The Price Of Secrecy (5 page)

Chapter
Seven

Angela
moaned loudly into Dominic’s open mouth as his tongue parted her lips.
Holy fuck, this man can kiss!
Her pussy
was soaked, and every inch of her skin ached to touch him. She forgot where
they were and pushed closer to his warm, hard body, going so far as to rub her
abdomen across his erection.
Holy shit.
This was nothing like she’d imagined it would be. She didn’t care if he was her
brand new boss, or that they’d just had a two and a half hour lunch. She wanted
to be horizontal with him in the worst fucking way.

She’d
even take semi-upright. She’d bend over this table and lift her skirt if that’s
what he wanted. Fuck it all. It had been way,
way
too long since she’d been kissed and held, and no man had ever
moved his lips and tongue over hers like he was doing now. She wanted more. So
much more.

When
he released her mouth, she stared at him until he finally picked up her purse
and handed it to her. Then he took her hand, and she simply walked, letting him
lead the way. Her legs felt like jelly. His hand was so warm it made her entire
body hot. She could only imagine what the rest of his skin would feel like next
to hers.

They
said nothing on the walk back, but she felt the lust and heat coming off him in
waves. Inside the elevator, they were alone, and this was the same private
elevator she’d taken before her interview. He keyed in a code, and then the
floor she now worked on. It wouldn’t stop for anyone else. They had it all to
themselves.

He
turned toward her, and then he cupped her face and stared into her eyes with so
much intensity she thought her heart would stop. “This is madness,” he
whispered. “But I can’t stop.”

She
didn’t have a chance to ask him what his cryptic comment about this being
madness meant because he pushed her up against the wall of the car and kissed
her like he might never do so again. She reached for his hair, and he caught
her wrists, pinning her arms overhead. The gesture was so damn sexy and
dominant that she nearly came. He moved closer to her, grinding his bulge
against her body until she was so damn wet she knew she’d need to change her
panties.

And
then just as quickly he stopped as the elevator doors opened. There was no way
anyone who spotted them would miss the fact that both their faces were flushed
and covered with a fine sheen of sweat, or that their eyes blazed with lust.

He
took her hand, and she walked next to him, screaming inside from sheer
happiness. Merrick wasn’t in his temporary office, for which Angela was
grateful, but Trish was in hers. The bright smile she gave them when they approached
faded quickly as her gaze dropped to their clasped hands.

Angela
wasn’t sure what to say, but Dominic didn’t seem to be the least bit
embarrassed or uncomfortable. He stepped into the office and addressed Trish.
“Angela and I are going to be working from a remote location for the rest of
the afternoon. Do you need her for anything else today?”

“Um,
no. No, I don’t.”

“Fine.
You can reach me on my phone if you need me.”

“Sure.
Okay, Dominic.”

Angela
waited until they were in her office to speak. “Well, that was awkward.”

He
smirked. “Not for me. Gather your stuff and let’s get out of here. I feel the
urge to work coming on just being inside this building again.”

“We
can’t have that.”

He
chuckled, and she wanted to pinch herself. Was this really happening?

Once
she had her laptop and accessories in the bag she’d been provided, they left
the department and went down to the lobby once more in the private elevator.
Dominic didn’t kiss her again, but he did give her a look full of possibilities
and even more questions.

Angela
pushed aside her doubt and fear as much as she could. She only wanted to enjoy
this afternoon, not fill it with insecurity and ghosts from the past. As long
as she didn’t break any WITSEC rules, she was safe. That’s what they’d always
told her and her mother.

Well,
she hadn’t broken any rules. She was Angela Davidson as far as Dominic knew,
and Angela Davidson was on a date. That was it.
Nothing to see here, folks. Move along
. There was no reason to fear
him. She’d be fine. Just an afternoon with a gorgeous, sexy, powerful man who
happened to be her new boss. It happened every day.

“Where
are we going?” she asked as they walked out onto the pavement.

“First
of all, let’s relieve you of having to carry around that laptop bag. My
apartment is five minutes away.”

They
were going to his apartment and then leaving it again? Why?

“We’ll
drop off what we don’t need and then come back outside.”

“And
then where are we going?”

He
smiled down at her. “Have you been to the amphitheater across town? They have
live music there every afternoon and evening.”

“No,
never.”

“They’re
featuring medieval music this week.”

“Medieval
music?”

