The Complete Secrets Series

by LK Shaw

I laughed lightly at his warning. “That sounds like a dare, Sir. And I’ve never been one to pass on a dare. Life’s too short to play things safe.”

  I held my breath as I waited to see if Connor would take the bait. The ball was now in his court. I wanted to see if he’d continue our game. I could tell he was battling with himself, indecision crossing his face. I couldn’t help wondering what was holding him back. I was blatantly flirting with him and practically handing myself to him on a silver platter. He stared at me for so long I actually started to become uncomfortable. And I was never uncomfortable in Eden. I began to think he was going to dismiss me, when he suddenly moved away from the bar and grabbed my hand. My pulse fluttered when, without another word spoken, he led me toward the private rooms at the back of the common area of the club. This wasn’t my first trip back here, but this time, I knew it would be different. More. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that either, but I ignored the feeling.

  In the years he’d been a member of Eden, I noticed side glances from Connor that I always had difficulty interpreting. I intentionally avoided trying to decipher them because I didn’t want to know what they meant. I could admit to a fascination with Connor Black, but it ended there. While it might seem a bit arrogant to think I held that kind of power, I had no desire to be the reason behind someone’s broken heart.

  We reached the second room on the right, and with a hard knock to ensure it was empty, Connor opened the door and made room for me to precede him into it. I looked around at a room I had seen many times before, but for some reason, it looked different tonight. I heard the snick of the door closing behind me, and my heartbeat accelerated with the knowledge that, after all these years, my curiosity about Connor Black would finally be satisfied. Once this night was over, I could move on to another Dom, and my fascination with Connor would be done.

  “Strip and stay facing forward.”

  I started to turn my head, but the hard slap to my ass and the repeated “face forward” in that deep voice left me with no choice but to obey the command. I slowly began to unlace my corset as I listened for any echoed movement behind me that signified Connor was undressing as well. The only thing I heard was the sound of my own breathing. I removed every article of clothing until I stood completely nude. Then I waited. After what felt like an eternity, my hair was pushed over my shoulder and a soft caress tickled down the length of my spine, from my neck to the crack of my ass. A shiver washed over me at the contact, and wetness glistened on my inner thighs. No one had turned me on this quickly with only the barest of touches. It made me nervous to know that Connor was the one to do it.

  Connor ran his fingers across my shoulders and down my arms, the hairs on my arms rising from the arousal that coursed through my body. I thought the whisper of a kiss ghosted across my skin in the dip where my neck and shoulder met, but it happened so fast and was so light it was hard to tell. I kept waiting for him to say something. What, I don’t know. But the continued silence was slightly unnerving. This was the first time I hadn’t negotiated a scene ahead of time. I always had the “I’m only here to have fun” and “I’m not looking for a D/s relationship” discussion before I played with anyone. Connor was right when he said I was playing with fire.

  Finally, he spoke. “Get on the bed on your hands and knees. Don’t turn around.”

  I followed his command as my feet drew me closer to the bed. I crawled up to the head of it and positioned myself as he’d instructed, my ass and pussy on full display. I wondered at his refusal to let me see him though. Ignoring the thought for now, I arched my back and opened my legs a little wider pushing my girly bits closer into his view. It never hurt to show a man exactly what he was getting.

  The bed dipped behind me with the weight of Connor joining me. My pussy was wet with need, and I gasped as rough-skinned hands gripped my hips tightly and calloused thumbs rubbed along the back of my thighs, just under the crease of my ass cheeks. His touch ignited a spark and an electric shock flowed through me. It was a zing I had never felt before with any other Dom, and it left me slightly unnerved. A moan of arousal sounded in the otherwise quiet room, and I realized it came from me.

  “I need more, Sir.” My body twitched in anticipation, and I pushed back against his hands.

  “You’ll get what I give you, Bridget. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, stop trying to top from the bottom.”

  I groaned at his words. I wanted his mouth, his cock. All of it.

