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

by Nicole L. Pierce

  Angrily, she reached under her glasses and wiped the tears. Sadness was a wasted emotion. If she gave in to it, she’d end up like some of those depressed people who could never enjoy anything. Yet, in the back of her mind, she felt for those people because she spent most of her time trying not to be them. Dante had lifted her spirits, her world. She may as well come full circle and listen to him, even though it would only confirm her assessment that he was full of shit.

  Suddenly the fire alarm rang out, and she looked around. All of her coworkers were looking around, none of them leaving the building. But when she smelled smoke and simultaneously saw her boss running through the room shouting for everybody to leave, there was a fire on an upper floor, the workers started filing out, including Serena. But, as she stood outside, looking up at the building from the parking lot, seeing smoke billowing out of two of the top floor windows, her heart leapt to her throat. Where was Dante? Why hadn’t he come out? She turned to the coworker next to her, an older woman she had never spoken to before.

  “There’s a meeting up there,” she said, her voice higher than usual. “And, um, and I don’t see anyone who was on the third floor out here. That’s where the smoke is coming from.”

  “I know,” the lady said, in a solemn voice. “God, please keep them safe.”

  Serena felt dizzy. Dante was in a meeting with Mr. Lewis, and his office was on the third floor. Maybe they couldn’t get out. Where the fuck were the firefighters? She could hear their sirens in the distance, but before they could arrive, she was pounding toward the building, eluding her coworkers, who ran after her, shouting. A few hands grazed her back, but as she grew close to the building, that stopped. When she burst inside, she didn’t pay attention to even know if she was still being pursued. It didn’t matter. She would get to Dante and rescue him because she loved him, and he couldn’t die.

  Although she knew she shouldn’t do it in a fire, she stepped into an elevator and rode up, uncaring of her own well-being. And when she landed on the third floor and got out, she didn’t see or feel any heat, but the scene before her sent her into a dream-state. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.

  Several people, both known and unknown to her, were involved in a shoot-out. Dante was shouting as he lifted his gun at Jim Barr, but Barr also had a gun. Dante got a shot off first, hitting Barr in the shoulder.

  “Bastard!” Barr spat, as his left shoulder spurted blood, but he didn’t give in to the pain. He aimed his own gun at Dante, cocking the trigger while Dante also got ready to shoot, but he looked a little off-stride…

  “No!” Serena cried out, causing Barr to jerk and lose his edge. Propelled by pure adrenaline, Serena burrowed hard into the big man and slammed him in the gut. He made an oomph sound, bent over, and dropped his gun. Dante was there in a flash, knocking her roughly out of the way, fighting Barr to the ground on his stomach. Teeth clenched, sitting on Barr’s back, Dante cuffed him. The ultra-petite, redheaded woman who’d likely been the one in Dante’s arms last night shot Barr with a stun gun, making him go limp. Dante lifted Barr’s head by the hair to make sure he was out cold, then let Barr’s face drop to the carpeting. Everyone else had knelt beside Barr, and the redhead, whom Dante had been hugging the night before, checked his bloody shoulder. “Flesh wound,” she said. “He’ll live, unfortunately, the asshole.”

  Mr. Lewis was hurrying down the hallway. “I’ll get a towel for him, not that he deserves any care.”

  Sweat poured down Dante’s face as he shut his eyes, and Serena took a step toward him. He opened his eyes wide as if he’d sensed her movement and shouted, “No! No!”

  He was finally looking at her. “Serena, damn you!” Dante’s breath was coming hard, his beautiful baby blues as round as two saucers. He was still sitting on Barr’s back, his gun at the man’s head. “What the fuck were you doing?”

  “S-saving your ass,” she said, barely able to stand up as she felt herself losing consciousness, her body swaying back and forth. She struggled to stay halfway alert.

  “Oh, lord!” Dante stood up and shoved the gun at the red-haired woman. “Margaret, make sure he behaves.” He ran to Serena and hugged her with all his might. “If you ever do that again…” He was breathing into her ear then whispered, “I’ll spank you.”

  “The fire…”

  “Fake.”