“Yes,
on actual period instruments. I know some of the musicians, and I helped quite
a few find their instruments. Each of us, in addition to funding these cities
and the Storm Troopers, helps back the teams who go up to the surface and
procure items.”

“You
mean like medieval instruments?”

“Those,
and just about anything that’s still available to find.”

“That
must be expensive.”

“It
is, and quite dangerous, but they’re well paid to risk their lives. Addison
Carlyle, one of the Weathermen, owns Carlyle Imports. His company is a
distributor for most of the items the teams go up to the surface to find.”

“Can
individual people pay them to find things, or only businesses?”

“No,
individuals can as well.”

“Have
you gone up there to do that?”

“A
few times, but honestly it’s not my thing.” He frowned. “It’s terrible up
there. I mean really bad. There’s a disconcerting howling wind sound all the
time, and you wouldn’t recognize anything. You’re from San Francisco, right?”

“Yes.”
She gripped her bag tighter as her palms grew damp.

“The
Golden Gate Bridge is gone. Alcatraz is nothing but a pile of rubble floating
on a rock. You couldn’t pick out a neighborhood in the entire city if you had
to.”

She
took several deep breaths as the images floated through her mind. She didn’t
want to picture it that way. It had been home for twelve years, even if it
wasn’t her birthplace.

“Here
we are.”

He
took her hand and led her inside one of the buildings in the most pretentious
apartment complex in town. It was no surprise to her that it was professionally
decorated. “You own this, don’t you?”

“Yes.
I own the entire complex, actually. A lot of my employees live here. There are
several empty units scattered throughout the buildings, so if you want to move
into one of them, let me know.”

“I
couldn’t afford it.”

They
stepped into an elevator lined with dark wood. “Yes, you could. I rent them to
employees at substantial discounts so anyone who wants to be closer to work can
be.”

“That’s
very generous of you.”

“I
bought the complex for next to nothing as a package deal with the one that
houses the offices, so I don’t need the rent to cover overhead or pay off a
loan.”

The
way he talked about money made her believe he’d grown up with plenty of it.
Only someone who hadn’t spent hours on a Sunday afternoon clipping coupons, or
figuring out how to make dinner from a loaf of bread, frozen peas, and cans of cheap
tuna would take so much for granted.

That
didn’t make him a bad person. She knew the company gave a shitload of money to
charity, and he’d already shown that he was generous with his time. She hadn’t
seen him treat anyone like an underling. He was polite to everyone, and had an
aura of self-assurance that was captivating. She wanted to be near him and
absorb the positive energy he radiated, and she was certain others must feel
that way, too.

Another
private elevator that required a code took them to the top floor. The décor in
his penthouse apartment was nothing like that of the offices or the lobby of
this building. No metal doors or boring gray tones here. She took in the bright
airy views, the open spaces, the ceramic and stone walls, countertops, and
accents, plus the tree branches and seashells everywhere.

“Do
you like it?” His voice held a note of uncertainty, and it surprised her he’d
give a shit what anyone thought of his home.

“This
is the real you, isn’t it? This open, fun atmosphere that makes me think I’m
outdoors, or at the beach. I mean the real beach on the surface.”

“You’ve
discovered my secret obsession.”

She turned to face him, struck
again by how damn gorgeous he was. In this light, his five o’clock shadow was
even more pronounced, and the memory of it grazing her skin as he’d kissed her
washed over her. She wanted to know what it felt like rubbing her nipples. “I
love it. Honestly. Does the entire apartment look like this?”

He
grinned, and the effect was to make her soaked pussy even wetter. If this
didn’t stop soon she’d have to change her skirt as well as her panties. “If I
give you a tour, we might not make it to the amphitheater.”

“We
can go another time.”
Whoa! Did I just
say that? Yes, you did
.

Dominic
sauntered slowly toward her. Her pulse raced, and breathing was difficult. His
eyes blazed with desire, but as he reached her the emotion changed to one she
couldn’t interpret. “This is madness,” he whispered.

“You
said that in the restaurant, too. Why is it madness?”

He
sighed loudly and brushed a finger along her face, and this time she didn’t
even try to suppress her soft moan. He shook his head slowly. “When you do that
I can’t stop myself from wanting to take you. Hard and rough. On the floor if
necessary.”

Oh. My. God.
She swallowed hard. Every fiber of
her being ached for this man. “Then don’t try to stop yourself.”

