by Cassie Ryan
He wouldn’t come near the shower if she opened the door while the water was on, but he loved both the tub and shower after she had turned the water off.
She left him to his fun and hurried to get ready.
Chapter 8
Dex pulled into traffic, glad Kate had given him a good excuse to see her again tonight, both for the case and as her Dom.
She had been pretty far gone earlier, and while she had come back down before he took her home, sometimes subs still experienced sub drop several hours later, so he always liked to follow up with them to make sure they were all right.
His thoughts had just begun to drift back to the beautiful sight of her with his marks all over her body when his phone rang through his Bluetooth headset.
He tapped the button to answer, knowing that usually calls this late at night didn’t bring good news. “Alexander.”
“Dex. Tanner here.”
A prickle ran across Dex’s nape. He’d known his boss long enough to recognize the tightness in his tone. “What’s up?” he asked as he changed lanes, narrowly avoiding a collision with a teenager texting on his cellphone, not paying attention to the busy freeway.
“There’s been a development in your case, and I wanted to notify you right away.”
Dex’s stomach knotted. “I’m on my way to Kate Fretwell’s, so I’m glad you caught me now, so I can talk freely. What happened?”
“Congressman Fredericks was just shot in downtown D.C.”
Dex’s stomach clenched. Fredericks was one of the congressmen who had been blocking the bills that would funnel money to terrorists. Dex had reread the man’s dossier after his earlier call with Tanner. “Is he alive?”
A long sigh laced with frustration sounded from his boss. “Yes, but in critical condition with a bullet to the upper torso. By all accounts, even though he’s in his late seventies, he’s expected to make a full recovery. He’s a tough old bird. Survived an alligator attack three years ago in Louisiana on vacation.”
Dex changed lanes as he answered his boss. “I saw that in the newspapers when it happened. It stuck in my mind because it was such an unusual event.”
Tanner cleared his throat. “He refused all our attempts at security, but we had a shadow team on him anyway. They were able to neutralize the shooter once he’d revealed himself, but Fredericks was already down.”
Dex ground his teeth. “Now it remains to be seen if they will be content to let him recover in the hospital and miss a few votes, or if they’ll try to finish what they started.”
Tanner made a sound of agreement. “His wife overrode his protests and accepted full security for him and his family, so we’ll be able to protect him at the hospital and after he gets out. He could reverse her decision, but after talking to her, he would be either brave or foolish. I wouldn’t want to piss her off.”
Dex gave a small smile, glad the congressman’s wife was able to make a smarter choice than her husband. “One down and five to go, if the intel named everyone who is being targeted, which we can never be sure of.”
“I’m afraid so,” Tanner agreed.
The creaking of a chair sounded across the line as Dex took the freeway exit toward Kate’s penthouse.
“You said you were headed to Kathryne Fretwell’s. Any new developments on your end?”
Dex shifted in his seat. “No. I just need to maintain my Dom presence of caring for her after our first scene earlier. Also, this will give me a chance to talk to her about Fredericks, although I’ll have to be careful how I do it since I doubt the shooting has been released to the media yet.”
There was a long silence, in which Tanner would normally ask him more details about the scene he mentioned had happened earlier. But with everything else going on, Jason would most likely table his curiosity for later. “Keep me apprised. Tanner out.”
The line went dead, which was the man’s usual habit when he had a long To Do list and a lot on his mind.
Dex guided his car up to Kate’s building just as a red Jeep pulled away from the curb, leaving him a miraculous empty parking space. He slid into the space, careful not to park too close to the car in front of him. He had grown up in Phoenix, so he hadn’t had to deal with the parking and traffic situation that Los Angeles was well-known for. But he had heard enough horror stories from Brent and others to know to be careful.
He waited until there was a gap in traffic so he didn’t get plowed down, and then slid out of his car. A quick glance at the top-floor windows as he made his way around to the sidewalk showed several lights on, and the silhouette of a cat in one of them. He took the stairs two at a time, wondering if Kate was ready.
In his experience, twenty minutes for a shower and getting fully dressed and beautified, as his grandmother had always called it, was an impossible time frame for most women. His mother and sisters had never been able to manage it, no matter how often they swore they did. He made a mental note to call his mother this weekend for her birthday, and to make sure she had received his gift in the mail.
When he reached Kate’s front door, he knocked, and was surprised when the door opened immediately.
She stood with a large smile on her face, her hair dry and styled in long black waves that fell over her shoulders. He reached out to rub some of the soft strands between his fingers. “I love your hair, especially like this.”
A slight tinge of pink filled her cheeks at the compliment. “I don’t wear it down too often. When I’m working it gets in the way, and at The Dungeon…”
“It gets in the way,” he finished for her.
Something bumped against his shin and he looked down to see an orange tabby cat with big golden eyes looking up at him. Must be the cat he’d seen in the window. Without thinking, he leaned down and scooped the cat into his arms. “Hey, little guy,” he said as he scratched his head, and was rewarded with a purr and copious chin-marking of his hand.
