by Ivy Nelson
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 than 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.
“Did you forget some files?”
“No. I just miss my bed and I need to be alone to think.”
His eyes grew cold. “Absolutely not. You’re not staying there alone.” She rolled her eyes. Michael had said the same thing.
“Why not? It’s my apartment, and the police cleared it.”
“I don’t care Darci. That fucker is still out there, and you are not going home.”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” she said, testing him. He glared.
“You’re right, I can’t but so help me, Darci, if you go home, I will spend the night in front of your door, and you can’t stop that.” He was angry now.
“Where do you propose I stay?”
“With me.”
She sighed loudly. “Bradley, I can’t let this guy, whoever the fuck he is, disrupt my life. I want to be in my home. I can’t think around you. How am I supposed to sort out my feelings for you if I’m staying at your place?”
“It isn’t safe for you to go home. I promise I’ll keep my distance. We don’t have to share a bed. I can sleep on the couch. You can have the bedroom.”
“I’ll stay tonight, but damn it, I want to go home. I want to get dressed out of a closet not a suitcase. I want to finish cleaning up.” Darci gave him a pleading look.
“We can go tomorrow after work, and I’ll help you do more of the cleaning. We can bring more of your clothes to my house, and you are welcome to the closet.” She let out a sigh of exasperation at his response. This conversation was going nowhere.
“Fine. Can we go home now?”
Bradley appeared frustrated. He motioned for the waiter and paid their bill.
“Can we please go back to having a pleasant conversation?” he asked quietly
“We c
ould if you would stop being so damn controlling.”
He threw his head back, and his body shook as laughter rippled through him.
“I don’t see anything funny,” she huffed with a look of irritation on her face.
“I just know how submissive you can be. I thought you liked controlling in a man.” He winked, and she blushed as the waiter returned with his card.
“You’re mean,” she said after they were alone again.
“Oh, darlin’, you have no idea.”
“Let’s go, before I get a cab and go to my place.”
“Don’t push your luck. You might not be my submissive, but I would track you down and turn you over my knee if you did that. I’m taking you home with me.”
Once in the car, he grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry if I come across controlling. I don’t mean to. Well, at least not yet. You're special, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
She squeezed his hand reassuringly. “It’s sweet. I just don’t want to be smothered, and between you and Michael, I know I’m going to be suffocated with protection.”
“How do you know him, anyway? I know he’s a member of the club, but you seem closer than that.”
“That’s a long story that I would rather not tell right now.” The painful memory had her grimacing.
He squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“He’s a good friend in and out of the lifestyle, but he worries about me all the time. He hates that I write a blog with such a public face.”
“I love your blog, but I can see his concern.”
He really cares about me, Darci thought. It was nice to be worried about, and she was very attracted to him. So why did this still feel like such a bad idea?
Perhaps she should rethink her stance on being so open about things. Nobody had to know she was seeing him. She was terrible at keeping secrets though. One step at a time Darci, she reminded herself. She was so distracted she didn’t realize they had arrived at his building. He came around to the passenger side and opened her door. It made her smile. “You’re such a gentleman,”
“I have my moments.” They walked hand-in-hand to his apartment. Damion was never very affectionate, so she was enjoying the gentlemanly gestures.
When Bradley shut the door, he wrapped her in a hug. “Thank you for not arguing too much about coming here.” She returned his embrace. It felt so nice.
“Thank you for wanting to protect me,” she replied. The urge to kiss him overcame her. Fuck it, she thought. I’m here. Might as well enjoy it. She pulled out of his embrace and placed her hands on either side of his face. His eyes widened in mild surprise as she pulled him towards her and kissed him. It only took a second for him to recover. He returned the kiss with passion. He backed her up against the entry wall and pushed his tongue into her mouth, taking control of the kiss.
“I want you so badly,” he growled when he finally broke the kiss.
Without another word, he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He dumped her on the bed and straddled her. “I want to enjoy all of you.” He kept his eyes locked on her as he shed his suit coat and undid his shirt.
“I want you to fuck me,” she said as her pulse raced. “Don’t be gentle.”
“Are you sure?” he asked leaning over her pinning her arms on either side of her head.
She nodded, and that’s all the affirmation he needed. The skirt and blouse she wore gave him easy access to reach under and pull her panties down. Pushing her skirt up around her waist, he slipped a finger inside of her. She immediately clenched around him, and with a chuckle he removed his hand and stepped back. Unbuckling his belt, he lowered his pants and boxer briefs in one motion and kicked them aside. Then he was straddling her. A second later, he was fully inside her. There was no easing into it this time. Her breath caught as he slammed every inch of his hard cock deep.
He slammed into her hard and fast, holding both of her hands above her head in one of his. With his free hand, he unbuttoned her blouse, pulled her bra down and grabbed one of her hard nipples. The pinch lasted until she let out a breathless squeal. The sensation was almost enough to send her flying over the edge. As if he sensed she was close, his movements slowed long enough to bring her back from the brink. His fingers still held her nipple. “Not yet,” he whispered with a grin. Then he released her sensitive nub and was slamming into her again. Sweat covered them both. Her need grew more intense, and soon she was whimpering. But he wasn’t going to give in that easily.