The
indecision on his face confused her even further. What the hell was going on
here? “Angela … I don’t want to hurt you.”

She
took his hand and held it against her left breast. His soft moan sent chills
down her spine. “You won’t. I know you date a lot of women, and I know you’re
never seen with the same one twice. I have no expectations of
happily-ever-after. So tell me why we can’t do this. Help me understand.”

Pain
filled his eyes, but it was gone so quickly she was sure she’d imagined it.
“I’ve never had such an immediate visceral reaction to any woman. And don’t let
the tabloids fool you. I don’t date nearly as much as they make it seem.”

Angela
held her breath as she listened to that deep sexy voice fill the lonely spaces
inside. She should stop him now while they still could, but she didn’t want to.
Tears threatened as she gazed into his eyes, and she had to blink them back.
She wanted him so badly it actually hurt.

“In
reality, I’m quite lonely, and you’re the most alluring woman I’ve ever met. I
want to make love to you, Angela. I want to take you to that amphitheater, and
out to eat, and every other place in this town and in the others that you’ve
always wanted to go.”

“I
want the same thing.”

He
let out a loud exhale. “Are you sure about this? I don’t do anything half-assed.
If we start this, I want all of you. Not only your best work at the office, but
I want you in my bed. I want to possess you.” He cupped her breast, kneading
it, and she cried out in pleasure. “I want all of you, Angela. Your body, your
mind, and your soul.”

He
grasped her right breast, and teased both nipples through her clothes into taut
points. Her mind whirled with erotic images, and she fought to keep breathing.
She’d never been this ready to fuck any man. She wanted him right here, right
now, rough and hard. “Are you ready for that? Are you ready to give yourself
over to me?”

“Yes,”
she whispered. She’d never been this ready for anything in her life.

Chapter
Eight

Angela
cried out again as Dominic nearly tore her clothing in his haste to undo the
buttons on her suit top. He grasped her breasts again through her bra, grazing
her nipples with his teeth. Holding her gaze with his own, dark and dangerous,
he pulled the suit top down her arms, and then he reached around and unhooked
her bra. When that was gone, too, he stepped back and eyed her breasts.
“Fucking exquisite. You’re beautiful.”

He
cupped her face. “How long has it been since you’ve had sex? I don’t want to
hurt you.”

“Almost
a year.”

“Fuck.”
He let go of her face, and then shocked the hell out of her by picking her up
in his arms as if she weighed nothing. She wasn’t a thin waif. “Lube and
condoms are, unfortunately, in my bedroom.”

Angela
simply stared at him as he carried her down a hallway, up a flight of stairs,
and to the end of the hall. He placed her on her feet, and then he grinned
again. “Last chance, Angela. Once we enter that room I own you.”

“I
don’t want you to stop.” She’d rather cut off an arm than end this now.

He
pushed open the doors and then picked her up again. She let out a loud exhale,
and then caught the scent of sage and his cologne. The room was light, and the
decorating matched what she’d seen downstairs, but he gave her no time to look
around. He carried her to an enormous four-poster and laid her on it, then covered
her body with his.

Angela
nearly came as he kissed her, hard and rough. She wrapped her arms around him
but her legs were pinned, and she didn’t care. It was so damn fucking sexy she
couldn’t even stand it.

He
tangled his fingers in her hair and assaulted her neck with tiny nips and
tender kisses until she cried out and moaned loudly. When he worked his way
down to her breasts, she muttered incomprehensible words as he fastened his
mouth first on one nipple, and then on the other. She grasped fistfuls of his
soft hair, pushing his head closer.

He
came up for air and sat back on his heels, gazing at her, his shoulders rising
and falling with the effort of breathing. Without a word he scooted off the bed
and opened a drawer in the nightstand. He tossed a bottle of lube and a box of
condoms onto the bed, and then he rolled her over to unzip her skirt. He pulled
it off, taking her wet panties with it, and then he removed her shoes.

Before
she could turn onto her back again, he covered her body once more, kissing her
neck and working his way down. She moaned and grabbed the comforter, silently
begging him to fuck her. When he licked her ass cheeks, she thought she’d go
out of her mind. “Get up on your hands and knees.”

Angela
couldn’t have disobeyed that voice if she’d wanted to. She did as he asked, and
he licked her pussy from behind. She pushed back against his mouth, groaning
loudly now, and when he slipped a finger into her wetness, she almost came.

