Page 27 of Ends of Being

It was not without some sense of relief that I felt Dare’s presence when he drew close to me. If he wanted to keep it more of a secret, he should’ve taken my sense of smell along with my other senses. Taking my voice from me is more a relief than an upset. It gives me some freedom to willfully experiment with what I’m willing to accept from him. If I had my voice, I would feel required to verbally spar with him, to challenge him and force him to break free from the chains of his normal restraint and go full feral beast on me.

I wasn’t even sure how I was going to react to having him near me until he pressed his face into my neck and inhaled, long and deep, drawing a shiver from my body.

Honestly, even though I’ve been attracted to him over the years, this was the first time I truly could accept how deep my attraction ran. All the guy had to do was smell me, and I was panting after him like a dog in heat. It’s almost embarrassing, but I get to hide behind a blindfold and a ball gag.

When he first removed the headphones from my ears, the sudden hush disoriented me to where I felt like I was going to panic. It was his whispered voice in my ear that centered me back down to reality and allowed me to get my bearings. Even in a situation where he literally had me tied up and at his mercy, he still gave me reassurance that the situation was not out of my control.

At first, I was startled and unsure how to even take it. But then, when he provided me with a tool to use as a red light, I allowed myself to relax more into the scene. I’m not the type of woman who allows herself much leeway in taking a chance in a potentially emotionally lethal situation, but in this case, with neither sight nor voice, I gave myself a free pass to explore.

Of course, I gave myself this permission with no idea how far I would allow it to go or how far he would push it. As much as I’ve always wanted to relinquish control to another person, I’ve never had an opportunity where it felt safe for me. And as much as Dare has thrown me for a fucking loop in the last week, for some odd reason, I do hold a certain amount of trust in him. I have no idea why or how, and I should probably question it a little more deeply than I have, but for now, I’m going to let it go.

Consequences be damned.

Now, I’m barely managing to stay on my feet after he licked, sucked, and bit me, then squeezed, pinched, and fondled all over my body. My biggest concern is being torn between my need to be eaten alive by him and my fear of him eating me alive. Since, at the end of the day, which is more detrimental to our overall well-being? Need or fear?

I could feel him starting to lose control. He was holding it together famously until he realized I “forgot” to wear undergarments. The corset top doesn’t require a bra, and underwear interferes with the shape of the skirt, so I left it at thigh-high stockings and called it good.

Then, when he dipped the tips of his fingers down around my ass cheek to brush against the very edge of my pussy, his entire body seized up, and I was happy that the gag in my mouth prevented me from outright begging.

Not that I’m above begging in the right situation, but it feels too early for me to be begging Dare to fuck me senseless, and I do have my reputation as a sassy, bad bitch to protect.

Dare remains motionless for a few moments, then wraps his arms tightly around me, once again pressing his face into my neck and inhaling deeply. I can feel a slight tremor in his body, and when he quietly asks me to settle, I do so. Though, I’m not entirely sure why, considering I normally go to great lengths to wind him up.

Instead, I allow myself to lean into him fully, turning my face toward him, breathing him in as he runs his nose along my neck. I feel his arms loosen, so I do my best to stand upright on my own two feet. Then he releases me, and I feel his hands pulling off the blindfold. When I feel the fabric release and the rush of cool air over my skin, I don’t immediately open my eyes. Part of me wishes he would put it back, that we could just leave me silent in the darkness indefinitely, but I know that can’t happen.

Slowly, I open my eyes, immediately drawn to his dark golden gaze that’s seemingly staring right into the very heart of me. He doesn’t say anything, just leans his forehead against mine and continues to stare into my eyes searchingly.

I’m so lost in his gaze that I miss the ruckus at the door behind him until suddenly, his eyes glint with anger, and he turns to glare over his shoulder and shout, “Get the fuck out!”

I glance over his shoulder, a sheepish-looking Chief Shields standing with his back mostly to us, his hands up in surrender as he says, “No can do, Darius. We’re out of time; we need to go now.”

Dare growls in his throat, his eyes swinging back to me as he says, “Sorry to cut it short, baby girl, but you heard the man.”

He’s already reaching for the restraints, carefully releasing my wrists, and placing my hands on his shoulders as he kneels down and releases my ankles. He stands up, pulling his suit jacket off and helping me put it on to cover my ruined dress. He helps me to move my limbs as I adjust to standing normally again.

The entire time, his eyes are locked with mine, and I can see the hunger and regret in his gaze as he asks, “Are you okay? Can you walk on your own?”

I nod my head. I’m shaky and thankful for my footwear choice, but certainly capable of walking on my own, even if I would prefer that he toss me over his shoulder and march me somewhere quiet, with fewer interruptions to get in our way.

He levels his gaze at me again, squinting as he says, “Are you going to give Tony a hard time for helping me set this up?”

I frown, then shrug. I’m not going to make any promises one way or another on that fucker Tony right now.

Dare curses under his breath, rubbing his hand over his face as he turns to Chief Shields. “You better go with her in case she decides to fuck around with Tony.”

He turns back to me, pulling me in close and pressing his lips against my cheek right below the corner of my eye, then nuzzles my ear, whispering, “I don’t want this to end here tonight, but I have some complications that require my immediate attention.” He pauses, biting my earlobe before continuing, “Behave, and you’ll be greatly rewarded.”

Then he turns on his heel and disappears out the door without a backward glance.

I’m definitely getting a bit sick of him playing the cool, calm disappearing act, but there isn’t much I can do about it right now, anyway. I roll my eyes, huffing to myself behind this stupid gag that he intentionally did not remove before he left.

I attempt to raise my hands to remove it, but my numb fingers won’t cooperate, so I look at Chief Shields expectantly, pointing to the ball gag and miming a question. He chuckles, walks over and helps to unbuckle it. My jaw is tight, and it’s almost painful when I first force my jaw closed, and I give it a few good chomps before it starts to loosen up.

Chief Shields is watching me suspiciously. As much as I want to give him a hard time, I realize I have no idea at all what’s going on. Intentionally sabotaging his orders to secure me—whatever the fuck that even means—would be incredibly stupid. I’m a general pain in the ass, but I do have a healthy sense of self-preservation when the need arises. Well, sometimes…

I motion toward the door. “By all means, Chief Shields, lead the way.”

He hesitates for a moment, his suspicious gaze never leaving mine. After a few beats, he walks over to the door, opening it and peering out into the hallway before motioning for me to follow him.

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