Her Promised Dom (Dominant Men Book 3)

by Isabella Kole

  "This thing between us… is it all a game to you?" he demanded to know, in a tone that told her he was no longer teasing.

  "No, Dale, it's not a game to me. I cherish the times we have together. I thought you knew that."

  "I really don't know how you feel, baby. You make it very difficult to read you, at times."

  "That's probably because I don't know how I feel, either, or how you feel, for that matter."

  "Maybe we should talk about it before we go any further."

  "We have so little time together. Please, let's not fight," she begged as tears pricked her eyelashes.

  "Baby, the last thing I want to do with you is fight, but I want to know if you are seeing anyone else. I need to know that."

  Looking down, her voice barely above a whisper, she admitted, "No, not since January. I've turned down every guy who has asked me out. Now are you satisfied, Dale? Can you say the same?"

  "I never asked you to do that, but, yes, I guess that does make me feel better about things."

  "And how about you, Dale, tell me how many dates you've been on since January. How many other women have you bedded since then?"

  Walking toward her, he didn't answer her question until he was standing in front of her. "I swear to you, Cora, I have not been with another woman, since our weekend in Austin."

  "So, what does that mean?" she asked.

  He sighed. "In all honesty, I haven't been back to either of the clubs in Austin since you and I were together. I haven't been with anyone in Fredericksburg since I moved, either."

  "So, are we exclusive, then? Are we going steady again, like a couple of kids? Are we trying to pull off a long-distance relationship? Tell me, Dale. I need to know what this all means."

  "All I can say is that, since our weekend in Austin, the only woman I want to be with is you. Where we go from here, I can't tell you."

  "So you are asking me not to date anyone else and to be content with a weekend of sex whenever we can manage to get together?"

  "No, what I'm asking you is not to date anyone else. But I'm also asking you to be patient with me while I get my new life in order. And as for our weekends of sex, as you so eloquently put it, I would rather think of them as romantic weekends, spending time getting to know each other again."

  "And you think we can survive a long-distance relationship?"

  "We can try for now, because I don't see you offering to pull up stakes and move back home. And you know that I can't move to New York City."

  "And this is what you want?"

  "This is what I'll have to accept if I want any kind of a relationship with you, isn't it? I'm willing to do that, for the time being."

  "And you honestly think you can be faithful to me, Dale? Because if I ever get wind of the fact that you haven't been, then we are through, for good. If this is what you are asking of me, then I expect the same from you. You broke my heart once, and I won't let you do it again. If the time comes where one of us can no longer do this, then that's it."

  "Baby, I won't break your heart." He leaned down and kissed her sweetly, not passionately, but more of a kiss filled with the promise of a future. For the first time since they had reconnected in January, she felt the smallest glimmer of hope that they had a chance.

  "For now, we'll try it your way," she told him. "Now, I'm getting in the shower, alone."

  He released her and walked back to the bed where he plopped down. He shook his head, drained by the intense conversation he'd just shared with her.

  As Cora stood under the hot steaming water cascading over her body, she thought about the showdown that had just taken place between them. He hasn't said he loves me, and he hasn't mentioned the promise, but at least he says he doesn't want to see anyone else. I guess that's a start. I love you, Dale. I always have. Please don't break my heart again. She leaned against the cool tile of the shower and let the tears, held in check until now, flow freely. When she had regained her composure, she finished her shower and stepped out onto the cold tile floor. Reaching for the towel, she wrapped it around her head, then pulled another from the rack and dried her body briskly. She towel-dried and then combed her golden tresses, put on one of the robes provided by the hotel, brushed her teeth, and looked in the mirror. Satisfied that he wouldn't be able to tell she'd been crying, she turned the knob on the bathroom door and walked back into the bedroom.

  He was lying face down on the bed. She walked over to him and climbed onto his back, straddling him. Leaning down, she whispered, "You're not mad at me, are you?"

