Follow Me Darkly

by HELEN HARDT

  They both stand.

  “Skye.” Peter looks around, his eyes twitching a bit. “Nice to see you.”

  “Something wrong?” I ask.

  “No.”

  “How’s Tessa?” Garrett asks.

  “She’s good.”

  “Great,” he says.

  “You should go,” Peter says.

  “Why?”

  “Because Black is shooting daggers at us.”

  I look toward the front table. Braden is indeed watching. I smile.

  He doesn’t.

  Peter sits down. “Nice to see you, Skye. Bye.”

  “Seriously?” I say.

  Garrett sits down as well. “Just the way it goes. Tell Tessa I say hi.”

  “Have you called her?”

  “Well…no. Not given the…you know. Circumstances.”

  “What circumstances are those? Oh, for God’s sake. Never mind.”

  I roll my eyes and make my way back to Braden’s table. He excuses himself from the crowd around him and takes me aside, walking me swiftly out of the ballroom and to a secluded hallway.

  “What was that?”

  “I was talking to Peter and Garrett. They’re the only two people here I know.”

  “You know a lot of people. I’ve introduced you to everyone I’ve talked to.”

  I hold back a huff. “That doesn’t mean I know them.”

  “You know them as well as you know Peter Reardon.”

  “Not really. Peter and I have danced. We’ve had a drink.”

  He grips my shoulder, not hard but in a way that makes me know he’s serious. “For God’s sake, Skye. Are you trying to drive me to distraction?”

  I wiggle against his hold. “I’m trying to have a good time here.”

  “Being with me isn’t a good time?”

  “That’s not what I mean, and you know it. I just—”

  He grabs the chain beneath my silky dress and yanks.

  “Oh!” Sensation jerks into my nipples and then outward, landing in my pussy.

  “Don’t forget who you came with,” he says, his voice low and dark.

  “I haven’t forgotten. I—”

  He yanks the chain again, this time slightly harder. The intensity deepens, and I nearly lose my footing.

  “Dinner is being served now. We’re going to go back to the table, eat, and then we’re leaving.”

  “But it’s a ball. Aren’t we going to dance?”

  “No,” he says. “We’re leaving after they thank me for my generous donation, which will happen right after dinner.”

  “But—”

  “No buts, Skye. You’ve already driven me out of my mind tonight. It’s time for me to return the favor.”

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  He takes my arm and escorts me back into the ballroom. The crowds have dispersed a bit as most people take their seats for dinner. Servers bring out plates covered in silver domes.

  I’m following Braden, not looking where I’m going, when someone steps in front of us.

  “Don’t you two look stunning?”

  I know the voice. And the snark. I meet Addison’s gaze.

  “Nice to see you,” Braden says shortly.

  “And you, as always,” she says curtly and then tugs on my other arm and whispers in my ear, “Nipple clamps? Classic Braden.”

  I warm in both embarrassment and anger. Did he use nipple clamps on Addie eleven years ago? Even if he did, should it matter?

  Braden whisks me quickly to our table where we sit down. Servers place plates in front of us almost immediately.

  “Don’t let her get to you,” Braden says to me.

  I nod.

  She already got to me, however. Nipple clamps. The little jewels that give me so much pleasure are now tainted. And how does she know? They’re not visible. Only my erect nipples are—I made sure of that in the mirror—and I’m not the only one here with erect nipples. Not by far. Plus, somehow she found out about my post with New England Adventures. I still haven’t received the countersigned contract from Tammy.

  “Braden,” I say.

  “Yeah?”

  “She’s trying to ruin me.” I quickly explain about New England Adventures.

  “I’ll take care of it,” he says.

  “No! That’s not what I meant. I don’t want you to get involved. This is my problem.”

  “All it’ll take is a quick call to your balloon place.”

  “Please. No. That’s not why I told you.”

  “Then why did you tell me?”

  Because you’re my boyfriend. Because I need to talk to you about stuff in my life. Because if something is bothering me, it should matter to you. Because, because, because.

  I don’t say any of this.

  “Skye, when you tell me about a problem, I find a solution. It’s what I do.”

  “I’m not asking for a solution. Please. I’ll handle this myself.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Definitely sure. Let’s just have dinner.”

  The salmon en croute with asparagus and walnut sauce tastes like sawdust. Even the bourbon Braden brings me doesn’t help my mood. Addie has ruined this night for me. Even the scads of likes and comments on both my posts today aren’t helping. I silence my phone so I don’t have to keep hearing the dings.

  Dessert is served, and the emcee, some bigwig with the opera guild, takes center stage.

  “Thank you all for being here tonight,” he says.

  I recognize him. It’s George, the guy Braden introduced me to early in the evening.

  “I’m happy to report that we’ve surpassed our expected donations for the evening thanks to our generous benefactor, who has doubled all our receipts. Please give a hand to Boston’s own Braden Black.”

  Braden stands to thunderous applause. His demeanor is stoic, as usual. He takes the applause gracefully and sits down after several seconds when it begins to wane.

