Licorice Whips Read online

  Licorice Whips

  Bridget Midway

  Published by Phaze Books

  By Bridget Midway

  Adam and E-V-E

  C-A-I-N and A-B-L-E

  Walls

  Fascination Street

  Corporate Seduction

  Corporate Needs

  Corporate Desires

  Original Sin

  Love My Way

  Sodom and Gomorrah

  Suburbia

  This is an explicit and erotic novel

  intended for the enjoyment

  of adult readers. Please keep

  out of the hands of children.

  www.Phaze.com

  Licorice Whips

  Copyright © 2013 by Bridget Midway

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Edited by Kathryn Lively

  Cover Art © 2013 by Fiona Jayde

  First Edition October 2013

  eBook ISBN-13: 978-1-60659-760-6

  Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-60659-761-3

  Published by:

  Phaze Books

  An imprint of Celeritas Unlimited LLC

  6457 Glenway Ave., #109

  Cincinnati, OH 45211

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Celeritas Unlimited LLC, 6457 Glenway Avenue, #109, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211, [email protected].

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  Legal File Usage – Your Rights

  Payment of the download fee for this book grants the purchaser the right to download and read this file, and to maintain private backup copies of the file for the purchaser’s personal use only.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this or any copyrighted work is illegal. Authors are paid on a per-purchase basis. Any use of this file beyond the rights stated above constitutes theft of the author’s earnings. File sharing is an international crime, prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice Division of Cyber Crimes, in partnership with Interpol. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by seizure of computers, up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 per reported instance. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.

  Production by Celeritas Unlimited LLC

  Dedication

  First and foremost, thank you to the Bridget Midway readers who have been asking me to write a full-length BDSM novel since Corporate Needs. I sincerely hope Licorice Whips is worth the wait.

  To Yvette Hines, who with her million and one things going on (no exaggeration), she agreed to expand her story to a full-length novel and launch it at an in-person event we’re calling “Wrapped Up: A Corseted Event with Bridget Midway and Yvette Hines.” Thank you so much for being a great friend.

  To Dawn Carrington, former Whispers Publishing publisher, who had the idea of writing stories around a candy shop. Thanks for the inspiration and the support.

  Thank you to the Dan Reitz, Kathryn Lively, Skyla Dawn Cameron and the rest of the Phaze family who seemed like they moved Heaven and earth to get this novel ready and in print by the time of my event. Phaze rocks!

  A big thank-you to Mistress Dama de Noche, into and the whole Virginia Dommes and male submissives group in the Tidewater area of Virginia. As always, I hope I don’t let you down with anything I’ve written. You all inspire me more than you know.

  To The Jimmy, my soul mate and true love. Thank you for giving me my space and allowing me to write like a mad woman, which meant that sometimes you didn’t get dinner or get to go out to see a movie. I recognize your sacrifice to be with a writer. I am bound to you in more ways than one. I love you.

  Chapter One

  Sweet Hawkes stalked through the aisles of his Decadent Treats candy store, probably looking harder than he should considering the sweet treats he and his brother sold.

  Sweet’s brother, Masaun, had always told Sweet he needed to lighten up his heavy-handed attitude.

  “We own a candy shop, for God’s sake,” Masaun would say. “Act like you like it.”

  Sweet didn’t want to put on any fronts. Although he loved their business, he found very little to smile about lately. He had to stop mixing his personal drama into his professional successes. Just like he had to stop thinking that playing with someone in a dungeon meant that she would pledge her allegiance to him.

  Sweet would have to fill that empty pit inside himself with more work. He used to love seeing the initial reaction to anything: the first taste of a luscious treat, the first sexual encounter with a woman, the first gasp from experiencing the stinging tip of his whip. Those primary responses became his drug of choice.

  The sugary scent of candy wafted in the air. Aromas of cherry, grape, and chocolate tickled his nose and senses. To Sweet, it smelled like money...and power. No one would be able to understand that feeling but him.

  The rows and columns of candy reminded him of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and an amusement park all rolled in one. Light pop music played throughout the store.

  God bless Katy Perry and her candy outfits. Thanks to her, teenage girls bought large lollipops and cotton candy to make Halloween outfits to look like the pop princess. If people knew what he could do with his confections, they wouldn’t allow their children to step into the store again.

  The looks he got from many of the female patrons as he walked down the aisles didn’t escape his notice. He couldn’t forget that he and Masaun had a business to run. With enough work, he would eventually forget his past and last heartbreak.

  “Did you read the article about them?” a young woman whispered to her friend.

  Sweet pretended not to hear her, but from her low tone and suspicious glance in his direction, she managed to catch his attention.

  “He and his brother are part of that place down at the beach. You know. The Playground or The Schoolyard or something like that.”