  Rolling over beneath her, he took both her hands in his. "No, baby, I'm not mad at you. I just had to know. It was driving me crazy, wondering if you had been with anyone else."

  She leaned down to kiss him. He grabbed a handful of her still slightly damp hair and met her kiss with a passion so deep that it erased any doubts she had about his feelings for her. When the kiss ended, she looked deeply into his brown eyes. "Dale, I honestly don't know if this will work, but I do want to try."

  "That's all I ask, Cora."

  "You can have the shower now."

  "I won't be long. I believe I owe you a massage." He grinned, his good humor restored.

  "I'll be waiting," she answered shyly.

  While he was gone, she slipped out of the robe and lay face down on the bed, relaxing against the soft mattress. She waited in anticipation for him to return to her, knowing that whatever he had in mind, it would be hot. They'd just had their first argument. Now, it was time for the make-up sex.

  He returned within minutes, smelling sexy and clean. She heard him walk toward the bed and felt the mattress sink with his weight as he joined her.

  Touching her golden blonde hair, he leaned down and whispered, "I love it when you're naked and waiting for me like this."

  She giggled and replied, "What do you intend to do about it?"

  He reached for the small bottle of lotion he'd brought with him from the bathroom, courtesy of the Westin, and poured some of it onto his hand. After briefly rubbing his hands together, he began to massage the cool, silky lotion into her skin, beginning with her shoulders. He kneaded and massaged, rubbing circles with his hands, moving to her back and continuing on down her legs. He poured more lotion onto his hand and lifted one foot. Rubbing the lotion into her skin, he began to sensuously massage that foot and then the other. He had only begun, and she was already on fire for him. His touch ignited the feeling deep in the pit of her belly, and it spread down her body. Shuddering, she rolled over. She met his eyes as they bored into hers.

  "Cora."

  She smiled, urging him with her eyes to continue, so he poured more lotion into his hand and began the same movements on the front side of her body as he had done on the backside. When he had massaged every inch of her skin, he kissed her. Moving down her body, he used his warm, moist tongue to fan the flames higher as she grabbed a handful of his thick, dark hair. As he continued to arouse her with his tongue, she moaned, "Dale."

  Smiling, he moved back up her body, moving his tongue on the smooth, taut skin of her stomach and up to her breasts. When he reached her neck, he kissed it, before he claimed her mouth in a deep, probing kiss that nearly sent her over the edge.

  Just when she thought she couldn't wait, he whispered, "Not yet, baby."

  Her eyes flew open and she started to object, but he silenced her with another kiss. He grabbed both her arms and held them above her head as he moved down her body again with his hot, demanding mouth. Devouring her, biting gently, and kissing her entire body, he finally released her arms in order to move down to her legs and feet. When he was sure she was almost to the point of no return, he turned her over and smacked her ass, then turned her over again and entered her slowly, teasing her again as he pulled back out. She started to protest, and he silenced her with his finger to her mouth. Then he entered her again forcefully, giving her what she so desperately needed. Within minutes, she was shuddering in glorious ecstasy as she screamed his name. Only when he
was positive that she had been properly sated did he give in to his own sweet release, whispering in her ear, "Oh, Cora Beth."

  As he rolled over, minutes later, he met her eyes and said, "How was that for our first make-up sex session?"

  "I can safely say that I'm no longer mad at you."

  He tweaked her nose and said teasingly, "You are cute when you're laying down the law. You know that, don't you? It was hot. Just don't get used to it."

  "Maybe I should be angry with you more often."

  "Well, not too often, I hope. I only want to make you happy, Cora. We spent too many years apart being miserable. And if you get too bossy, I may have to take you in hand."

  "I don't believe you were all that miserable."

  "You have no idea, do you?"

  "What?"

  "Someday, maybe I'll tell you just what the last twelve years without you have been like. But that's another story for another day."

  "I can't wait to hear it."