  George continues speaking, and Braden turns to me.

  “Time to go,” he says.

  “Now? While he’s talking?”

  “Yes. Now. Before I tear that dress off you right here.”

  …

  To my surprise, Christopher isn’t waiting for us. A limo is. A chauffeur I don’t recognize opens the door, and I step into the back while Braden follows. The interior is decorated in red and black leather. I inhale the earthy and slightly sweet fragrance.

  “Where’s Christopher?” I ask when we’re secure in the limo.

  “He has the night off.”

  “Oh.”

  “You didn’t really think I could wait until we got to my place to have you, did you?”

  I gulp. “I…didn’t think about it.”

  He moves toward me, softly brushes my straps off my shoulders, baring my breasts, and then gives the chain between them a good yank.

  I cry out.

  “That’s right. I’ve been thinking about those nipple clamps all night, Skye. Every time I looked at you. Every time someone else looked at you.”

  “No one looked at me,” I say.

  “Not blatantly, no. They wouldn’t dare. But they looked, baby, and every time they did, I thought about what I’d do to you tonight in this limo. What I, and no one else, would be doing to you.”

  “What are you going to do?” I ask.

  He yanks the chain again. “I’m going to drive you as wild as you’ve driven me all evening.” He crushes his mouth to mine.

  I open instantly as he continues to pull on the chain in tandem with the thrusts of his tongue.

  With one swift movement, he has me on his lap, my dress around my waist and my clamped nipples in full view. We kiss and we kiss and we kiss, as the rhythm of his yanks on the chain become
s discordant and nonsensical. It’s thrilling.

  Need to breathe. But God, I don’t want to break the amazing kiss. Finally, he pulls his mouth away from mine, his lips swollen and glistening.

  “God, those tits,” he says. He lifts my skirt and rips my panties off me. Then, holding me to the side, he unbuckles his belt, slides his pants and boxer briefs over his hips, all with his one free hand. His cocks juts out, hard and beautiful as always, the blue vein marbling through it throbbing in time with my heartbeat. Am I imagining it, or are we that in sync?

  “Have to have you now.” He grips my hips and pushes me down on his erection.

  Full. So full and complete. I’m ready. Wet and ready. All evening, the nipple clamps teased me, kept my body on edge, made me alive with anticipation.

  “Ride me, Skye,” he says huskily.

  Is he truly letting me take charge? Before he changes his mind, I begin to fuck him hard and fast. I don’t care that the driver is right behind the wall. He doesn’t seem to care, either. I moan, gasp, cry out his name, all the while knowing the chauffeur can hear us.

  Braden’s fingers never leave the chain between my breasts, yanking it in the same discordant way as I fuck him, so I never know when it’s coming.

  My boobs bounce as I fuck him harder and harder.

  “Damn. Those tits,” he says again, yanking on the chain. Then he grips my hips, taking over the thrusting. This is his rhythm now, and as he takes over, he twists the chain between my nipples tight, parachuting into an intense climax.

  A moment later, he’s releasing, slamming me down onto him. So sensitive are the walls of my pussy that I feel every contraction of his cock.

  When we both finally come down from our high, I can’t move. I’m immobile, my black dress around my waist like a belt.

  He embraces me, holding me close—something he’s done very seldom. I warm all over.

  “We’ll be home soon,” he says. “I have a surprise for you.”

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  A surprise? I’m not sure whether to be excited or frightened. I’m both, and it’s an exhilarating mélange of emotion.

  The limo arrives, and the driver opens the door for us. Braden thanks him and we walk into his building. He calls the elevator.

  I say nothing as we ascend. Nothing as the door opens. Nothing as—

  “Oh my God!” I clamp my hand over my mouth.

  Sasha runs toward us, and she has a friend.

  It’s Penny—my puppy from the shelter. I grab her and hold her, letting her pepper my face with sweet puppy kisses.

  “You like her?” Braden says.

  “I love her! I adore her. How did you know?”

  “Tessa called me.”

  “But…you know I can’t keep her. My apartment doesn’t—”

  He places two fingers over my lips. “I know. She’ll live here with Sasha and me until you get a new place.”

  A new place? I don’t plan to move anytime soon. But I don’t care. Braden rescued Penny for me.

  For me.

  The warmth of love I feel for this man overwhelms me. If I had any doubt about where my feelings were headed, this act of sheer kindness toward an innocent puppy—to make me happy, no less—negates it.

  I’m in love with Braden. Truly in love.

  No relationship? I can’t let myself think about that at the moment, not with this lovely little puppy panting in my face and kissing me.

  “Thank you!” I squeal. “Thank you so much.”

  Penny squirms out of my arms and jumps to the floor, chasing Sasha.

  “Annika is paper training her,” Braden says. “And she’ll go out with Sasha on walks with Christopher and me. She’ll be house trained in no time.”

  “She’s three months old,” I say. “It won’t exactly be no time.”

  “I’ve had dogs all my life,” Braden says. “I know what I’m in for.”

