The Drake Restrained Compete Collection: Part 1 - 4 (The Drake Series Book 7) (57 page)

I pulled her against me. "You
are
a kinky little thing, Ms. Bennet. You're going to make me very uncomfortable if you keep up with that teasing mind of yours and then I'll be embarrassed in front of your father's guests because of the tent in my pants. But maybe later, after dessert when there's a lull in things before we get into liqueurs, I'll tug at my ear and you'll go into the bathroom off your bedroom and wait for me. I may just have a nice
big
present for you…"

She closed her eyes, and it pleased me that my words had such an effect on her. That was my Katherine—so responsive. How could I not love her passionately?

After a round of cocktails and some light conversation with various guests, Ethan joined us, a huge smile on his beefy face, his boisterous gravelly voice indicating he was happy to see us standing together. I stayed with Kate the entire time and did my best to speak with everyone, although my mind was occupied with being alone with her. She never left my side, and together, we talked to whoever came by to greet us.

Nigel arrived with his partner and I was curious to see how Ethan would respond but Ethan smiled and shook Brian's hand and that was it. As soon as Nigel saw Kate, he came right over, introducing Brian to us both. After we said our hellos, Elaine came by and pulled Brian away for a moment to show him some artwork.

Nigel leaned in to Kate and whispered something in her ear. It could have made me a bit mad but I was too ecstatic to let anything bother me.

Then Nigel laid a hand on my shoulder. "I already had my little talk with Drake about you,” Nigel said, referring to our little talk at Ethan’s fundraiser, “so I won't say anything more."

I smiled, biting back a snide comment.

"Quit being my big brother, Nigel," Kate said, pointing a finger at him.

"Someone has to be. Heath seems too busy with his own children."

Then Nigel leaned down and kissed Kate on the cheek. "Happy New Year, Kate." Then he left us and went to where Brian and Elaine stood, admiring a piece of art.

Kate sighed and turned to me. I put my arm around her shoulder. "What did he say to you that night?" she asked, leaning against me.

"He just told me if I ever hurt a hair on your head, he'd have me thrashed soundly."

We laughed at that. Mostly, we spoke to each other, and I took every opportunity to whisper in her ear, telling her what I wanted to do to her if we did get a chance to meet in the bathroom later.

"Ms. Bennet, I want to slip my hand down under your dress and feel you. Are you already wet for me? I bet you are, you
vixen
…"

"Shh,
Drake
," she said, her cheeks pink, but she couldn’t stop smiling.

We sat together at the table as we had that first night at Ethan’s fundraising dinner, but this time she paid me constant attention and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her, barely acknowledging the rest of the guests, even Ethan himself. Luckily, people seemed to let us be, so we could enjoy each other.

Once dinner was over and the servers took away our dessert plates, Ethan announced that we'd take our after dinner drinks in the living room. Ethan spoke to me about the dance afterwards, and I took the opportunity to tug on my ear so Kate would know I wanted her to go to the bathroom. She glanced away quickly, as if embarrassed, but then she stood up. "Please excuse me."

She left the dining room just as people started to filter out and make their way to the living room. I lagged behind for a few moments, making small talk with Elaine before sneaking down the hall to the front entrance closet, where I removed the gift I’d brought for Kate. I slipped it into my trousers as a joke and opened the door to the bathroom. I went inside, closed the door and leaned against it.

"I have something for you, Ms.
Bennet
."

"You do?"

"In my pants,” I said, wanting her to think I meant my erection. “Come and see for yourself. I need you to take it out. It's very uncomfortable."

She obeyed like a good submissive and came to me, opening my suit jacket and running her fingers over my groin. She frowned and opened my fly before reaching in to find a long black velvet jewelry case.

"
Drake
…" She opened it to reveal a black velvet choker with a single teardrop diamond in a white-gold setting.

"I had it made specially for you back before all this happened,” I said, taking it out of the case. “I thought a black velvet choker would substitute pretty well for your leather collar and would be more appropriate to wear at special events like tonight." I went behind her and slipped the choker around her neck, fastening it, my eyes meeting hers in the mirror.

She covered her mouth, tears in her eyes.

I adjusted the choker so that the diamond fell in the hollow at the base of her throat, watching in the mirror. "
Beautiful
…" I whispered in her ear, for she was beautiful. I pushed her forward so that she leaned over the vanity facing the mirror. I lifted up her dress, groaning when my hands slid over the garters. Then I gave her another Christmas present.

I
tried
to give it to her just the way she asked.

I really tried but I couldn't stand not seeing her fulfilled.

I was greedy like that.

CHAPTER TEN

Packing up Kate’s apartment gave me the opportunity to get to know her a bit better. As we sorted through her possessions, deciding which items to put in storage, throw out or take with us, I learned more about who and what she was. It made me love her even more.

We sorted through her artwork, taking down the framed pictures and stacking them against the wall. I stood at the sound system, hooking my iPhone into it and selecting a song to play.

"What's this?" she said, when I played something new I’d heard and immediately liked, despite it being contemporary.

"It’s ‘Please Don't Go’ by Barcelona."

Kate listened for a moment. "Sounds awfully sad for you."

"I listened to this a lot during those days between Christmas and New Years."

Kate smiled, and turned back to the pictures. I went and stood beside her.

"I want to keep all of these,” she said, tilting her head to the side to examine one, “but none of them have to come with us."

"I want this one to come," I said, pointing to the pencil drawing of the knight and his lady.

"You like that one?"