  He laughed as he got up from the bed. "Want more coffee?"

  "Sure… coffee… that's what I want."

  "You can't be ready to go again."

  "I'm teasing. Of course, I want more of that caramel white chocolate stuff."

  "Good, you had me scared there for a minute. I was beginning to think I wasn't going to be able to keep up with you."

  "Oh, the swinging bachelor Dom not able to keep up with little old vanilla me. Now, that's a good one."

  He grinned devilishly at her as he went to get the coffee. When he returned, he handed her a mug and a chocolate kiss.

  "What's this for, and where did you get it?"

  "I bought them for you, yesterday morning, on my way out of town. I remembered that you used to eat these things like crazy. There's a whole package of them."

  "I still like them, but I think I like your kisses better. They're sweeter."

  "You're one sick puppy. You know that, don't you?"

  "I never professed to be sane."

  "Now you tell me." He rolled his eyes and chuckled.

  "Drink your coffee and be quiet. If you're a good little boy, I might give you a massage later, but first, I just want to sit here, drink my coffee, eat my chocolate, and look at you."

  He grinned seductively and kissed her again. Wrapping a strand of her blonde hair around his finger, he looked over at her and said, "Cora, I'm so glad we ran into each other that night last winter. It was such an unexpected surprise."

  "I'm glad, too, Dale. And even though I don't know where we're headed, I'm enjoying the ride while it lasts."

  Looking at her with a strange expression, he replied, "I don't know, either, baby, but I hope it lasts a long, long time."

  They relaxed together then as they talked about various things and made plans for future weekends together, and finally it was time to order lunch. He asked if she'd like to go out, and she told him no.

  He ordered salads, rolls, and iced tea for both of them, and they ate lunch in the kitchenette, before settling back on the bed to watch an afternoon movie they chose from the selection offered by the hotel.

  When the movie ended, she followed through on her promise to treat him to a massage. She seduced him as he'd done to her earlier, which nearly drove him out of his mind. He pulled her to him for a kiss when she had finished with him before he smacked her on the bottom and said, "Get up, woman. We're going to the piano bar, and I won't take no for an answer. I'm showing you off to the entire Riverwalk crowd tonight."

  "Yes, Sir. Race you to the shower," she said as she attempted to get up.

  "No, you go alone. If I go in there with you, you know what will happen, and we are going out, so scoot."

  She leaned down to kiss him again. "I won't be long," she whispered as she walked away.

  "If you're gone longer than ten minutes, I'm coming in there, and you won't be a happy little girl," he warned.

  "Well, on second thought, maybe I'll be a little longer than I thought," she teased as she shut and locked the bathroom door.

  The two lovers spent a perfect night out on the town. They had dinner, enjoyed the entertainment at the piano bar and strolled along the Riverwalk, hand in hand. He was very attentive to her, and others noticed the young lovers and smiled at them as they passed by.

  She looked radiant, dressed in a black miniskirt, topped by a pale blue satin blouse. She wore black sandals and her golden-blonde hair was piled on top of her head and held with a stylish comb. Clunky, stylish jewelry completed her look.

  He was dressed in black slacks and a white shirt. The shirt was unbuttoned enough to reveal just enough of the hair on his muscular chest to be enticing to the opposite sex. Several women tried to catch his eye as they passed by, but Mr. Barton had eyes only for the beautiful lady by his side.

  Cora looked up at him and smiled as they made their way through the crowd at the bar on their way out. He returned the smile with one that melted her heart and turned her knees to jelly. He's mine, she thought as they began their walk back to their hotel in the San Antonio moonlight.

  When they had entered their suite, he kicked the door shut and looked into her amethyst gray eyes. "You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen," he said before taking her in his arms and claiming her shiny, glossed lips once again.