“You’re
so damn tight, Angela.” He withdrew his finger, and she heard the lube bottle.
When his finger slid inside again, it was warm and wet. “That’s better. You’re
beautiful.” He finger-fucked her, still kissing and licking her ass cheeks. “Do
you know that?”

No.
“Thank you. So are you.”

“I
think I’ll fuck you like this first, and then I’m going to put you over my knee
and paddle this luscious ass.” She cried out in surprised pleasure as he gave
each ass cheek a few good hard smacks. “Have you ever been paddled? I mean
really
paddled?”

“No,”
she whispered.

He
removed his finger and slipped two inside, teasing her with them, and she was
so close to coming it was ridiculous. This was really happening! She was in
Dominic’s bedroom, and he had his fingers inside her. She was naked in his bed.
Angela could barely process all the competing sensations. So many emotions
fought for control that she had to shut them all out and simply
feel
. It was too overwhelming to do
anything else.

Dominic
swatted her ass again, and the endorphin rush from his strikes took her breath
away. “I have a huge collection of toys, including paddles, and I have this
fantasy … would you like to hear it?”

He
pressed down on her clit with his thumb while he continued to fuck her with his
fingers. “Yes,” she whispered, hanging on as much as possible. Would he mind if
she came already? There was no way to stop it if he kept this up.

Dominic
pulled his fingers out and flipped her onto her back. He lay on top of her and
moved her arms overhead. “You, in one of those plaid schoolgirl skirts and a
white blouse. You’ve been a bad girl and I have to punish you.”

His
eyes danced with amusement and lust, and she wanted to scream with joy. “I
would do that in a heartbeat.”

“Oh…”
He smiled like she’d just told him he had made even more money. “Thank you.” He
flipped her over again. “But first, I can’t take it any longer. Back on your
hands and knees, beautiful.”

She
did as he asked and then cried out again as he unzipped his pants. He didn’t
even take them off. He merely put on a condom and then pushed two fingers back
inside her. “You’re so fucking wet! I love it. I’m going to fuck you hard and
deep, baby, and then you’re going to play the bad girl for me. I’m going to
introduce you to my toy collection.”

Angela
barely had time to register his comments before his dick was sliding into her
soaking wet pussy. He wasn’t small, and it burned at first, but only for a
second or two. Then the most exquisite sensation filled her as he went all the
way in, then pulled back out again. He kissed her ass cheeks and then swatted
them hard before he plunged his cock back inside. She couldn’t hold back the
orgasm any longer, and it crashed over her amidst loud cries of pleasure.

Dominic
repeated his torture of pushing inside, then pulling out and spanking her,
until she didn’t think she could stand anymore. Finally he stayed inside and
fucked her hard and rough, just like he’d promised. His balls slapped her pussy
with each thrust, and it took no time at all for her to come again.

He
groaned loudly as she did, and then he withdrew and flipped her onto her back.
He pulled her toward the end of the bed so her ass was practically hanging off
it, and then he sank his dick into her once more. He bent her legs at the knees
and held onto them as he thrust in and out, gazing down at her with raw lust on
his face.

“That’s
it, baby. Come on. Take all of me inside you.”

She
moaned loudly at the sheer power and dominance of the man as he fucked her deep
and hard again. Droplets of sweat splattered her body, but she didn’t care.
She’d never been taken like this, and she absolutely adored it. When he finally
came, it was loud and proud, and she shivered knowing she’d given him that much
pleasure.

He
collapsed over her, stroking her hair and kissing her neck. When he lifted his
head and grinned, shivers ran down her spine. He caressed her face tenderly.
“You are in very big trouble.”

She
giggled. Angela had never been so damn happy or sated in her life. “Am I now? Why
is that?”

“I
didn’t give you permission to come.”

“Seriously?
Like I could help that?” She laughed. “Dominic, I’m sure you’ve heard this
before, but you are an amazing lover. That was so damn sexy I will never forget
it. There was no way I could keep from coming.”

“Twice
you did it. Thank you, by the way, for what you said. You’re pretty damn
fantastic yourself.”

Tiny
jolts of electricity raced through her body at his words. “I almost came a
third time.”

“Is
that so?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll
have to do something about that.”

He
crawled off her and stripped so fast she barely had enough time to take in his
rock hard, muscled body. A fine dusting of dark hair covered his chest,
abdomen, and legs. She thought she’d faint from the sight of him. She’d never
seen anything so fucking beautiful in her life.

