Page 11 of Dark Secret

“What do we do now, Dylan?” I wound my fingers with his and sipped at a small glass of wine.

We’d had a shower, raided his fridge for nibbles, and had settled onto his couch together. I’d wanted to fall asleep after that reunion, but I knew we needed to talk. We couldn’t ignore the problem and hope it would fix itself.

“What do you mean?” The words vibrated through his chest as I settled against him once I’d put my glass down.

“I don’t want to ruin this moment, Dylan, but we really do need to have a very long talk.” I had to smother a yawn, exhaustion really was taking over now. I hadn’t slept well since the last time I’d slept with Dylan in the bed. “We need to talk about what we’re going to do now.”

“What do you want to talk about, pet?” he asked, his hands sliding down my arm to pull me more tightly to his side. I held onto that moment, memorized exactly what it felt like to have my legs thrown over his, wrapped in one of his long, terry cloth robes. I even memorized what it felt like to have his lips against my forehead.

“I want to know how long we’re going to do this, how far we’re going to go.” I tightened my fingers on his smooth chest, afraid of the answer he might give me. Would he ask me for a contract right away, or would he listen to my offer?

“Well, what do you like, Stephanie?” he asked, his hands tight now on my arm, but not in a punishing way. He was just as nervous as I was then.

“I’d like to propose something.” I paused to take a deep, calming breath before I finished. “I want you to give me two weeks without a contract, just to see how you feel about it in the long run. If you want another contract after that, I’ll give it to you. Does that sound acceptable?”

“I’m not going to say no. I think I have to admit that this is more than just a fling, don’t I? I can’t get you out of my head, even though I keep trying.” He let my arm go to swipe his hand over his face, as if to clear the cobwebs from his thoughts. “I would prefer to have a contract in place, and we really should have one, but...”

He paused, and I thought that he might be on the verge of taking it back. I could see the indecision in his eyes when I pulled back to look at him.

“Can’t we just have a little while without one? Just to see how it would be?” I wanted to know because I knew I could show him that we didn’t need it. I would never to do to him what his mom did to his father.

That was another problem. Did I tell him I knew, or would he have assumed I’d Googled him once I found out his name? Would he want me to bring it up? Suddenly the mood changed, and I was tense all over again.

“If that will make you happy, then we’ll try.” His voice held a tension I didn’t like, but I felt him relax.

I knew this was all new for him, it was for me too, but we could muddle along together and make it work. I was sure of that.

My body was still on fire for his touch, and as he held me against him, I knew that would not ease. He’d decided that I would not be able to have satisfaction, and contract or not, he meant to be dominate in this relationship. I’d bow to that.

Roxie had said I was a brat, even Dylan had called me that, and I guessed that meant something in their world, but in mine, it meant I wasn’t easy to get along with. I’d pout, and whine, and kick my feet over the smallest things. I wasn’t like that at all, but with Dylan, I kind of understood the term. I had to be defiant because that was part of the game.

The problem was this had all become far more than just a game. It was a relationship. He hadn’t spoken about much of anything, and we’d gone silent again already. I knew we needed to talk about this all, and I needed to tell him who I was, and what I knew about him, but it didn’t feel like the right time. Not when he’d only just let me back into his life.

“You know I’m still not a relationship kind of man, don’t you, Stephanie?”

I cringed but not because of his question. That was another secret, one I should have already revealed, but he’d hated Trent. I was afraid if he knew I was Trent’s sister, then he’d think I was just doing this to fuck him over. At the same time, I knew not telling him was just as incriminating. It would look like I’d been hiding it from him for bad reasons.

I took a deep breath to try to calm myself. I’d have to tell him eventually, especially if this went on for much longer. I wanted it to, and that meant I’d have to tell him.

“I know, Dylan. You’ve said it often enough.” It was my job to be lippy, wasn’t it?

“Pardon?” He pulled back and looked at me. “Was that some kind of sass that you just gave me?”

Ah, the game wasn’t finished for the night then. I wasn’t sure if I could take much more of his punishment tonight, but if Dylan wanted to play, then I wasn’t about to turn him down. I turned in his arms, but he lifted me and stood, rather than kiss me as I’d expected. He’d carried me through his apartment and when he passed his bedroom door, I knew where we were headed.

The room he’d constructed, the black room where he could do anything to me, anything he’d wanted to. I tensed, and a shiver of anticipation passed through me.

“Do you consent to the things I will do to you in this room, Stephanie?” he asked as he sat me down. I sank to my knees, my brain already in the sub zone.

“Yes, sir. I consent to the things that you will do to me in this room.” If that was all he required for now, I would not argue.

“Give me your hand.” He pulled me up and moved me to a new area. When had he done this?

“The workmen came while you were … away. I thought you’d like it. I can strap you down in a variety of ways. First, stand here.” He went to a stand that was his toy box. He came back and gave me a set of ear plugs, a mask that would slide over my head, with an opening for my ears, nose, and mouth, and clamps. Those were placed to the side for now.

“Put that mask on, pet,” he ordered, and I did as instructed. He opened the zipper that allowed my mouth to be free and then gave me the ear plugs.

I rolled the silicone plugs in my palm, hesitant. I wouldn’t be able to hear anything. The world would be silent. I was already blinded by the mask, he wanted to take my hearing too? I took a deep breath, and then, put the ear plugs in.