  She surrendered to the kiss, wishing she could stay in his arms forever. As his experienced tongue swirled across her teeth and explored the crevices of her mouth, she felt the fire beginning once more in the pit of her stomach. When he relinquished her mouth, he moved to her neck, giving her sweet butterfly kisses before looking at her again. She was dizzy as his hot breath mingled with hers, and she leaned against his strong body for support.

  "Oh, baby, how am I going to let you go again?" he asked as he looked at her again, his frustration showing on his handsome face.

  "The same way you've let me go before, Dale," she told him. "I don't want our weekend to end either, but we both know it will."

  "I'm going to try and work it out so I can get to New York real soon. I want to see your life there and spend time with you in your world."

  "I'd love for you to visit me there. When do you think you can?" she asked, her mind spinning at his words.

  "I don't know, baby. I've got some cases coming up that are going to keep me fairly busy for the next few months, and there's the work on the house, so I'm not sure."

  "I have to wait two months to see you again?"

  "Sweetie, we knew it wasn't going to be easy when we decided to do this, but it will be worth it. The time we have together will more than make up for our time apart, I promise you that," he told her as he kissed her forehead softly.

  There you go with the promises again, Dale. If only you remembered the most important promise of all.

  "Then I suggest you start making good on that promise, because I'm going back to New York, tomorrow. We still have tonight."

  "Ah, yes, we do, sweet Cora. We have all night and a big king-sized bed over there, just waiting for us." He picked her up and carried her over to it, kissing her as he walked.

  He lay her gently on the thick white comforter and began unbuttoning his shirt. She turned the covers down and watched as he stripped, marveling at the way he'd kept his magnificent body in shape over the years. When he had removed every stitch of clothing, he stood next to the bed and said in a husky voice, "From now on, this is only for you, Cora. I swear, that's one promise I'll keep. You never have to worry about me being unfaithful to you. It doesn't matter how long between visits; I will never stray. No more clubs."

  Tears pricked her eyelids as she replied, "And I belong to you."

  He bent down and pulled her to him, holding her close. He caressed her face and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, baby, I know we can make this work."

  "I hope so, Dale. I want that very much," she replied between sobs.

  "Baby, please don't cry." He leaned down and kissed her, slowly rebuilding the fire that had never completely been extinguished between th
em.

  Slowly undressing her, he rejoined her on the bed, pulling her into his arms again. He held her, rocking her gently, whispering sweet words in her ear, "It's going to be okay, baby, I promise."

  "You promise?" she asked as her eyes met his. The only light in the room was the glow from the moonlight shining through their window. As shadows danced on the walls, she waited for his reply.

  "I promise," he repeated, just before devouring her lips in a kiss so hot she thought her entire body would melt on the spot.

  He made love to her after that, and it was sweeter than any of their other unions. As they clasped hands in the dark, he whispered in her ear, "You are finally mine again." And they entered a paradise that was meant for them alone, relighting the embers that had never fully burned out.

  Afterward, they lay together, arms and legs entwined. She lay her head on his chest and as she played with the dark, curly hair that glistened with the heat of their lovemaking, she said, "I wish we could stay like this forever."

  He sighed and answered softly, "From your lips to God's ears."

  "And you don't mind that we didn't, um, explore, this time?"

  "There will be plenty of time for that, baby. That's something we will do when we are in our own homes, either yours or mine."

  They slept, woke, and made love again throughout the night, each time sweeter than the last, as they knew the night would soon end and morning would bring them back to the reality that they must once again part.

  When they finally forced themselves to get up and face the day, they showered and ordered breakfast before steeling themselves for the goodbye at the airport.

  When it was time for her to board the plane, she clung to him. "I just got you back, and now I'm leaving you behind."

  "But, this time, we know there are more weekends like this for us in the future," he answered as he leaned down to kiss her one last time.

  "Goodbye, Dale. I'll see you in New York."

  "Call me when you get home. I worry about you being in the air so much. I won't sleep until I know you're safe."

  "I will." She kissed her palm and touched his face with it as she turned to go.