The Scandal : A BBW ALPHA MALE BWWM ROMANCE Read online

  “I don’t know, Indi. I think you need to go and do you. Let your hair down a bit,” Maeve said.

  “You don’t think I can do that with you?”

  “I think you need to find your way.”

  “Find my way?”

  “You’ve always been so prim and proper, Indi. You’ve always followed the rules and just did the good girl thing. I don’t know if I’m going to be a good impression for you on vacation anymore.”

  “You say that like you’ve changed, Maeve.”

  A smirk lifted her lips, and a spark of compassion flashed in her eyes as though she knew something that I didn’t.

  “I have. And I’m not so sure that my walk on the wild side is something you need to be exposed to.”

  “Puleeeezz,” I begged, sticking my lips out and folding my hands together.

  I didn’t want the trip to go to waste, and Keith had paid for it. I still held the tickets, so I wasn’t worried about him using them to take that bitch on a free trip. In my mind, I might as well enjoy them.

  Maeve chewed on her bottom lip and looked at me with concern etched on her face.

  My mind ran through a list of possibilities of people that I could take if I had the opportunity. I didn’t want anyone else with me, but Maeve.

  We’d been best friends since high school, and she knew me in ways others didn’t. If I felt the need to break down and cry, she would be all good for it. If I started dancing, she’d be right there with me. Whatever I needed, Maeve would be that.

  “What time does our flight leave?” she asked with a mischievous smile.

  I squealed and jumped up and down on the bed, clapping my hands.

  CHAPTER 3 – INDIGO (2 MONTHS LATER)

  Whereas most people looked forward to Wednesdays for hump day, I’d looked forward to it because it was the beginning of a long weekend. I had taken Thursday through Tuesday off, and I knew it would be just what the doctor ordered. I had no plans other than to relax. Or at least, I thought I didn’t until my doorbell rang an hour after I’d returned from work.

  Peering out the peephole, I screamed and unlocked the door.

  “What the hell!”

  “I told you I’d be back to see you soon,” Maeve said, pushing her way through my door with her bags in tow.

  The last time I’d seen her was the week of the fourth of July when we’d parted ways after our Curaçao vacation. We’d spent our time on the beach sipping tropical drinks, flirting, swimming, and sleeping.

  Maeve had been pretty chill that week, determining. She decided that I didn’t need too much excitement but time to mourn a failed seven-year-relationship properly; if that’s what you could call a week in Curaçao.

  “So, what? No photoshoots?”

  “Girl!” she said, dropping on the couch. “I just finished fucking Fashion Week in New York! I need a vacation after that shit.”

  Maeve was everything that I was not. We’d always been a study in opposites, but that’s what balanced us out so well. She was chipper and charming, and I was serious and straight to the point, no chaser. Her laughter came easily, and mine was reserved for meaningful moments.

  Maeve exuded a delicate nature, but she was strong and hard on the inside, able to withstand the most brutal attacks. I, on the other hand, radiated strength and confidence, but inside I was easily broken.

  Our differences didn’t stop with our physical characteristics. Whereas I’d always been heavyset, then thick with curves, and now super thiccc but shapely, Maeve was thin and toned.Whereas I’d always been heavyset, then thick with curves, and now super thiccc but shapely, Maeve was curvy but thin and toned.

  My espresso color that I’d learned to love somewhere in my teens as I began to embrace my extra dose of melanin was several shades, but no less beautiful than Maeve’s glamourous pecan brown color with its warm buttery undertones and golden yellow highlights.

  As a teen, she’d always worn her hair in a long French braid or a ponytail. Now she wore it as a straight sheet of silk down her back with a part in the middle. I’d finally learned to tame my thick curly but frizzy hair into a mass of wild curls that stopped just underneath my shoulder blades.

  Despite our differences, Maeve was the closest thing I’d had to a sister, and we loved one another unconditionally.

  “But you love what you do,” I said, smiling at her.

  “I do. Pretty cool digs you’ve got here,” she said, looking around as she relaxed with her arms splayed over the back of the couch and her long legs crossed at the ankles.

  “Yeah, when I got back from Curaçao, it was the first thing I did. Mama and Daddy tried so hard to keep me at home with them, but that lasted two weeks before I almost went insane. The smothering, the overprotectiveness, and the worry about Keith’s ass getting whooped.”

  “They were scared you were going to return and go off on him or something?”

  “Huh? Girl, please. Mama and I were worried that Daddy was going to go over there and kick Keith’s ass.”

  Maeve laughed loudly. “I can sooo see that!”

  “Daddy’s all ‘I’m gonna give him these hands,’ and Mama’s all ‘Robert, you need to calm down before your blood pressure gets up.’”

  Maeve laughed again. “And you’re like I gotta get the fuck outta here!”

  “Exactly!” I said, laughing.

  “How was it returning to work for the first time.”

