by Ivy Nelson
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Bradley grinned as he left the bathroom. He could see from his dresser mirror that she had released her hair from its ponytail and was trying to tame the curls that were everywhere. He was going to enjoy leading them on this path, but for now, he had to focus on the day ahead. It would be busy, and he needed to talk to Michael and the security detail about who might have been following them last night. Then he had to address his own dilemma over his association with Peggy.
His connection to the BDSM community wouldn’t stay out of the press for much longer; Atleigh was going to lose his shit when he found out. The idea of working for his father made him ill, but he wasn’t sure what he would do for work when Atleigh fired him. There was always the private sector, where he could get work as a consultant. The money would be better than what the senator was paying him, but there was so much slime in the industry he wasn’t sure if that’s what he wanted either. It was a lot to think about.
Darci and Bradley shared a car to work and the driver dropped Darci and her bodyguards off first.
“Have a good day baby girl.” He kissed her tenderly before she climbed out of the car and headed into her building. Once in his own office, he prepared for a morning briefing with the senator.
Adara was more cheerful than usual. He considered asking how her date had gone but decided he didn’t need the details.
A half hour later, his day fell apart. His boss had come into his office and was sitting across from him while they went over the daily briefing. Halfway through the agenda, the senator changed subjects.
“Bradley, we need to do something about the press and these murders.” This surprised Bradley. Peggy’s murder was weeks ago. Fearing that his more personal connection with her had gotten to the media, he asked if something else had happened.
“Nothing has happened, but the police have done nothing either. Which is why we need to be talking to the media,” the senator said.
“No, Senator, pardon me for saying this, but what we need to do is stop talking to them about this and focus on the campaign.”
“That hardly seems wise. It's happening right here in our nation’s capitol, and the police have no suspects. Why should we keep quiet?”
Bradley sighed. The senator still hadn’t connected him to the club, but it was only a matter of time before someone in the media got a hold of it. His only saving grace at this point was that Michael Silas was running the investigation, but he knew that would probably change if the detective’s own involvement in the BDSM community came out.
“What do you want to do then Sir? If I can't keep you from talking about this with the press, at least let Sandra and Charlie help shape your message.”
“I want to propose a bill that would prohibit the practice of S/M in public clubs like Midnight Diamond.”
Bradley felt his face heat and he loosened his tie as he spoke.
“Oh, come on Senator, that will infuriate the voters. Now they'll accuse you of getting involved in their sex lives. ‘Stay out of our bedrooms,’ they'll shout. It’s not a mess you want to get involved in.”
“Exactly, the bedroom. If people want to practice that garbage in the comfort of their own homes, that's fine, but that sort of filth shouldn't be allowed in public clubs.”
Bradley preferred his own home for his kinky adventures, but clubs offered a lot of valuable things to the community, and he would never advocate shutting them down. Exposure was an exception for Bradley. He liked it there and was glad the senator hadn’t mentioned it by name.
“The ACSL will be on our asses faster than you can blink. They have a lot more influence on voters than you might imagine. You don't want to be on the wrong side of this issue, Sir.” He was tiring of the senator's condescension toward people. “If you do this, voters will start questioning your stance on marriage equality and rights for transgendered people.”
Atleigh’s attitude wasn’t all that open minded, but Bradley had always been able to work with it. Making a sexual lifestyle illegal was another story entirely.
“It's not the same thing. Neither of those categories promotes violence,” the senator said.
“The public won't see it that way. Sure, you'll garner some support from the evangelicals, but not enough to combat what the ACSL and women’s rights organizations are going to cost you. There’s no chance the bill even makes it to committee. It would just be grandstanding. If you want to be president, you’ll drop this.”
“I don't want to argue about this Bradley, I want the legislative team researching how to make the bill possible.”
Bradley sighed but agreed. He had just wrapped up legislative research for the senator’s brilliant anti-porn law, and that was hard enough. This had to be the stupidest thing the senator had ever come up with.
Darci was going to lose her shit when she found out. Knowing that made him want to call her and give her a heads up. Doing so could get him in serious trouble, but he couldn’t bear to think what not telling her might do to their fragile relationship. Wasn’t he about to get fired anyway? Might as well tell her instead of risking the progress they had made as a couple.
The thought of her kneeling at his feet last night and the way she gave in to him in the shower this morning brought a smile to his face. His cock twitched at the memories. Christ. This was going to be a long day.
Picking up his phone, he fired off a quick text to Darci asking if she could meet him for lunch. They exchanged a few messages and agreed on twelve-thirty at a place across the street from his office.
His morning was spent avoiding his legislative director so he would have an excuse for not starting the process of drafting the ludicrous bill. Until it was time for lunch with Darci, he did his own research, hoping to find something that would convince the senator to drop this.
At twelve-fifteen, he passed through the front office to tell Adara he was stepping out for lunch. Darci arrived at the restaurant ten minutes late, and he decided to make things interesting. When their eyes met as she stood in the doorway scanning the lunch crowd, he scowled and crooked his finger at her.
