Pierce, Nicole L. - Secrets (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Nicole L. Pierce

  Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything. He figured she was afraid that if she made any suggestion, he’d back off, which was true. Strutting over to her, he stopped before the bed. In the darkened room, the strange lights played games with the contours and gorgeous color of her ass.

  “Ass in the air,” he ordered.

  She scattered quickly to do it, her head in her arms, wiggling her bottom back and forth to entice him. His eyes crossed as he moaned. Damn her! He shut his eyes to regain his senses then he lifted the whip into the air and slapped her between the shoulders, hard.

  She gasped and shuddered, and he hoped she liked it, but she knew the word to say if she wanted him to stop. He raised his whip in the air again and smacked the small of her back, and she shuddered again, this time throwing her head back and crying out, “Dante! Harder!”

  His heart was banging like a drum, and he lifted the whip again and this time rained five hard blows to her buttocks, each one stronger than the last. When he stopped and looked down, her ass was red, and he sat down to rub it for her. She was whimpering and quivering as she rolled to her side, tears filling her eyes. But from the erotic throat noises she made, he knew she had felt rapture from the pain-pleasure of his punishment. She’d liked it, loved it. The timing was right for his little toy. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a latex glove, which he slapped on his hand, and also something that looked like a short, stubby dildo, and held it before her eyes.

  Serena reached out to him, falling short. “Oh! A butt plug. I’ve read about them! But, Dante, I’m…I’m already stretched out...” Her voice was tremulous.

  “Put these in yourself, do you?” He was amused. “Well, I’ll insert this to remind you of me. Correct position, please.”

  She stuck her butt in the air for him again, and he parted her cheeks then slowly inserted the plug into her entranceway. She had told him no lies. She was loose, and that was a good thing. “Mine, all mine,” he said after he finished. “Say it, sugar.”

  “Yours! Yours, oh, yours!” She was shuddering, her ass still in the air, shaking, her cheek on the mattress, her dark eyes misty and on him. “T-take it! Take my ass. I’ve been burning to have sex that way. Please, please, do it.”

  He shook his head. “Not now, love.”

  “Please…sir?”

  He tried not to smile. She was trying submissive tricks that she’d read about, and he admitted that being called “sir” was a big turn-on for him. His cock was going wild. But he said, “This session is completed. If you tell me what to do again, it won’t happen. Everything is on my terms, and I have to go.” He didn’t have to go, but she needed to think so. He took off his latex glove and tossed it in the wastebasket. When he walked to the bathroom, he could feel her eyes on his back. When he came back out, she was still on her back, staring at him as if she hadn’t moved. Damn, his cock was tight.

  While she continued to watch, he stepped into his pants, grimacing as his zipper gave him trouble over his hard dick. Then he threw on his shirt, buttoning it quickly, watching her carefully while pretending not to, unsure if that had worked.

  When he finished, he took in a deep breath, and she rolled and sat up, taking his hand. “Do you have to leave so soon?”

  His heart contracted. There had been a serious note in her voice that grabbed him right in his belly. But he knew what he was doing. “Until tomorrow.” Then he took her hand and bent over to kiss her knuckles.

  “Dante!” she cried out as he walked out of the room, his knees as weak as jelly. But he didn’t go back, although he really wanted to.

  Chapter 15

  In the underground parking lot, Dante opened the door to his blue BMW and slid inside. As he tried to shut it, the door wouldn’t close. When he looked up, he saw a petite woman holding the door back, staring down at him, dressed in a princess costume complete with face mask and crown. He recognized her anyway by her extremely short, petite frame, auburn hair, and burning green eyes. “Sorry,” he said, faking annoyance. “I don’t do after-hours hookups. Maybe next time, Margaret.” He crossed his arms. “How did you get in?”

  “Flashed my badge at Jim Secrets, and he took me here the back way.”

  “I see. Okay. So did you come for sex?” He grinned.

  She laughed and said, “I have to talk to you. Business.”