  “A shit show like you’d expect,” I said, recalling my first day back at work. “You already know that I was placed on a one-week suspension for pulling that stunt. It didn’t start until after my vacation ended, but although I didn’t like it, it worked out for my good in the end. When I finally returned, she’d taken a couple of days off. But as soon as she came back, the shit started. She went to management claiming that she was scared and felt intimidated because I kept giving her ‘the eye.’”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, she was on some stupid shit. Then you have the petty asses instigating because they wanted to see a fight. I’d already been in a pissy mood for receiving a suspension for how I allowed that shit to go down on live TV. The producer felt I should have given her a warning, but then the executive was on my side and said they were lucky it didn’t turn into a fistfight. Lana overheard that conversation and swore everyone was out to get her.”

  “No, that bitch didn’t!”

  “Yeah, but I assured her if I wanted to kick her ass, nobody would keep me off her. I promised her that I wouldn’t sneak around, but she’d see me coming. Then I let her know that my pride and character means more to me than stooping so low as to fight over that asshole.”

  “People kill me doing their dirt and then not being woman enough to back that shit up at the end,” Maeve said.

  “Yeah...but anyway. How long are you in town for?” I said, wanting to turn the attention off me.

  Yes, I still had moments of breakdown when I cried over what was lost. Not my relationship or the man, but the self-esteem, the pride, and respect I’d lost in the process. Angry with myself for going down that slippery slope and not loving myself more than that.

  “However long it takes.”

  “What’re you talking about? How long what takes?” I asked, getting up from the recliner and heading to the kitchen to check on the casserole I had in the oven.

  “To get you back into the land of the living,” she said, right on my heels.

  I paused with my hand halfway to the oven door handle. “What?”

  “Not to throw anybody under the bus, but I’ve talked to your mom, Raven, and Amber, and all three of them insist you’ve shut down.”

  “Shut down? What’re they talking about? I’m working my ass off. When I got back, I had to get back into the groove of work and then look for this place, and I just got moved in four weeks ago tomorrow. I haven’t had time for anything.”

  Maeve propped her hip against the counter and twisted her lips. “Anytime, Indigo Briana.”

 
“I’m not bullshitting you,” I said, responding to her “anytime” comment. She’d started that back in our teens, saying that as a reference to say, I could stop bullshitting her at any time.

  Rolling her eyes, she said, “Yes, you are. You’re hiding out in this apartment moping over Keith’s sorry, no-good ass.”

  “Hah! That’s how much you know. I’m not moping over his ass. Haven’t been thinking about him,” I said, pulling the casserole from the oven.

  Maeve walked to the refrigerator and pulled it open, looking around inside.

  “I can’t believe he’s still fucking with her,” she said in a muffled voice.

  “No, they’re not. He broke it off with her the next day.”

  “I would’ve expected that he would’ve moved out of ya’ll’s apartment by now.”

  “He moved out last week,” I mumbled, checking the consistency of the casserole.

  Maeve walked up to me, eyeing me up and down before rolling her eyes and twisting her lips. Taking a swig of the water bottle, she walked by me and then said, “Mm-hmm, but your ass hasn’t been thinking about him.”

  Squeezing my eyes tight, I gripped the counter, crossing one foot on top of the other. I bit my bottom lip and inhaled and exhaled loudly. She’d gotten me.

  I walked right into that trap without seeing it somehow.

  “Okay, so I’ve checked in on a few things. I just wanted to see if either of their asses got justice,” I said, removing a bottle of wine and looking for the corkscrew.

  Maeve hopped onto a stool at the breakfast nook and crossed her arms on the counter.

  “That’s why I’m here.”

  “For what? I’m fine, Maeve.”

  “Are not. But you will by the time I leave.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’m here to break your ass in. This isn’t about to be the pity party they thought they were giving you. Neither of their asses is worth this version of you. If they thought they broke you, they both have another thought coming.”

  That statement didn’t bode well for me.

  CHAPTER 4 – INDIGO

  “What about kink?” Midnight asked.

  “Well, if by kink, you mean toys? Then yes. We often used blindfolds, feathers, handcuffs, butt plugs, nipple clamps, and things like that.”

  “What about candle wax, floggers?”

  “Uh, no, we didn’t go that deep.”

  “And who was the Dom? You or him?”

  Blushing, I replied, “I really can’t say either of us was. It was just something we tried out on each other.”

  “And you enjoyed it?”

  I giggled, glad that the cameras were off.

  “But of course, I did,” I said, finding my bravado.

  “And in this instance, why do you want to be the Domme?” There was no judgment in his deep, heavily accented voice.

  “Let’s just say that lately, my life has spiraled out of control. I feel as if everything else is pulling me in different directions, and I need something to feel in control of. Something to please me a little different than the norm.”

  “And him? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking? How does he feel about this?” Midnight asked.

  “I don’t mind you asking. And he...well, he doesn’t get to have any feelings about this. He’s no longer a factor in my life.”

  A soft chuckle was his only reply.

  ****

  “So, what did you think about him?” Maeve asked, pulling her feet up on the couch after I’d finished my Zoom conversation with Midnight.

  I sat beside her and opened the bottle of wine, pouring us both a glass.

  “First impression?”

  “Nothing less.”

  “Sexy as hell scares the shit out of me because he’s so serious. Umm...I love that thick accent. Italy?”

