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I whip my hands to my hips. “What happened? What did you do to Addie?”

  “We’ve been through this.”

  He’s clearly had enough, but I can’t force myself to stop. This is important. We’re important. “She was never the same afterward. Were you…violent with her?”

  He comes closer. Tension exudes from him. Tension…and sexual energy. “Where did you get this information?”

  “I…I can’t tell you.”

  “I see. Whoever this person is who gave you this information, does he or she have any firsthand knowledge of anything?”

  “No.”

  “Yet you’re ready to condemn me on hearsay. Be both judge and jury.”

  He’s right.

  I hang my head. “No. Not really. But it’s also scary, trusting someone new.”

  He tilts my chin up. “Even if I told you everything that went on between Addison and me, you would never have the whole truth. There will always be parts of me that I keep completely private, just as there are parts of you that you keep completely private. You can never know the whole truth about anyone.”

  “That’s not what I want.”

  He laughs then. The big, sarcastic guffaw that rings out through the entire office. “Skye, that’s exactly what you want. You want control over every situation.”

  I open my mouth to respond but then shut it quickly. How can I argue? He’s right. Completely.

  “I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but yes, I ended the relationship with Addison. I had my reasons. If that’s not good enough for you, I guess we part ways now.”

  “There’s more, Braden.”

  “There is no more, Skye. This conversation is over.” He drops his hand.

  I shiver. I’m not cold, but the authority in his voice… It makes me tremble. “She…was never the same. Not until her Instagram took off.”

  “I said this discussion is over.”

  I cower involuntarily.

  “Do you fear me now?”

  No, I don’t fear him. To the contrary, my nipples tighten against the scratchy lace of my bra. A tickle surges between my legs. I part my lips absently, licking them.

  “I don’t fear you. But should I, Braden? Did Addie?”

  “What went on between Addie and me is in the past. We were kids. Neither of us knew what we were doing. What we were getting into.”

  “Then why—”

  He sighs then, running his fingers through his hair. “Why, Skye? Why? Why did you have to keep digging until my past touches us and what we have? Why do you want to ruin it? I’ve told you before that I won’t talk about this. It has nothing to do with what you and I have.” Braden turns and stares out his huge window, as if he’s searching for answers himself. His eyes are heavy-lidded. He looks almost…sad.

  I’ve never seen him sad. The urge to comfort him overwhelms me. I walk forward and cup one cheek.

  “Braden,” I say, “what happened?”

  He meets my gaze, his blue eyes brimming with… Is it regret?

  “Did she get hurt?” I ask.

  He doesn’t respond, and I know I’ve stumbled upon the beginning of the truth.

  “Why didn’t she use a safe word?”

  He swipes his hand over his forehead and then rubs at his temples. “I don’t know, Skye, but I wish she had.”

  Chapter Three

  I know nothing more now than I did before.

  Except that Braden regrets what happened between Addie and him. Whatever caused their breakup.

  And I need to know what it is.

  “I’m done talking about this, Skye,” he says abruptly, the regret in his eyes morphing into his normal stoic look.

  “But I—”

  “I said I’m done. What’s in the past has nothing to do with the present. With you and me. I love you, Skye, but I have my limits.”

  I warm at his admission of love. I never doubted it, but I love hearing it. Sometimes he is a little stingy with the words.

  “I love you, too,” I say.

  “Good.” He grips my shoulders. “I ought to take you violently, right here in the office. I ought to make you scream so loudly that my employees think I’m torturing you in here.”

  I inhale sharply. Why is this turning me on so much?

  I want it. I want it all. I want his lips on mine, his hands on my body, his cock inside my pussy, pounding, pounding, pounding…

  But he loosens his grip. “That’s not who I am, Skye. I like having control in the bedroom. I like taking women to their limits. And yes, sometimes that involves some violence. But only with consent.”

  “I…give you my consent, Braden. Take me. Take me now, as violently as you want to.”

  “Don’t think I don’t want to. I’m hard as a fucking rock, but I will never take you in anger.”

  “But…you’ve been angry with me before, and we’ve—”

  “Never this fucking angry, Skye. This isn’t you coming in and copping to stealing a piece of useless mail. This is you going behind my back. Trying to find out something that’s none of your business, that isn’t even me anymore. It’s you thinking I could do something…” He rubs both his hands over his forehead, his cheeks reddening.

  “But I don’t think it, Braden. I just want the truth.”

  “Then we have nothing more to discuss. Until you let this go, we don’t have a future. Just goes to show you that I was initially right. I shouldn’t do relationships.”

  My heart thunders. It drowns everything out until all I hear is its beat—the rapid roar that makes my soul shudder. I don’t move.

  I don’t speak.

  “Why are you standing there?” he asks. “There’s nothing more to discuss, and I have work to do.”

  “What if I refuse to leave?”

  The blue of his irises darkens. He can make me leave. I know this. He can easily call security or, for that matter, he can toss me over one shoulder and get rid of me himself. The thought of that happening shouldn’t turn me on, but God, it does.

  Silence penetrates the room. He doesn’t move. Neither do I.

  Stalemate?