  “Hrmph.” He got out of the car, disgruntled. He’d been spying on the CEO from FDL since he’d been assigned to infiltrate the office. How his boss had gotten him the job, he had no idea, and he didn’t ask. So far, there was mounting evidence that CEO Harry Barr was handing sensitive information to the Cartel. For some reason, his boss hadn’t wanted to arrest him yet…maybe the evidence had been too weak, and he didn’t want United States Security to look bad by making a false arrest. Margaret Walker was his longtime partner. In this mission, he spied on Barr at work, and she spied on him at home. Often she popped up in weird places, like now.

  He towered over her, feeling a little dizzy in the dark, dank garage. “Why didn’t you wait until I got home?” he asked, growing serious.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, going on tippy-toes and whispered, “Let’s pretend we’re together. Actually, I came here because our fearless leader Shadow didn’t want me to get you at home. Too risky. The bad guys might suspect us and be watching. They could even follow us here, that’s why we need to look, you know, romantic.”

  He put his arms around her, feeling stiff. She wasn’t Serena, and even though this was an act and he’d done it with ease before meeting her, it felt odd to be touching anyone else now. “Tell me what’s going on,” he whispered into her ear.

  “Shadow wants us to arrest Barr at work tomorrow.”

  “He’s finally satisfied with the evidence?” Dante felt self-satisfied. It hadn’t been easy to please Shadow.

  “Well, that, and I also dug around and found out that Barr has a private jet set up to fly him to an obscure island in the Pacific this weekend. I’m sure they won’t give him back. As everyone on the case has figured out, he’s their boy, not ours.”

  “So we finally arrest him.” Dante blew out a breath. “In front of everyone?”

  “He’s less apt to pull a gun if it’s public.”

  “Maybe. Well, I’m ready. Ready as I’ll ever be.” He thought about giving up his job at FDL once the arrest was made. There would be no more need for him there, and he could, if he chose, move on to the overseas mission in Russia. But that didn’t sound so appealing anymore. Neither did no longer having the job at FDL as a cover. He wouldn’t see Serena every day. Maybe he should just tell her and stop playing games. Sure, he was afraid she’d turn him down…terrified, in fact, but he often risked his life. He could certainly risk his heart.

  “Tell me how we’re going to do it,” he whispered, aware that others were in the parking lot.

  “Shit,” she said, irritated. “Kiss me! Make it look real. I’ll tell you in between, like when you’re breathing over my neck.”

  He didn’t want to do it, and it felt wrong to kiss somebody other than Serena, but he knew he had to play along. It also had to look good so that nobody suspected they were passing secret plans, especially if there were spies around. He pulled back and, with dry lips, then bent over and kissed her, wondering if it looked more convincing than it felt.

  * * * *

  Serena had left her gym bag in their special room. She knew they’d meet there again the next night, and the next, and the next. Oh, Jason, I just know it’s you. I’m going to kill you. She smiled, and her pussy flamed as she thought of him…so tall, mussed-up dark hair, beautiful blue eyes, those full lips. And he had to care for her because he’d known all along whom she was.

  Serena let out a sigh. She wanted to go home and dream about him, but suddenly she froze and turned to the members’ parking garage entrance. What if she surprised him and told him she knew and that she loved him?

  Her heart fluttered. Why the hell did they need to go on prete
nding, when she was almost positive? She wanted to know for sure, and if she was right, she wanted their relationship to be real, not some fantasy. The logical thing to do was to tell him now so that they didn’t need to play games a moment longer. She would surprise him in the parking garage, if he hadn’t left yet…

  Dodging the many bodies, she pushed her way to the members’ garage entrance, which was guarded by one of the bouncers that Dante…or Jason…whatever his real name…seemed to know. He shook his head when she reached for the knob. “I can’t,” he said, regretfully. “Members only. You know that.”

  “Oh, that can’t be!” She tilted her head and tried to look flirty, something she had improved upon, skill-wise. “Come on. Dante told you I have free run of the place. I need to tell him something, and he’s going to be angry if you stop me.”

