Dominated (11 page)

She closed her eyes and tried to breathe slow and easy to gain some sort of control so she could think. She needed a list of pros and cons. Hell, she needed to have a long heart to heart with her mate and air out her concerns. Would he be open to that? Or would he shut her down and tell her as the Dominant wolf he was, she could keep her opinions to herself?

She shivered at the possibility.

Gabriel paced the kitchen floor after Kathleen left until his legs ached and the floor surely had a rut worn into it.

As the evening light waned and the weekend visitors dispersed, his parents stepped into the kitchen through the back door.

“Gabe.” His mother sounded startled. “What are you doing?”

“Waiting.” Essentially that was as true as it got.

“For what?” his father asked.

“For my mate to
think
.” He ran his hands through his hair and stopped strutting across the floor.

“She left?” His mother looked around.

“Yep.”

“What’d you do to her?” His father’s words would have cut to the quick if he hadn’t said them in a teasing lilt.

“I might have pushed her too hard too fast.” That was the truth of it. Could he repair the damage?

“Why are you standing here in the kitchen then?” His father patted him on the back. “Shouldn’t you be at her house making nice?”

Gabriel glared at the man. “She needed time and space. That’s what I’m giving her.”

“Or maybe,” his mother added, “she needs explanations and details.” She sighed. “I’ve seen you in action over the years, Gabriel. I know you’re a bit dominant, if not a lot. If you dumped too much of that on her plate all in one day, I’m not surprised she ran scared.

“Go to her. Talk to her. Don’t make her feel like she’s going to become a slave to your every whim. You need a balance. It’s different when you’re just dating a girl you aren’t going to marry. When it’s the woman you’re claiming, you need to ensure her emotional needs are all met all the time.”

Damn his mother’s wisdom. Perhaps he hadn’t been clear with Kathleen. He might have made her feel like she was always going to be under his thumb, expected to bow to his bidding for the rest of her life.

All he’d meant to instill in her was a sense that he would make her body hum with need often and with great passion. In pushing her body to respond in ways he knew she could, had he worried her into believing he would be demanding to her at all times?

That hadn’t been his intention.

His mother was right about one thing. He needed to go to her. It wasn’t as though he would be able to relax or sleep again in this lifetime without holding her in his arms. Whatever he needed to do to make amends and ensure his sweet mate’s needs were met, he needed to buck up and do it now. She was his, even if he had to bury his dominant nature to keep her.

After just a few hours without her, he ached. Not just his cock, but his chest. He’d fallen for her hard. Visions of her face as she came apart in his arms flooded his memory.

He needed to see that expression again, today and every day until he died. No matter what the cost.

He didn’t say another word. He just grabbed his keys off the back hook and walked out the door.

Thank God he was wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and shoes. Otherwise, he’d have been greeting her family in whatever attire he’d had on because changing was the last thing on his mind.

It took less than fifteen minutes to make the drive to Kathleen’s house. It shouldn’t have, but it did.

He stood nervously at her front door after knocking, totally unprepared to face her parents. What had she told them? What if they were pissed at him?

He stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting. It was so unnerving being out of his element. He’d always been in control of nearly every situation in his life. This tiny sprite of a mate of his had turned his world upside down and shaken it for good measure.

And he was determined to ensure she continued to do so for the next eighty years.

When the door opened, he was faced with both of Kathleen’s parents. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

“Gabriel. Come in,” her mother said.

Relief flooded him. She knew who he was and she didn’t appear to be ready to shoot him. A glance at her father indicated a similar attitude from him. Two points.

Her father extended a hand. “Todd Davis. This is my wife, Carina.”

“Nice to meet you, sir. Ma’am.” He took Todd’s hand and nodded at Carina.

“Please. Have a seat.” Carina motioned toward the couch. “I’ll get Kathleen for you. Or would you just like to go up and find her yourself?”

“No.” He shook his head, not moving toward the sofa. He doubted she’d want to see him in such tight quarters just yet. “Perhaps she would go for a walk with me. It’s nice out now that the sun is down.”

Carina smiled warmly. “Why don’t you two sit out back? We have a sun porch. The weather is perfect. I’ll go get her.” She turned toward her husband. “Todd, would you show Gabriel to the back porch?”

Todd smiled, a mischievous grin that made Gabe swallow hard. Gabe followed the man through the kitchen and out the back door. “My wife told me only bits and pieces of what she could pull out of Kathleen. I don’t know the whole story, but I’ll just warn you that Kathleen is young and naïve and this is probably overwhelming to her. Just, take it easy on her. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“You’re right, sir. I’m sure I just haven’t quite said the right things, but I want you to know my heart is in the right place. I will do right by your daughter, always.” His voice cracked as he spoke. He’d never been so nervous. The experience was far too human for him. Wolves didn’t usually face as many crises as this. Mates were destined most of the time. The usual formalities were overkill.

Todd grinned again and shook his head. He reentered the house mumbling, “Good luck.” The man knew his daughter. She was apparently as feisty with her family as she was with him, judging by their reactions.

Kathleen stepped outside with trepidation. She let the door shut behind her with a quiet snick. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” he whispered.

He looked worried, a crease between his eyes extended up to his forehead. His hands were jammed into his jeans pockets.

“Sorry I ran,” she muttered.

“Sorry I pushed you,” he added.

“I was . . . confused. This is all more than I ever expected.”

“I know. And I did a piss-poor job of explaining myself to you. I wanted you so bad and you smelled so fucking good. . ." He took a deep breath. “Sit with me?”

He asked. He didn’t demand. He asked.

