Page 6 of Dark Secret

“No. I’m sick of that shit.” The words flew out, and there was no way to pull them back. I decided not to backtrack, simply because it was the truth.

“Okay. Would you, perhaps, be open to a longer one then?” Her dark eyebrow lifted over a glittering eye, and I couldn’t help but frown.

“I’m sick of those, Roxie. Why can’t he just take me as I am?”

“Because not everyone can trust like you can, Steph.” At least she got the name right this time.

“You think he has trust issues?” I had kind of thought that but wasn’t sure.

“He might. Most men do that insist on contracts.” She sighed deeply and looked at me with a lot of concern. “Are you ready to face him?”

I turned my head, something in the tone of her voice told me. Or maybe it was the way my skin tightened, I didn’t know, but I did know it ended with me staring right at him, at the bar.

Our eyes locked, and heartbreak filled me when he turned away. “Damn.”

Roxie patted my hand and ordered me another drink.

“He’s leaving,” I whispered, the heartbreak hard to hide now.

“Maybe it’s for the best, hun,” Roxie whispered, but I knew she was wrong.

Dylan was meant for me. No matter what hurt in his past had made him need to be the one in control, no matter if he needed a contract or not. I remembered that weekend on the island all over again, and how I’d longed to be his forever. How I’d started to daydream about the future.

I wasn’t sure I could ever have that with Dylan, but if I threw it away now, I’d never know would I? Besides, I’d chosen him over my family; I had to make it worth it, somehow.

Dylan

I walked into the club, the plan to just have a drink, sit for a little while, maybe have a chat with Roxie, and then go home. I’d come in through the back way, but she hadn’t been in her dressing room. Seeing Stephanie sitting there at a table with her was the last thing I’d expected.

She’d come here to find a dom, she’d walked out on me, so it made sense that she was on the hunt for a new one now. That thought kicked me in the guts, and when she turned and our eyes caught, well, I was certain my organs twisted into knots, not just my stomach.

I saw her hurt there, her questions, but I couldn’t get myself to go to her. Because I’d also seen that little flash of defiance. She was still determined to not have a contract. Fuck it. I headed down to the lower levels of the club. If little Miss Thing wanted to have her way, then I’d let her. I wasn't going to give in, not now.

I took the elevator down to the playground as I’d come to think of it. I’d found an empty bedroom next to a room where two women were taking out the day’s frustrations on a man. He was strapped to a low table, a ball gag in his mouth. His eyes were covered with a black strip of leather, and his ears were plugged. He could only smell and feel, maybe taste if they decided to use his mouth. I knew the table could be moved to make access easier.

Normally, this sort of thing didn’t interest me, but I’d been wondering what Stephanie might do if our roles were reversed. I could definitely see her in the role of a dom, if she’d ever wanted to switch out. Not with me, I’d never let anyone have that kind of control of me, but she might enjoy the things the women were doing.

They had the man excited, I could see that, but I’d doubted they even really saw him as a real person in that moment. He was a penis, a mouth, an instrument to be used for their enjoyment. Stephanie might enjoy doing that to someone, to take away even their identity, but I wasn't sure she’d like being the one strapped down so much.

But, maybe, she’d like a taste of it. If I could figure out how to end this mess. She was only a few feet above my head, just right there. Within reach for the first time in a week. She’d looked delicious too, in that black dress that fit her frame so well. It had shown off her breasts.

I sank to the edge of the bed, hard as a rock at the mere thought of the weight of her silky flesh in my hands. I cupped my erection through my pants, but that didn’t ease the ache there. It had only made it worse.

I’d took a deep breath and refocused on the trio across from me. They couldn’t see me, but I could see them, and they knew it. There would have been a small green light that turned on at the top of ceiling the moment I locked the door to this room. They knew there was an audience watching.

One of them was a redhead, the other had naturally black hair. Both were attractive, but they weren’t Stephanie. Still, I’d sat there and waited. I’d wanted her to come down to me, to watch this rather erotic, provoking display. I’d wanted to put her on her hands and knees and take her until I was satisfied. Then, I’d leave her to want more. There would be no satisfaction for her, as there wouldn’t be for the fellow across the room from me.

That would be her punishment, I’d decided. She’d have to take what I gave her and no more. Then maybe she’d learn a lesson. I wasn’t a brutal dom, after all. I wouldn’t beat her because I had no desire to see dark purple bruises on her skin. It was too perfect to mar like that. Besides, I didn’t want to inflict that kind of punishment on her. That kind broke the will and the spirit. I didn’t want to take that from her.

I loved that aspect of her personality, of who she was. She had a mind of her own, and it was one of the things that I found the most attractive about her. There were many, many things about her to be enamored with.

How did I get her back, though? Roxie had told me yesterday that she didn’t know how to get Stephanie to sign another contract. I’d felt like an idiot asking the other woman what to do, but I knew I could trust her. She’d approach it with her analytical mind and find a solution. I’d wondered if that was why Stephanie was here, some ploy of Roxie’s, maybe.

Had she called Stephanie here to bring us together? If that was her plan, then it didn’t work because Stephanie didn’t run up to me and declare her undying commitment. She didn’t make a single move; she just sat there and stared, and then I walked away. I’d been stunned to see her, so I walked away.

I banged my fist down on the bed, frustrated and angry that I couldn’t come up with a solution to the whole thing. My pride wouldn’t let me go to her, and she hadn’t broken. I’d almost gone to her on more than one occasion. I’d even got in the car and drove in the direction of her house, but the last minute I’d changed my mind and turned around. I'd go back to my chair and do some more work.

Work had got me through this whole mess, and now that the deal that I’d managed to set up on the property had started to move along, there was even more work to do. Since my family owned a number of hotels, I had staff to do most of the work, but there was still a lot for me to do. I’d already started to work the numbers for renovating the resort. It hadn’t been empty for long, but we’d want it to look like our brand. That meant a lot of redecorating had to be done and work orders had to be sent out.