  I smile. He probably does know, even more than I do. At the farm, we didn’t have to do much house training of our dogs. They had the run of the land and potty trained themselves. We taught them how to sit and come, and that was about it. Braden has always lived in the city, and city dogs must be trained.

  “She seems so happy now,” I say. “Yesterday at the shelter she sat in a corner and didn’t interact with her littermates. She gave me such a sad look that said, ‘Please take me home.’ I was distraught when I couldn’t. And then Tessa…” I smile, tears welling in my eyes. “I can’t thank you enough, Braden. Truly. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

  Braden smiles. A big smile showcasing his perfect teeth. A smile I’ve so rarely seen. The darkness that is always present disappears for a moment as he looks at me, looks at the dogs.

  He’s happy.

  Braden Black is happy.

  I want to bottle this moment and save it forever. Hold it close to my heart and never let it go.

  I love you.

  The words hover on my tongue, but I can’t bring them forth. He most likely won’t return them, and I can’t risk that devastation.

  “Do you have a name for her?” Braden asks.

  “Penny. I named her at the shelter.”

  “Oh? Tessa didn’t tell me.”

  “Because I didn’t tell her. I kept it to myself. I didn’t think I’d ever see this baby again.” I pick Penny up once more and snuggle her soft fur against my cheek. “I love her so much.”

  Again, Braden is smiling. And God, he’s so handsome. So magnificent. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him look more devastatingly beautiful.

  And I make a decision. A true and honest decision for tonight and for however long he’ll have me.

  I’ll give him what he craves.

  I’ve said it before, yet still I’ve struggled against it.

  No more.

  He’s earned it.

  My control.

  I’ll give it up to him for good. Tonight.

  Braden takes Penny from me and ushers Sasha out of the room and up the stairs, where I presume Annika or someone else will tend to them. I’ve never been up those stairs, and though I’m curious, my curiosity is tamped down by my pure love for the man before me.

  Can he love me back?

  Will he love me back?

  A man doesn’t rescue a puppy for a woman he feels nothing for, does he?

  I don’t dwell on it. I want to be in Braden’s bed. I want to show him how I feel even if I can’t tell him.

  I want to give him what he desires.

  “Braden,” I say.

  He fingers a few strands of my hair. “Hmm?”

  “Take me to bed. Please.”

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  He doesn’t hesitate. He sweeps me into his arms and marches to the bedroom. The lights from the harbor illuminate the dark wood and bedding. Later, I’ll do my last post for Susanne standing by this window.

  Now, though?

  I don’t think about work. I think only of the man whose arms hold me as if I’m light as a feather.

  “I’m yours,” I say. “Do whatever you want to me.”

  His eyes darken. “That’s a tall order, Skye. Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely sure.”

  He lifts his gaze to the contraption above his bed. “Anything?”

  I nod, trembling. “What is that thing?”

  “It’s no longer functional,” he says.

  I hold back a sigh of relief.

  “It was a harness, where I could suspend a partner, but I found that sort of play wasn’t particularly enjoyable for me.”

  “Oh? What about your partner?”

  “Depended on the partner.”

  I opened this can of worms, and I suddenly wish I hadn’t. I’m about to give up control for good to this man, and I don’t
want to think about all the other partners he’s had in this room.

  “Why is it still there, then?”

  “I just haven’t gotten around to having it removed yet.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I met a woman who invades my mind every fucking second.” He sets me on the bed. “And all I can think about is all the dark and dirty things I want to do to her.”

  I swallow. It’s okay. I want these things as much as he does. I want to give in.

  “Did you like it when I bound your wrists?” he asks.

  I nod, my body thrumming.

  “How about these?” He tugs the chain between the clamps. “Do you like these?”

  I nod again, inhaling swiftly against the torturous pleasure the clamps inflict on my nipples.

  “Say yes, Skye.”

  “Yes. I like them. A lot.”

  “Did you like it when I covered your eyes?”

  “Yes, Braden.”

  “What else would you like me to do to you, Skye?”

  I suck in a breath. “Whatever you want.”

  He raises his eyebrows, sits down on the bed next to me, and fingers the odd notches on the runs of his headboard. “Do you know what these are?”

  “No.”

  “I had this headboard specially designed. I have bindings that secure here and here, and same on the footboard. They’ll hold you in place, all four of your limbs, render you completely helpless, Skye. What if I want to do that to you? Tie you up spread-eagle and then have my way with you?”

  My body pulsates. “Then I want you to.”

  He stands and walks to his highboy, opens a drawer, and pulls out what appears to be a riding crop. “What if I want to use this all over your body while you’re tied up?”

  “I want you to do it.”

  He sets the crop down and picks up a stainless steel object. “This is the anal plug I used on your body while you were blindfolded. What if I want to put this in your ass and then fuck you?”

  I clear my throat. I’m determined to finish what I’ve started. “I want you to.”

  He sets down the plug and picks up something else—something I don’t recognize at all. It looks like a collar but has a silver ring with four prongs sticking out of it. I shiver.

  “This is a spider gag, Skye. Do you know what it’s for?”