  She was crying, and he kissed her tears, then kept a firm arm around her and stepped to her side to watch the new arrivals. Serena took off her glasses and wiped her eyes, watching.

  As the firefighters emerged, they seemed in on the plans. In fact, Serena didn’t even think they were the normal firefighters. “We’ll take him in,” a tall, fiftyish, sharp-looking firefighter said. “I have plenty of backup. The feds will have to give us credit for once. Good job.”

  “Shadow, we got some help from that woman with Dante,” Margaret said with a grin, and Serena tried to grin back, feeling her jaw shaking.

  “I can’t believe what you did, Serena. Damn, you could have been killed.” Dante grabbed her again and held her tight as she wept into his arms, hugging him as hard as she could.

  Chapter 18

  Dante, in pirate gear, rode up the Secrets elevator tapping his foot, his heart banging against his chest. After Shadow had arrived at FDL, he had been forced to leave almost right away to help interrogate Barr. Before going, all he’d had time to whisper to her Serena had been, “Secrets, same time, same room, no costume…naked.” He had come, but a bit late, and then had had to talk to Jim Secrets, telling him to turn off their video camera, that they would be unmasking tonight. Since Jim worked with him, he agreed to break the rules for his good friend. Now Dante stepped out of the elevator car, his cock aching for his lady love.

  When he opened the door to their special room, he regenerated, his body, filling with elation as well as love. She was lying on the bed, naked, spread eagle, a grin on her face. No words were necessary. He rushed over to her and dragged her with him, to the side of the bed, over his knee, and spanked her with all the passion that he had. “That’s for scaring the shit out of me,” he said as he rubbed her red ass afterward, then he lay her next to him and held her in his arms.

  After they’d clung together for dear life, he forced himself away from her to quickly undress while she watched him with adoring eyes. Or so he thought and hoped. As soon as he’d tossed his clothes aside, he slid back into bed and yanked her hard into his body, gripping her to him, melding them together. “Why?” he asked, in a sharp voice right into her ear. “Why did you behave in such a foolish manner, one that could have gotten you killed?” Exhausted, he rolled to his back, staring at the ceiling, the horror of that one moment making him vulnerable and weak inside—two emotions he tried hard to hide.

  “Dante, look at me.”

  Her sweet voice slithered through him, and he did, not speaking, just feeling.

  She lifted to her elbow and stared down at him, softness in her penetrating gaze. “When I saw him point the gun at you, I didn’t think I reacted.”

  “I know.” He shivered. “You can’t do anything that dangerous again. Ever.” He made sure he sounded stern. She’d scared the piss out of him, and he never ever wanted to feel that kind of fear again. “If you’re in danger, I’ll do it again. I won’t be able to stop myself.” She brushed a soft hand across his cheek, and that small gesture made his balls jerk. “Look, I’m sorry I scared you. Let’s try to forget the best we can. I thought we were going to have comfort sex, this time without the costumes.” She reached down to squeeze his cock.

  “Aw, man.” He could feel himself growing rock-hard fast, so he took her hand from his dick, locked his fingers with hers, and held on. “I didn’t just ask you here for comfort sex.”

  She smiled. “You weren’t specific why you wanted me here.” She was staring at him hard. He wondered if she could see to his soul, and he felt naked in every way.

  “Shit.” Taking a deep breath, he sat up and pulled her into him. He love
d how her rough bush of curls scraped his dick. Kissing her ear, he shut his eyes. He could feel his old fear of rejection almost overtaking him. But he had too much to gain to let that rule him. “I didn’t want it to happen.” He was angry at himself for not being more straightforward.

  “What didn’t you want, Dante?” She kissed his cheek and lifted her head. They were nose to nose. He inhaled the sweet, sweet scent of woman.

  Hypnotized, he said, “I never…ever…wanted to…fall in love.”

  The world stopped. He even stopped breathing. He stilled as he awaited her response.