  The bouncer hesitated, looking worried. “I seen him beat the crap out of a big guy twice my size,” he mumbled. “You really think he’d be angry?”

  “Very angry. Especially since I have something so important to tell him, and because I don’t know where he lives, I can only tell him here. Come on! I won’t tattle on you!” She winked.

  “Well…Okay.” He backed off, and Serena pulled open the door…

  And halted as the door shut behind her.

  Halfway across the crowded parking lot, amidst other costumed guests who were coming or going, Dante stood by a blue BMW with a petite, auburn-haired, princess-disguised woman in his arms. They were kissing and then talking, then kissing again, then whispering. She stood there in shock, her jaw dropping.

  The woman was everything she could never be. Instead of tall and strongly built, she was tiny without an ounce of fat on her. And even on her best day, Serena could never make her hair that straight, that soft, or that gorgeous color.

  What kind of fool am I? What kind of game is Dante-Jason playing with me?

  Serena quickly walked back into the bar, past the bouncer, past the bodies, to the front door, and she left, blinking angry tears out of her eyes. No, I won’t let him make me cry. I won’t. I can’t let this bother me. It’s my lot in life to be alone. But I’m going to have the last word in this game. She reached her car barely remembering how she got there, slammed inside of it, and burned away from the curb, wondering how she had become such a fool.

  Lifting her chin, gritting her teeth to keep the tears inside, she talked to herself.

  At least the bastard had taken her virginity so she wasn’t a part of the Thirty-and-Never-Been-Fucked Club. And, she admitted to herself, she had enjoyed it. Dante-Jason had served his purpose in her life, and she’d never let any man ever break down her defenses again.

  Chapter 16

  Dante was exhausted as he dragged himself into F.D.L’s office. He’d been up most of the night with Margaret and the rest of his team planning the arrest of Barr. The owner of the company, who was in on the government operation, was going to call a fire drill and clear out the office, except for Barr, who would be in a meeting in the owner’s suite, where the fire alarm had been disabled. Dante didn’t think Barr had a clue and thought it should be a snap, but he also knew to expect the unexpected. He was armed and prepared as they would all be. The two guns in his waistband were covered by a looser-than-normal-fitting, navy blue, buttoned suit jacket.

  As he pushed open the office door, his spirits lifted slightly. He always had coffee with Serena before work, and he could enjoy her company before making the arrest. He spent his days thinking of her hot response to him, and at Secrets the previous evening, he was pretty sure he’d made some headway with her. He knew this was his only chance at love. If Serena didn’t want him, he would go overseas as an agent and never get involved again. It hurt too much. He needed to come clean and let her know he was really Dante…but not until tonight, at Secrets. He’d unmask in their room…and see what happened. His stomach clenched. God, make her love me. My life won’t ever be fulfilled if she doesn’t.

  He stepped into the break room, and Serena was sitting by herself at a white, round table, holding a Styrofoam cup. She glanced over at him, turned red, then quickly looked down at her coffee. He hesitated. Had she looked hostile? No, he was making things up because this meant so much to him. Forcing himself to act confident, he walked up to her table and sat down, leaning back as he gazed at her ungodly beauty. Her long eyelashes shielded her eyes, her ruby lips begged for a kiss, her soft cheeks needed his touch. But she wasn’t responding to him at all, not even saying “hello.” He felt a rumbling in his belly.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, leaning forward, but she dropped her gaze further.

  “I’m fine, but I want to be alone.” Her voice was clipped and cold.

  Dante took in a deep breath. She never spoke to him that way. Well, he couldn’t leave. “It’s just me,” he kidded. “Sort of the same as being alone, right?”

  “I’ve got a dilemma, and I don’t want to talk to you.”

  “Don’t be silly. Share it with me. We share things.” God help him, he had to find out why she was angry. It seared him raw, like a knife slicing through his heart.

