Training the SECRET (Corrigan & Co #6)

by Crystal Perkins

  “You’re the only one who I’ve interviewed, so I guess the position’s yours.”

  “Smart ass.”

  “You love my ass.”

  “I really, really do. I can’t wait to get home and spank it.”

  “Keep dreaming, Soldier.”

  “I won the match for you,” I remind her as we enter into the room where all our friends are waiting.

  She stops and looks at me, ignoring everyone else who’s around us. “You won for you, too, right?”

  “Yes, Angel. I did it for me.”

  “Good, because that’s way more important.”

  “No it’s not. Your dad’s gym is important.”

  “It’s a gym. You’re a person. People come before things, Nate Anderson.”

  “I know that. You come before everything to me. I’m happy to take second for you.”

  “Second? You’re not second.”

  “Your dad is first.”

  I see her fighting to come up with what she thinks will be the right answer. It kills me to see her like that, so I remind her again. “Second is fine. I promise. Your dad has to come first.”

  She nods. “If your family needed something from you, I’d be fine with second, too.”

  “That’s not gonna happen.”

  “You’ve never told me about them.”

  “And I probably never will. Are you okay with that?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “Yes. You can break up with me.”

  “You seem to always be giving me that option. Are you sure you don’t want to walk?”

  “I give you the option, because you need to know that I won’t blame you if you take it. I’m all kinds of fucked up, and you know that. I’ve already told you that I’m staying until you kick me to the curb.”

  “Well, I don’t kick as well as I punch, so you’re safe for now.”

  “Good, because I really do need to spank that ass.” She pinches me. “Ow. What the hell.”

  “I was just waking you up since you were obviously dreaming again.”

  “You wound me.”

  “Still not letting you spank me.”

  She’s saying the words, but I can also see the desire in her eyes. So I push her a little more. “I’d kiss it and make it better after.”

  “Fine. One or two slaps. I’m not getting into a safe word situation.”

  “You’re always safe with me.” She gives me a look. “No?”

  “Cheesy.”

  “You love cheese.”

  “I do,” she says, laughing and pulling me down for a kiss.

  “Enough of that. We didn’t come all this way to see the two of you making out,” Darcy says.

  “Let them be,” Audrey admonishes her. “They’re in love. You’ll be the same way once you find your man.”

  “I’m not on the hunt, so I’ll just continue gagging.”

  I love Darcy, and not just because she’s as cynical as me. Well, maybe it’s a little bit because of that. She’s my closest female friend of the group, because we both had the kind of childhoods that nightmares are made of. We bonded over a bottle of whiskey one night, and kissed, immediately realizing that there was nothing romantic there between us. She’s the one I confide in if I don’t have Aiden and Matt around, so she knows how much I’ve wanted to be with Jade. That’s why she’s messing with me.

  “Just because kissing you made me gag, doesn’t mean you have to block my cock.”

  Jade stiffens, and I realize what I just said. Shit. “You two kissed?”

  “Just once,” Darcy tells her. “And like he said, we both gagged.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know. Um, excuse me for a minute, please.”

  “It was just a kiss after we downed a bottle of whiskey,” I tell her.

  “Yet neither of you bothered to tell me, even though you both knew that I wanted Nate to kiss me.”

  “You wanted him so much that you slept with Miles Corrigan, right?” Darcy says, and I step back.

  “You and Miles?” I ask loud enough to be heard over everyone.

  Silence descends on the room as I make eye contact with him. He holds my stare, almost daring me to say something to him. I knew he slept around before Alex, and even that he was with Tegan, but I didn’t know about Jade. Because neither of them wanted me to know.

  “You and all of Vegas,” she responds.

  “Not all,” I say a little more quietly.

  “Once,” she replies. “It was once.”

  “And so was our kiss,” Darcy reminds her.

  “Go away, Darce. I’ll see you later.”

  “Nate.”

