WILD RUSH
Sophie Brooks
Wild Rush
Copyright © 2016 Sophie Brooks
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events, locations, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
Note: An earlier version of this story was previously published as Bethany’s Birthday.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
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Chapter One
“AND YOU ARE?” asked the attractive brunette in the low-cut, royal blue dress.
I stared at her in disbelief. Shouldn’t that be my question? After all, she’d just run up to us in the mall and kissed my boyfriend on the cheek. Surely I should be the one asking who she was?
“I’m Lily,” I said. “Justin’s girlfriend.” I glanced up at the tall figure next to me. With his endlessly deep dark eyes, his tan skin, and the sexy stubble across his jaw, the sight of him was enough to make my pulse quicken. He met my gaze briefly and then turned back to the woman in front of us. A woman who was clearly surprised. She tried to cover it, though.
“Sorry, I assumed you were a co-worker. You know, since it’s lunchtime on a workday,” she said, and for a bizarre moment, her gaze dropped to my chest. What, did she think that Justin only dated big-breasted women like her? He’d always claimed he was perfectly happy with my b-cups. I glared at her.
Justin must’ve sensed my discomfort because he put his arm around my shoulder. “Lily and I’ve been together for over a year. Hon, this is Madison. Maddie, this is Lily.”
“Nice to meet you,” Madison said, and she seemed to muster a genuine smile this time.
“You too,” I said, though I wasn’t being entirely truthful. Justin and I had been dating for fourteen months, but I still sometimes felt a little insecure with our relationship. I was twenty-two, and Justin was my first serious boyfriend. Sure, I’d dated a few guys in high school and college, but it had been just that—dating. What Justin and I had was a real relationship. It was love. And I was very conscious of the fact that I was not his first serious girlfriend. He was twenty-seven, he’d had several relationships, and he’d even lived with someone before.
“So what’ve you been up to, Maddie?” Justin asked, still holding me close to his side.
“Nothing too exciting. Oh, but Carla got married, and now I’m an aunt.”
“Congratulations!” he said. I smiled at her news, but she wasn’t looking at me. She was only looking at Justin.
“Thanks. Little Piper is three months old and adorable. And I’m dating an engineer.” She was staring at Justin in a way that was making me uncomfortable again.
“That’s great,” Justin said. “Are you happy?”
“Oh yes. Very. He’s… he’s a good guy. Has a lot of potential at his company, too. He’s a strong leader,” she said. I wondered again how Justin knew her. He obviously knew her pretty well if he knew the names of her family members, as she seemed to think he did. I wondered if they’d ever dated.
“Sounds like you two are a good match,” Justin said.
Madison smiled at him, and there was something a little secretive in her expression that I didn’t like. Okay, maybe I was a little jealous. After all, she was a gorgeous woman. She was a couple years older than me with thick glossy hair swept up in an up-do. Her dress hugged her generous curves in all the right places. In my khaki pants and soft yellow sweater, I felt like a tomboy in comparison.
I cast about for some way to break into the conversation, and my eyes landed on her necklace. It was fascinating, almost like an old fashioned lace choker, but it was made of small gold links. In the middle was an emerald. The green color didn’t go with her dress, but it was still a beautiful piece of jewelry nonetheless.
“That’s a really pretty necklace,” I said, gesturing toward it.
Madison took a hasty step back, like she thought I was trying to snatch it off her neck. I wasn’t sure why she was jumpy suddenly.
“Thank you,” she said. “My boyfriend gave it to me,” she said, but she was looking at Justin, not me now.
Well, two could play that game. I looked at him, too, trying to tell him with my eyes that we should get going.
Maybe he got the message, or maybe he wanted to go too, because he said, “Well, say ‘hi’ to Carla and tell her I said congratulations.”
“Will do. And I hope you two’ll be very happy,” she said.
I managed to smile at her again, but her words didn’t sit well with me. She made it sound like hoped we’d be very happy in the future, as if she thought we weren’t happy now. But maybe I was reading too much into this. After all, pretty much anybody in my situation would likely think the worst of a strange woman who’d just kissed her boyfriend on the cheek.
And now she was doing it again! Well, not the kiss, but she did lean in for a quick hug. Justin patted her on the back and said, “Take care, Mad.”
She nodded, then turned to me. “Nice to meet you, Laurie.” She headed off, and I didn’t bother to tell her my name was Lily. The sooner she sashayed her way out of eyesight, the better. As long as she was leaving, she could call me what she wanted.
Justin dropped his arm from my shoulder and took my hand instead. “Sorry about that—she was never good with names.”
“Who is she?” I asked, as we resumed walking past the boutiques and stores. It’s not like we usually went shopping in the middle of the day, but it was Friday, a day when we could sometimes squeeze in a lunch together. The mall was about halfway between his workplace and mine.
