Synopsis
Judge Eliza O'Brien has always lived her life under the harsh, unforgiving spotlight of public approval, dedicating herself to serving the letter of the law. Until the night she meets Joseph Acosta and forms a passionate, sensual--and private--relationship discovering a part of herself she never knew existed.
To publicly admit her love and need for Joseph, a man with a reputation for enjoying alternative sensual delights--will jeopardize everything she's worked so hard to achieve in her life. The time has come when she must choose to live in the kaleidoscope of life-giving passionate color she has discovered with Joseph or suppress her desires and return to the emotionless black and white publicly acceptable boundaries of courtly justice. Common sense tells her there is no way to meld the two parts of her life into one fulfilling whole--or is there?
5 Angels and a Recommended Read from Fallen Angel Reviews
"Sequestered Passion has been expertly written and provides a wonderfully insightful look into the BDSM community and the worries that people entering the community for the first time may have. All of the love scenes, including the ones that contain light bondage, have been sensitively done and the whole book makes for a wonderful read. ...This is a fantastic book, and I would recommend Adrianna Dane's work without question... --Heidi, Fallen Angel Reviews
An Excerpt from Sequestered Passion:
At last conquering the intense scrutiny of the metal detector, and the close inspection of the guards, he replaced the contents from the small plastic tray back into his pockets. He'd been detained at a meeting and was running a little late so, of course, he couldn't make it through with strictly one pass--no, it had taken three before they'd eventually patted him down and finally used the wand to detect any illegal contraband.
Walking along the quiet corridor, he approached the heavy oak door to Courtroom No. 5, then opened it and slipped inside. The guard glanced at him and nodded, recognizing him from many past encounters. He was as familiar with Joseph as any of the other countless attorneys who passed through these doors, both in defense and prosecution of the many cases presented before the judge.
The room was packed to capacity with no seating available, so he stepped to the side, leaning against the back wall. It was a high profile case and the whole city would be interested in the final verdict and the resulting sentencing.
Although Joseph was as interested as any of the occupants in the room, it was the judge herself that Joseph Acosta's attention was focused on.
Judge Eliza O'Brien. His Eliza. No one had the least inkling of their relationship. It afforded him a great deal of pleasure to know that the luscious body hidden beneath that unobtrusive black robe belonged to him.
It was Eliza's choice to keep her two worlds separate. He was certain no one had the slightest indication of the passion that broiled beneath the smooth, calm exterior of the judge now seated on the bench.
But he knew. He knew exactly the seething waters that had taken Eliza thirty-five years to accept as her due. Joseph had been the one to open that door for her.
Although she'd finally offered her submission to him in one sense, she still held facets he'd been unable to conquer in her. Like her fear of what people would say if they knew about her lifestyle outside of the persona of all-knowing impartial judge.
He smiled as he thought of that impartiality. Looking at her now, with her honey-colored hair pulled back into an elegant, tight twist, her eyes the color of the Atlantic Ocean on a frigid day, all emotion locked away--the acceptable picture of what society expected of someone in her position--especially a woman. Impeccable reputation. Tastefully perfect. Totally sexless.
Meeting her at a small political gathering hosted by his friend Daimaen Sinclair and his lovely submissive, Sylvie Taylor, he'd known of Eliza, but had never had the occasion to meet her socially. Although they were, strictly speaking, both part of the legal profession, she didn't exactly travel in his particular circles. And he found hers boring and unimaginative.
But on that night everything changed--for a brief span of time their two worlds had entered the same sphere. He'd seen something in her twilight-blue eyes that had speared his interest. It was a needy, unfulfilled longing. As he circuited the gathering, he'd studied her closely as her gaze seemingly trailed Daimaen and Sylvie about the room. He saw her expression darken when Daimaen happened to slide a hand along the length of Sylvie's back to inch beneath the slippery material of her clinging dress.
Surmising that if Daimaen was hosting this party for her, then she must be acquainted to some extent with his lifestyle, he found himself intrigued. Knowing that, Joseph was more than curious as to how deep her knowledge went, and that caused his predatory instincts to surface.