“Rusty usually isn’t very friendly to men, but he obviously has no issue with you.”
He glanced into Kate’s surprised expression and winked.
“One of my sisters owns a no-kill cat shelter, so I’ve become quite fond of the little buggers. Although she has yet to talk me into one of my own, since I’m not home enough to do justice to a pet.”
Kate’s skeptical expression made him laugh. “Hey, a tough man can own a cat. Cats kick some ass,” he said in joking defense.
“I guess I’ve never considered a Dom a cat person, but somehow I suspect you’re an animal person no matter what type they are.”
Rusty head butted Dex’s chin, making him realize he had stopped petting the purring feline. He laughed. “In a lot of cases, animals are easier to read than humans.”
Kate nodded. She seemed to have recovered from her surprise as she motioned for him to come in out of the upper hallway for the town-house complex. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be rude.”
Dex followed her far enough inside so she could close and lock the door behind them. He glanced back and noted a high-end door lock and two sturdy deadbolts.
He approved. A woman living alone in Los Angeles needed to have good locks on her door, and he was glad to see the habit of her flipping the locks even when at home. Hopefully the windows were as well secured as the front door.
The living room was large, with a light brown leather L-shaped sectional that looked like it had recliners on both ends, and in the middle. Just in front of it sat a wood coffee table stained a medium brown color. A matching entertainment system that held state-of-the-art stereo equipment, a nice big-screen TV, and various neatly arranged knickknacks stood against one wall.
Rusty jumped out of Dex’s arms and settled on the back of the sectional in what looked like his normal spot, since there was a small green blanket draped over the back that already had some stray orange cat hair clinging to it.
Kate’s penthouse suited her. It had a very open floor plan and was decorated simply, which gave it the appearance of having much more s
pace than it probably did. The color scheme was basic earth tones with splashes of different shades of green throughout.
That reminded him of the nightie and lace bra she had worn tonight for their scene, both in forest green. “Is green your favorite color?”
She glanced around the room self-consciously before returning her gaze to his. “I guess it shows. It’s the only non-neutral color I have in here.”
Dex smiled as he glanced toward the archway that led to a very modern-looking kitchen, done in the same color wood as the living room, with stainless steel appliances. “This is a great place. How long have you lived here?”
“About ten years now. My maternal grandmother passed away and left me a trust. The first thing I did was buy this place. The previous owners had done a ton of upgrades, so I instantly fell in love with it.” Her expression was animated as she gestured around her.
Dex had read about the trust from her maternal grandmother and the purchase of the penthouse in Kate’s dossier. He smiled down at her. “It’s obvious you love this place.” He pointed at Rusty. “And he seems to like it too.”
She ruffled the tabby’s fur and glanced up at Dex.
He loved how expressive her green eyes were. “Are you ready to go eat?”
She nodded. “It’s a little late, but there are some good places still open. Any preferences?”
He flashed his best mischievous grin. “This was lady’s choice. I’m still getting used to the area, so I trust you to point us in the right direction.”
“How about Norms? They have everything from steaks to salads and burgers, they’re open twenty-four/seven, and they serve breakfast all day every day, and lunch and dinner until four a.m.” She grinned. “They’re one of my favorite late-night places. No alcohol, but great food.”
Her enthusiasm was adorable. “Sounds perfect. Shall we?” He gestured for her to precede him and then followed. She stopped briefly at the archway to the kitchen and stepped inside. She shook out a few treats for Rusty on the tile floor and then stood. Dex heard four soft chirps telling him she had entered an alarm code, and then a stream of intermittent chirps followed her out of the kitchen and toward the front door.
The restaurant turned out to be only a few miles away from Kate’s place. It was pretty busy for just after midnight on a weeknight, but as Kate had mentioned, it looked like a great late-night place for food, or just a place to meet friends or study.
—
When they were seated, Kate opted for Diet Pepsi, and Dex ordered a coffee. She watched him as he glanced over the menu. He was an attractive man. Hell, he was smoking hot. But he was also kind, caring, thoughtful, and a very strong Dom. He treated her like an actual person with wants and needs of her own, and not just as a sub.
She had never met a Dom quite like him, and had to admit that she was drawn to him in more than just the kink department.
She would have to be careful not to become too emotionally invested, especially since she planned on moving away from L.A. as soon as she could.
“Do you know what you want to order?” His deep voice resonated in places she wished he would have touched during their scene. While she respected the fact that he hadn’t taken advantage of her when she was flying high in subspace, she did want him inside her.
Stat.
Before she could get lost in a round of sexual fantasies involving Master Dex, she cleared her throat. “Do you mind if we start with the garlic Parmesan fries? They’re pretty amazing.”
A slow smile spread across his handsome features. “I defer to the lady since you’ve been here before.”
She gave him a small smile in return. “Fair enough. You won’t regret it. How about you? What are you going to have?”