  “We’re good,” I say, turning to her and giving her a hug. “Thank you for coming out here, and supporting me. You know you’re my best girl friend.”

  “Yeah, well, your girlfriend isn’t feeling too friendly towards me right now.”

  “No, I’m really not.”

  This is going downhill fast, and I don’t know how to stop it. I’m not sure I could if I tried. They need to have this out on their own. I step back, but stay close enough to hear the conversation. No one else is even daring to approach them, not even Ellie.

  Chapter 16

  Jade

  “Do we need to go to Reina?”

  “I don’t know, do we? Because I’m not the one who started this.”

  “Sleeping with Miles is much bigger than one drunken kiss. He needed to know.”

  “If he’d been paying attention back then, he’d already know. I didn’t keep it a secret, and I’m not ashamed.”

  “I never said you should be.”

  “How long?”

  “How long, what?”

  “How long have you wanted Nate?”

  She laughs, actually full out laughs in my face. “You’re so far off base, Jade. Nate is my friend, my best friend. But that’s all it is. I really did get grossed out when we kissed. I will defend him against you and anyone else, but not in a romantic way.”

  Nate didn’t step in, and I’m glad for that when I take a deep breath, and pull Darcy into a hug. “Thank you for being a good friend to him.”

  Darcy hugs me back. “I’m your friend, too. I just had to keep my distance while he was being an idiot where you were concerned.”

  “I understand, but now that’s not an issue anymore.”

  “I can see that, and so can everyone else,” she says with a smirk. “I’m about to start my mission, but when I get back, we should hang out or something.”

  “Definitely. And thank you for looking out for my dad. That should’ve been the first thing I said to you.”

  “He’s a cool guy. He’ll be glad to see you, though.”

  She leans up to kiss Nate on the cheek, and then walks away with a wave. I spend the rest of the night keeping glued to his side as we talk and party with our friends. Miles looks him in the eye as he shakes his hand, and then he pulls Alex tight against him. It’s his way of letting Nate know that there’s nothing to worry about. He honestly shouldn’t even be entertaining the idea that he has something to worry about, but I’m glad that Miles is putting it out there anyway. I give him a big smile, and he nods at me.

  When we get home, Nate backs me up against the door with my hands above my head as he takes my mouth. “I’ve been thinking about you and this all night.”

  “You already had me once.”

  “You know damn well that once is never enough. And now that training is over, I don’t think I’ll have enough of you until I pass out.”

  “Promises, promises.”

  “Have I ever disappointed you?” he asks as he rubs his thigh against me.

  “No. But there’s always a first time.”

  “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

  He lips are on my neck and his thigh is rubbing me in just the right rhythm. We both know it’s going to be explosive, but I’m not sure I’m ready to admit that yet. “Maybe I do.”

  He applies more pressure with his
thigh, and is sucking my neck hard enough to leave a mark. When he lets go of my hands to slip his fingers into both the top and bottom of my dress, I know I’m done. I’ll admit anything in about a minute, and we both know it.

  “I’m going to make you come with my fingers right now, so you can allow yourself to admit how good I am at what I do to you.”

  “Arrogant,” I say on a sigh as his fingers start working their magic.

  “And true. Which is why you’re going over my knee after you come. That’s probably going to make you come again, even though you don’t want to admit that either.”

  “Then what? Oh God.”

  “That’s right, Angel. Keep soaking my fingers so I can lick them clean.”

  “After, Nate. After?”

  “After I make your ass nice and red, I’m going to kneel you down on the bottom stairs and fuck you nice and rough like you like it.”

  “More.”

  He twists his fingers and presses on my clit. His other hand is still working my nipple, and he sucks hard enough on my neck again to leave another mark. I’m actively riding his fingers now as my back bangs into the door. It’s not long until I’m screaming his name, and begging him for his cock. Yes, I honestly begged him for it. There’s absolutely no shame left in my game. None.