She'd stood at the side of the room, greeting people graciously, with a perfect, cool smile on her composed face. But it was her eyes that told him a different story. They were the reason he'd eventually crossed the room to introduce himself. In the time they'd known each other since, it had been the only time they'd acknowledged each other publicly beyond courtesy.
His attention was brought back to the courtroom as she turned her elegant head and nodded to the bailiff. He opened the side door and the jury members filed into the room and took their seats in the jury box. The verdict was handed to the bailiff and he turned and handed the slip of paper to the judge.
Joseph watched as she nodded to the bailiff who stepped away. The stenographer, with hands poised, awaited the first words to be spoken, ready to memorialize the moment. The room hushed in anticipation.
Every movement so controlled. He admired her command of the courtroom. He liked it even more when he controlled his girl in private. When she lay writhing beneath him, naked and wanting, and willing to do whatever he directed her to do.
His erection grew thick and pressed against the front of his trousers at the memory of their last encounter.
Every time he saw her with her public face firmly in place, he imagined her in private, accepting everything he gave her--be it a soft loving, a hard fucking, or a sensual spanking. She warmed to every moment, eager to please him, urgent to submit to every sensual moment he wanted her to experience. The only one in control during those times was him--and she handed it to him willingly. He would have had it no other way.
As he watched her now, he marveled at her ability to separate these two very different parts of herself--that there was no hint of the fiery woman hidden beneath the black robe of justice. But he also knew that was the very reason she needed him, acquiesced to his demands, and reveled in her submission.
Like any submissive he'd possessed over the years, he gave her what she required--had known what she craved before she even understood it herself.
What he found surprising was that he continued to find her a challenge, looked forward to every encounter with excitement and anticipation. The fact that he actually agreed to these boundaries of hers surprised the hell out of him even more. Possessing all of her became an intricate part of his life, and he found he wanted all of her, not strictly the private moments.
But that was something that couldn't be forced. The world knew what he was, what his lifestyle was all about--he'd never hidden it from anyone. To some extent it had added to his mystique in the courtroom and in his dealings with adversaries. He was a man who took chances, not just in private, but in public as well--and wasn't afraid to break through boundaries of socially acceptable behavior.
So why did he put up with Eliza's need for secrecy? He asked himself that question almost daily. Why did he accept that she would not acknowledge him and their relationship publicly?
Of course, he knew the answer. He wanted her willing commitment and he was prepared to wait for that acceptance. For him, she was worth it. He was a patient man, especially when the prize was Eliza's complete submission. It was like mining for that pure vein of gold in a cold dark cave. To a miner, each discovery was worth the hard work it took to discover the prize.
He was more than confident that eventually she would accept her nature and what she needed to be happy, and both elements of her life would meld together to make her complete--completely his.
He watched as she scanned the paper, refolded it, and handed it back to the bailiff, who walked across the floor, and handed it to the foreman.
"Please read the verdict," Eliza instructed the foreman.
"We find the defendant guilty on all counts."
There was a roar from the spectators in response to the verdict.
The judge pounded the gavel. "Quiet, please, or this courtroom will be cleared." Her voice demanded attention and the excited conversation silenced immediately. Several reporters rushed out the door, others murmured in undertones between themselves.
Joseph again appreciated her full command of the courtroom. How had he warranted the gift of such a beauty acceding to his every desire? It had been a chance meeting, with fate playing its powerful hand that night.
He didn't need to wait for the poll of the jury. He would learn all that he needed to know later. From the moment she left the courtroom today, she would be his for the weekend. He'd arranged his schedule to accommodate her; now it was time to prepare. He planned to drive and Eliza would fly in and be met by a car from the hotel. She would expect him to break down her defenses that would be ingrained in her from the hours of control required in her position. That's what she needed him to do, and he didn't plan to disappoint her.
He smiled with satisfaction at the thought of the contents in the overnight bag in his car. She would get what she wanted--and much more.