“Can’t hear you, baby. What do you need?”
Finally, she screamed, “Please let me come. I need it.” He groaned, pinched her other nipple tightly and thrust into her harder and faster.
“Come,” he commanded. She soared, screamed her pleasure as he increased the pressure on her nipple. The spasms of her tight sex around his cock sent him over the edge, and he lost himself inside her. He collapsed on top of her. They were both struggling to catch their breath.
“You’re crushing me.” She giggled.
“You told me not to be gentle.” He grinned wickedly pressing himself into her harder for a moment before laughing and rolling off. Darci hadn’t had sex like that in ages. She laid on the bed watching him move around the room.
“I didn’t even take my clothes off,” she muttered more to herself than him.
His eyes swept over her as he pulled on a pair of boxers. “God, you’re hot like that, woman. Clothes half off and hair tousled laying in my bed. I could look at you forever.” Her blush was instant, and it made him laugh.
Where this was going Darci didn’t know, but the sex was good, so she wouldn't think about it too hard for now.
It was early still, but Darci caught herself stifling a yawn as she was stripping out of her rumpled clothes. “Wear you out, did I?” he teased as her shirt and bra hit the floor.
“You are very exhausting.”
“Somehow I don’t feel like that was a compliment,” he grumbled.
Back on the bed next to her, he nuzzled the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met, causing her to sigh. “So, what’s it going to be, love? Are you going to banish me to the couch, or can I stay here curled up next to you?”
She mumbled her consent, and he smiled as he pulled the blankets up over them. “Goodnight sweet girl.”
“G’night, Sir.”
Chapter Twenty
Bradley grinned in the dark at the sound of her calling him Sir. She was so beautiful. Worry plagued him though. What if they couldn’t catch this bastard? What if something awful happened? The thought of anything happening to the beautiful woman lying beside him sent a shudder through his entire being. He couldn’t handle walking in on another body, especially not hers.
With that in mind, he vowed to do everything in his power to keep her safe. Tomorrow he was going to arrange a private security detail for her. It would piss her off, but at least she would be safe. She shifted in her sleep, and he stroked her hair. She felt so right next to him. He closed his eyes knowing that for now at least she was safe in his arms.
A few hours later a noise jerked him awake. Is that the door? He jumped up and grabbed pants. Darci shifted but didn’t wake. When he opened the door, the building’s doorman was there. “Sorry to wake you, Mr. Givens, but somebody slashed your tires. We need to call the police.”
“Shit. Did you catch whoever did it?”
“No, Sir, Security thinks they scared the guy off.”
“Bradley.” A soft voice from the bedroom startled them both. “What’s wrong?”
He stared at her for a moment, taken by her beauty. Darci was wrapped in his blanket, and her curly red hair was everywhere. “Somebody slashed my tires, baby.”
“I’ll call Michael,” she said, suddenly looking wide awake.
“We’ve already called the police. Seriously, you can go back to bed.”
“No!” she cried emphatically. “I’m calling Michael. What if it’s related to me?” The thought had
already crossed his mind, but he was trying not to dwell on it. If that were the case, then this fucker was stalking her.
“You’re right, call him,” he agreed.
“I’m going back down to the door, Mr. Givens. Security is with your car until the police arrive.”
“Thanks, Aaron. We’ll be down in a few minutes.” When he got back to the bedroom, Darci was pulling on a pair of jeans and had her phone pressed between her shoulder and ear.
“Wake up, Michael. Somebody slashed Bradley’s tires. The police are coming, but I would like it if you came too. Fine. Yes, I’ll owe you coffee. Just hurry please.” She hadn’t noticed him come in, so he propped himself against the door frame and watched as she fastened her jeans.
When she ended her call, she dropped the phone onto the bed and looked up at him. “What are you grinning at? Somebody just slashed your tires.”
“I just think you’re cute, that’s all.” She rolled her eyes as she put on her bra and reached for a t-shirt. Before she could get it over her head, he crossed the room to her and pulled her into his arms.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered. And he was, even if this was the killer, he was glad she had been safe in his bed and not at home alone. He would rather see his tires slashed than her throat. He didn’t voice that as he tightened his hold on her, resting his chin on her head.
“I’m glad I’m here too,” she said after a long moment of silence. They finished dressing and headed downstairs.
Three of his tires were slashed. The police had arrived and were talking to security. They had a few questions for Bradley but were more interested in seeing the footage from the parking lot surveillance cameras.
Michael arrived a few minutes later. After a brief exchange of greetings, he walked around the car with his flashlight. Bradley gripped Darci’s hand tightly as they watched him examine the vehicle. At the rear passenger tire, he bent down. Darci pulled her hand from his and rushed over to Michael before he could stop her.
“What is it? Did you find something?”
“Back up, nosy. You’re blocking my light,” Michael said.
