Follow Me Darkly (Follow Me #1) - Helen Hardt Page 0,91

flesh. Whether it’s from the memory of the clamps or the apprehension about what’s to come, I’m not sure.

“What kind of tastes?”

“He likes to dominate in the bedroom.”

Relief sweeps through me. “I know that.”

“You do?”

“I’ve been with him a couple of weeks now. How can I not know that?”

“And you’re okay with it?”

“He’s respectful, so yes, I’m okay with it.” More than okay, actually, but Betsy doesn’t need to know that.

She nods. “Good. I’m glad to hear you say that.”

“Was he not respectful with Addie?”

“I honestly don’t really know. Turned out that Addie was a natural submissive and pretty much let him do whatever he wanted to her. She never used the safe word.”

“She had a safe word?”

“Yeah. Don’t you?”

“No. I guess I never thought I needed one.”

“Maybe you don’t. Addie definitely did. She got into the submission role—”

“Wait. Is Addison still like this? Submissive? Because I’ve sure never seen it.”

“I have no idea, but unless you’ve been in the bedroom with her, you really wouldn’t know.”

“Okay. I just got a visual I didn’t want. Go on.”

“They tried a lot of things, and Addie was always game for more. She used to tell me all about it, and I admit I was transfixed by her stories. They did some kinky stuff, and she was happy to let him do whatever he wanted.”

“Like what?” I ask, not sure at all that I truly want to know.

“It started innocently, with just a little bit of bondage.”

I flash back to the time Braden tied my wrists with his silk necktie. That seemed innocent enough at the time. Then he bound me with rope to his headboard. Innocent? Maybe…

A little bit of bondage.

“Addie liked it, wanted more. They were both young and inexperienced, and they went places neither of them was ready for.”

“What kind of places?” I swallow audibly.

“I’m not sure, but Addie was shaken after something they did.”

“Was she hurt?”

Part of me doesn’t want to know. Part of me doesn’t want to even entertain the notion that the man I’ve lost my heart to—the man who rescues puppies—is capable of harm to another human being, even if it is Addison Ames, a woman who seems determined to become my nemesis.

“No,” Betsy says, “but she was never the same afterward. And then…”

Silence for a few seconds, until I can no longer bear it.

“What? And then what?”

“Oh my God… I hate having to tell you this.”

“What? Just tell me, Betsy, for God’s sake. Don’t leave me hanging. What?”

“When she refused to get kinky with him again”—Betsy closes her eyes, pauses, and then opens them—“he dumped her cold and broke her heart. She was never the same. It took her forever to rebuild her confidence—not until her Instagram took off, really.”

Addie lost her confidence? Seems out of character for her. Except…she seems threatened by my new following, which is no danger at all to her. But I’m gaining my following because of Braden…

Is it all related somehow? I frown, not sure what to say.

Betsy pauses a moment and then goes on. “He likes his sex dark, Skye. Depraved.”

Dark, yes. I know this well. But depraved? Braden? He’s never seemed morally corrupt to me. I clear my throat. “Go on.”

Betsy wrinkles her forehead. Is she surprised at my reaction? Or disappointed. “He’s relentless,” she continues. “He’ll push and push until you finally let him do anything he wants. Then he breaks you. It’s a game to him.”

I maintain my composure as best I can. “Are you sure?”

She nods aggressively. “Yes. He makes women think he cares for them, takes what he wants, and then he’s gone.”

She’s far too excited about this. Maybe not excited so much as anxious. Frightened. For me.

Of course, Betsy got this information from Addie. And no one knows how well Addie plays to her audience better than I do. This could easily be Addie seeing herself as a woman scorned, trying to badmouth the man she loved who didn’t love her back.

Still, Braden won’t talk to me about this part of his past, so I have no point of reference. How far did he and Addie go? I’m not naive. Braden has a very dark side—a side I’m extremely attracted to. He’s told me some of his desires but not all of them. I know he wants more.

How much more?

How far will he push me?

And why am I trembling with excitement at the thought?

Betsy sighs and leans forward. “Look. Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay? This isn’t just some sexy fantasy. Braden Black is dangerous.”

My phone vibrates in my pocket. Without thinking, I pull it out.

It’s a text from Braden. My skin numbs, and the anticipation I felt earlier morphs into an apprehension that both inflames me and petrifies me.

Everything’s ready for tonight. Are you?

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Acknowledgments

I first met Liz Pelletier over a decade ago through Colorado Romance Writers. I had published a few books and had earned a couple bucks, and Entangled was only a seed in Liz’s entrepreneurial mind. We chatted at meetings and partied at conferences. (What happens at conferences stays at conferences!) I kept writing, and Liz founded Entangled a year or so later.

Fast forward ten years. I attended one of Liz’s workshops and we got to talking. A few weeks later, Follow Me Darkly was born.

We’ve come a long way, baby! Thank you so much, Liz, for your confidence in me and my work, for your friendship and guidance, and of course for your brilliant editorial eye. It’s been a blast!

Thanks also to the rest of the Entangled crew. Stacy Abrams, you know how to use a semicolon correctly, and I’m devoted to you for that reason alone but also for your eagle eye as a copy editor. Heather, Jessica, Katie, and Curtis—thanks so much for your contributions to this project. And Bree Archer…this cover art—so dazzling and provocative! Perfection!

Thanks to the women and men of my reader group, Hardt and Soul. Your endless and unwavering support keeps me going.

To my family and friends, thank you for your encouragement.

Thank you most of all to my readers. Without you, none of this would be possible.

I truly hope you loved Follow Me Darkly. Braden and Skye will return soon!

About the Author

#1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Helen Hardt’s passion for the written word began with the books her mother read to her at bedtime. She wrote her first story at age six and hasn’t stopped since. In addition to being an award winning author of romantic fiction, she’s a mother, an attorney, a black belt in tae kwon do, a grammar geek, an appreciator of fine red wine, and a lover of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. She writes from her home in Colorado, where she lives with her family.

helenhardt.com

Skye and Braden’s story continues!

Be sure to preorder Follow Me Under, available January 26th, 2021.