by Sara Fawkes
Alexander tried to focus on business, but all he could think about was the woman he’d left upstairs raging around her suite. Kate might be tough, but he could tell that she had been close to breaking down and didn’t want him around to see it. He’d given her that space, but every fiber in his body wanted nothing more than to march back up there and tell her how he felt.
Because, sometime in the last several days, Alexander realized, he’d fallen in love with the redheaded sub.
It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell her this right before she said her safe word and effectively threw him out of the room. Pride had kept him silent after that, but he wanted nothing more than to shout it from the rooftops. Even with Christina, their agreement had started out on a professional level, signing a contract detailing the terms of their D/s relationship. The other redhead had been the practical sort, but Alexander had loved Christina until cancer had taken her. Kate, however, made him feel and think things deeper than he ever thought possible. He wanted more time with this incredible woman, more chances to explore her body and learn all about her . . . but first, they would need to get past today. Kate had been mad and more than a little hurt, but he was certain she would come around.
Alexander tried to focus on the matters at hand, but with a curse he realized it was useless. All he could think about were sad eyes and quivering chins, and how much he wanted to apologize for not protecting Kate from the world. The week was winding down, he reasoned, and so far they’d only had a few problems. Few of his staff would mind if he delegated some of the final preparations; most of the men and women who ran the dungeons or oversaw the guests’ safety were his friends. More than a few had commented on his relationship to the small redhead. Alexander was certain word had already gotten around about what had happened inside the dungeon. Surely, they would understand his need to focus on Kate for a brief time.
He had already made up his mind when he heard somebody call his name. Alexander turned to see Francesca making her way toward him. She looked angry, and his guard went up. “What happened?” he demanded, as she came close.
“Did you know your little sub is leaving the resort?”
The floor dropped out from under Alexander. His stomach felt like someone had punched him in the gut. “What?”
Francesca nodded. “She’s headed out to the docks. The last ferry is set to take her to the mainland in only a few minutes.”
A chill went through Alexander’s body as he realized how close he was to losing her. “Thank you for telling me,” he managed to get out before he raced down the hallway, desperate to stop the woman who’d stolen his heart from leaving without him. Not even a good-bye, he thought, his heart constricting. Would she really have left like that?
Alexander rounded the corner, passing by Pilar once again. “Oh no, Señor,” the Spanish woman cried, “you mustn’t . . .”
He didn’t see the DANGER sign or the overturned mopping bucket on the tile floor until it was too late.
THE FERRY PUSHED away from the dock, the dark space between the wood and the boat expanding past jumping distance. Kate’s eyes were glued on the pier, her hands gripping the railing, hoping desperately to see a familiar face come running out of the resort.
Conclusions like that, however, were only in Hollywood. The boat continued its journey over the water, the loud engine droning in the background, as the island grew smaller in the darkening background. Twilight fell, the sun long gone, and darkness spread like ink across the water beneath her. The well-lit island shone like a star in a black sky, until it too finally grew far enough away to be swallowed up by the darkness. In the end, nobody came out to stop her from leaving.
Kate went into the bowels of the ship, found the loneliest corner of the boat, and proceeded to cry her heart out.
Chapter Eight
Phoenix, Arizona
Three weeks later
KATE SMOOTHED DAMP palms along her skirt, nervously awaiting her turn to go into the office. She glanced at the receptionist, who was on a phone call, and fiddled with the small satchel in her arms. She’d arrived early, wanting to make a good impression for her company’s first potentially huge business contract, but was told that the owners were in a meeting. A quick glance at the clock showed she still had two minutes, but Kate was antsy to get it done quickly.
She’d done her research on this company, looking them up online and in the business news reports. Tellifer Industries had started out as a construction firm two decades ago but had grown into a huge Phoenix-based organization that dealt with nearly every facet of real-estate planning and sales. Recently acquired by foreign investors, ostensibly in order to expand their operations globally, they had contacted Kate only a day after she’d arrived home from Europe.
To have such an opportunity land in her lap was incredible, and they’d wanted to speak with her immediately. When they called, however, Kate had not been in the right mind-set for business, no matter how important. She was certain she’d lost the lucrative prospect, but, incredibly, the company’s secretary called back to set a later date.
The extra time to recuperate from her vacation had helped some, but in other ways had only served to underscore Kate’s loneliness. The trip had been a spontaneous choice, designed as a brief respite from the hell her life had become, and when she returned, it all hit her at once. The first week had been the most difficult—moving everything into a small apartment, dealing with well-intentioned individuals trying to console her—but she had managed.
Barely.
Her family, thankfully, had been supportive and, for the most part, silent about the wedding situation. Both her mother and sister had offered to let Kate stay with them while she got back on her feet, but Kate’s pride wouldn’t allow it. She found a small apartment in Tempe near the college and had quickly moved herself across the city and out of Ted’s spacious house.