“An ex-girlfriend.”
“Ah. I figured. Was she the one you lived with?”
“Yeah,” Justin said. He wasn’t looking at me now. Instead, he was examining the women’s clothing stores around him—not something that usually captured his interest.
“So she was the one you—”
“Yeah.”
I gasped, but I think—I hope—the sound was lost among the normal noise of the crowded shopping area. I tried not to think too much as we walked along in silence. Everyone had exes. Everyone had a past. Okay, so I didn’t have much of one, but there was nothing unusual about Justin having been serious with several women before me. He was a smart, handsome guy in his mid-twenties. If he hadn’t had a few ex-girlfriends, I would’ve thought something was strange. But why did we have to run into that ex-girlfriend?
We continued on, holding hands but not speaking until Justin pulled me over to the window of a lingerie shop. “Want to go in?”
“No, thanks. I think I’d better get back to work. Shouldn’t you?”
He checked his watch. “I’ve got twenty minutes. Come on, I thought we were going to pick out something for next week. For your birthday. You know what’ll happen if you let me buy it on my own,
” he said with a grin.
I couldn’t help smiling in return, though I was still a little preoccupied. But it had been rather funny when, a few months ago, he’d bought me what was supposed to be a sexy outfit that consisted of a lace teddy that would’ve better fit a teddy bear—and a small one at that—as well as black thigh high stockings that would’ve fit an elephant’s legs. “I told you, those stockings would be perfect if we wanted to wear them while robbing banks.”
He chuckled. “So you agree, it’s in your best interest to come in with me.”
“Thanks, but I should get going. There’s a meeting at three, and I have some things to catch up on before then.” I was a copywriter in the public relations department of a large company. It was my first full-time job, and I really should get back even though work hours—not to mention work attire—was a little lax on Fridays.
“Okay. Guess I should head back, too.” He worked at a software development company.
I looked at my feet, trying not to compare my scuffed sandals with the high heels Madison had worn. Justin cupped my chin, lifting my head and looking into my eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m sure,” I said gamely, pasting a smile on my face again.
“See you tonight, then.”
I nodded and then leaned up to receive his kiss. Most Friday evenings, I went over to his place and stayed the night since neither of us had work the next day.
Justin walked off, leaving me staring moodily after him. We usually parked at different ends of the mall to make it easier to get back to our offices after a lunch date.
I passed the stores slowly, bumping into two teens staring at their phones and almost getting run over by a speed-walker. But I didn’t pay much attention until I passed by the other lingerie shop, the one we rarely went to. The naughtier one.
I looked up at the store window, prepared to blush. I had long dark hair, brown eyes, and the slightly olive complexion that went with it. Some people with my skin tone don’t blush at all, but my cheeks turned as bright as a stop sign when I was embarrassed. Which was often. But I still felt compelled to look in the display window today.
It didn’t disappoint. I could feel my face flush as I took in the mannequin wearing the black leather bustier studded with silver spikes. Microscopically small panties and thigh high black boots completed the ensemble. But the outfit wasn’t what I was staring at. My gaze was fixed on the wooden paddle propped in her hand.
I had no experience with kinky implements like that, but I knew it was the kind of paddle a dominant master might use on a disobedient submissive’s bottom. It was the kind of paddle that reminded the sub of who was the boss. Of who was in control.
I wondered if Justin had used a paddle like that on Madison when she’d lived with him as his submissive.
Chapter Two
“MORE SALAD, BABE?” Justin asked from across the table. We were at his condo, but my mind was miles away from his comfortable, modern dining room. My mind was in the mall, to be precise. Thinking about his ex-girlfriend. His ex-submissive.
“Sure,” I said, though I hadn’t eaten more than five bites of the salad, chicken, or rice already on my plate. I hadn’t been able to concentrate on much of anything all afternoon. My mind kept returning to the thought of Justin with her. The things they must have done together. The things he might miss now that he’s with me.
“Hon?”
I looked up to see him holding out the bowl. “Thanks,” I said, taking it from him then setting it down without having any.
“How was your meeting?”
“It was good,” I said. At least I thought it was. I hadn’t been paying too much attention.
“What was it about?” Justin said, trying again.
“Uh-huh,” I said, wondering about what kinds of things he and Madison used to do that he didn’t do with me. Looking up, I saw Justin frowning slightly. Immediately I felt bad. I knew I hadn’t been a very good conversationalist tonight.
So, I’d try to do better. Unfortunately, there was only one topic on my mind. “It was nice to meet your friend Madison today,” I said.
“Yes, it was,” Justin said, looking at me cautiously.
Oops… that was a dead end, conversationally speaking. What else could I say about her? Certainly not anything about her looks. It still bothered me how sophisticated she’d been in her fancy clothes when I’d been dressed so casually. Then I thought about that necklace. That seemed like a safe topic. “That was funny when I complimented her necklace. She jumped back like I was trying to steal it.” I gave a little laugh, the best I could do under the circumstances.