  * * *

  Nate

  I loved making Jade come with my fingers, while I marked her neck, but now it’s time for me to mark that perfect ass of hers. I carry her into the living room, and sit down on the couch. She turns, and lays across my knees before I even have to say anything. Damn, that’s hot.

  “Take off your thong, Angel,” I tell her as I let her watch me lick my fingers.

  She pushes her dress up and pulls that little scrap of satin down her legs as I savor the taste of her on my tongue. I’m going to have to have a full taste later, but this appetizer is more than enough to keep me going for now.

  “Can I touch you while you do it? While you spank me?”

  Oh fuck yeah. “I’d like that.”

  She slides her hand into my sweat pants as I run my hand softly over her cheeks. As she starts to stroke, I place two fingers in her with one hand, and smack her ass with the other. She arches her back, and my fingers get wet. Her stroking gets faster.

  “Look at me,” I say, removing my fingers as she whimpers. I let her watch me suck them into my mouth.

  “Stop teasing me, Nate.”

  “Later. There’s no way I’m not feasting on your pussy tonight. I promise you that.”

  Hours later when we’re both satisfied and relaxed, I’ve done all I’ve promised, and more. She’s been a willing participant, and even begged me to spank her again while she was riding me. I’ve been thoroughly sucked and fucked into a state past oblivion. We both have.

  “I concede. You are always amazing, Soldier.”

  “I have the perfect muse. Who likes to be spanked.”

  “Only by you.”

  “As it should be.”

  “I’m not sure I’ll be able to sit comfortably for the rest of the week, though.”

  “So we’ll just stay in bed.”

  “If we do that, you’re just going to spank me again.”

  “Only because you want it.”

  “When we’re all alone, maybe, but not with my dad coming to see us this weekend.”

  “Shit. I didn’t even think of that. I’ll put an embargo on the spankings until we get home.”

  “Where is home, by the way?”

  “We live in Las Vegas.”

  “I meant…you know what, never mind.”

  “I want to live with you if that’s what you mean. Your place, my place, a new combined space. Any of the above are good with me.”

  “Me too.”

  “We can decide once we get back. As long as I’m waking up next to you every morning, that’s all I care about.”

  “You know I have to go on missions, right?”

  “Yes, but you also know that there were photographers when you jumped into my arms in the cage.”

  “Reina’s gotta be going crazy. She took over right when we all started getting revealed.”

  “She’ll have a plan. She’s too smart and resourceful not to.”

  “Do you think Matt will stay married to her?”

  “That’s not for me to say.”

  “This is just you and me and your opinion. It’s not an official survey or anything.”

  “Then no, I don’t think he will. I know he should, but when you think you don’t deserve something, it’s hard to change your mind.”

  “You changed your mind about deserving me.”

  “No. I still know that I don’t deserve you, but I’ve allowed myself to have you anyway.”

  “Nate.”

  “It’s true.”

  “You’re so infuriating sometimes.”

  “You wouldn’t want me to be boring.”

  “No, I definitely wouldn’t want that. Now kiss me goodnight.”

  I do as she asks, and then curl her further into me as we both drift off to sleep. I love this woman, and I know she loves me. If only that was enough.

  * * *

  Jade

  “Motherfucking shit.”

  “I told you that you needed to soak last night. I even offered to ride you in the tub, but you had to be all macho.”

  “I wanted to fuck you in all the rooms we hadn’t been to yet.”

  “How’s that working out for you today?”

  “Totally worth it.”

  “Really?”

  “Always.”

  “That’s romantic. It might even erase some of the sting from hearing that we only ‘fucked’ all night.”

  “Shit. Made love. You know we made love.”

  “And we fucked. It’s okay if it’s sometimes, but when you’re sliding into me sweet and slow, I don’t feel fucked.”

  “There’s love even in the fucking, Angel. I just need it a little rough sometimes.”

  “So do I, and I feel the love. I just like it to be acknowledged sometimes.”

  “Because it’s romantic.”