  It came almost right away as she pressed her lips against his, both of her hands holding his cheeks. His arms grabbed her, his tongue sliding all around her sweet, warm mouth with every morsel of the love in his soul. He wanted to take her, possess her, fill her pussy and ass, spank her, whip her, own her, but he knew that she had won. She owned him. When they finally pulled apart, they were still locked in a close embrace, side by side now. Her hot breath tickled his face, and her eyes bore into his, her glasses having fallen off. “I never thought that any man would say that to me,” she whispered, tearing up, although she quickly blinked the water away.

  He wanted to devour her right away, but he had to know her feelings first. “I’ve loved you for a very long time,” he said, wondering what the fuck had gotten into him. This wasn’t like him…oh, screw it all. It had to be told. “I informed Cara of my sexual desires, and she promised to someday set us up to see if we were compatible. She’d seen the books you read and felt you were interested in kink.”

  “I’ll have to ream her,” Serena teased, but she kissed his nose.

  He felt his muscles clenching. She wouldn’t make it easy for him. It was never easy getting squat out of her. So he’d have to give her the final chess piece and ask her point-blank. Tensing more, he readied for a possible blow. “Serena, what do I mean to you?”

  “As Jason or as Dante?”

  He hadn’t expected her to tease him. The tension now was unbearable, and he wanted to influence her answer by pleasuring her, but that wouldn’t give him her honest feelings. “Both,” he said. “They are the two sides of me.” He shook her, growing annoyed. “Look, just tell me plain out if you don’t love me back…”

  “But I do.” Her soft, warm hand glazed the hair of his ear, and she kissed him again. He felt lighter than air, ecstatic. When she climbed on top of him, she lifted her lips just long enough to say, “I love you with all my heart. The heart I didn’t even know that I had. Thank you for showing me I have one. Right now, it’s filled to the brim.”

  Dante was floating on air as he rolled her under him, eager to make his conquest and mark her as his forever. He felt manly pride and possession as well as overwhelming relief, affection, and eroticism. “You will never fuck anyone else,” he said, as an order.

  She lay underneath him and grinned. “No,” she said. “I won’t.”

  Damn! For the rest of their lives, he’d be the only one who’d ever been intimate with her. It was an intoxicating thought. Tonight, he wasn’t going to hold back or leave her wanting for more. Tonight, he was going to make her crazy. Everything he’d been leading up to would happen tonight.

  Chapter 19

  When Dante stood up, he rubbed his hands together and commanded, “Get up with me!”

  She did, no questions asked. Her body was sizzling, ready for anything, hoping for everything from the man she completely adored.

  He took her hand and led her into an adjoining room, one she hadn’t noticed before. Her pussy sizzled as she took in a bunch of accessories she knew were used for kink. She saw a cage and wondered if he’d lock her up with him. The idea almost made her swoon.

  Dante dragged her to something that resembled odd exercise equipment…the frame with pulleys, only there were handcuffs with soft pink fur inside of them attached to each corner. Her nipples hardened, and she could barely speak, but she did. “Are we going to work out, sir?” she asked, remembering how he’d perked up when she’d called him by the respectful title.

  He didn’t answer, but said, “Grab the bar, Serena. The high one.”

  She shrugged and gripped it, then cried out as he clasped her wrists in the handcuffs. She tried them out. The handcuffs did not slide across the bar. Shit, this was amazing. She knew it was sick of her to be so excited about this kink, but fuck logic and rules. She could feel her sex dripping nectar. She looked at her handsome lover and melted at the deep blue of his eyes. He dropped his gaze, reached into his pocket again, and pulled out two diamond nipple clamps. She gasped. She could tell the stones were real even from the distance.

  “For you,” he said.

  “I can’t. They’re too expensive.”

  “I’ve made a lot of money as a government agent and can certainly afford it. You will accept my gift.”

  She quieted, absorbing his words, his deeds, and relented. After all, he was boss of the bedroom. Dante fastened them to her hard buds, and she whimpered at the hotness of their erotic pull. Before she could thank him for such a beautiful present, he had crouched to her ankles, spreading them and fastening them to soft handcuffs attached to a lower bar, opening her up, exciting her. She felt her own sexy fluid sliding down her inner thigh. Serena dropped her head, tears falling. She was wide open and ready for him, all of her hot spots tingling for whatever he planned on doing. Her breasts felt heavy and sent pain-pleasure waves throughout all of her, especially to her breasts, her belly, and her flaming clit.