“She’s not allowed to let anyone else touch it,” Justin said.
“How do you know that? Did you give it to her?” If she was still wearing jewelry he’d bought her, that was pretty upsetting. I couldn’t even say why exactly, but I didn’t want any ties between her and Justin.
“No. Most likely her new boyfriend gave it to her. It’s kind of a symbol. Like a ring. It means she’s taken.”
Oh. Something clicked into place for me. Once I’d found out that Justin used to be into dominance and submission, I’d done some reading starting with Fifty Shades of Grey. After that, I’d discovered plenty of other erotic romance books featuring dominance and submission or BDSM. So even though I’d never engaged in any of that kind of play, I knew a little about it. “Like a collar, you mean.”
Justin raised his eyebrows at me, then nodded. “It’s something she can wear in public to represent the collar she wears in private.”
I reached for my wine and took a sip, thinking about what he’d said. “But don’t people know what it is?”
He shrugged. “Most people think it’s just a necklace. You did.”
My face reddened, thinking how stupid I must have seemed to Madison. And then another thought hit me. When she’d first seemed surprised that we were a couple, her gaze had dropped below my face. At the time, I thought she was looking at my chest, but she must’ve been checking to see if I was wearing a necklace that might be a collar. Which meant that… “When you were together, did she wear a necklace like that from you?”
“Yes.”
Oh. “That’s why she thought we weren’t a couple. Because I wasn’t wearing one.” I dropped my eyes to my plate and pretended to examine the uneaten food there. I knew it was dumb, but I felt like Madison had judged our relationship and found it lacking. She knew what Justin enjoyed, and she had given it to him. And now she knew that I didn’t give him what he needed.
“Lily, it’s not a big deal. Every relationship is different. My relationship with Madison is over. It’s the past. You’re my present and my future. I love you. You know that.”
“I know,” I said softly.
“Then please don’t get upset about this. You already knew that I’d had BDSM relationships in the past. I haven’t kept anything from you.”
“I know,” I repeated, still not looking at him. “It just… it just became more real to me seeing her today. Seeing you with her.”
“I wasn’t with her, I was with you. I am with you. That’s what matters.”
I picked up my fork and pushed a piece of meat across my plate. “I guess in retrospect, I feel really dumb. It was like you two were talking in code, and I was too naive to get it.”
“Not naive. You and I just have a different kind of relationship than she and I did.” And that was the problem. Ever since I’d found out he used to be into that kind of thing, I’d wondered and worried about how much he missed it. About if he liked that kind of relationship better than what we had.
“Come on, Lily. I wasn’t trying to make you feel excluded from the conversation. That’s the last thing I’d want to do.”
I actually managed to take a bite of rice. I chewed slowly and then looked up at him. “Was there any other secret code I missed?”
“It wasn’t code,” he said. “She was being discreet. People in BDSM relationships have to do that in pu
blic.”
“So was there any other discreet information that I missed?”
Justin looked at me with a hint of surprise in his eyes. I rarely asked direct questions about his past, but since seeing Madison, I needed to know. “Well… she said the guy she’s with now is a strong leader.” He put air quotes around that last phrase.
Oh. I certainly should’ve gotten that one, though at the time I hadn’t realized that Madison was submissive and that the boyfriend she mentioned must be her dominant.
“Clever,” I managed to say.
“Seriously, it’s no big deal. I’d feel a little weird if we ran into one of your ex-boyfriends in public.”
He was clearly being kind, given my not-so-extensive dating history. But I guess he had a point. If we’d seen the guy I dated for a couple of months in my junior year of college, it might’ve been awkward for Justin. And for me, too, considering when I’d been with that guy, I hadn’t known much about what being in a real relationship meant. And, as it turned out, neither had he.
“Yeah, I guess it’s an awkward situation no matter what the circumstances,” I said, trying to put a more cheerful note in my voice. “Guess I will have some more salad now,” I said, and I spent the rest of the meal pushing food around my plate, pretending to eat it.
Chapter Three
“MMM, THAT FEELS so good.” I sighed with contentment as I sat on Justin’s sofa with my feet in his lap. He’d used his thumb and strong fingers to massage the tension right out of me. I shouldn’t have worried so much during dinner. I knew Justin loved me. I knew he valued our relationship. And right now, with him touching me, it was like the world was spinning the right way again. “You have the best hands.”
“I’ve always thought so,” he said with a smirk that quickly became a frown. “Wait, that didn’t come out right.”
I giggled, poking my toes into his ribs. “Yeah? That could be useful for nights when I’m not here.” With our work schedules, I usually only stayed over on weekends.
Wild Rush: A Bad Boy Romance Page 1