“You're late,” he chided when she approached. “We agreed on twelve-thirty. It's nearly twelve-forty-five.”
“I'm sorry,” she said, growing flustered. “I got a last-minute phone call, and it took longer to leave than I planned.”
“You could have told me you were going to be late. It’s rude to keep people waiting isn’t it, pet?” He saw the switch flip in her brain when he called her pet. It was fun to watch.
“I’m sorry. I’ll find a way to make it up to you, Sir.” She whispered the last word and settled into the seat across from him.
“Good girl.” His stern scowl morphed into a tender smile as her face flushed. “How is your day going?” he asked, brushing the top of her hand with his fingers as it rested on the table.
“Busy. But I got a lot of good things done this morning. How is yours going?”
“Well, to be honest, I'm not happy with my day since I got to work. I've got some news that will piss you off, but you have to promise not to leak this and you have to promise not to take it out on me, or I won't tell you.”
“Bradley, what is it?”
“I’m serious, Darci. Promise. I’m about to tell you something I shouldn’t, and if you leak anything, it will get me fired.”
“Wow. It must be serious if you’re willing to risk your job to tell me. I promise. I would never do anything to jeopardize your career. Please tell me.” He studied her for a moment, trying to determine the best way to approach this. Blunt honesty was the best policy in this situation, so he took a deep breath and told her everything.
It didn’t take long for anger to take over her pretty features. “How the hell can you still support this man? It’s fucking disgusting the way he rides around on that moral high horse. I’m willing to bet the man is a closet pervert. The morally superior ones always are.”
“Darci, we've been over this, and you promi
sed not to take it out on me,” he said with a warning frown. “I'm just as angry as you, but I promise I'm doing everything I can to stop it, and if he pulls it off the bill will never make it into law. His campaign will be toast by then, so you won't need to worry about me working for him anymore.”
“Bradley, it's not that simple and you know it. He’s a smart guy. The bill might fail, but it’s going to start a national conversation that could harm communities all over the country. The rhetoric of this campaign has already sparked a lot of conflict. Why would he want to put this through right now on the heels of another sex-related bill that’s going to get crushed?”
“I'm not sure what his problem is. He’s obsessed with these murders. He's ordered me to put together a research team.”
“The ACSL will fucking destroy him.”
“Calm down, Darci. That's exactly what I told him.”
“How long have you known about this?” The accusation in her tone rubbed him the wrong way, but he tried to tell himself she was just doing her job.
“You are literally the first person I came to after he told me his plan.” She seemed pleased by that fact but was still visibly angry.
“Now would be a great time to jump ship and go work for your father. Being unable to support the senator on this issue is the perfect excuse. You don't have to worry about it looking like you're on anyone's coat tails.”
“Darci, I told you I don't want to work for my father.” He didn’t bother keeping the irritation out of his voice.
“So, take a year off and then run for yourself. You would do great in Congress,” she pressed.
“Enough,” he warned. “I'm not leaving my job or taking a year off. Don’t bring it up again.” His eyes were stern as he waited for her to acknowledge him. She nodded and looked down at her plate. He picked up her hand and squeezed it.
“I wanted you to hear this from me instead of catching it on the news. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do but Darci, I will not watch him rake you over the coals, nor am I going to just abandon him. I need time to figure out what I want to do. Can you please give that to me?”
Her expression softened. “Yes, of course, I'm sorry this makes me so angry.”
He smiled. “I knew it would. That’s why I told you right away.”
“I promise not to say anything until you're ready for me to, but promise you'll give me a heads up so I can have my office prepared for the shit storm that will follow.”
“You know I will baby.” He picked up both of her hands. “Darci, I don't want this to come between us or ruin the progress we've made. I like where we are and where we are going.”
She smiled brightly at him. “I do too. I promise you can still chase me.” When she winked, he felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders.
“Baby girl, I think you and I both know I’ve already caught you.” His grip on her fingers tightened, and gave her a pointed look, hoping to communicate with no uncertainty that she belonged to him.
“Maybe,” she said with playfulness in her voice.
“Maybe?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You won’t be saying that when you find yourself across my knee later tonight.” The way she squirmed in her seat brought him satisfaction that would hopefully get him through the rest of this terrible day.
Together, they walked out of the restaurant to meet her driver and security guards. Pulling her into an embrace at the vehicle, he spoke in her ear. “If you beat me home, I would like to find you naked on your knees when I get to the bedroom.”
A barely audible groan escaped her, and the shudder he felt ripple through her made him grin.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Darci was angry again by the time she returned to her office. Who the hell does Atleigh think he is? The temptation to tell Jim about the senator’s plan was strong, but she had to remember her promise to Bradley. This really was infuriating. How could she be involved with a man who would support Sean Atleigh, a man who stood for everything she opposed? A man who was actively fighting against the work she was trying to do.