  Neither of us will give up control—until he stalks toward me, grabs my shoulders, and crushes his lips to mine.

  My lips are already parted, and his tongue darts into my mouth. The kiss is raw and frantic. Raw and frantic and yes, angry. Anger exudes from Braden. Exudes from him and into the kiss.

  My nipples press against his chest, and my whole body throbs in time with my heart. I’m wet. Wet and ready.

  Then he rips his mouth from mine. “Fuck it,” he says. “Take off your shirt, Skye. Take off your shirt and sit down in my chair.”

  I inhale a sharp breath and walk to his chair on wobbly legs. I unbutton my shirt, trying to go slowly but moving quickly because I can’t wait for whatever he has planned. He didn’t ask for my bra, but I remove it anyway and toss it onto the floor. My breasts are already warm and rosy, and they fall against my chest.

  Braden sucks in a breath. “Damn, Skye, you have the most beautiful tits in the free world.”

  He unbuckles his belt, unzips his pants, and pulls out his beautiful, hard cock. “I’m going to fuck those tits, Skye. I want to come all over your chest and give you a goddamned pearl necklace.”

  He walks toward me and slides his dick up between my breasts. It’s hot, so hot, and when the head of his erection comes toward my lips, I stick out my tongue and lick the tip.

  “Fuck,” he says. He pulls his dick back down and then slides it upward once more. “Crush your tits together, Skye. Crush your tits together and play with your nipples while I fuck them.”

  I’m wet now. So wet. As lovely as his dick feels between my breasts, I want him in my pussy. I need him in my pussy.

  But I’m wearing jeans. Jeans and shoes and socks.
/>   If only I’d taken all my clothes off and not just my shirt and bra.

  He continues to slide his dick between my breasts, and I continue to flick my tongue over the tip with each thrust.

  Then he thrusts upward harder, sliding the head of his cock between my lips. Now he’s fucking my mouth, and oh my God, I want him even more than ever. I need him inside me. But I can’t tell him because my mouth is full of his cock.

  Thankfully, he seems to have the same idea. He takes his dick out of my mouth and pulls me up by my shoulders.

  “Your jeans, Skye. Get those fucking jeans off. Now.”

  I glance toward the door. Is it locked? Hell, I don’t care. I need Braden inside me, and I need him now.

  Quickly I get rid of my offending shoes, socks, and jeans. He flips me around. “Put one knee up on the chair, Skye.”

  I obey, and swiftly he thrusts his cock inside me.

  I let out a slow groan. Everything. Everything and nothing all at once. Braden inside me is all I need right now, and I want him closer. I look over my shoulder and grab his tie, yanking him down toward me. I thrust my tongue between his lips. He fucks me as we kiss, groaning into my mouth.

  My boobs dangle, slapping against my naked chest. He breaks the kiss then and grabs both of my tits, squeezing each nipple.

  I’m so ready. But I need him to touch my clit.

  Wait! I have two hands. I only need one to hold my weight on the chair. I reach downward to my vulva—

  “No!”

  I freeze. My body still throbs; my nipples still long for him to touch them.

  “You don’t get to come today,” Braden says.

  I bite my lower lip, moving my hand down again.

  “I said no.” He grabs both of my hands behind me, holding them in one of his, and then he loosens his burgundy tie and takes it off his neck. He quickly binds my wrists together behind my back. “When I say no, Skye, I mean no.”

  “You also said you wouldn’t take me in anger.”

  For that comment, I get a swift smack on one butt cheek. The stinging warmth radiates to my pussy, making my clit throb even harder. Then he shoves his cock into me once more.

  Every thrust makes me hotter. Every time he nips at my neck, I want more and more to jump off the peak. But I’m climbing, climbing, climbing…

  He’s still angry. I can feel it in the way he sinks into me. He doesn’t play with my nipples anymore. He just fucks me.

  “Damn it, Skye,” he says, his voice low in my ear. “Damn what you do to me.”

  I let out a soft moan.

  “Do you know how much I want to eat you right now? Eat all that cream out of you and suck on your clit until you come all over my face? Do you think it’s any fun for me not to let you come? Do you?” He slaps my ass again. “Answer me. Damn it, answer me!”

  “I… I…”

  His hand comes down on my ass again.

  I’m so close. So damned close, but I won’t come. I can’t. Not until he lets me.

  He controls my orgasms. I never had one until him, and now he controls them all.

  “Please, Braden. Please let me come.”

  As if in answer, he gives me one last hard thrust, and I feel him releasing inside my walls.

  “I fucking love you, Skye. I shouldn’t, but I do.”

  He stays embedded inside me for a timeless moment. When he finally withdraws, he pushes a handkerchief into my hand. After I clean myself, I turn around, naked, and meet his gaze.

  “That will be all,” he says simply. “I had to have you once more.”

  “Are you kicking me out of your office?” I swallow as my heart drops. “Or out of your life?”

  “Both.”

  Invisible fists crush my heart. I didn’t think this through. In my need to know the truth—in my need to control—I exhibited an utter lack of control.

  Braden walks back to his desk.

  “I love you,” I say.

  “I love you, too.” He clears his throat. “Love is nothing without trust, Skye.”