He
took her hand and pulled her to a sitting position. “If you need to pee, I’d
suggest you do it now. I’m going back downstairs to retrieve your things we
left behind, and to get us some water and food. We’re going to need it.”

When
she stood he kissed her, hard and rough, and then he gave her ass a hard swat
as he pointed toward the bathroom. “Don’t keep me waiting forever, beautiful.”

“I
won’t.” Once inside his bathroom, she couldn’t stop staring at everything. The
same décor graced this room, all the way down to the stone countertops and
faucets shaped like old-fashioned spigots. They were the kind you would have
found outside on homes at the surface. Had he done that on purpose? Likely, he
had. He did nothing accidentally or half-assed, that was for sure.

She
stared at her face in the mirror after she’d taken care of business. Had that
really happened? Had he really fucked her unlike any sexual experience she’d
had to date? She turned sideways and smiled at the slight pink color to her ass
cheeks. What would they look like when he paddled her?

Angela
shivered again as she returned to the room. The role play scenario he’d
described sounded so damn sexy she was sure she’d enjoy it, but did he really
expect her not to come unless he said she could? He must be nuts, and yet she
wanted to try to hold it off, just to please him.

She
put her hands over her mouth and squealed softly as the realization of where
she was and what she’d just done with him washed over her once more. Nothing in
her life would ever be the same again.

Dominic
returned to the room, and the aura in it changed, just like that. The man was
so commanding, and she had a feeling she hadn’t yet experienced even a fraction
of his power or dominance. He placed bottled water and a plate of cheese,
crackers, and fruit on top of the mini bar, and then he placed her suit top,
bra, purse and laptop bag on a chair.

Finally,
he turned and gave her a molten look of hot, dark lust. “Are you ready?”

She
nodded. Words weren’t possible right now.

He
pointed toward an armoire on the far wall. “Open that please.”

She
walked over and did as he asked, then glanced over her shoulder.

“There
are several plaid skirts in there. They’re all new, so don’t worry about anyone
else having worn them. Oh, and I suppose we should have had this conversation
before now, but I have no STDs. May I assume the same of you?”

She
turned to face him. “God. I wasn’t even thinking about that. I have none. Thank
you for bringing it up.”

His
sheepish grin made her heart skip a beat. “Yeah, that was very irresponsible of
me, but I was caught up in the moment. I had to have you.”

She
sighed out loud. “Same here.”

“I
always use condoms as a general rule, just the same.”

She
nodded. “That’s fine.”

He
pointed again. “Pick out a skirt and a blouse. There are several sizes of each
in there.”

“Do
you have a color preference for the plaid?”

He
shook his head, and Angela looked over the clothes in the armoire. How many
women had done this? Obviously he’d planned for this fantasy with others,
judging by the selection of sizes and colors. Why were they all new? Did he
toss them out afterwards, or did the women keep them as souvenirs? How many
times
had
he done this?

Stop this! Don’t go there.
No. She would not ruin this. No
one else was here right now. She was the only woman in his bedroom, and he’d
called her “beautiful” and told her she was an amazing lover. He was having fun,
and so was she. She knew his reputation, and she’d walked into this with open
eyes and open legs. This wasn’t the time to play jealous girlfriend.

She
selected a red plaid skirt because he seemed to like the red suit on her, and
then she plucked a blouse off its hanger and turned. “Shall I put them on now?”

“Yes.
I only wish I had knee socks and saddle shoes. Not sure why I never thought of
it until now.”

Did
that mean he’d never done this before? Why have an armoire full of clothes if
no one had worn them? Odd. “I’m sure we could find them somewhere.”

“Oh,
I know we could and I know where, but we’re not leaving this apartment right
now to go and buy them.”

She
smiled as she donned the skirt and blouse. “Shall I button it up?”

“Yes.”
His gaze was smoldering, and she shivered again. “All the way to the collar,
please.”

She
did as he asked, and then he pointed toward a second armoire. “Open that one
now, please.”

Angela
stepped over and opened the doors, and then she gaped at dozens of paddles,
floggers, straps, an actual bamboo cane, and things she couldn’t identify, each
hanging neatly on tiny hooks. He had every imaginable color, material, and size
in there.

“Holy
shit,” she whispered.

He
was behind her before she had time to process the fact that he’d moved. He
reached around and lightly caressed her hard nipples through the cotton. “I’m
going to choose five toys.”