Hidden Pleasures by Brenda Jackson Read Free Book Online

want one thing and one thing only. I’m prepared for them because personally, I want only one thing myself. I no longer have any grandiose ideas of settling down, marrying a man who is my soul mate, having babies and living happily ever after. All it takes is for me to watch divorce court on television to know it doesn’t work that way. At least not anymore and not for most people.”
    Brittany felt sad for her friend. When they were teenagers, Nikki had dreamed of a knight in shining armor.
    “What about you?” Nikki interrupted her thoughts by asking. “I remember you weren’t in a rush to ever marry. You wanted to see the world first. And,” she added, lowering her voice, “you were sort of against men because of what that man tried to do to you that time.”
    Nikki’s words suddenly yanked Brittany out of the present and pushed her right smack back into the past when she’d been thirteen and Mr. Ponder, a male friend of one of her foster parents, had tried forcing himself on her. He would have succeeded had she not bit him hard enough for him to let her go. It was the first time she’d run away from a foster home. After telling the policemen who’d found her what happened—or almosthappened—the authorities had placed her in another foster home right away.
    That move had been a blessing because that’s when she’d met Nikki. Nikki’s family had lived across the street from the Dugans. At first the trauma of what the man had tried doing left Brittany withdrawn, confused and alone. But all that changed when Nikki became her friend. At some point she’d felt comfortable enough with Nikki to share her secret.
    “Brit, maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up,” she heard Nikki saying. “I’m sorry.”
    She met her friend’s apologetic gaze. “No, I’m fine, although I haven’t thought of it in years. But now I’m wondering if that episode has anything to do with why…”
    When her words faltered, Nikki raised a brow and asked, “Why what?”
    Brittany glanced around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation, leaned over the table and whispered, “Why I don’t enjoy sex like most women.”
    “It might and then again, it might not. Some men are just selfish in the bedroom. It’s all about them and they could care less if you get your pleasures or not. You might have been involved with those types.”
    Nikki smiled and then continued. “What you need is a man who has the ability to tap into those hidden pleasures. And if that’s true, based on what I’ve heard, a Steele is just the man who can do it. I know several women who had short-term affairs with them and their only regret was missing out on all that pleasure. Theyclaim that when it comes to fulfilling a woman’s fantasy, those ‘Bad News Steeles’ are top-notch.”
    Brittany waited while the waiter placed menus in front of them. When the man walked off, she said, “And what if I don’t have any hidden pleasures for anyone to tap into?”
    Nikki gave her a somber look. “If you don’t enjoy sex at the hands of a Steele, then I would suggest you get some serious counseling. Although that pervert didn’t succeed in doing anything, I can imagine it was a traumatic experience for you to go through at the time. You were only thirteen.”
    Yes, Brittany thought. She’d been only thirteen. Now she understood those looks Mr. Ponder used to give her and why she wasn’t comfortable when she received those kind of looks now from men.
    “Do you know what I think, Brit?”
    Brittany glanced across the table at Nikki. It was hard to believe they hadn’t seen each other in over twelve years. That special bond they’d always had seemed to just fall into place. Nikki had been there to help her through some rough times in her life and when Nikki had moved away, she had truly lost her best friend. There hadn’t been anyone she could talk to, share her innermost fears and secrets with. She had felt truly alone.
    “No, what do you