The Drake Restrained Collection: Part 1 and 2 (The Drake Series Book 3) (15 page)

Lara stood and waved me over to the table.

"You’re
late
," Lara said, air kissing my cheeks when I arrived as if she'd been expecting me.

Then it became obvious why Katherine was there, and the truth registered as a shock of adrenaline surging through my body.

Katherine
was the researcher.

She
was the young woman who wanted to interview me. To interview a Dom because, as Lara said, she was curious, but was too afraid to do it for real.

The young woman Lara thought I could love…

"Oh,
God
," Katherine said, glancing away for a moment, her face blanching. I stood there like a total zombie, confusion and elation battling inside of me for ascendance. I didn’t know whether to laugh out loud with glee or act apologetic, still not entirely certain that I was right.

"I have to go." Katherine pulled on her coat, gathered up her bag and put on a pair of sunglasses. She walked away, her body stiff.

She was horrified that it was
me
she was supposed to meet.

"Kate!" Lara called out, but Katherine was out the door and on the street hailing a taxi before Lara could get to the door.

We stood at the open door and watched as Katherine hailed down a cab.

“You know each other, I take it?” Lara said to me, her arms crossed.

“Yes,” I said, my heart pounding. I was just about to go after her, but Lara grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Let her go," she said, her grip firm. "She's obviously freaked out. I take it there's some reason she's upset that you're the one."

"I’m very close with her father, who was my dad’s best friend. We finally met about a week ago.”

I watched as the taxi drove off. My instinct was to follow her, but I listened to Lara. I exhaled heavily and gave in. This would only end well if I handled it – and
her
– with utmost finesse.

Lara and I went back into the café and sat down once more at the table. The waitress brought me an espresso, and I shot it down, needing the buzz to calm me. Lara ordered another espresso and then we sat looking at each other.

“So,” Lara said, hesitantly. “What do you think? Are you still interested in doing the interview?

Interested
? I was fucking
ecstatic.

"I am," I said, keeping my voice calm. "I actually
like
her."

"Oh,
oh
." Lara smiled at me over her espresso. "By her reaction, she likes you as well."

It was then I realized that she
did
, despite her response. "This could get complicated."

"Only as complicated as you let it get. You're the one in control."

I looked to the street where Kate had caught the cab. I want to follow her, talk to her. Make this right between us. Traffic was pretty heavy at this time of day, and given the recent rain, it was even slower, but she was long gone.

"Poor Kate,” Lara said. “To find out you're the Dominant I was going to introduce her to. How embarrassing for you both."

"She's probably really upset that I know she's interested in BDSM. It's quite the change from famine in West Africa."

"It is. She's completely fascinated with the lifestyle but doesn't want to admit it to herself. She'll be a tough nut to crack."

"They always have the sweetest meat, once you do crack their hard shell, though." I smiled at Lara. She knew
exactly
what I meant. Submission, when a strong-willed person finally gave in, was even better than one who succumbed too easily.

Their eventual submission was total, their sexual response unrestrained.

 "I should call her," I said, reaching into my scrubs pocket to retrieve my cell. I held it in my hand, indecision filling me. "Try to calm her down. Do you have her number?"

 “She'll never answer your call. Let me see if I can salvage this,” Lara said and took out her own phone. She entered Katherine’s number but she didn’t answer.

"You take it," Lara said, handing me her cell. "Try again."

 I took Lara's cell and connected to Katherine’s number.

"She's seriously freaked out," Lara said. "She wants it – and maybe
you
– bad."

I couldn’t help but smile. "I'll try again."

I redialed and this time, Katherine answered. Before I could say anything, she spoke, her voice breathless, almost panicked.

"Before you say
anything,
I want you to remind Dr. Morgan that this was
purely
academic. This was research – nothing more. No matter what you think Lara, I'm not interested. This was nothing
personal
—"

"Kate,
Kate
,  shhh," I said, keeping my voice soft. "Don't worry. I
know
. You’re a serious student. This is just research. If anything, it's me who should be embarrassed."

She hung up.

I pulled the cell away from my ear and looked at Lara, who raised her eyebrows.

"Boy, does she want you," Lara said and finished her espresso. "
Real
bad. I think if you push a bit, she'll be signing a submission contract for real."

"I won't give up, then." I checked my cell for the time. "I better go. I've got a lot of paperwork to go over. I may  pay a visit to Kate's apartment later this evening. Give me her number."

"Should I give it to you, Drake?" she said and eyed me from under a frown. "You sure about this? Is this manageable?"

"Never been more sure," I said, waving my hand in dismissal. "We already have a history. That will mean the walls are already crumbling. I know how to manage someone like her."

"I don't mean
her
."

I checked Lara’s face to see if she was kidding.

"
Lara
…" I cracked a grin. "You know me better than anyone. Me not control myself around a sweet little girl like Katherine? I'll bend her to my will easily. I'll have her eating out of my hand in no time…"

"If you say so."

"I say so," I replied, and then I leaned down to peck her on the cheek. She rose and put on her jacket, then walked with me out of the café into the cool Manhattan afternoon.

 We stood facing each other on the sidewalk and she had this strange expression on her face – part disbelief, part amusement.

She gave me a look. “I thought rule number one was to keep your life completely secret, apart from anyone in your personal life. Don’t tell me you’re going to go through with this…”

I smiled and walked backwards for a few steps, filled with elation.

“Try and stop me.”

End of Part One

DRAKE RESTRAINED 2

S. E. LUND

Copyright by S. E. Lund 2014

DEDICATION

Dedicated to Suzanne, my first editor and the first other writer to consider my writing seriously and offer an honest constructive critique. Without your critical eye and supportive words, I would never have seen both the potential in my work and where it needed improvement. You gave me the courage to continue writing despite difficulties in the early years. You will be missed.

R. I. P.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to my family and friends who supported me during the long hours when I would lock myself into my office with my computer jammed in my face, writing. Without your tolerance, my books would never have been written or finished, but my house would have been a lot cleaner! Many thanks to my editor Michelle Saunders for all her hard work – any remaining mistakes are all mine!

CHAPTER ONE

Knowing someone is interested in trying out kink is one thing; actually getting them to let you bind, blindfold and dominate them sexually is quite another.

I had no idea how I was going to get Kate into my bedroom so I could gain complete control over her mind and body, but I knew I had to. As I raced up the street to New York Presbyterian to finish my afternoon office appointments, it was priority number one.

 Every fiber of my being focused in on my new mission – get Kate to submit.

The panic in her voice when she thought she was talking to Lara on the phone said everything I needed to know. She found the idea of being my submissive –
my
submissive – both terrifying and absolutely undeniably desirable.

The very thought of Kate as my submissive made me hard as rock. I was a little breathless, my gut and groin filled with an ache of desire as I imagined her naked, her lovely skin pale against my dark grey bedspread, my leather cuffs around her wrists and ankles, my satin blindfold covering her beautiful green eyes...