  Dante stepped back, his dark hair spilling above his eyes, his full lips pressing into a pleased smile. Then he walked over to a back closet while she shuddered. He came out almost right away with the gifts he had given her. The paddle was in one hand, the whip in the other. As he stepped up to her, she watched his confident, long strut, his hard, elegant cock sticking straight up, raring for action, making her crazy to have him. He stood before her and tugged on a nipple clamp, sending fresh waves of white-hot pleasure through all of her. She threw back her head and cried out, but he was already behind her, squeezing her butt cheeks.

  “Sir, I can’t stand it!” she couldn’t help blurting out. “I…I…I’m ready to come…”

  “But you won’t until I tell you to.” He squeezed her ass harder. “Why are you being punished, Serena?” he asked, and she felt the flat of the paddle pressing against her flesh.

  Punished? She almost laughed. This was heaven. But she knew what to say that would please him, and she was all about pleasing him tonight. The rebellion had been temporarily wiped from her when she’d seen a gun pointed at him. “I was bad. I interfered in your w-work,” she choked out, her voice shaking.

  “And?” The paddle slid seductively up and down her ass crack.

  “And…and I could have been killed!” she shouted.

  “Count to five. Don’t you dare come until…five.” His voice slithered over her, sending goose bumps down her spine.

  “Yes, sir!”

  She felt a whiff of air then a strong, painful slap against her ass that both hurt and excited her. “One!” she called out, in a higher-than-normal voice. He smacked her again, even harder, and she was putty inside. “T-two!” Smack. “Three!” Her voice cracked as her pussy loaded with unfulfilled tension, ready to erupt. He rained a fourth and very hard blow to her ass. “F-f-four!” She started to cry. He had to hurry, and at last he gave her one final hard smack, and she shouted “Five!” and let herself tremor like an earthquake, the feelings of paradise cold, hot, electrifying, unbelievably mind-blowing.

  She didn’t stop quaking for a long time, as he rubbed her sore but hot ass. Just when her body had slowed down, he put his arms around her from behind, tweaked her clamped nipple, and nibbled on her neck. She saw spots before her eyes. “How bad are you?” he asked, his hot breath teasing her ear.

  “Bad. Horrible.” She was turning to butter again. What was he up to now?

  “You’re never to involve yourself in any risky antics ag
ain,” he said, and he sounded dangerous now.

  Although she knew she would, she said, “Never! Never, sir!”

  He let go of her, and she cried out, craving his touch, but unable to move, still spread eagle on the kinky stretch bar. She wanted to ask him what he was doing behind her, but when she felt the leather tails against her sensitive skin, running down her back, up again, then to her ass, she knew. Shivering with anticipation, she heard him crack the whip in the air then felt the hard tails slamming against her ass with a punishing force. Her heart seemed to pound so hard it could have burst out of her chest as he did it two more times. Finally, she heard the whip hit the floor. As tears ran down her cheeks, he stepped before her, a serious expression on his face. They were very close. She wanted to touch him, but, of course, could not.

  “Did my girl like that?” he asked, with a smirk.

  “Oh, heavens, yes!” She looked up at him, and he wiped her tears, licking them off his finger then going down on his haunches to release her ankles. Standing on the wood floor, she found her knees starting to buckle. When he released her wrists, she threw her arms around him, and he carried her out of the room and back to what she thought of as their bedroom. His strong arms held her with little effort, gripping the spheres of her butt. She felt good that he could easily carry her. She knew she was a bigger woman. But he didn’t seem to care at all. He kissed her lips just before settling her on the bed’s mattress. “Turn over, ass in the air,” he ordered.

  She had gotten into position before he could even finish his command.

  He put a hand on her butt. “I’m not through with this tonight.” A moment later, she felt a latex-covered hand and cool, coconut-scented lube, and she knew that another dream was going to come true for her. “I’m going to own this ass tonight,” he said, and both cold and hot shivers shot through every crevice of her being as he removed her butt plug. Her asshole pulsed at the sexy withdrawal.