  “And because I’ve only ever fucked other guys. There was no real love involved until you.”

  “If I could move right now, I’d make love to you sweet and slow all day.”

  I have to laugh at that. “Let me go start your bath, and then I’ll help you in.”

  “And ride me?”

  “Well, duh.”

  “You’re the perfect girlfriend.”

  “Remember that next time we fight.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Sure you will.”

  I kiss him lightly and then get up to start his bath. I’m honestly sore today, too, but in all the right places. My body got quite a workout in the last 24 hours, but I’m not complaining. There’s nothing like being thoroughly worked over by a skilled and loving man. Nothing.

  “You put bubbles in there,” Nate says, coming up behind me when the water’s almost done a few minutes later.

  “Yep. I wanted bubbles. And I told you I’d help you get in here.”

  “I wanted to do it myself. I should have gotten here earlier to stop the bubble madness.”

  “Bubbles are not madness. They’re romantic. You promised me romance.”

  He rolls his eyes at me, but gets in the tub anyway. “Yeah, I did. Fucking girly shit.”

  Just for that, I grab my phone and snap a pic before her can stop me. He grabs for me, but I dodge him and send myself the picture—to a few different email addresses—before tossing my phone on the bed. Then I walk back into the room.

  “That will teach you not to make fun of a bubble bath. They’re a sacred thing for most women.”

  “You didn’t post it, did you?”

  “No. Not yet, at least.”

  “I’m sorry I insulted your sacred ritual. But my cock is sad that all my other muscles hurt so much. It’s affecting my brain cells and I’m not sure what I might say next. You s
hould come ride it so it feels better.”

  “You’re blaming your stupidity on your cock?”

  “Yes.”

  “The root of all evil—a man’s cock. Also the root of lots of pleasure, so I guess it’s only fitting that it would render you stupid.”

  “Uh-huh. But if you slide your sweet pussy onto it, I can guarantee that it will be pleasure only, and I can think clearly again.”

  “I’m only doing this because I want to,” I say as I climb over him, and start to lower myself.”

  “That works for me.”

  “Of course it does.”

  I get lots of pleasure from the bathtub ride, being bent over the kitchen island—while we’re getting food so we can keep going, the couch, and then the bed once again. We’re holding hands as we lie facing each other, getting ready for an afternoon nap.

  “It’s the magic bubbles.”

  He scoffs. “Fuck that. It’s my magic cock.”

  I can’t deny that it’s pretty magical. “Maybe it’s both.”

  “No. It’s just my cock. You need to embrace the awesomeness.”

  “I’m pretty sure I’ve been embracing it non-stop for almost 24 hours.”

  “See. Would a normal cock be able to please you over and over like that without tiring out?”

  “Go to sleep you idiot.”

  “It’s my cock making me say these things. It’s sad that it hasn’t been inside of you for over a half hour. If you ride it, I won’t say stupid things for at least a couple of hours.”

  “I am not the machine that you apparently are. I need some sleep, and you need a new line.”

  “Just one more time, Angel. Please?” he asks, and I can’t deny him. It might kill me, but what a way to go.

  Chapter 17

  Nate

  The last few days have been the stuff of dreams. Jade and I are living together, like really doing it. I’m not a guest in her house anymore. She calls it “ours” and so do I. She’s getting everything finalized at the gym during the day, while I’m planning a surprise for her for when we get home. We’ve had our friends over for dinner the last two nights, and although I hate to share her, I love showing everyone that we’re together.

  At one time I would’ve thought that meant kissing her passionately, or holding her ass in front of other people, but the reality is so much better. It’s having her lean her head on my shoulder when she’s tired. Twirling her hair around my fingers while she’s talking. Feeding her a spoonful of her favorite ice cream from my bowl, and stealing the uneaten pieces of meat from her plate. It’s small kisses on her forehead, and her hand in mine. It’s love. There’s no other word for it, and no other woman I’d want to be experiencing it with.