I nod, trapping my lower lip between my teeth, my smile growing.
“That begins right now. No more pushing away. No more mysterious secrets. No more getting you fired. If you’ll have me, I’m yours.”
I melt right into him. “Of course. But you better tell me the whole story before I decide you’re as crazy as I’m beginning to suspect.”
“You know what? I’ll tell you everything, but I’m ready to be done with this place. We’ll give our statements to Paul, and then we get out of here.”
I feel suddenly adrift. Everything that seemed so clear yesterday has been turned on its head. “Then where?”
Eric slides a hand down my back.“My place?”
I shivered. Maybe not everything. “You read my mind.”
Epilogue
Caleb
“Viv.”
She throws me a glance, then sits down next to me at the bar. “Caleb.”
“They’re still at it, huh?”
Viv rolls her eyes. “You’d think they’d fuck more at his place, where there isn’t a roommate to drive out. Apparently he gets a kick out of tying her to her own bed, or something.” She adds dryly, “My innocent little angel roommate found her bad boy at last. Cheers.” She sips and nods at me. I lift my beer in response.
For a while we sit quietly. After the Gabe and Dawn incident, things have been a little awkward.
She turns to me. “So, aren’t you usually out with the guys?”
“They’re too busy tying girlfriends to beds or beating them into submission. Go figure.”
She sighs and stirs her drink. “Right.”
I look out at the dance floor. Even this close to closing, the familiar swirl of bodies moves to the thumping music, players heading eagerly for the back rooms. Never the same, never changing.
Seems I’m the only constant left here. Watch the door, watch my friends get hitched. Gets a little lonely sometimes, but guess that’s the way it goes.
Speaking of hitched, got to get Gabe and Dawn something for the wedding. They’re moving fast, but man, it’s like they’ve known each other forever. Poor Viv. She made a mess of things, but it still has to hurt to watch Gabe move on so fast. Guess I’m not the only one missing out around here, after all.
Still, it’s for the best. She never fit Gabe like Dawn does. Hand in glove. Lock and key. Yin and yang. Crop and ass.
Some couples are just meant to be. The rest of us can only watch from the sidelines.
Oh well, new opportunities will come around. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that anything can happen. Usually does.
“Hey Viv.” I get her attention.
She looks up. Have her eyes always been that shade? How could I have missed it?
“Want another one?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
“Thanks for not leaving me to drink alone.” I raise my glass and nod with a grin. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
*** THE END ***
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Preview: Make Me
Did you love this story? Then you should read Make Me by Cate Bellerose!
Sassy mouth, spankable ass, curves that won’t quit. I can’t get Dawn off my mind.
The chemistry in our scenes is off the charts, but me and love parted ways a long time ago. I can’t let her get used to me riding in to save the day every time she’s in trouble, but now she’s under my skin, and to make her behave I might just have to make her mine.
- - - - -
Gabriel loves my bratty attitude, and I love the way he puts me in my place. No Dom has ever worked me over like he does. It’s like he knows my body better than I do. What it needs. What it can take. He doesn’t want a relationship, but that’s okay. I don’t need forever, so long as he gives me tonight.
That all changes when he saves my life. Now I’m falling hard and fast, but it’ll take more than making him breakfast to break down his walls. He needs me as badly as I need him, and I’m going to prove it the best way I know how. By giving him a challenge he’ll never be able to resist.
Me.
Make Me is a steamy romance novella that contains sordid and explicit depictions of sexual activity by consenting adults in a BDSM setting, and is for adults only. It is a standalone story with no cliffhangers.
Get it at Amazon!
Preview
“Girls get punished for a lot less than that around here, you realize that, right? Especially gorgeous, sexy ones like you.”
“Really? Punished? Well, if you put it like that...”
“You coming, then?”
She laughs. “Totally.”
I take her hand, pulling her along. It’s so tiny in mine. Fuck, I haven’t been this eager to play in... well, no idea when, really. She’s in for it tonight.
“You’ve been a naughty girl, you know.”
She follows eagerly. “Oh, have I now? What did I do?”
“Well, for one you didn’t tell me the truth about my visitor this morning.” My arm is yanked as she stops. Her mouth is open halfway, her face flushing.
“Um...” I love how she chews her lip when she’s nervous. “I... no, guess I didn’t. You found the crullers, huh?”
“I did. Come on, it’s right over here.” She follows, but reluctantly.
“So... um, before I let you tie me up and have your way with me... on a scale of one to ten, how pissed are you?”
I laugh. “Pissed? Not really. Disappointed? A little. Just enough to put you through your paces, but nothing you can’t handle.” I look her right in the eyes. “I think.”
“Oh.” She fidgets with her hands. No idea if the blush is embarrassment or excitement. Hopefully a little of both, but more than anything, I want the brat.
“Oh? You’re not going to apologize right away, are you? It’s so much more fun beating it out of you.”
She grins at that, understanding. “Fuck no. She doesn’t deserve your time. Not my fault you’re too stupid to see it.”
I pull her close so she’s forced to look up at me, then yank the chopstick out of her hair. “I’m so going to make you fucking regret mouthing off, and you’re going to love every second of it.”
“Cocky, aren’t you? Compensating for something?” Her eyes sparkle, and her lopsided grin has mischief written all over it.
“Oh, baby.” I thread my fingers slowly through her hair, gently until I’m cupping the back of her head, then I make a fist, capturing her blond locks with my hand. She squeaks when I yank, forcing her to follow. “This is gonna hurt you a lot more than it’ll hurt me, but it’s for your own good.”
Our play area is cordoned off, right in the middle of the crowd. I don’t play at these parties often, but when I do, I like to do it right, and I like a good audience. They’re already gathering, like sharks around a sinking lifeboat.
Once we’re inside, I let her take in our spot. I have cuffs hanging from the ceiling, adjustable to give her a little stretch. There’s a bench I can strap her to, and a rack filled with toys. Not a full dungeon maybe, but more than enough to keep us busy. Her eyes go wide.
“All this? For me?” She leers at me. “You shouldn’t have.”
“It was the least I could do.”
“No, seriously. You shouldn’t have. I can’t imagine you even know what to do with this stuff. These toys are for grownups.”
“You know your safewords?” I put as much menace into my words as I can.
She rolls her eyes, making sure I see it. “Yeah, yeah. Yellow for slow down. Red for stop. Blue for your balls. Green for go.”
“Oh,
you don’t decide when we go. I call the shots now.”
“I think you’re just words. Small words, since I don’t think you can handle the big ones.” She laughs.
It’s hard to keep my face straight. She’s good, but I’m better. “Take off your clothes.”
“No.”
“You have five seconds to start stripping, or I’ll come over there and cut them off you.” I love how her eyes widen as I go to pick up scissors on the rack. I snip them twice in the air. “Four.”
She chews her lip again, probably wondering if I’ll actually do it. “No.”
“Three.”
“Two.” I step closer, right up against her. “I’m not fucking around, babe.”
She shivers, but doesn’t say anything.
“One.” I slide the lower blade underneath her right side dress strap.
“You won’t dare. No way.”
Snip.
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About the Author
There’s something magical about the games of dominance and submission. The excitement of giving total control to the one you love, knowing that he will take you places you never thought you could go. The absolute trust in a man who loves you, who wants to challenge you, who wants to bring out the best in you. It’s love and total devotion in its purest sense, and that’s what I love to write about, at least when I’m not wrangling kids and taking care of my family!
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Teach Me Page 8