Page 51 of Erotic Behavior (Observant Behaviors)

“Leo and Noah’s work for them wasn’t as clean as what I did.They are the kind of men who get things done… all sorts of things, if you know what I mean.”

“Wait, are you telling me Leo has killed people for these Dark Kings and he’s the person you sent to take care of Talia?”

“Yes, but you have to understand, Leo is the most loyal person I know.He would never hurt Talia because his instructions were to keep her safe.Besides, I get the feeling there is something more going on between the two of them than he is sharing right now.”

“Yeah, I kind of thought that, too.But Beckett, he’s dangerous.”

“Only if needed, and if he needed to kill to save Talia, then he would.That’s why he was the perfect person for the job.I don’t fuck around when it comes to those I love, Raven, and I knew as soon as I met you that when you became my wife, Talia would be part of our family, too.Sending Leo to protect her wasn’t the first time I’ve hired him to protect someone important to me.”

“Ashlee?”

“Yes, he’s gotten his hands dirty on more than one occasion, helping me keep my sister and William safe from her ex.”

I wasn’t sure what to say.My mind knew that this was all insane and I should be terrified that the man I planned to marry had connections with literal criminals, but for some reason my heart wouldn’t let me think that.Was it possible my love for him was making me weak?Unable to look out for myself?

“Raven, tell me what you’re thinking right now.”

“I’m not sure, really.I should hate everything you just told me but...but I don’t.”I sat there for a minute and watched as he reached for my hand and placed a kiss on the inside of my wrist.He wasn’t evil.His world was just vastly different from mine.“Is this why Cal is causing you problems?”

Beckett let out a deep breath.“No, that’s the other thing I need to tell you about.My connections with The Dark Kings will always be a part of who I am, but that portion of my life has been over for years.Dante has his own in-house council now and the Corsetti family has basically retired.That’s why Leo was free to work for me.I will know more about his future once we know Talia is safe.”

“So, what’s the other thing?”

A smile lit up his face that made me wonder what else he had been hiding.“This is one that I was sure you would hate when I first met you, but since our conversations the other day, I’m thinking you may be pleased.Remember when you were asking me about my fantasies and if I knew about kink clubs and things like that?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m hoping you got the impression that none of that was new to me.In fact, I am the owner of The Pendulum, the largest members-only kink club in New York City.It is the other business that I run outside of real estate, and it is the business that your ex-boyfriend has been pulling apart piece by piece.”

I pushed back from him and sat up in bed.“Wait, what?”

“I own a kink club, baby girl.Well, I guess soon it’s something you will own too.”

“Shut up!”

Beckett’s laughter made my smile even bigger.I was marrying the owner of The Pendulum.It was the only club I did any research on that day because it was the only one that seemed nice enough to interest me, and Beckett owned it.

“Holy shit.I can’t believe it.Okay, I guess I can, but really?How did you not tell me about this?”

“Baby girl, take a deep breath before you pass out,” he said as his laughter continued.“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know if you would freak out on me.You were a virgin, for goodness sake, and I didn’t want to have to introduce you to that world until I knew you would be comfortable with it.”

“But if it’s part of you, then it would have been important, right?I mean, from what I’ve learned, people don’t just turn off their kinks to be in a relationship.That’s not supposed to be healthy.”

“You are right, but think about it, think about us.I am a dominant that likes to service my sub.I prefer what is called a CGL or Care Giver Little relationship.Someone I can take care of, feed, hold, love, praise, and you allow me to do all of those things.You already understood my breeding kink, and you have agreed that you are okay with it.We’ve made progress in ways you didn’t even realize.”

“Hell, you’re right.I mean about me not realizing it.Don’t get me wrong, I kind of love all of it, but I didn’t know that’s what was going on.”

“It wasn’t intentional, these things just sort of come out in me.”

“What else is there?”

“Quite a lot, baby girl.I can’t wait to show you everything someday.”

“Can we go back to New York?I don’t think I want to wait until someday.I want to see the club.”

The Pendulum

Raven