  I endured several minutes of his hands running along my body, from the soles of my feet, up my calves, and over the roundness of my ass as he bypassed where I most wanted him. He stroked along my sides as he leaned into me with his clothed body. The texture of his pants abraded my sensitive skin. His erection pressed into the crack of my ass. He moved away from me, his hands skimming along my back, before I could press against him.

  Without warning, the crack of his palm slapping against my right ass cheek reverberated around the room.

  “Oh, God,” I bit out, followed by a satisfied moan. Rough hands grasped my hips again, and a gentle kiss and swipe of his tongue eased the sting. I felt the slight pressure of Connor’s teeth as he nipped at my other cheek. The contradictory sensations caused more wetness to drip down my already coated thighs.

  Hot, humid breath danced across my pussy, and before I could blink, Connor ran his tongue up my slit before dipping inside my pussy to lap up the cream flowing from it. He plunged his tongue further into my cunt and drank from me as I squirmed in excitement and ecstasy, helpless against the assault, my body balanced on the edge of a cliff, ready to fly. This man’s touch did things to me that no man’s had ever done before. I didn’t want to think about what that meant.

  “Yes,” I breathed out.

  His tongue shifted and began circling the rim of my asshole at the same time he thrust two fingers deep inside me. The pressure of his fingers hitting that elusive spot most men had trouble finding sent a tidal wave of feeling rushing through me, and I screamed out my pleasure as my climax hit. My arms gave out, and I dropped to my forearms as my forehead pressed into the mattress below me while I tried to catch my breath.

  Connor pressed his cock against me again as his hands reached under my armpits to pull me upright so my back was now flush to his front. I briefly frowned when I noted he was still fully clothed. I wanted to feel his skin against mine, but the thought was chased away when he cupped my breasts in his large hands and pinched my nipples hard. The pleasure-pain radiated straight to my core still spasming from the orgasm that had ripped through my body only moments before, and I still hadn’t caught my breath.

  The echo of Connor’s heavy breathing rasped against my ear as he groaned. “God, you feel so good. I want to take you hard and rough and shove my cock so far up your pussy you won’t be able to tell where you end and I begin. You can’t even imagine all the fucked up things I want to do to you. You’d run scared if you knew.” He pulled my nipples forward, pinching them hard at the same time he stretched them until I inhaled sharply at the pain. He continued to pinch and pull, and when I didn’t think I could take anymore, he released them.

  “I want to put clamps on your nipples and watch them pebble as I tighten the screw. Then I want to hear you scream as the blood comes rushing back in when I remove them.” He moved one hand from my breast and cupped my mound as he continued speaking. “I want to see you fuck yourself with a dildo as your ass rides my cock. Then I want to see your tears as I redden your ass with a crop.”

  Holy shit. His words sent a trickle of unease running through me. He was right. The things he wanted to do to me did scare me a little. I wasn’t scared of the pain or his intense, graphic descriptions. Okay, so maybe I was a little scared of the pain. What had me the most scared was the fact that my body suddenly began craving those things. “You don't scare me, you know,” I assured him. “You may think you do, but you don’t.”

  He laughed softly against my hair. “Oh Bridget, you sweet, naive girl. I scare myself.
” He lightly kissed my cheek before pulling away. Cold air danced across my back, and I missed the heat of him surrounding me. The mattress shifted when he moved off it. I quickly turned around, dropping to my butt and watched, open-mouthed, as he gathered my clothes off the floor. He handed them to me while I sat in shock that he appeared to be leaving.

  “That’s it?” I questioned. “You’re leaving me? I mean...you’re leaving?”

  “You got what you wanted,” he answered with an expression I couldn’t make out behind his hooded eyes.

  I snorted, and a sound that could only be described as a laugh escaped. “You have no idea what I want, Connor. You never asked me. How do you know I don’t want or need the same things you do? Isn’t that the purpose of contracts and negotiations? We discuss hard and soft limits.” Anger built inside me, and it threatened to burst as I continued. “Tonight was the first time you’ve ever touched me. You didn’t ask me what my limits are. There was no communication. I take partial blame for that. My need for you overpowered my common sense and rational thinking. I should have paused things so we could talk about the scene, but I didn’t. And now look where we are. Both of us angry and mutually unsatisfied.”

