Blood

by Ivy Nelson

  Holly wrapped her arms around him again and laid her head on his shoulder as she nodded. “OK. I can live with that. I’m so sorry.” She pulled away enough to look him in the eyes. “And Elijah? I love you too.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Elijah slid his hand into Holly’s hair and pulled her head back. “How are you doing, baby?”

  “Good, Sir,” she said boldly, reveling in the feel of him pulling her hair.

  “Should I keep making this ass red?”

  Holly giggled. “It is your favorite color, Sir.”

  She sucked in a breath as the paddle connected with her already heated skin. His hand plunged between her legs which was easy to do since she was strapped naked to a St. Andrew’s cross in the middle of the Solitaire dungeon.

  Elijah was ever the exhibitionist and he’d shooed Patrick to the bar so they could play together during the one-year anniversary party for the club.

  “Such a wet cunt,” he murmured in her ear as he stroked her gently. “I can’t wait to bury myself in you later.”

  “I can’t wait either.”

  Elijah’s hand trailed up her side and tenderly touched the now yellow bruise on her hip. It was a reminder of her attempted escape from Troy Wilson only two weeks ago. Elijah had been hesitant to play with her while she was healing, and it had taken some purposeful sass on her part before he finally gave in a week later.

  As Elijah finished their scene and untied her, the sounds and sights of the dungeon flooded her senses. The only thing missing was the embarrassment of being naked in the middle of the dungeon. She was learning to love it. Especially since she’d worked out a deal with Patrick so they would have alternating play weekends at the club. Tonight was an exception because of the anniversary party. Elijah helped her into a simple black dress, not bothering with her undergarments, and led them to a couch where he wrapped her in his arms while she continued to come down from the high of their playtime.

  Holly laid her head against his chest and breathed in his scent.

  “It was remembering the way you smell and the sound of your voice that got me through until Grant and the cops showed up. I don’t want to ever forget those things.”

  “You won’t have to, baby. You’re mine and we’re together. I love you, Holly Sutton. We’re going to figure this out one step at a time. I know we’ve got a long road ahead of us, but we’ll be in it together.”

  A sadness washed over her. “This is so hard. I feel like I lost so much of my family in the blink of an eye.”

  Elijah lifted her head from his chest and waved his hand across the room. “Look around you, baby. You’re surrounded by family. Blood isn’t the only thing that makes family.”

  “Speaking of family, as long as you’re not naked under that blanket, come give me a hug.”

  Holly looked up to see her brother standing in front of them. She scrambled out of Elijah’s arms and stepped into Patrick’s. “Hi, big brother. How are you?”

  “Better than I’ve been in years. Mind if I sit here and talk shop with your man for a little while?”

  Holly smiled and kissed his cheek. “Not at all. I can talk shop too. He finally agreed to let me stay on at the company.”

  Elijah scowled at her. It had been an argument between them not long after the rescue. She wanted to keep working for him or help dissolve the Sutton Foundation and start something fresh after the law enforcement agencies got through with it. Elijah didn’t like either option. Finally, after much discussion, he’d agreed that she could resume her duties as his assistant, but only until they figured something else out.

  Patrick settled onto a chair near their sofa and pulled it closer. “The trial is getting a lot of publicity even though it doesn’t start for another three months. We ran some social media ads targeting people following the trial, and they’re actually doing really well to get online orders for our diamonds.”

  Holly shifted uncomfortably next to Elijah who immediately scowled down at her. “No.”

  “What? I didn’t say anything.”

  “You were thinking it. I don’t want you anywhere near that trial.”

  “You want to go?” Patrick asked her.

  Holly nodded. “I feel like I owe it to him.”

  “He tried to have you killed.”

  Holly shook her head. “We don’t know that. Troy Wilson didn’t say our father put him up to it.”

  Patrick growled. “Well, I agree with Eli. I don’t want you anywhere near it.”

  Holly huffed. “Can we not talk about that right now please? I promise to stay away for now, but I am going to have Grant Sterling update me.”

  That didn’t do anything to lessen Elijah’s scowl, but she knew he wouldn’t say anything. Grant had been part of her rescue, so he was playing nice. Her friend had been hurt when she went back to Elijah, but Holly hoped he would move past it with time. His life was in upheaval but so far, he wasn’t being charged with any criminal activity himself. He’d done enough to shield himself over the years.

  “Anyway,” Patrick said pointedly. “As I was saying, our diamonds are competing with mined diamonds rather well. Especially since the FTC finally ruled in favor of our petition.”