  Unafraid of his association with the whispered establishment or the things he’d done in there, Sweet stopped, strolled over to the women with a scowl, and said, “The place is called The Dollhouse. It is a dungeon.” He split his attention between the two of them.

  The two women stared at him with their mouths gaped open. The one with curly strawberry blonde hair seemed frozen in her spot. While the other, an African-American woman in a matronly flowered dress that seemed to conflict with her youthful face, covered her mouth and split her attention between her mouthy friend and Sweet.

  “If either of you want to know what really happens behind that red door, I’d be more than happy to take you there.” Sweet stared at the two women. “What? No takers?” He tsked. “My loss.”

  He continued toward the office, which sat behind the kitchen area. Ever since the news broke about Masaun, his district attorney fiancée, and Sweet’s involvement in BDSM, the whispers started around him. Although he didn’t care for the clucking tongues, he wanted to control his public image.

  He’d been begging Masaun for years to come clean about their proclivities. Masaun being Masaun, the safe, by-the-book one,
wanted to keep that part of their lives quiet.

  “No one needs to know about our private lives,” Masaun used to say.

  Now it seemed everyone knew. To Sweet’s surprise, the news had increased their business. Sweet assumed people came there now to ogle at the freak brothers. The thought of that boiled his blood.

  Sweet glanced down at a row of chocolates in the front case. Before he could even weaken himself to reach for one of the pieces to ease his nerves, he continued to the kitchen area. Baking relaxed him. Playing at The Dollhouse used to take away his frustrations.

  Before stopping at the kitchen, Sweet continued to the office. As he opened the door, he said, “Hey, we could use a hand out here.”

  Sweet caught Masaun sitting behind his desk with Masaun’s fiancée on his lap. Sweet had a feeling that had he come just five minutes later, he would have seen a lot more than just his brother with his hand up Kindle Langston’s top.

  “Whoa!” Sweet turned his back on the scene, not to give them privacy. He didn’t want them to see the anger on his face.

  Sweet never thought that his business-minded, square older brother would be this risqué. Had Sweet been caught doing the exact same thing, Masaun would have never let him live it down.

  “Hell, don’t you knock?” Masaun damn near growled the question.

  “At my own business in my office? No.” Sweet turned around and walked inside.

  At this point, Kindle had her shirt tucked back into her skirt. Her coffee-colored smooth skin hid her obvious embarrassment. Her panting breath couldn’t disguise the steamy activity that had occurred just moments before.

  “How are you doing, Kindle?” Sweet kissed her cheek.

  “Fine. I was just–”

  Sweet held up his hand. “No explanation necessary. I get it.” He split his attention between her and his brother. “Young love.” He stared at his brother. “Well, maybe young-ish love.”

  Masaun picked up a notepad and threw it at Sweet. Expecting the reaction, Sweet managed to catch the bound pad of paper and toss it back to his brother.

  “I’m just going to freshen up a little before I go back to the office. I still have so much stuff to pack up before my last day.” Kindle kissed Masaun.

  Sweet felt a ripple tickle the back of his neck when he saw the expression. Although he loved that his brother found happiness with a woman who matched him in every way, Sweet knew a relationship like that wouldn’t work for him. Nothing lasted beyond the spark.

  Kindle ducked into their private bathroom and closed the door. As soon as the latch clicked, Masaun wasted no time in lighting into Sweet.

  “You know with me and Kindle together, some things are going to have to change around here.” Masaun ran his fingers through his dark, wavy hair.

  “You’re right. I think you should have more sex in the office.”

  The glare from his brother’s green eyes didn’t scare Sweet. Although he had a darker side, Masaun looked too conservative to be considered menacing. The illusion definitely helped him in the BDSM world.

  Sweet sat on the couch next to the desk. “By the way, you need to put your dick in your pants before Connie or Hanson come in here.”

  “Asshole.” Masaun twirled the swivel chair so that his back faced Sweet.

  Sweet watched him squirming in his chair before he returned his attention to him.

  “You’re in here because you wanted something, right?”

  Sweet blinked. “I need a reason to come into the office? Last time I checked, I’m still part owner of this establishment.”

  Masaun released a long sigh. “Didn’t mean it that way. Usually you don’t come back to the office until the end of the day.”

  “So that means if I’m in here now, I must have something to say.” Sweet planted his feet on the floor and leaned forward so that his brother could see the full intent in his eyes. “It’s time for Decadent Treats to expand.”

  Masaun blinked. “Really? As in another location?”

  Sweet shook his head. “Not exactly. I mean delving into something that we really know about.” He wiped his hands over his jeans and took a breath before he continued speaking. “I’d say we open up a Decadent Treats Two and sell fetish toys and clothing.” As soon as Sweet saw his brother shaking his head, he continued to talk before he got shut down. “Our current location is good.”

  Masaun nodded. “Yeah. Plenty of parking. Close to the mall. Near restaurants so we get the patrons who want something different for dessert.”