There had been only one brief interaction with her ex-fiancé. Ted had never been one for confrontation and felt it best to disappear when Kate’s family was around. After she had moved herself into the apartment, however, he’d shown up unexpectedly at her door, looking as uncomfortable as the situation required and sporting the remnants of a black eye. He’d accepted her invitation to come inside, and it seemed to break the ice a bit. There was more than a little awkwardness, and neither brought up Kate’s scene at the resort, but they came to a consensus as to why their relationship would never have worked.
“This may sound horrible, but I should have broken off our engagement long before,” Ted had told her in a candid moment. “We’re too alike, and I think you know what I mean.”
Kate did, although admitting to her stubborn blindness hurt. Their relationship had always been lackluster, each one waiting for the other to make the next move – two subs waiting for the other to take charge. In the quiet of her new life, Kate had finally come to terms with her needs in a relationship and lamented her rash decision to leave the resort. Thinking about Alexander made her heart ache for what she’d lost. He was always in her mind, filling her thoughts with memories of his strong arms and beautiful face. Given the way she’d left him, however, there was no way to go back, and, indeed, there had been no calls or e-mails from him since her departure.
“Have you heard from Mistress Francesca?” Kate had asked Ted finally, as he got up to leave.
His face had fallen, his misery evident, as he shook his head. A part of Kate felt vindicated, that her ex-fiancé was feeling at least a bit of the rejection he’d given her. Mostly, however, Kate was tired of the whole situation. She’d been glad when Ted left but grateful for the closure their short meeting had provided. Now that she was on the outside looking in, Kate could see that their relationship would never have worked. It had taken less than a week with Alexander to see what she needed, someone strong and dominant, and Ted would never fit the bill. That she’d missed this fact for so long, and the wake-up call had been a canceled wedding, was distressing but ultimately less painful th
an a divorce.
Across from Kate, the door leading into the offices opened, and a group of men in suits filed out, talking in low tones. A few acknowledged Kate as they headed toward the exit, and the secretary poked her head inside the office. “We’re ready for you, Ms. Swansea,” she said with a brief, professional smile as Kate gathered up her purse and briefcase. “Last door on your right,” the secretary said before she was pulled away by another phone call.
Picking up the briefcase beside her and throwing the satchel over one arm, Kate moved down the hall toward the door in question and knocked softly. The name placard on the door was missing, likely indicative of the company’s recent change in ownership.
“Come,” a man’s voice stated, deep like Alexander’s, and Kate sighed. Was she going to compare every man she met to the Greek Dom?
She pushed open the door, peeking inside. The back wall had a wicked view of the city, but, after sitting inside the windowless waiting area for so long, Kate’s eyes were dazzled by the summer-desert brightness. The desk was little more than a silhouette, but as she drew close, she realized that nobody was sitting in the chair.
“Hello, Kate.”
Startled, Kate whirled around at the familiar voice. “Alexander?” she asked, suddenly breathless, the briefcase slipping out of limp fingers to the ground.
“In the flesh.” Alexander stood beside a small table that Kate hadn’t noticed when she entered. He stood tall and proud, looking regal and aristocratic in his business suit, and Kate wanted nothing more than to touch him to make sure he was real. But instead of moving toward her, Alexander gave her a small nod, then motioned toward a nearby chair. “Please take a seat.”
That small, hopeful spark in Kate’s chest faded, and she swallowed back her regret. Praying this wasn’t some elaborate attempt at revenge on his part, she moved across the room and sat down on the edge of her chair as he took the big seat behind the desk. Part of Kate wanted to run and hide, be the coward she’d acted in Europe, but she forced herself to sit still. Whatever came next, she probably deserved it.
Alexander moved back behind the desk, his gait oddly stiff. Once he sat down, he took a long moment studying her, casually resting his chin on one hand. “You are a very tricky woman to see, Ms. Swansea.”
Hope flared briefly, but Kate tamped it down, not wanting to make a complete fool of herself. “I’ve been busy since I got back to Phoenix,” she replied, crossing her legs demurely.
Alexander glanced down, and she thought she saw one corner of his mouth twitch before he once again raised his gaze. The sudden intensity in his eyes made Kate’s belly clench, and an ache started between her legs as she remembered what actions his look used to accompany. I’m sorry, she wanted to blurt out, but pride and uncertainty held her tongue.
“How is your business?”
“Doing well, thank you.” The small talk irrationally irritated Kate. Despite the original reason why she came, her business wasn’t what she wanted to talk about. Bringing up what she did want to know, however, would open a whole new can of worms, and she wasn’t certain she could take his rejection. I’d deserve it, she thought, pursing her lips.
“You look good.”
Kate’s heart fluttered. “Alexander,” she asked softly, “please.” Tell me what you want.
The Greek man seemed to understand her unspoken desire because he leaned forward, and said, “I ran after you. When you left.”
“I didn’t see you,” Kate whispered, her heart squeezing painfully.
A rueful smile tugged at Alexander’s lips. “Well, I had some trouble along the way.” Standing with some difficulty, he noticeably limped around the desk so he was standing beside her, close enough to touch. Then he lifted up the leg of his trousers and showed her the white cast extending up his calf.