She nodded consent and sat on the porch swing at the same time he did. He put his arm around her and pulled her against his huge chest. His T-shirt pulled tight over his pecs and she remembered what his bare chest was like and how she’d longed to stare at it for hours.

“I scared you.”

“Yes,” she admitted.

“I’m very dominant.”

“Yes,” she agreed with the same response.

“Does that worry you?”

“Uh huh.” She didn’t look at him. Instead she kept her gaze on her hands as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. She was still wearing the same skirt and blouse from earlier, not wishing to part with the scent of Gabriel all over her clothes and body.

“Let me explain myself a little better. I know I came on strong. That was probably wrong of me in retrospect. You have no experience with either domination or sex for that matter. I threw you in to the wolves. Literally.” He chuckled, his chest vibrating. She adored the timbre of his deep laugh.

She tipped her head up and smiled. “Ha ha.”

“I can’t really apologize for my dominant methods. It’s just who I am. If I thought it wouldn’t suit you at all, I would do everything in my power to change. But you have reacted to every move of mine with a level of submission I’m shocked to discover in a mate. So, that isn’t really the issue here.”

She bit her lower lip between her teeth.
That’s for sure
.

“I’m gonna go with your fear over your reaction to me and your insecurity about what that means for us long-term.”

She nodded.
Hit it in one
. Thank God she didn’t have to spell out her feelings for him. It would have been humiliating at best.

“So, let me reassure you about several things. First of all, I’m so totally going to push you sexually behind closed doors and occasionally even out in public, but not that anyone else would know.”

Her pussy clenched when he spoke and she hated that he would be able to smell her arousal. It seemed humiliating to find his words so fucking sexy.

He grasped her chin and tipped her head up to meet his gaze again. “Are you worried about losing yourself?”

“Yes,” she muttered.

“I would never let that happen. I promise. We will always have an open communication between us to ensure both our needs are being met. Okay?”

She furrowed her brow at him. She’d not really witnessed that so far.

“I haven’t made you feel like you could voice your opinion, have I?”

She shook her head, her chin still in the grip of his hand.

“I’m sorry.” He set his forehead against hers. “I guess I was so caught up in claiming you and so enamored with your body, I didn’t pause to consider your feelings. Please forgive me.”

She didn’t respond. He needed to prove himself.

“Let me take you out. Show you how polite I can be in the company of others.” He grinned. “It’s the only way I know to demonstrate my total devotion.”

It cost him to say those words. She saw it in his eyes. He meant it. This was new territory to him too.

“Okay.”

“Have you eaten?”

“No. I couldn’t have swallowed around the lump in my throat.” She smiled.

“Let’s go to dinner then. I promise to be a perfect gentleman.” He stood and tugged her up next to him. “We’ll go someplace simple so we don’t need to dress fancy or anything. Tomorrow I’ll take you someplace swankier and really make an impression.” He waggled his eyebrows at the promise.

Kathleen led him through the house toward the front door. It was the first time she’d felt like she was in the driver’s seat of this relationship. Maybe he could play nice. “Mom, Dad, we’re going out.”

“Okay. Have fun.” Her mother stood from the couch and smiled.

Her father followed the gesture, nodding his consent.

Kathleen exhaled a long slow breath as they headed toward the car. “That wasn’t awkward at all,” she mumbled.

At the car door, Gabe pulled her into his embrace and kissed her on the lips, a soft gentle kiss that made her toes curl and her neck heat. “It’ll get better soon. I’m sure all mates feel a bit out of sorts at first.”

They drove to the local pizza parlor. Kathleen told him when and where to turn, and Gabe followed her directions as though they did this sort of thing every day. She relaxed marginally beside him, hoping he could prove to be a gentleman in public as he’d professed.

What if he didn’t? What if he insisted on managing her every move for their entire lives? She shivered. She’d never survive like that. He was indeed correct that she was consistently aroused by his domineering ways when it came to sex, but her unease definitely stemmed from worrying about living with a bossy mate who controlled her every move.

They found a quiet table in a corner, ordered a pizza and two cokes, and then stared at each other.

He’d let her order whatever toppings she wanted, insisting he liked anything. Was it all just a show?

He took her hands across the table as they waited for their food. “I
am
a nice guy. I’m so sorry I made you feel otherwise.” He stroked her skin on the back of her hand with his fingers until she couldn’t concentrate on his words.

She pulled her hand back.

“You okay?”

“Yes. I just can’t think when you touch me.”

“I like that.” He smiled. “I’ll keep it in mind.” He leaned toward her. “Don’t get me wrong. I want you badly. Just sitting here with you is making my cock hard. I can’t say I wouldn’t ever turn this into a dominant situation. I can smell you and it’s killing me slowly. If you weren’t so skittish right now, I would insist you take off your panties and give them to me. I would love knowing your pussy was bare under your skirt.”

She gasped. How did he always manage to do this to her?

“No one would know, Kathleen. I would never expose you to anyone or let anyone else know you were dripping with need. I just love the idea of us having our own secrets, even out in public. Does that make sense?”

She didn’t move.

“It’s not that I care what pizza you order or where we sit or even which streets we take to get to a restaurant. I just feel driven to push you sexually because it makes me even hornier when you grow needy. I can feel your pulse increasing when I touch you.”

“Are you going to let me teach? I just finished my degree. I want to work with children.” She held her breath waiting for his response.

“There will be no ‘let’ in this relationship. You should do whatever fulfills you. If you want to work, I’ll support you. If you prefer to stay home, that’s fine too. I want you to be happy. You’ll make your own choices. I’ll not be dominating your every movement.”