  I shudder, nodding. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I do trust you, Braden. I wouldn’t have gone as far as I have without trust. Please, I don’t want to lose what we have.”

  He says nothing.

  Nothing.

  The clock ticks.

  Has he changed his mind? Will he give me another chance?

  Finally—

  “Then be at my place this evening, as scheduled. Christopher will pick you up at six thirty.”

  I nod. “Okay.”

  “And Skye?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Be ready for anything.”

  Chapter Four

  Be ready for anything.

  I leave Braden’s office quietly and murmur a quick apology to his assistant.

  My heart races as I return to my apartment. I haven’t checked my Instagram in hours, and that’s unlike me, since I’m a new influencer and I need to gain followers daily. The news from Betsy completely unraveled me. Quickly, I respond to several comments, make a few deletions, and then check my email. Nothing that needs my immediate attention, thank God.

  I have a few hours until I’m due at Braden’s place. He’s justifiably angry with me, and truth be told, I’m pretty damned angry with myself. Addison is a liar. Why did I even consider for one moment taking her word over the man I love? So he ended their relationship abruptly. So what?

  I’ll make this up to him. But how?

  Search engines call out to me. But no, I will not spend the afternoon trying to uncover information on Braden and Addison. I haven’t possibly left any stones unturned at this point.

  I leave the apartment quickly. Without knowing where I’m going, I end up at Crystal’s Closet, a local lingerie boutique. Strange. I hardly ever venture into this kind of shop. But here I am, so I browse.

  And I browse.

  Not for a minute do I think sexy lingerie will make up for what I did to Braden this afternoon, but maybe it will be a good start.

  “May I help you find something?” a salesclerk asks.

  “No, thank you.”

  “Okay, just let me know if you need anything.” She smiles.

  I return her smile and then, “Actually, maybe I do need some help, but it’s kind of embarrassing.”

  “No need to be embarrassed. What can I help you with?”

  “Something…submissive.”

  “We have some lovely leather bustiers near the back. Would you like to take a look?”

  Warmth creeps into my cheeks. “Yes, please.”

  I follow the clerk to the back of the store. Not only are there leather bustiers but fishnet stockings, stiletto platform heels, and an array of toys.

  Braden has his own toys, and I can’t even begin to presume whether he would like any of these. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t do his shopping at Crystal’s Closet.

  “We have some leather thongs, but I personally think a black lace thong goes better with one of these bustiers.”

  “I’m thinking maybe…” My cheeks are warming again. “I’m thinking maybe no thong at all.”

  “Good idea,” she says with another smile. “I don’t think most significant others would complain. What’s your bra size?”

  “Thirty-six C.”

  She grabs a bustier from the rack. “Try this one. I think it will flatter your figure.”

  I take the garment and head into a dressing room. I look around. Hidden cameras, anyone? I wouldn’t be surprised. The stuff isn’t cheap. I have my money from Susanne Cosmetics, but am I being ridiculous, contemplating spending some of it on a two-hundred-dollar leather bustier?

  Will Braden even appreciate it? He likes toys, yes, but what if he decides to rip this off me like he ripped my dress?

  Of course, he also
replaced the dress.

  I remove my blouse and bra and stare at myself in the mirror. The bustier is not a corset. I don’t need help pulling strings. It has some subtle elastic to help it conform to most figures. I wrap it around myself and snap the hooks together in front. It takes me a moment to look in the mirror.

  When I finally ease my eyes onto my reflection, they widen.

  This is sexy. Really sexy.

  I always have good cleavage, but this is better than the best push-up bra. The sides conform to my curves, leading to my mid-rise jeans but leaving about an inch of flesh visible.

  “How’s it going in there?” the salesgirl asks.

  “Good,” I say. “I’m going to take this one. It’s perfect.”

  “Awesome. Do you want me to bring anything else to the dressing room?”

  Fishnet stockings cross my mind. And the platform stilettos. But as I gaze again at my reflection, I realize I’ll look a lot sexier in this bustier with jeans than I will tripping across the carpet in fishnets and stilettos.

  “No, I think this will be all for today.”

  “Perfect. Just meet me at the cash register.”

  I stare at my reflection for a few more seconds. Two hundred dollars is a lot of money for a garment I’ll probably never wear in public. I contemplate calling Tessa, but I already know what she’ll say.

  Let your hair down, Skye. Have some fun.

  I smile at myself.

  Then I follow Tessa’s advice literally. I pull my hair out of its ponytail, shake my head, and let it fall over my shoulders.

  Yeah, this is fucking hot.

  I can’t wait to show Braden.

  …

  Back at my apartment, I can’t resist. I don the bustier once more and then check my makeup, touching up my Susanne Cherry Russet lip stain. Crystal’s Closet hasn’t offered me any money to promote their products, but why not? Originally I thought I wouldn’t wear this in public, but the coverage is adequate. Luckily, my arms are long enough to get a great shot that includes the one-inch sliver of exposed flesh between the leather and denim of my jeans. I quickly compose a post.

  Check out my new purchase from @crystalsclosetboston. #sexybustier #crystalscloset #susannecherryrusset

  In less than ten minutes, I’m inundated with responses.