The way she fit with Bradley was nearly perfect. How could she walk away now? Thinking of his playful dominance and wicked threats at lunch, she knew she was stuck in a difficult place.
The door to her office was locked and she had told Kimberly not to interrupt her unless it was an emergency. After a few minutes of letting herself fume, she took a deep breath and sat at her computer. It was time to launch her own research into whether Atleigh had any chance of getting such a bill passed. Congress leaned conservative right now, but this was over the top. Since she couldn’t make any phone calls and ask point blank how other members of congress might vote on such a bill, she would have to investigate past legislation.
It took her all afternoon to sift through the research she compiled, but by the end of the day, she was feeling much better about it. Even if Atleigh did somehow get a bill like this to pass, the ACSL had a good chance of fighting it in court as an unconstitutional law.
At six that evening, she left her office to find Bradley waiting for her in the reception area. He was chatting with her security, and for a moment panic flooded her. Had something happened? “Bradley,” she said trying to keep the fear out of her voice. “Is everything OK?”
When he saw her, a slow grin stretched across his face. “Yes, baby. Everything is fine. I was going to wait for you at home, but I missed you, so I waited for you here instead.” He reached for her hand, and she went to him.
Despite her frustrations, she enjoyed his touch, and he was looking damn sexy with his tie loosened and his shirt sleeves rolled up. God, those arms were spectacular.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you panic. I just wanted to surprise you and make sure you weren’t pissed at me after lunch today.” With a wink, he pulled her to him for a quick kiss.
Wanting to be honest, she said, “I was pretty pissed for a little while today, but I think I’m calmer now. I still don’t like your boss but damn it, I like you so I can’t stay mad.”
“Good. Let’s get out of here and get some dinner. I’ve got plans for you tonight baby girl.”
They picked up a pizza on the way home. While the security team swept the apartment, Bradley pulled Darci close to him while he held the food in his other hand.
When he nuzzled her neck, she groaned and he whispered in her ear, “I have some work to do after we eat. I would still like to find you naked in the bedroom when I get done.” Before she could respond with a ‘Yes, Sir,’ the security team came back, so she nodded and winked instead.
He kissed her temple, and they walked into his apartment. They sat at the bar in the kitchen and dined on pizza and wine. Bradley didn’t bring up his boss, and Darci was glad for it. She didn’t want that man to come between them, but she had a gut feeling that at some point he would. There was no sense in it being tonight. Not when Bradley had promised to do wicked delicious things to her after dinner.
When they finished their meal, he gave her a gentle kiss and told her he had an hour or so of work to get done. He didn’t remind her of his earlier request, and Darci knew he expected her to remember.
She cleaned up their dinner dishes and walked to the bedroom. Bradley would still be in his office for a bit, so she had time for a shower. She clipped her hair to keep it from getting wet and turned the water on. She took her time, washing everywhere with her favorite lemon-ginger body wash and taking a few minutes to shave everything.
Once she stepped out and dried off with one of Bradley’s dark fluffy towels, she sat on his bed and put lotion on her legs. Not bothering with clothes, she deposited the outfit she’d stripped off into the hamper. Bradley would likely only be another ten minutes.
Back in the bedroom, she looked around wondering where he might want her to wait. She figured she couldn’t go wrong with kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed so that’s what she did. She hoped it would please him. A low hum came from the doorway to the bedroom a moment later, and D
arci looked up. Bradley leaned against the door frame watching her. His eyes were dark and intense and said without words that he was pleased.
After stealing a quick glance at him, she put her head back down trying to quell the shyness threatening to overcome her. He must have taken her lowering her head as a sign of submission because he hummed again and muttered, “the things I want to do to you baby.” She heard him move from the doorway but didn’t look up again. Seconds later, he appeared in front of her, and she was staring at his shiny black leather dress shoes.
He crouched down in front of her and lifted her chin.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous like this, pet. I can’t wait to have some fun with you.” He kissed her tenderly and dropped her chin, letting his fingers trail down her throat and breasts. She shivered as his touch sent tingles through her entire body. “Stay right there for a few more minutes. I’m just going to get some... equipment,” he said with a grin before disappearing into the hallway.
• • •
Christ, she looks incredible. Bradley had to will himself to walk out of the room to his toy closet instead of giving in to the urge to fuck her on his bedroom floor. He wanted to do something a little more adventurous with Darci tonight, put her in a submissive head space and see how far he could push her.
At his hall closet, Bradley studied his options. A semblance of a plan had formed in the back of his mind, but he also liked to let his scenes flow and the plan could get derailed. He selected several items and placed them into a small black bag hanging inside the closet door.
In the kitchen he grabbed a couple more things and headed back into the bedroom. She was still kneeling, palms on her smooth, sexy thighs. Her head was down, and her damp curls had fallen around her face. She looked like an angel. A very naked, very dirty angel, but an angel, nonetheless.
Studying her for a moment, he checked for signs of fear, or the nerves he had sensed earlier in the evening. There were none. Good. That meant she was relaxing into her role.
