Submission Under the Mistletoe (3 page)

Maybe to return his shirt you
walked away with
. Her conscious reminded
her. Gabriella had felt so at peace with his scent around her, a
combination of the sea, fruit, herbs and as beguiling as cashmere.
In one word the man smelled like freedom. When she was younger her
father would take them on the lake in the fall. There was something
sweet and earth about that time of year and being on the water. The
oldest of nine brothers and sisters she felt like she didn’t have a
single care out there.

Last night, she had kept his shirt on while she
slept just wanted to breathe that scent in. She’d ached inside this
morning when she had to remove it to shower and get dressed for
work.

He smelled good, but he tasted better. Her heart
beat hard and her mouth watered just thinking about him. The man
tasted like cola and cherries—sweet with a bite. His mouth had been
slightly cool when she’d first slipped her tongue inside, but when
he’d taken over the kiss it had been hot and demanding. The man may
not have been a Dom but he knew how to command a kiss.

Inhaling, she sighed.
I need to let all that go.

Glancing at Jennifer, she was happy her friend was
busy finishing off her cupcakes because; Gabriella didn’t want her
to even get a whiff that something was going on. Jennifer would
never let it go. She’d ask everyone in the club until she
discovered anyone that knew anything about the man.

Some things were better left alone. The fact that
she’d been so taken in by the man, his smell and his kiss was
plenty to have her running in another direction.

Not to mention the fact he was willing to stand
against Reel and DM Lotus to protect her.

Not a Dom, Gabriella. Not a Dom.

Going to the cooler again, she returned the other
items and grabbed the chickpea mix for the rolls. At the table she
got back to the business of stuffing the gonzo beans, chickpeas,
celery, dill, diced tomatoes and other herbs into the hole of each
artisan roll. Work was what she needed to stay focused on and maybe
step away from the scene for a few weeks that should be enough time
for Reel to seriously get the message and for her to begin looking
in the BDSM loops for another Dom.

Life would be back to normal once again.

~YH~

Brad awakened in the king-size hotel bed with sweat
rolling off him, his heart pounding, his head fuzzy and his cock
stiff as a poll. It was the second night he’d awaken in such a
state and he knew the reason why. Shoving the remainder of the
sheet off his body, that he hadn’t already kicked away in his
sleep, he stood up and walked to the balcony. Pushing the long
drapes to the side, he unlocked the door and opened it halfway. He
needed to cool himself down as quickly as possible. Standing in the
darkened shadows he allowed the chill of the December air to blow
over him. Inhaling several breaths, he tried to clear his minds of
the last thread of the dream.

Erotic dream.

It shocked and amazed him that a woman he had only
met for thirty minutes could haunt his mind so intensely. After
he’d gotten back two nights ago from the BDSM event he’d gone to
his hotel room and straight to bed. That night he’d dreamed of not
only kissing her lips but tasting her breasts, those two full, pert
peaks that had bounced before his eyes as she’d strutted toward
him.

He could still smell her intoxicating scent, a
mixture of something manufactured and her. He knew it. The
sweetness came from a bottle, but that spicy decadence was the
woman they called China Doll.

He shook his head as he backed away from the open
door. He wasn’t trying to get sick for the holiday, just calm
himself.

What kind of name was China Doll?
What did it stand for?
He knew that the
lifestyle was all about anonymity from Alesha, Mike and Josh. They
had explained that much, instructed him on the way to the ‘dungeon’
not to use their real names once there. They said it wasn’t from
shame of what the practiced or believed, more because a person’s
scene name represented something about them, their personality and
what they wanted to be known for.

He pondered that some today, what he thought about
himself if he were in such a lifestyle. He’d always been known as
one of The Twins. When people saw him, they normally knew Brian was
before him or behind him somewhere. Even though he and Brian had
totally different personality, they usually were a match set.

China Doll.

Her style of dress wasn’t representative of anything
Chinese or Asian, so he was at a lost. He could probably ask his
sister and her men, but that would just have them asking more
questions. Today when he and Brian were at their house putting up
the tree and inside decorations, Alesha asked him again about his
shirt. Brian over heard and questioned him about what he saw.
Blowing his twin off, Brad simply ignored Alesha and told Brian
he’d go into it later.

Thank God later had never came.

He and Brian had gone down to the hotel club for a
few drinks and a dance or two with some ladies they met, but soon
they had both ended up back up to their own rooms alone. For two
virile, single men, used to spending the holiday on a singles
cruise getting laid, it was very out of the ordinary both their
beds were empty.

Brad didn’t know what Brian’s issue was, but for him
all the women at the club had seemed to dull in comparison to the
memory of one woman.

China Doll.

Now, he stared around his hotel room, the darkness
barely gave way to the shadows caused by the slim amount of light
through the parted curtains. His body finally starting to relax, he
returned to the bed and lay down.

Nude, he left the cover off his body and placed both
hands behind his head and stared up at the dark ceiling. He allowed
his mind to wander, knowing exactly what path it would take. Back
to her.

He played her walked across the crowded room toward
him, except this time her face was smooth without tension around
her eyes. Her red painted full lips were smiling and her warm,
amber gaze was locked on him. The woman was petite in size but
stacked well in all the right places. Her breast were would fit in
a man’s hands perfectly. In his hands just right.

Her waist was narrow, but her hips were flared wide
in those classic red panties that matched her lips and high heels.
Her thighs were thick and toned. His mouth became dry just thinking
of following her legs from ankles to the top of her thigh with his
tongue. He’d trace her softness, absorb her scent.

His heart beat hard as he felt the
blood pump furiously and return with a vengeance to his
cock.
Damn
.

