfy her. Cindy had found them.
She felt her face flame as Ryan walked calmly over and snatched the letter from her hand.
He was reading it before she could even protest. She stood, fighting to take it back. He turned his back on her and read it while she continued to reach around him, trying to retrieve the personal information. "Give that back. It's person
al." She was angry now, her fury overtaking her shame.
"Sit down, Hannah. We will talk about this rationally." he turned around and handed her back the letter.
The note of command in his voice startled her. She sat.
"I take it that you didn't know about this?" His question wasn't judgmental or mocking.
She shook her head. Her heart was pounding and she had to clench her hands in her lap to keep from shaking. Her secret was out. "Why are you here? You obviously aren't Mike."
"Mike couldn't make it. He asked me to fill in." His stare was dark and intense making Hannah squirm in her seat.
Her nervousness was making her edgy and she grasped the arm of the sofa as she met his steady gaze. Was Ryan Brenner into this type of thing? It should have surprised her...but it didn't. His deep, husky baritone voice had always turned her on and he was the subject of more than one of her heated fantasies.
He had neatly trimmed black hair and dark gray eyes that could pin a person to the wall with a glare. He was built big and rugged with a trim waist and towered over her five foot five height by at least eight inches. She guessed he was probably only five or six years older than her, but he always gave off the vibes of being worldly and experienced. She had never let his dominant personality overshadow her responsibilities to her job, but he moved her on a personal level.
However, he wasn't in a courtroom now and he wasn't a prosecuting attorney. He was clad in jeans and a casual pullover fleece sweatshirt
that matched his gray eyes, and they were in what had to be a BDSM training house.
"So you're a...you do this..."
Shit. Where were her slick words now? She felt like her whole world had turned upside down.
He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at her. "I'm a dominant, Hannah. I like nothing more than to sexually satisfy a submissive's desires and my own by being in control in the bedroom."
Hannah quivered at his dark, silky tone. She didn't hear any shame or embarrassment. He obviously had come to terms with his own sexual desires. It was her deeply hidden desire to be dominated, but she buried hers, afraid anyone would find out about her forbidden yearnings.
"I don't do this. I don't know why Cindy would think - " she tried and failed to keep her voice steady.
"There's nothing wrong with having desires, Hannah. Why bury them when you can fulfill them?" His voice was seductive. And dangerous. "You're afraid. I understand that."
"I'm not afraid. I just don't want it." She pushed the part of her that wanted to admit that she wanted a man to dominate her deep down inside of her. She couldn't admit it. Especially not to Ryan Brenner. She had never confided her suppressed needs to anyone.
He moved to the desk and leaned back against it, piercing her with his eyes. She diverted her face, staring at a scenic painting of the mountains.
"Your friend went to a great deal of trouble. Getting a private appointment with Mike is difficult. At least let me give you a tour of the playroom." His voice was tranquil, but his eyes were demanding as he took her hand to pull her up beside him.
He was close. Too close. She could feel his warm breath on her neck as
as his arm came along her back to guide her.
Everything felt surreal to her right now. She pulled away slightly and he reached out to clasp her hand firmly. He pulled her along behind him as he exited the den, moving in the opposite direction of the door she had entered.
Her heart was slamming against her chest, a sure sign that she should be running like hell in the other direction. Still, she followed him. "Ryan...I really should be going."
He ignored her until her they came to a closed door not far from the den. "Open the door, Hannah." He requested softly, but with insistence.
She knew opening the door meant much more than the actual action. It was symbolic. It would open a door that could change her life forever. She knew it. He knew it. That was why he was insisting she open the door willing.
Her hand shook as she place it on the doorknob. It was as though she was being compelled to see what lie within.
You've waited all these years, Hannah. At least look at the room.
She grasped the knob tightly and pushed. The room looked like every one of her darkest fantasies.
She stopped just inside the door and gaped. Mike had every piece of high grade equipment a dungeon could ever want. The Saint Andrews Cross was against the far wall. It was in the figure of an X and she knew exactly what it was used for. Bondage tables were scattered around the room and there were play areas on plush rugs for floor equipment that had cushy wedges with bindings and various other equipment. There were also several spanking tables and chains that were suspended from the ceiling. There were several cages isolated in the corners.
Hannah shivered as she noticed several chairs with restraints attached to the legs and sides of those chairs.
Run, Hannah, Run.
She wanted to, but Ryan was behind her, his arm circling her waist. "Welcome to the adult playground. Anything you want can be yours. You just have to admit that you want it." His mouth was against her ear, his words incredibly tempting and seductive.
"I can't." Her breath was coming in shallow, rapid spurts. The words were almost inaudible... but he heard her.
"You can, Hannah. I can fulfill your every fantasy. Don't run away from it. Move toward it. You'll never be completely fulfilled without it. You already know that. You're hiding." One hand was pulling her against him, while the other lightly traced her collarbone.
She tried to twist away from him, but he had a firm grip on her waist. It would be so easy to lean back against him, give in to his persuasion.
"Having those urges isn't right. I can't act on them." She struggled with him, trying to get away from his insistent hold. It would be so easy to lean back and let him take her away. She had wanted it for so long. She had also wanted Ryan Brenner. Had it been any other man she would have already been gone. But it was Ryan...and she was so very tempted.
"It's not wrong to fulfill your needs, Hannah. Just let go." His voice was low and husky as he slowly and deliberately opened several buttons at the top of her damp blouse. His fingers circled lazily over the tops of her breasts.
My God, she was practically panting already. She squirmed, trying to break his hold, but his arm was like a iron band around her waist. She shook her head in denial. "No. I can't."
"Can't? Or won't?," he questioned quietly as his fingers delved beneath the dainty lace of her bra and brushed her nipple.
She could feel his warm breath and the wet tip of his tongue tracing her ear. Could she really resist the chance to fulfill the needs raging inside of
her now?
"You want it, don't you Hannah?" His voice was authoritative as he pulled her up against his groin. His cock was hard and it felt so good.
Hannah wanted to rub against his large erection. Her body was demanding she let this man sate her. Years of suppressed desires were battering at her and lowering her defenses.
"Answer me." His voice raised to a rigid and stern tone, demanding an answer as he pinched her nipple.
The sensation licked through her body like lightning, eroding her will to resist. She nodded slowly, unable to fight her desire to give in to him. "Yes," she answered, not capable of uttering any other words.
He pulled his hand from her blouse and swung her around to face him. His expression was stark and unbending. He grasped her upper arms tightly. "We have a few ground rules. I tell you what to do and you obey. Do nothing unless I tell you to do it. Give me a safe word. You say the word and everything stops. Got it?"
She was shaking as she looked into his eyes and nodded slightly. She had no personal experience but she knew everything about the world of pleasure and pain. It had been haunting her dreams for years and she had done plenty of curious research.
&n
bsp; He didn't smile, but his face relaxed slightly. She wanted to please him. She wanted to hear his pleasure and praise.
"Give me your safe word." He requested as he pulled his fleece sweatshirt over his head.
She opened her mouth to say that she couldn't think of one. Hell, she couldn't think of anything except his body. No one would ever know that Ryan Brenner was an attorney who spent a lot of time behind a desk. He was built like a man who did physical work, every muscle in his torso, chest and arms developed and solid. His chest was broad and smooth.