  When Serena laughed, he jumped. It wasn’t a pleasant laugh, and she finally looked at him. “Actually, we’ve been hanging out for a year, but never knew one another at all. Cut the crap.” She stood up and walked out of the room, leaving him stunned, and suddenly, he knew. Damn it, he knew for sure, and so did she. He had to square things before the arrest, but it was awkward. The other workers were in the office, and it was too soon for him to blow his cover.

  He stood up and strode to her desk, trying to look normal. When he reached her desk, she was busy banging on the computer keyboard. He put his hand on the chair just behind her back. “I can explain everything,” he said very quietly, “if you wait until later today.”

  She kept typing. “No.” She spoke softly, too, and he had to lean closer to hear. She smelled of summer flowers, and he almost swooned at her nearness. “I don’t get the game you were playing…or who helped you play it.”

  “Cara.”

  “Great.” Her voice rose a little as she stopped typing. She let out a sigh. “My best friend. I think.” Her voice was soft again. “Just get lost, whoever you are.”

  “You know who I am.” He was so close to her ear, he knew his breath was tickling her, and he hoped she’d respond to him. She turned around, and they were practically nose-to-nose, hidden behind the walls of her cubicle. Damn, how he wanted to kiss her. “You figured everything out.” He stared into her endlessly dark eyes.

  She turned away. “I thought I did…but I saw you in the parking garage, um, need I say more? Get lost and never bother me again.”

  He was stunned for a moment. Margaret! How had she gotten into the Members Parking Garage anyway? When he recovered, he said, “You don’t understand.”

  “Jason!”

  Dante stood up reluctantly and turned toward the owner of the company, John David Lewis, a tall, stately African-American man. It was time to make the arrest, he figured, and he couldn’t delay it.

  “Go, whoever you are,” Serena whispered.

  “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “No, you won’t.”

  “Jason!” Mr. Lewis called again. “We have a meeting.”

  Dante shut his eyes then patted Serena’s shoulder once before turning and walking toward his boss. Margaret stood next to Lewis, posing as a business guest. He glanced over his shoulder a few times on the way to reach them and was disappointed that Serena never once looked away from her screen at him.

  When he reached Lewis and Margaret, Lewis nodded, signaling for them to go to his office. They all knew their parts, so there was no need to talk. As they took the elevator up, Margaret asked, “Does that pretty woman mean something to you?”

  Lewis laughed. “Serena? They’re friends.”

  The elevator landed. “Yes, she means a lot to me,” Dante snapped at both of them, walking ahead down the thickly carpeted hallway toward Lewi
s’s office. He could taste something sour in his mouth and felt like crying, but he hadn’t cried since he’d been five years old. Well, it wouldn’t help to pity himself. He’d just have to straighten everything out after the arrest.

  He hoped to hell he could do it. He couldn’t let her win this battle of the sexes because, if she did, both of them lost. He had to banish her from his mind right now, however, and focus on his mission. The gun in his waistband told him how this could turn out. He had no choice but to be at his sharpest. He hoped it would happen once he was working, and it annoyed him that Serena would not leave his mind, even now.

  Chapter 17

  Serena couldn’t see the computer screen through her tears. Dante’s touch was still torturing her heated body. Should she have listened to him? He’d been nothing but bullshit since they’d met, so why should she believe him now? And she was a person that everyone eventually left, which was why she had crafted her world so carefully. She had wanted a fuck buddy, not somebody she could love. She hadn’t even known she could love. She’d thrown off her feelings for Jason Wilcox as affection due to friendship. Even when her mouth had watered as he’d stared at her with that ridiculous, unruly, thick mop of dark hair, those hypnotic, sincere dark blue eyes, those beautiful, full lips, his enticing body, and she had forced herself to logically explain to herself that her reaction to him was nothing more than destructive hormones.

  A tear rolled down her cheek and she lowered her face, glad she had no other close friends at work. Nobody would try to soothe her, which was a good thing. Should she give Dante his hearing? More tears flooded her eyes, fogging her glasses. It couldn’t hurt to hear him out. After all, she was tough. She’d been rejected so much that she could probably be placed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being discarded like trash. One more rejection wouldn’t kill her, even though she loved the man.