In truth, she was waiting to see what Dex planned to order to make sure her choice wasn’t ridiculously more expensive, since he was picking up the tab. Even though nothing at Norms was that pricey, it was something she had done for as long as she could remember. Probably stemming from the fact that she didn’t want people to think badly of her. She had grown up in a very rich family, and she refused to act like her father, who always insisted on the most expensive thing on the menu, no matter where they were.
Kate was always conscious of that. She wasn’t a gold digger. She had money of her own, and a good business that brought in money. But there were so many women who were looking for a sugar daddy that she always felt compelled to make sure men knew she wasn’t one of them. Then again, she supposed Dex would be more worried about that if she had suggested a really expensive place. But she hadn’t been lying when she told him Norms was one of her favorite restaurants. They had great food, and she could bring her laptop and work there in the wee hours of the morning, any night of the week.
“Get whatever you want.” Dex’s voice surprised her, and made her realize she’d lost herself in thought for a moment. Kate cringed. Had he seen through her ploy to price compare?
She laughed inwardly at the matter-of-fact way he had just busted her on a tactic that had worked well with most of her dates.
This is not a date, she reminded herself. I don’t date my Doms.
She sipped her Diet Pepsi. “At this time of night, I usually get breakfast. I’m not sure why, but Belgian waffles and eggs always sound terrific after midnight.”
He scanned the menu’s breakfast offerings one more time. “They do sound pretty good. I was going to go for the steak and eggs, but I’ll have to remember this place for another night when I’m craving waffles or French toast.”
Once they had ordered, Kate felt his heavy gaze settle on her and searched for something to say. She had a thousand things flowing through her mind, but they all sounded incredibly lame inside her head, so she bit them back.
“You seem preoccupied. What did I interrupt with my text earlier? I hope you weren’t buried in a project.” He ran a hand across his jaw. “I know how hard it is to get your concentration back once it’s broken.”
She smiled as she remembered what she had been doing when she received his text. “I had just been getting ready to jump in the shower when I heard my phone chirp from the laundry basket.”
Dex laughed. “Forgot the phone in the jeans, huh? My mother washed her iPhone last month doing that. Luckily, I had set her up with the insurance when I took her down to get a phone that brought her into the current century.”
Kate cringed at the thought of washing her phone. “I’ve never actually done that, but I’ve come close a few times. I think that’s one of the dangers of working at home. In between projects, or on a sanity break, I’ll dump laundry in the washer. There have been a few times I stripped off my jeans, thinking I’d toss them in too, and caught myself right before turning on the machine.”
Dex laughed. “If you don’t mind, while we eat, I’d like to ask you about the inner workings of The Dungeon. Since I arrived only yesterday, I’m still finding my way around the place.”
She remembered that he had wanted information earlier when they were in the VIP lounge, and she had never gotten around to giving him the promised tour. “I don’t mind answering any questions you might have.”
Their food arrived quickly. After making sure both orders were correct, he fell silent, and she realized he was waiting for her to start eating before he dug in.
“Please,” she said as she motioned to the food between them. “Go ahead and eat. If you don’t, I can’t promise there will be any garlic Parmesan fries left for you.”
“Then I’d better try them before that happens.” He reached out and picked up a few of the fries and brought them to his lips.
She waited expectantly as he popped them in his mouth and chewed. “Those are damn good. You get to pick the restaurants from now on.”
Kate knew it was silly, but warmth filled her at his words. She wasn’t used to most of her dates, or her Doms, treating her with such care and respect, which said a lot for the kind of men who acted in both those capacities in her life. None of what it said w
as good.
After they ate in silence for a few minutes, Dex said, “Do you know who Congressman Fredericks is?”
Caught off guard, Kate glanced up to find him watching her. She wondered why Dex would ask about Uncle Carl. It was definitely out of left field.
Finally, she nodded. “Yes, he’s a longtime family friend and a business associate of my father’s. Why?”
She thought she saw a flicker of something in Dex’s gaze, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. He pointed toward the ceiling, making her realize there was a news report playing over the restaurant’s sound system rather than the normal generic rock music. The current story was about freeway closures, so she must have missed something while she had been eating. “What happened?”
Dex took a sip of his coffee and then set it back on the table. “He was shot earlier tonight.”
Fear flooded her chest and settled like a hard lump inside her stomach. Uncle Carl had been a good friend and confidant, especially as she got older and the relationship between her and her father had become more and more strained. “Oh no. Is he all right?”
“He’s in the hospital, but stable, according to the report. They didn’t give much other information. Is he one of your Doms?”
The thought was so foreign it made her frown, but she shook her head, realizing that Dex probably knew only what everyone else in the local lifestyle knew—she had a few of the political elite as her Doms. So without knowing the details, he could easily assume what he had.
“No. He and I are extremely close, but definitely not in any kind of sexual way. He was at our house so often while I was growing up, I call him Uncle Carl. He’s like the uncle I never had, and his wife treats me like one of their family.”
Her chest hurt as she thought about Carl’s wife, Gloria, and what she must be going through right now. “I have to call Aunt Gloria.” She fished her phone out of her purse. “Do you mind if I try her?”