  “Yes, Bologna. He’s been here for the last eleven years, but that accent goes nowhere. He travels back home frequently, though. And second impression?”

  “He’s cool. We talked for about an hour, and he was genuinely interested in me. My thoughts and feelings and concerns. He wanted to know what pleases me, and I get the sense that he just wants me to be at ease.”

  “But of course he does. That’s his role as a Dom, but I must admit this is the first time he’s ever been willing to change places.”

  “Has he ever been your Dom before?”

  “No. Absolutely not, we’re just friends. But he’s a great guy, and when you told me what you were thinking of, I couldn’t think of a better person than him,” Maeve said before she sipped her wine.

  Last night we’d talked for a long time about how I could come out of this funk. When we started talking sex, and I mentioned things that sparked my interest, but I’d be scared to try, she jumped right in with suggestions.

  “Well, why not just let me go to your club and go through the process like everyone else does?”

  “Because you’re my best friend, and I know that the world of BDSM isn’t really for you.”

  “Heffa, how in the hell can you tell me what’s in my best interest or not?”

  “I didn’t say that it wasn’t in your best interest. I just said that it’s not for you. Indigo, give me some credit. I’ve known you since high school. And what I know is that the world of BDSM is not you. Maybe between you and a specific lover, yes. But getting as deep into it as I am or some of my friends? Mm-mm.”

  “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”

  “Okay. See how things go with Mister,” she said, referencing her friend I’d been talking to. “And after that, we’ll see if you still want a recommendation into the club.”

  “Fair enough,” I said, turning my lips down. “Oh, yeah, by the way, he’s no longer ‘Mister.’”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “He’s Midnight.”

  ****

  (1 Week Later)

  “Is it strange that I feel a connection to you already, and we haven’t met yet?” I asked.

  “Not at all. We’ve been talking on the phone for the last week almost every day. As I told you before, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make you comfortable and to know that when we do finally come together, you will be safe. That’s the most important thing to me pleasing you and making sure that you feel safe and comfortable in our protected environment.”

  “Midnight?”

  “Yes, Queen?”

  Every time he called me that it sent a thrill through my body. I began to imagine the things that I would have him do to me.

  “Have you ever...had a relationship outside of the BDSM with one of your subs?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “Never.”

  “Why? Is that against the rules or something?”

  “There are a lot of people in the community that you might recognize outside of the club because of the roles they hold in the public eye. Local celebrities, athletes, international celebrities.”

  I knew he was referencing Maeve and people like her.

  “Because you have chosen to wear a face mask, as have I, people respect that. We respect everyone’s right to be seen behind the club's walls but not to be acknowledged in public. Everyone doesn’t want their family, friends, or co-workers to know about this secret life. For me, getting involved with someone from the community would be too convoluted. There would be no way to bring them into my life and successfully blend them into my world. So, to protect my identity, I choose to wear a mask. To protect the relationship I have with friends and family, I choose to allow what happens behind those walls to stay there. We do not go any further than that.”

  “Okay. I just wanted to know.”

  “With that being said, Queen, I know that you feel as if we’ve known each other for a long time. I feel the connection, too. But use that pull when we come together. Let it be the thing that binds us in a powerful way beyond the consensual exchange of erotic power. I think the connection we’re buildin
g now will bridge the gap of us, not knowing one another beyond the phone. It will bridge the physical gap and allow us to be stronger and better than ever. I think it will heighten our pleasure and our pain. We just have to embrace the opportunity and the connection,” Midnight said.

  “I cannot wait.”

  “Me either. We’ve established our safe words, my Queen, and we know what things are non-negotiable as well as how far we’ll go. You said no bodily fluids.”

  “Hell yeah, I don’t want anyone pissing or shitting on me. That’s just...yeah, no.”

  “That’s fine. But keep in mind, my Queen, that the bodily fluids go beyond that. Remember I told you that I had a sub who enjoyed being cut and the thrill of me wielding the knife and holding that power in my hand...let’s just say, I’m getting an arousal just thinking about it.”

  “Well, I’m sorry if it displeases you, and if you change your mind, I get it. But that’s not something that I’m willing to do.”

  “Queen, I think you’re missing the point here. It wasn’t just about me holding the knife and pressing it against her body. It was the fact that me doing that to her thrilled her. It heightened her pleasure and desire, and I could smell the scent of the pheromones that she released. It was the fact that she trusted me with her life and submitted to my every desire. That was the turn-on for me. You’ll learn, my Queen. You’ll learn.”

  CHAPTER 5 – DANTE (1 Month Later)

  I took a sip of my Black Russian, eyeing the woman as she danced in front of me seductively. A smile hovered over her lips while she slithered up to me, straddling my lap and tossing her arms around my neck.

  My hand went to her back, holding her in place as she leaned backward, the tips of her blonde and brown hair brushed the floor beneath. She gyrated in place, grabbing one of my hands to place against her belly.

  I slid my hand across the smooth expanse of her belly while turning my drink up with the other hand for a sip.

  The woman slowly worked her way back up to sitting as she bounced up and down in my lap. Eyeing her, I gave her a wink and watched as she cupped her breasts together.