  An eyebrow quirked as he replied, “I’m pretty sure you were satisfied.”

  With his words, I jumped off the bed and began dressing. “Fuck you, Connor. I would hardly call an orgasm that anyone could have given me ‘satisfied’. I was pleasured, but that is the extent of it. Satisfied means we would both be naked in this bed after you fucked my brains out. That would have satisfied me. Now, I’m just pissed off.”

  It was his turn to stare at me in open-mouthed shock. My movements were jerky as I continued throwing my clothes on. Connor watched in silence as I stomped over and snatched my shoes up off the floor. I reached down with one shoe in my hand and slammed my foot into it. First one, then the other. Needing the last word, I threw out, “For your information, I’ve always been utterly fascinated with you. I have never wanted more than an occasional scene with a Dom. Until tonight. You gave me a taste of what could have been between us. For a second I wanted…I don’t know what I wanted, but a quick fuck wasn’t it.”

  I made my way to the door, fists clenched in an effort not to flip him off. I jerked it open and spun around so I could see his face as I spoke. “You seem to know what you want, but you’re too scared to take it. I need a Dom who not only knows what he wants, but has the balls to go after it. That man is obviously not you. I appreciate everything you’ve done so far in helping me find Alex, but I think it would be best if we parted ways here. I’ll find someone else to help me. Thanks anyway, Connor.” With my final words, I walked out the door, closing it quietly behind me.

  Connor

  Fuck. What was I thinking the other night? I completely fucked things up, and I don’t know how to fix them. I don’t know what the hell I thought was going to happen when I took Bridget into that room. I stayed away from her at the club for a reason. Her flirtation shocked the shit out of me. But once she batted those fucking eyes at me, I was a goner. I was always the one in control. Until her. Then my control went straight out the window. All I know now was I never should have touched her. Because one touch will never be enough.

  I was sure she couldn’t handle the things I wanted to do to her. Although if I were honest with myself, I was the one who couldn’t handle it. I kept my desires buried deep. I was afraid I would lose control once I unleashed the beast inside me. And then, I’d be just like him. But after the way she’d left, my chances of touching her again were nil, so it was a moot point.

  It had been a day and a half since our night at Eden, and I spent the entire time replaying everything in my mind. I remembered the sounds of Bridget coming apart under my hand and how sweet she tasted. Like the ripest strawberries dipped in cream. I had jacked off more times in the last two days than I had in the last month. All because of the best sex I’d never had.

  Even though she told me to back off and that she no longer needed or wanted my help, I had no intention of letting this case go. Someone was threatening Alex, even if he wouldn’t admit it, and I needed to stop it. I had no other choice.

  It was 6:00 a.m. on Monday, and I’d be damned if I was going to wait another day before speaking to Alex again. I quickly showered and dressed before heading to my car. I drove the forty minutes to Malcolm Shipman’s side of town and parked within sight of the school bus stop.

  At approximately 7:10, I saw Alex, head down and shuffling along, making his way along the sidewalk. Even though I had lost long since faith in any higher power, I said a little prayer under my breath that Malcolm had kept to his daily routine and was already at the gym. I exited my car and jogged over to start walking next to Alex. He startled in surprise when I matched him stride for stride, but didn’t say a word.

  “Have you given any more thought to my visit the other day?” I questioned him as we stood slightly away from the other kids loitering at the stop.

  “I told you already, I made a mistake calling her,” Alex ground out.

  “Yeah, I know what you told me. Let’s just say I don’t quite believe you, kid. Who are you protecting?” I crossed my arms and stared intently at him. It felt wrong to try and intimidate him into giving up his secrets, but there wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to walk away without some information.

  About the same time I finished my question, the congregated kids all started shuffling to the curb as if sensing the impending arrival of the bus. Alex moved from his position to get in line. As he attempted to step past me, I reached out to stop him with a hand on his arm. He inhaled sharply with a pained hiss and winced, pulling away from my touch. What the hell?

