What Alex Wants The Complete Duet (What Alex Wants #1-2)

by E. M. Gayle

  “I’m not sure feud is the right word for what is going on between Ronin and me. I’ve hated him from the moment he came into my life. Not simply because his father married my mother either. If his father was an accountant from New Jersey or retired fisherman from Maine I wouldn’t give a flying fuck, but my stepfather and stepbrother are fucked up human beings. And considering how fucked up I can be, that’s saying something, don’t you think?”

  “That doesn’t exactly answer my question.”

  No, it didn’t, but he was getting there.

  “Every day Ronin and his father put my mother’s life in danger and it terrifies me that one day I’m going to get a call despite all the precautions I take…I hate them for that and that’s never going to change. If I can do anything to return that terror to them I will. So, yes, I enjoyed watching Ronin twist himself up when, despite all his resources, he couldn’t find you. I wouldn’t wish him on my worst enemy let alone someone as sweet as you.”

  She ducked her head and averted her gaze. “I’m not sweet, Alex. I’m just as tainted as they are. I’m a criminal hiding from the law. You keeping me away from them is as good for them as it is me. Although I’m afraid I won’t be able to hide forever.”

  He reached around and tugged on her chin until once again their gazes met. “You are nothing like them and you are definitely not tainted. That man—what he did to you—I take back what I said. I would sic Ronin on the man who stole the last of your childhood. He doesn’t deserve even your thoughts let alone any guilt. You won’t have to spend any more time on him, I promise you that.”

  “Don’t say that,” she whispered. “You can’t control the law. I’m going to have to deal with it.”

  “You’d be surprised. Besides I spend an obscene amount of money on the best lawyers in the world. They always find loopholes where there are none. I’m confident that you will never have to spend another moment thinking about Bill Bennett. Seriously, Harper. Let me do this for you. It’s time to look forward not back.”

  Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and he wanted to kiss them away and then lay her down and make love to her. He’d give anything to wipe away the sadness still showing on her face. But they weren’t done yet. There was one more thing…

  Chapter 19

  Alex

  “That night I first saw you when you catered that commitment ceremony. I didn’t just see a beautiful woman with need etched across her face.”

  “You knew who I was,” she finished for him.

  “I did.” Shame at his initial plan to use her against Ronin pressed down on him. “I’m a bastard too. I know this. Now you do too.”

  “I pretty much figured it out when Viktor Sokolov told me to stop thinking with my pussy.”

  He choked at her words. “Excuse me? What?”

  She smiled, but not quite enough to reach her pretty green eyes that always reminded him of sparkling jade. “He pretty much did and he was right. I had a little time to work it out on the boat before Ronin showed up. It hurt too because I never would have seen that coming.”

  Something dark twisted inside him and he clenched his muscles in an attempt to quench it. There was too much at play here and he needed to stop it before it got out of his control. “If Ronin survived that last explosion, Viktor will be first on his list.”

  “You think he’s still alive?”

  He shrugged. “I think he has more lives than a cat. It’s the only thing that explains all the serious trouble he has made his way out of.”

  “I don’t see how. Everything that wasn’t destroyed, sank.”

  “Me either. But it’s Ronin. If anyone could get out, it would be him. You’d be surprised what he can accomplish.”

  She narrowed her eyes and looked at him warily. “You don’t sound like someone who hates him as much as you keep proclaiming.”

  He pressed his lips into a thin, grim line. “Don’t take my comments as anything other than what they are intended. Just because I dislike him does not mean I can’t assess his skills and be amazed on occasion by what he can do. He’s not a fucking super hero. He’s a hired killer. It’s important you never forget that. If he did die, then there will be repercussions to deal with. The danger doesn’t end with Ronin.” He pressed his lips quickly to hers before he continued. “I told you it was ugly and I want to protect you from it. My mother has become jaded by their life and she ignores her safety protocols all the time, proclaiming how much she hates me for doing that to her. It’s enough to make me crazy. Please don’t take this lightly. Becoming more than my submissive means taking on the responsibility of sharing the other less pleasant parts of my life.” He took a breath and held it. Most of what he’d been trying to explain to her had tumbled out in a jumbled mess. He’d made them sound one step away from a psycho ward and at times it wouldn’t be an unfair assessment.

  Harper snuggled closer before pulling them both to their knees in the soft, warm sand. “What family doesn’t come with baggage? I appreciate that you want to warn me away. Your family is a mess and a menace to society. It’s been duly noted.”

  “A mess hardly scratches the surface of the dark spot that is my twisted family. They don’t care for me any more than I them. Over the years tabloids have published rumors here and there about my lifestyle and my mother goes ballistic every time. As far as she’s concerned she’s already lost enough and she has no interest in anymore scandal. More than once she’s threatened to cut me out of the family if I can’t keep my attitude and sexuality under control.” Alex rubbed his neck as so many unpleasant memories flooded his mind. “If it wasn’t for the fact my mother is all I have left and I can’t bear to leave her with my stepdad or Ronin to destroy, I would stay away from her for a while. I’d like her to have peace.”