He thought about her on her knees
again, but her head wouldn’t be bowed for long, she’d slowly glance
up to him, open his pants and take him in hand…in mouth. How would
those pretty thick lips feel around his dick. How dark would her
eyes become as she felt him glide across her tongue?
Fuck
.

It was that atmosphere. So much dominance. So much
sexuality. So much submission. Too much. It could make a sane man
lose his sanity.

But, his heart corrected his mind; it all had to do
with the kiss. Not the quick peck she’d playfully given him before
she walked away. No, the deep one she bestowed on him.

She had tasted of mint and cinnamon. He frowned in
the dark; his forehead tightening. How could a woman taste both
refreshing and spicy at the same time? But, she had. He knew that
the sweet mint flavor had come from candy, a spray or mouth wash.
However, the spicy had been all her. The brief taste had driven him
to distraction. Driving him mad. He’d wanted more of it and had
driven into her mouth roughly, without finesse and hell bent on
claiming more.

Hell, in that moment he wanted to claim her. Mark
her as his. Just as much as he’d wanted to adorn her with something
around her neck just for a second while he stared down at her
kneeling form.

That right there was the lunacy of
it all.
Shit, I can’t even tell my twin
about this. About these thoughts
and
feelings.
Brian still hadn’t come to terms
fully with how Alesha was choosing to live her life. Even though
they both could see their baby sister was completely happy with her
two men. Their best friends.

He didn’t even want to guess how Brian would take
his thoughts about China Doll.

Shutting his brother out of his mind, Brad refocused
on the woman. Letting his imagination shift and move into whatever
path it wanted to travel. As his thoughts moved from one erotic
twist to another, Brad lowered one of his hands to his cock.

As the images—real and imagined—unfolded he squeezed
and stroked his hard length in a languid motion. Until the fantasy
tightened his form with a tension of need; a desire to bring
himself to ecstasy with her name on his lips.

As his body cooled once again and the fires of lust
began to abate, he knew he’d have to find her, somehow. He needed
to see her again. See if the connection was real or a figment of
his imagination like the erotic dreams that haunted him.

chapter three

“
Let me get a large coffee, no
cream extra sugar.” Brad looked around the large glass case dived
between various sandwiches, soups, salads and sweets. “One Turkey
on wheat.”

“
Anything else, sir?” The guy
behind the counter asked as he rang in each item.

“
Whatever my brother is getting.”
Brad stepped to the side while Brian scanned the board and made his
selection.

“
One of your light roast coffee’s
black, please. A chicken salad on artisan.” Brain shifted so Brad
could pay the tab.

Handing Brad back his credit card and a plastic
number, the cashier said, “Jennifer will bring your order to you in
a few moments, take a seat where ever you’re comfortable.”

Picking a table close to the window, Brad chose the
side where he could see the people that passed along the street.
Then he stuck the number into a short stand mounted into the edge
of the table so the server could see it.

“
You plan to tell me why we came
all the way down to the end of town, almost twenty minutes away
from our hotel room for coffee when we could have had that at the
hotel or any other damn place between here and there?”

Brad had been on a mission since he woke the second
time this morning, with the sun up, to see if he could find the
woman with the moniker China Doll. The last place he had seen her
was downstairs of this place Strong Blends. He hoped that maybe she
frequented this area downtown where more artsy and eclectic shops
were away from the more traditional foot traffic.

It was almost lunch time and chances were that if
she came here, she probably stopped in for coffee or tea before
work or something. However, he didn’t know where else to start.

You could ask Alesha, his mind taunted. He still
wasn’t willing to involve anyone else in this search. He glanced
across the table at his twin, ignorant of what plagued him. Brad
did feel a little guilt lying to him, but no need to start a
conversation on something that most likely would amount to
nothing.

The server gave him a little more time as she came
with a large tray and deposited their orders before them,
correctly.

Brad offered her a tip.

Holding up her hand, the tall woman with the spike
short hair held up her hand. “No, thanks, Sir, we get paid very
well. If you all need anything else let us know.” With a small nod
and odd pause, she turned and went back to the counter.

Brian frowned at the woman’s behavior.

Brad understood the woman’s mannerisms were probably
connected to what went on downstairs, he choose not to inform
Brian. If Brian knew there was a dungeon below them, and that place
was where their sister and her Dom’s “played” together he would be
out the door in a flash.

“
No reason. I just wanted to see
more of the city. Heard the coffee was pretty good here.” For
effect, he lifted the mug and took a cautious sip. “Wow, its damn
good.”

Questions still marring his features, but Brian did
try his. His twin’s face relaxed some. “They were right.”

They drank their coffee and eat their sandwiches for
a moment in silence. Brian was the first to speak.

“
You never did tell me about the
weird night you had with Mike and Josh and our baby
sister.”

Brad leaned forward. “Will you keep your voice
down.” Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure no one was in ear
shout of their conversation.

“
What’s your problem, Brad? These
people don’t know what or who I’m talking about.”

The hell if they didn’t. Speaking in low tones, Brad
warned. “Regardless, you know the world is a small place. We’re not
from this area and we don’t know who may know who.”

Brian set down the half of sandwich he had left.
“Really, Brad? From what I recall Alesha and the guys go by some
nicknames. You know like some secrecy club. Hell, if they were so
proud and open there wouldn’t be so much subterfuge.”

“
Damn it, Brian. Just because you
don’t approve of how Alesha is living with Mike and Josh you don’t
have to be rude about it.”

The slow lifting of one single eyebrow let Brad know
that he’d probably spoken to supportively. Fuck.

“
So, now you don’t? When we
decided to come here a few weeks to spend for the holiday with
them, you and I were both on the same page. We wouldn’t judge
Alesha and our friends, but neither did we approve. Now, you sound
as if you’ve had a change of heart.”