  “Stop right there, kid. What’s wrong with your arm?”

  “Nothing,” he replied, too quickly.

  “Alex.” I drew out his name in slight warning.

  “It’s noth—nothing,” he stuttered.

  “God damn it, Alex, show me,” I hissed, causing Alex to jump back in fear and the other kids to turn sharply to see what was going on.

  I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply and blowing out my breath in a huff, trying to gather my patience. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’m not going to hurt you. Now, will you please show me your arm?”

  Hesitantly, he raised his shirtsleeve past his elbow, and I caught a glimpse of the large purple bruise in the shape of a thumb around his bicep. I gently reached out so as to not startle him again, and I pushed the sleeve out of the way to see the bruises wrap around the rest of his arm, each one in the shape of a finger. Fury clouded my vision and immediately my brain flashed back to another place and time. To another frightened boy with similar bruises. Alex must have sensed the rage coursing through my veins, because he pulled out of my grasp and pushed his sleeve down to cover the marks, as if that would make them magically disappear.

  “It was an accident,” he explained.

  “Bullshit,” I scoffed. “You don’t ‘accidentally’ get that kind of bruising, Alex. Who touched you?”

  “My uncle.” He rushed to continue, “But it wasn’t on purpose. He was grilling out, and I was playing around near the grill even after he told me to stop, and I tripped. I would have fallen into it if he hadn’t grabbed me. So, you see, it was an accident.”

  My gaze bore into his, trying to read the truth in his words. It sounded like a reasonable excuse, but in my line of work I was trained to filter lies from the truth. And everything coming out of his mouth sounded like a load of shit. I didn’t understand why he was trying to protect his uncle. Lies are often told to protect oneself, came a voice in the back of my head. Didn’t I know it. Some of the most destructive lies are the ones we tell ourselves. How often had I made excuses for what was happening to me?

  I had to give him credit. He maintained direct eye contact with me for longer than I expected. But before long, he dropped his gaze and shuffled nervously as though he knew I saw right through him. Sadly, there was noth
ing I could do. I had an unfounded supposition that, without proof, didn’t mean a damn thing. I needed to put a call into an acquaintance of mine on the police force.

  As I was about to question Alex further, even knowing nothing more would come of the conversation, the school bus rolled to stop in front of the crowd. Alex continued his attempt to pass me and join the group beginning to board the waiting bus, and this time, I didn’t stop him. He paused briefly and turned his head to peer back at me.

  “Look, I appreciate your concern, but there is nothing you can do. Just let it go. Everything is fine. I’m sorry I dragged her into this. Please, just leave me alone.” The sadness, and underlying fear I recognized all too well, tore at my gut as all I could do was watch him disappear into the bowels of the bus. I remained standing there, staring after the bus as it rolled away from the curb, taking a scared boy with it. Fuck.

  Bridget

  Two days. That’s how long it had been since I walked out of Eden following the cataclysmic scene with Connor. Pissed and hurt didn’t even begin to describe my emotions. For that brief moment in time, Connor had made me question myself and my heart. Never before had I felt such a strong bond with a Dom who scened with me. Every scene before this one had been about giving up control and the gratification I received. I thought that was how I wanted it. Until him.

  It wasn’t always sexual gratification either. Often it was the cathartic release of emotions bottled up inside me. I was happy with how I lived my life. I was content with the peripheral emotional connection I received during aftercare. Except Connor made me want more. A deeper and more meaningful emotional connection. Not necessarily a relationship, because I wasn’t ready for that, and I didn’t know if I ever would be. But something other than a single scene with a random Dom. Then he had to go and fuck it up. And it pissed me off.

  What hurt though was that he didn’t try to understand me or my needs. It also hurt that he didn’t trust me with his needs; he assumed I’d run scared. That I wasn’t strong enough for him. Even though he tried to hide it, I knew he’d judged me when I told him about Alex. He thought I was weak and selfish for giving him up. I knew this, because the expression in his eyes matched the one I saw every day when I looked at myself in the mirror. There was nothing in my life I regretted more than that day in the hospital.