  Harper cupped both his cheeks and brought their faces together until they touched from forehead to nose. “You keep too much inside.” Her warm breath caressed his face. “It can get dark in there and if you’re not careful that darkness will consume you.”

  “You still don’t fully understand. I can’t bear the thought of my family touching you. At the very least they’ll do something to embarrass you and that’s unacceptable. At the worst they could draw you in, use what they know about you against me somehow. I have to anticipate, stay one step ahead at all times to keep them away from you. You’re mine. Mine to protect. I want your life to be perfect. That’s what you deserve.”

  Harper leaned back. “I’m not perfect, Alex. Far from it. I’ve done plenty to embarrass myself all on my own. And while your desire to protect me feels really good, I don’t need it. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

  He studied her for a moment, considering his response. The sounds of the ocean behind her gave him a renewed sense of peace. Something that only Harper brought to his life. The fact that for the first time in forever he wasn’t mired in some business drama in the city was an amazing bonus.

  Harper’s work ethic turned him on. In fact, he loved that she had a thriving catering business that was growing fast. It made him even more proud to be her Dom.

  Was that it? Was that all he was? The idea definitely didn’t sit well anymore. Like it or not, that night she confessed her feelings had changed everything between them. She might be confused now, but she loved him and as long as she loved him he had a chance to find a way to make this work.

  “Kitten, I’m proud of how capable you are. You are equally smart and beautiful. That doesn’t mean you don’t need my protection, especially from my own family. I’m responsible for any harm they cause. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about and they will hurt you.” Not that he wouldn’t do everything in his power to prevent it.

  “We don’t get to choose our family, Alex. We get what we get and some people have to do the best they can with what they’ve been dealt. That’s the kind of man I see you as. The one who surveys those around him and then, once armed with the facts, uses that information to improve the situation.”


  “Is that your nice way of saying I like to manipulate those around me?” He reached around her hip and pinched her scantily clad butt. She might not love the bathing suit he’d picked out, but he did. It gave him more opportunity to stare at the lush curves he loved so much. Like now. His mouth watered and his dick started to harden.

  “Hey!” She swatted at his hand and rolled a few feet out of his reach. “That’s not exactly what I meant but if the shoe fits…” She jumped up and started to run toward the water.

  “All right, Harper. Game on!” He scrambled to his feet and surged after her.

  In several fast strides he caught up with her and scooped her from the water’s edge and into his arms.

  “Alex!” she cried. “I wanted to go in the water.”

  “I’m sure you do. However, what you need is entirely different from what you want. Did you really think you could run from me and I wouldn’t come after you?” Her eyes darkened at his words. They both knew he meant more than her simple flight on the beach. He dropped to the sand and laid her out in front of him. Being outdoors in the sun with a half-naked Harper growing more and more compliant by the second turned him on. “You’re mine, kitten. If you need me to keep reminding you of that I will. Whatever it takes.”

  He spread her legs and moved in between them, coming down over her until his hardened cock came in contact with the sensitive apex of her thighs.

  She gasped.

  “Running away from me is your way of teasing me.”

  She flushed a pretty shade of pink, which simply made him think of the blush of her pussy when he licked it. “Not true,” she denied.

  “Mmm hmm.” He licked at the side of her neck to the hollow at her throat. “I’m not sure what happened to my sweet, obedient submissive, but I’m up to the challenge of taming a feisty one.” He continued to nip at her skin until she writhed under him trying to get him to get her off. God, he loved how responsive she was.

  He shifted, allowing for some space between their upper bodies so he could watch the warm sunshine brush her baby soft skin. Aching for more of her, he stretched the skimpy fabric that covered her so that her breasts were exposed to his gaze. And he drank in the sight of them while the hardened nipples bunched tighter under his perusal.

  For a long moment neither of them said anything as he studied and stroked her curves from the indent of her waist all the way to her eyes that were riveted by his actions.

  “You’re right that we don’t get to pick the family who birthed us, but we do get to pick who we want to make our own family with.”

  Suddenly her body stiffened beneath him and her eyes widened in apparent alarm. Her reactions made no sense. He thought she’d be happy to hear this.

  He bent forward and captured her lips, taking advantage of her surprise to sweep his tongue inside her mouth. As he kissed her, he also took the opportunity to cup her breast and flick a nipple through the fabric of her swimsuit.

  She gasped, urging him to take her deeper. He now held her nipple between his fingers and pinched until she offered him a moan. Yes, much better.

  When he detected the slight tremble of her limbs he eased back and stared down at her. “You are so damn beautiful, kitten. I’ll never get enough. Ever.”

  He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. The connection between them was beyond palpable. His pulse quickened and the ache in his cock became constant. With every passing minute the need to fuck her here on the beach became more imminent.

  He lifted his head and met her gaze once again. “I do love you, Harper. You have to know that.”

  For one stunned moment she stared at him in complete shock before she began to struggle.

  “I have to know that? What the hell, Alex?”

