His Forbidden Submissive by Brandi Evans Page B

larger.
    “Damn, love.” He intercepted the cup before she could take a fourth scalding sip. “You’re gonna burn your mouth, if you haven’t already.”
    She didn’t respond when he took the drink from her, didn’t protest when he scooted closer. She simply sat there, looking as if he’d taken a wrecking ball and destroyed the foundation of her life. He recognized the turmoil roiling in her eyes. He’d experienced something life demolishing before too.
    The day his brother told him Viv had what was probably terminal cancer.
    He placed his hand on hers and took the opportunity to explain as much as he could. “I’m what we call a Dom, which is short for a Dominant. I—”
    “Stop. Stop. I can’t.” She shook her head, her voice as feeble and fragile as an autumn leaf. “Oh my god, Brock, I can’t believe this. There’s this whole other side to you you’ve kept hidden. I feel like I don’t even know you anymore.”
    “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t actively trying to be dishonest with you, but unfortunately, secrecy and the lifestyle go hand in hand.”
    “But you lied to me, Brock.” She brought her torrential gaze to meet his. “To me .”
    Her words were a branding iron to the heart. He’d kept his secret out of fear of rejection, never thinking that keeping it could have the same effect.
    She pushed on. “How could you fucking lie to me about something like this? I didn’t think we had any major secrets left between us.”
    Despite the harshness of her words, they resounded as little more than hoarse whispers. Guilt stabbed him in the center of his chest. He hadn’t thought of hiding his lifestyle from her as lying. He’d looked at it more as protection. She’d been in such a sickly state back then, and him…well, his heart had never been more raw or exposed.
    “I swear, Viv, I wasn’t purposely trying to hide that part of myself from you or to be dishonest. I’m not ashamed of the way I like to have sex.” He took a chance and pressed his palm against her cheek.
    She immediately pulled back. “Was this why you tried to push me away?”
    He nodded. “I panicked. I was terrified of how you’d react. I didn’t want you to run when you found out.” That was mostly the truth. “It was a stupid reaction. I know that. It’s just—”
    “You lied to me, Brock. Plain and simple. Just like your fucking brother.”
    Her words lashed deep through his chest. “I’m nothing like that prick.”
    But she wasn’t listening. She rocketed from her seat and ran.
    She didn’t look back.

Chapter Six
     
    Viv woke to an insistent pounding, a relentless, painful banging on her hotel room door. Wham, wham, wham. Obviously the “do not disturb” sign she’d hung on the knob last night meant nothing to the asshole in the hallway.
    “Go a way !” she yelled but immediately regretted her outburst. Pain reverberated in her head, as loud and palpable as the knocking at the door. Why the hell had she let herself drink so much last night?
    Try the last couple of days.
    She pulled the covers over her head, shielding her poor eyes from the annoyingly cheerful morning sun. Nearly two days had passed since she’d walked away from Brock at his restaurant, and even though she’d nearly gone through the alcoholic content of the hotel’s mini-fridge, she still felt as unhinged and unbalanced as she had the moment Brock had made his little confession.
    Little?
    Hmph.
    She still couldn’t get her mind around the fact Brock was into BDSM. She thought she’d known him better than she’d ever known anyone else, but he’d been harboring this huge secret. From her . What else was he hiding? Was he secretly married with a boatload of kids?
    Wham, wham, wham .
    She ignored the pounding.
    By not telling her earlier about his seedier side, Brock had essentially been lying to her, just like his brother had made a habit of doing.
    Wham, wham, wham.
    “Christ.” Giving up hope of being left alone in her hungover