Kate gave a small cry, tears springing to her eyes as she abandoned the seat, kneeling down to touch his leg. The cast beneath her hands went almost to midthigh, and the last bit of her pride went away. “I’m sorry,” she managed to get out, the stress of everything finally coming to a head. Tears Kate thought she was done crying streamed down her face as she realized what her flight had caused. “I’m so sorry.”
Hands clasped her upper arms as she was lifted to her feet. Scarcely was she standing when she was pulled into a hug and smelled the familiar scent of Alexander’s skin. “I am the one who should apologize,” he said against her hair. “I should not have let you go so easily, agapi mou.”
The foreign phrase was familiar, and Kate remembered she’d heard him say it before the night she left. “What does that mean?” she asked, looking up into his face.
Alexander’s hand traced the line of her cheek. “It means ‘my love’ in Greek.”
Kate’s heart sang, and a smile split her face. “Really?” she managed, the word not nearly enough to express her shock and happiness. Then her excitement dimmed, and Kate placed a hand on Alexander’s chest. “There are words I want to say,” she stated carefully, being as truthful as she could, “things I very much want to tell you, but I just got out of one failed relationship and am afraid . . .”
Alexander laid a finger over Kate’s mouth, and she subsided. “I only wish to make my own feelings known,” he murmured, cupping her cheeks. “I love you, Kate Swansea, and would like to ask you on a first date.”
Kate stared at the Dom in amazement, then broke down in uncontrollable giggles. Alexander frowned at her response, then his mouth tipped up ruefully. “I may be out of practice with this,” he admitted, looking as sheepish as Kate imagined the large man ever could. “I understand my lifestyle is not for everyone, but I have no intention of losing you again, little cat. If you wish to be courted like . . .” Alexander trailed off, frowning, as Kate shook her head several times.
Happiness blossomed inside Kate’s chest as she raised a hand to touch Alexander’s face. He’s willing to change everything for me, she marveled, the revelation cementing her own decision.
That won’t do at all.
Kate bent her knees and slowly lowered herself to the ground, never breaking eye contact with the large Greek man. Taking his hand, she laid a kiss first on the large, dark knuckles, then on the rough palm. “I am here for your pleasure,” she said softly, her grin widening at his hot look. “Master.”
A shiver ran through him, and Kate, her face on a level with Alexander’s groin, watched the material shift and expand as he grew hard. With his free hand, Alexander smoothed his fingertips over Kate’s hair, cupping the back of her head possessively. “You do look good on your knees,” he said, his words a deep rumble, and the confident note in his voice sent a jolt through Kate’s body.
“Before we go on that date you mentioned . . .” Kate reached out, bolder than she ever thought she could be, and unbuttoned the pants before her. “Perhaps my Master would like to show me what I can do to please him?” she murmured, rubbing his hard length through the silk boxers.
“Hands behind your back.”
Kate immediately complied, glancing at the door. “When is your next appointment, sir?”
“I have nothing scheduled for another fifteen minutes.” He peered down at her. “Shall I lock the door?”
The thought of someone’s walking in on them was a surprising thrill. Kate nuzzled his crotch, feeling the hard shaft under her cheek twitch. “Depends,” she replied. “How fast do you intend to go?”
“I missed you very much, agapi mou,” he said, pushing his boxers aside to free himself. “You made me wait three weeks. Should I punish you for this?”
“Yes please,” Kate replied, glorying in the chuckle that came at her words and the hands that tangled in her hair. “Master.” My love.
As if he read her thoughts, Alexander’s hands tightened their grip on Kate’s skull, staring down at her silently, then he pulled her head toward him.
About the Author
SARA FAWKES is an avid traveler whose dream job includes seeing the world on two wheels and living
off her writing. She resides in California and, when she isn’t writing, loves to rebuild old cars/motorcycles and pester her Dude. You can find her online at Facebook, Twitter, or her website, SaraFawkes.net.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
TEACH ME
CATHRYN FOX
Dedication
To Esi Sogah, for inviting me to be a part of this anthology,
and Chelsey Emmelhainz, for helping me make my story shine!
Also to Lauren Hawkeye and Sara Fawkes.
It has been such a blast writing this anthology with you two talented ladies!
Chapter One
JOSIE PELLETIER SUCKED in a sharp breath and held it, not knowing what to think when she caught sight of the luxurious cruiser at the far end of the marina. Her pulse jackhammered in her throat, and she stole another quick glance around the elite boatyard, suddenly aware that she was completely and utterly out of her league here amongst the rich and famous. She gripped the door handle tighter but knew it was too late to escape the sleek, stretch limousine currently escorting her to the private cruiser of the very powerful, very enigmatic Luca Mancusi. A man who could change her boss’s future.
Despite the air-conditioned vehicle, moisture broke out on her flesh, and she groaned out loud, aware of the small beads of perspiration dampening the formfitting dress she’d designed in Fashion College last year and had purposely selected for this very important mission.