  He grabbed her flailing arms by the wrists and pinned them above her head with one hand. “I know I hurt you after what you said that night, but you caught me off guard.” He slid his free hand to her hip and sunk his fingers into her flesh in a tight grip. “That doesn’t mean my feelings are not strong.” He bent forward and set his teeth at her throat. He paused for only a moment before he bit down and sucked hard. Everything inside him clamored to mark her in every way possible. By the time he lifted his head, her eyes were closed and her jaw had gone slack in pleasure. “I am still your Master and by the time we leave this island you’ll either surrender to me once and for all or we’ll part as friends. It will be your choice.”

  He gave her nipple one last tug before he stood and lifted her to her feet. It took her a moment to regain her equilibrium and he steadied her with his arm wrapped around her. “You’re still my girl and I’m feeling pretty damned possessive right now.” He pressed his mouth to the top of her head. “I didn’t expect to find a woman like you, someone as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Your submission has been the most precious gift I’ve ever received and the thought of losing it makes me a little crazy.”

  “Oh, Alex,” she started.

  He shook his head and pressed his finger to her lips. “Not yet. You need some time to think without my influence.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  Sliding a hand around her nape, he bent forward and gave her a quick hard kiss. “Try. Take some time to enjoy the big jetted tub in the house and then meet me down on the dock for dinner. We’ll do something special.”

  She started to follow his directions and turned back as if she wanted to say something.

  “No. You need to go now before I change my mind and tie you to a tree.” He winked, doing his best to lighten the tension between them despite the churning in his gut.

  “Yes, Sir,” she whispered, turning slowly away.

  As he watched her walk toward the main house in the center of the island he recounted their conversation. It was easy for her to say that she could handle his family and his life because she didn’t know better. There were some obstacles he wasn’t sure love was enough to overcome. They both had a choice to make today. He could walk away from Harper forever, let her find a new Dom and never have to deal with his family, or tie her to him forever and have faith that together they’d make it through.

  He knew what he wanted.

  Chapter 20

  Harper

  I leaned back in the tub and sighed as the heated water began caressing my skin. I still felt every touch from Alex as if it were happening now. That’s how wound up he’d gotten me. Of course I didn’t want to leave him. Taking off my necklace had been the hardest thing I’d ever done. Actually, until the moment I’d unbuckled it I’d had no idea how much it had come to mean to me.

  Everything apparently.

  Still stunned by his sudden confession of love, I didn’t know what to think. If he’d discovered the pregnancy test, then all the heightened emotions he was feeling right now were being swayed by the possibility of me carrying his child. I couldn’t bear that being the only reason we stayed together.

  I placed my hands on my bare stomach and sighed. Pregnant. I still couldn’t believe it could be true.

  A boy that looked just like Alex would be adorable and then he’d grow up to be just as commanding as his father. And a girl… It didn’t take much to imagine how doting and possessive he would be with a daughter. Lord help the first boy who came after her when she became a teenager.

  I covered my mouth and suppressed a giggle. I was certainly getting ahead of myself. I’d removed the test from my purse once again, but it still sat on the bathroom counter untouched. Once again, I rubbed my belly and tried to imagine it growing larger and larger each day. I had a feeling that if Alex really meant what he’d said, and I believed he did, then he was going to enjoy the hell out of my pregnant body as well.

  The rumors of a woman’s sex drive during this time alone would drive him mad. Now that was an idea I could get behind. Driving Alex mad. Turn about would be fair play since he enjoyed driving me crazy so often.

  Thoughts of him not being able to keep his hands off o
f me made my nipples bunch tight. Before Alex I’d never seen myself as this insatiable sexual woman. Others may not understand why a woman like me would choose to submit to a man like Alex, but that was only because they didn’t understand the sense of freedom that comes with surrendering to another.

  I closed my eyes and imagined my dark-haired Dom towering over me as I knelt on my knees with his flogger laid out across my lap. Or better yet, the rose crop he’d given me for our first date. Butterflies erupted in my stomach when the provocative image formed in my mind. He’d command me to stand and bend for his appraisal. There were many facets to my Master, but I could always count on one thing. He’d make sure I exposed myself to him completely every time we were together and he always told me how hard I made him.

  There was a lot of power to be had in that knowledge. Watching him get turned on by what I did for him gave me a sense of strength nothing else did. It was like getting drunk and high without any of the negative side effects.

  Before I could react to my body’s awakening, the memory of him on the beach crowded my thoughts. He’d told me he loved me. Love. I couldn’t quite process all that entailed. Not when the unanswered question about the baby hung between us. If he already knew, how would I ever believe he’d meant what he said?

  I glanced out the window I’d left open and up at the impossibly blue sky. Heat and sunshine had a way of soothing my soul. Unfortunately, the seesaw of my emotions kept me off balance and unsure. One minute I ached to go to Alex and beg him to keep me and the next I wanted to hide in this bathroom forever. Or at least until he gave up and went away.

  Fat chance of that. A more tenacious man I’d never met. He took stubborn to a new level. Some might even call him sexist with his intense desire to protect and cherish me. I secretly and not so secretly loved it. While more than willing to fight him for what I wanted, there were plenty of times that giving in to him fulfilled my wildest and deepest desires.