I nodded. "That was me when you met me."

"Really?" Kate turned to me, a frown on her face. "I thought you said it was about me and how I couldn't have sex without intimacy because I wanted to feel like a good girl."

I shook my head and pulled her against me, my arms slipping around her waist. "I can rationalize anything," I said and kissed her neck. "I was trying so hard to keep everything separated, my emotions under control."

She took my hands in hers. "Why? I don’t understand. I
wanted
to fall in love. It's a loveless relationship I couldn’t imagine."

I exhaled. How to explain? "When my marriage failed and I was given that restraining order, it was as if I had failed as a man." I thought back to that time. "Kate, I was like Flyboy. I was the asshole who didn't know what I was doing. I had to face up to who and what I was. I had to keep myself under complete control. Whatever the reason, I tried to keep you under control, confined to one spot, my emotions restrained. Luckily, I failed miserably."

"I thought you had me quite well under control. I submitted completely and willingly. If it hadn’t been for Dawn, you might have had your wish. She kind of forced things."

"Like I said, luckily."

"Do you really feel that way?” Kate asked. “If she hadn't, we might have been happy in a simple D/s relationship and none of this would have happened."

"I was already in love with you, just in denial."

"Already?"

I kissed her neck, my hands moving up under her left breast. "I think I fell in love with you at the concert. No, I
know
I fell in love with you then."

She turned around in my arms, her hands on my chest, and looked me in the eyes. "Why the concert? That was so soon after we met. You hardly knew me."

I shook my head slowly. "You don't understand. I'd heard your father speak about you for years. Katherine the beautiful, the brilliant, the humanitarian, the sweetheart who cried when she listened to music."

"He told you that? You knew that when we went to the concert?"

I nodded, feeling a bit guilty. "That's why I had to be there with you."

"But you left when I asked you to."

"Yes, but I hid and watched you. I had to see you, see if what he said was true."

She turned back around and stared at the drawing of the knight and lady.

"I asked someone who met you what you looked like," I said. "He was sniffing around you, another hungry dog like me, and he said you had these huge green eyes and long dark hair. Fair skin like your late mother. How petite you were but with lush breasts and curvy hips. I think I was a bit in love with you before I even met you. I kept hoping your father would bring you to a function, but he never did, as if he was protecting you. I should have known it was you when I saw you in the hallway at your father's apartment, and then I was so close to you in the bedroom, but I was distracted by your garters."

Kate leaned back against me, squeezing my hands in hers. "Those garters were my undoing."

"No, it was the heels. The heels did it. They're responsible for everything, so as much as I hated Dawn, she made you wear them and I could kiss her for it.”

I thought about Kate’s former best friend, who wanted to break us up. Kate finally told me the whole story during our reunion night as we lay considering how close we came to breaking up for good. As much as Dawn tried to come between us, in the end, she only succeeded in pushing us closer together.

“You bumped into me and practically fell into my arms at the bar because of them, and you did fall in the alley because of them, and then you were in my arms when I carried you to the bed. You were so lovely and desirable with your cut knees and ripped nylons, your scraped hands and those damn garters. It brought out the doctor in me and the Dom all at the same time. Even before I knew you were her, I was a goner. Not a chance in hell."

I nuzzled the back of her neck.

"Her?"

"The beloved
Katherine
. The daughter of my second father. He was so proud of you. But he would never bring you anywhere, as if you were this princess who was too good for the rest of us. He was the kind of father I felt would never let a man anywhere near you unless he was top notch. I was so damn curious about you but you were like this mythical creature."

She was a mythical creature to me back before I met her.

"I feel like such an idiot,” Kate said. “I thought my father disapproved of me. That he thought I was a lightweight compared to Heath and that's why he never invited me to join him."

"He didn't invite you to join him because he was sensitive about your problems after Africa. He wanted to give you time. My father died soon after your return and that's when your father and I really started to be friends. When I asked about you, he said to me that a daughter embodied a father's hopes and dreams. He said he wished for you the kind of man he wanted to be to his own wife—someone who would love you forever, deeply, passionately, and be devoted to you. Someone who would allow you to be who you were, and respect you for it, but who would help bring out the best in you."

"That's so sweet," she said softly.

"That's why I didn't ask you out after we met, despite wanting to. I didn't think I'd be able to be that man."

She turned around again and hugged me, her arms slipping around my waist. I ran my hands over her hair.

"He talked about your trip to Africa. He talked about your thesis. About your position at the school newspaper. I knew you'd be amazing before I ever met you. Like I said, a goner.” I smiled, remembering how I wanted to meet Kate for so long. “And then I met you at the fundraiser and you were the girl with the luscious tits and garters and you were Katherine. I wanted to know you so badly. I wanted so badly to be with you despite knowing it was probably impossible for us to be together, given what I was. I thought your father would hate me if he knew…"

She smiled and ran her fingers through my hair. "He loves you like another son."

"And then," I said, pulling her closer. "Then a miracle happened and you were this little subbie, pretending to be a researcher who wanted to meet a Dom and learn about BDSM. You were this sweet little thing Lara wanted me to mentor because she thought you wanted this for real and I was the best teacher she knew.
God
, Kate… You can't understand how I felt when I saw you at the café and realized it was you."

"I was so mortified."

"I was
ecstatic
. There you were, this woman I'd always wondered about, this delicious little morsel of womanflesh I couldn’t wait to eat, and you wanted a Dom. It was like I'd won the lottery. Found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."