  “Being able to market lab produced diamonds as real diamonds is really going to help me with some of the marketing strategies I have,” Holly said. “I’m so glad that went in our favor.”

  Elijah trailed a finger up and down her spine and Holly glanced over at him and saw the guilt in his eyes. He’d expressed a bit of remorse over the petition because it seemed to be the catalyst for a lot of what happened.

  “Stop,” she said. “You have nothing to feel guilty for, Sir. My father needed to go down and everything has turned out just fine.”

  Just then, a couple approached. “Looks like a very serious discussion happening over here.”

  Patrick stood and wrapped the man in a hug. “Nice to see you David. I’m so glad you could make it.”

  David turned from Patrick and held his hand out to Holly. “I’m David Eastman. I’ve heard a lot about you and wanted to come say hello.”

  Holly quickly accepted his handshake.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Eastman. I’m so grateful that you built this place.”

  David laughed. “Please call me David. Or Master David, whatever you and Eli here have talked about. I’m not picky. As for this place? I needed a family of my own, so I made one.” Holly’s heart swelled as she watched him pull his wife to his side and kiss her cheek. “This is my sub and wife, Emily.”

  “Sit down, Sir. You’ve been on your feet too long,” the pretty girl admonished.

  David turned and gave her a mock scowl. “And just who is the Dom in this relationship, young lady?”

  Emily giggled. “You, most definitely you, Master. But you just finished your treatment and you get weak easily. I don’t want you to faint or you’ll lose some of your big bad Dom points in front of all these pretty submissives.”

  David grinned and smacked her ass. “Smart girl. I’ll sit for you, my love, but only if you sit in my lap.”

  Elijah grinned down at Holly. “Disgusting, aren’t they?”

  Holly laughed. “I think they’re beautiful. I hope we’re still that in love in a few years.”

  “We will be. You’re stuck with me forever.”

  “Oh goody,” Holly said, clapping her hands together.

  “In fact,” Elijah said and unfolded himself from the couch. “We need to have a little talk about your job.”

  “My job?” Holly asked, confused.

  He pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her.

  Holly opened the envelope. Inside was an offer letter on Barrett Corporation letterhead.

  “What is this, Elijah?” she asked, her voice trembling as she read the letter.

  “Vice President?” she asked, her eyes wide. “You’re insane.” Her eyes darted across the page again.

  “Wait a minute, this sa
ys Holly Barrett.”

  She looked up just in time to see Elijah drop to one knee. “Marry me,” he said, pulling out a ring box. “I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life. Marry me and run the company with me.”

  Holly shook her head. “Insane,” she said again as she took the ring box from him. It was a gorgeous setting with a traditional diamond in the center and small red diamonds on either side.

  “I love you so much. I know nothing about running a company, but I will marry you.”

  Elijah grinned and slid the ring on her finger. “You knew nothing about being a submissive in a BDSM club either until I gave you a little education.”

  Behind her, applause erupted, and she whirled to find that a small crowd had gathered, including most of the Solitaire board, and Jax Fischer. Elijah was right, blood wasn’t a requirement for family.

  • • •

  I hope you enjoyed this installment of the Diamond Doms series. If you want to read Patrick’s story, you can find out how to preorder it here. Heist will be out in February of 2020. If you loved this book, I would love a review. Reviews are a great way to help indie authors out and cost nothing.

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  About the Author

  Ivy Nelson is an emerging contemporary romance author, hopeful romantic, and passionate advocate, who is versed in all things steamy, sultry, and sensual. It all started back when she read her first steamy romance novel at the age of fourteen. From that point forward, it became her favorite genre—one she wanted to write in herself someday. Sylvia Day’s writing style cemented that passion and gave her just the inspiration she needed to be an author herself. In December of 2018, Ivy published her debut novel, Power Desired at the age of thirty-two.

  Most recently, Ivy completed the “D.C. Power Games” series and the prequel to her forthcoming “Diamond Doms series” titled “Hard”. In a not-so-distant past, she was a student-affairs professional at a university and earned her political science degree, which explains her politically driven romance debut.

  When she isn’t penning steamy scenes or attending writing/kink/BDSM conferences, you can find this contest-winning karaoke singer and bookworm passionately supporting human rights or growing her Sims 4 empire. She is also a wine aficionado and certified whiskey taster (no, really, she has the certificate to prove it). All that aside, Ivy loves spending quality time with her amazing son and husband of three years at their home in Houston, TX.

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