  Sweet bit his tongue, knowing what Masaun wanted him to say. His brother wanted Sweet to thank him for finding the spot.

  Sweet gritted his teeth before continuing with his pre-planned speech. “I found a better spot in downtown Virginia Beach. Actually two side by side. I was thinking we get them both, close this location, and set up at the new place. Then we’ll use the other location to stock our toys. You know. The whips, chains, handcuffs, corsets.” Sweet felt tingles over his body. He loved sharing his ideas. This one would put their business on the map as the top candy and fetish shops in Virginia Beach.

  Masaun shook his head. “No.”

  Sweet’s heartbeat slowed but he tried to remain encouraged. “Why not? If it wasn’t for you, people would care less what we do on our spare time. Now we have customers whispering about us in the store. People know. So why not profit from it?”

  His brother leaned back in the swivel chair. “That’s not fair. How everything got revealed was an accident. Kindle and I didn’t plan for our–”

  Sweet cut him off. “It doesn’t matter how it got out. The fact of the matter is that it is out. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops for years.”

  “I know. That’s the impetuous side of you that I so enjoy.”

  “We’re Doms, for Christ’s sake. We should be masters of our own destinies. Nothing should happen by mistake. We should have said something first.” Sweet sat up taller.

  “It didn’t happen that way. We had to improvise.”

  Sweet cleared his throat with a low growl. “I improvise all the time. It works during play.”

  Masaun shook his head. “Play? You haven’t done that in a while.”

  Sweet swallowed hard as he glared at Masaun. After releasing his last submissive, he had no desire to resume all of his Dom duties, a strange response considering how much he loved playing. He loved seeing the shocked expression on a submissive’s face as soon as he inflicted the first hit.

  Before Sweet could defend his actions, or lack thereof, Masaun continued. “Let’s finish talking about your plan.”

  “What I’m proposing would make sense. Have a Decadent Treats original and a Decadent Treats Two next door. The kids will get candy while mommy and daddy explore the strap-on aisle.”

  “There are several problems with your plan.” Masaun rested his hands on his stomach.

  Sweet glared at his brother. “What are those?”

  Masaun chuckled. “Are you serious? We’re doing fine here because we got in at a good time and our rates have been reasonable. We’re beyond profitable now. It wouldn’t be a great time to get rid of this place and get on the hook for not one but two new spots in a pricey area of the Beach.”

  Sweet’s eyebrows furrowed. “It would work if you would just see the bigger picture.”

  Masaun’s eyes widened. “If I saw the bigger picture? You’re kidding, right?” He gripped the end of the desk as he faced Sweet. “I’m the one crunching the numbers, making sure to check the prices on our suppliers and balancing the books. I’m seeing the big picture. I know if we continue at this rate, we’ll be an even bigger success than what we are now. You just have to stay the course and not be so quick to change scenery when the mood hits you. I offered to show you our numbers but you never want to see them.”

  “I’m busy at the front of the house. Since business is up, I’ve adjusted my schedule to work more during the day.” Sweet pointed to the store area. “When I’m not there, I’m in the kitc
hen creating more candies and chocolates for us to sell. Throw on top of that our time at The Dollhouse, my day is full.” Sweet raised his eyebrows to his brother who understood what the BDSM dungeon meant for the two of them.

  Masaun shook his head. “Don’t even mention that place like it matters to you anymore.”

  “What are you talking about? I’m there three or four nights a week.” Sweet felt his temperature rising. He balled his hands into fists, trying to contain his anger.

  “Yes, you are there. But when was the last time you threw a whip at someone? I think it was a couple of years ago when you were with–”

  “Don’t you mention her name.” Sweet’s heart thudded in his chest just thinking of Melinda and her pale skin that marked up so easily. “As far as I’m concerned, that was a clean break.”

  “Bullshit.” Masaun snickered. “Any other man would have gotten right back on the horse. You didn’t. Any other Dom would have played with a willing submissive or slave. You haven’t.”

  “At least I’m at The Dollhouse.”

  “Did I hear someone mention The Dollhouse?” Kindle, looking more like a commonwealth attorney now rather than a video vixen, sauntered out of the bathroom.

  She pulled her dark hair up into a sleek bun. The pink color of her silk blouse popped against her understated gray suit. As soon as her gaze fell on Masaun, she lit up like Las Vegas.

  Sweet loved seeing that initial glint of lust. Too bad the feeling never lasted...at least for him it didn’t.

  “Are you working late tonight?” Masaun asked Kindle.

  “Not if The Dollhouse is on the table.” She framed his face in her hands. “I’ll be sure to be home for that.” She planted a sensual kiss on his lips.

  When the kiss seemed to be leading to other wanton acts, Sweet cleared his throat. Kindle pulled back but kept her stare on her man. Masaun definitely trained her well.