A Dominant Fallen (A Dominant Series Book 2) (19 page)

They stare at me, confounded by the red-faced blonde who just came bursting into their meeting. “Gabrielle? What’s wrong, angel?”

“I…uh, I…I’m sorry,” I sputter out, spinning around to make my escape, but I’m stopped by Damian’s hand about my waist. He turns me about, but I keep my head down, too ashamed to stare into those eyes, those drop-me-to-my-knees eyes.

He scoops his finger under my chin, forcing my face up to his. “Elle, are you alright? Did Olivia do something?”

“No,” I whisper.

“Then what’s the matter, baby? Why do you look so upset?” he inquires with a tender voice, concerned by my erratic behavior.

“I…I thought you blew me off to have lunch with…” I can’t even finish the sentence. I’m so fucking embarrassed by my overreaction and jealousy. I just want to run out of here.

“I see. Well, since you’re here, I would like to introduce you to someone.” He places his hand firmly on my back and guides me over to the stunning mystery man. “Gabrielle, this is my friend from Philadelphia, Alexander Drake. Drake, this is my Elle.”

He holds his hand out to me, taking mine into his. He’s tall, has a lean, muscular build, with slim features, intense brown eyes, and chestnut hair. He could go toe-to-toe against Hunt in the looks department. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Drake.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Gabrielle. Please, call me Alexander. I’ve heard so much about you, I feel as if we are already good friends.”

Oh god, what did he tell him about me?

“All good things,” he answers my unasked question
.

Weird.
Like Hunt.

Then, it hits me. I know they share more in common than just hefty bank accounts. It’s visible by his body language, his presence. He is a Dom.

“Do you share any other interests with my Hunt?” He smiles a kinked smirk, and I feel flushed suddenly.

“That we do, Gabrielle.” He’s still holding my hand when Damian clears his throat, grabbing our attention. Our hands fall to our sides.

“I’m sorry for barging in on your meeting. I…”

“It’s perfectly fine with me…Would you care to join us?” Alexander offers, gesturing a hand over to their spread. “There’s more than enough food.”

I glance over at Hunt to gauge his reaction. He has a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Our guest asked you a question, Gabrielle. Don’t be rude.”

“Are you sure I wouldn’t be intruding?”

“No, not at all. Please, join us.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Hunt offers me an arm and guides me over to the couch, setting me up with a plate of salmon and a mixed salad. I eat while they chat about business, family, me. Hunt practically gushes over me.

Finally, after a short while, Alexander says, “Hunt tells me you weren’t a sub before you met him.”

I swallow down the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry?”

“You’ll have to excuse Drake, he tends to be…blunt.”

“Forgive me if you feel I overstepped some boundary…You don’t have to answer anything you feel inappropriate.”

Jesus. Hunt squared.

“No, I mean…We all know we partake in this lifestyle…No, I was never in a true Dom/sub relationship.”

“True?” he asks with a bewildered look.

“It’s hard to explain, and I would prefer we not talk about it.”

“Understood,” he says with a nod. And, there is something that tells me that he does understand. “How are you enjoying the new position?”

I choke on a piece of fish and reach for a glass of iced tea on the table in front of me.

“Gabrielle, are you alright?” Hunt asks, inching up off his seat, but I hold my hand up to stop him and swallow down the dislodged morsel. My face is red, and my eyes are watery. When I catch my breath, I ask in a squeaky voice, “New position?”

Hunt and Alexander laugh.

“With the magazine,” Our stunning guest clarifies.

“Oh, ah, I love it. I’m just getting back after dealing with personal issues, but I’m ready to jump back in…What is it you do…? When you’re not disciplining your subs,” I ask with a challenging tone, and it seems to jolt him for a moment.

“Damian,” he says, still staring at me, “you certainly found a feisty one.”

“Forgive me,” I interrupt, “if you feel I overstepped some boundary.”

He laughs, laughs good and hard, his head rolling back, mouth wide open. Once he regains his control, he replies, “When I’m not disciplining my sub, I am running my advertising and marketing agency.”

“Come now, Drake. There’s no need to be so humble…Alexander is the co-owner of the most successful advertising and marketing agency in the US. They just bought out their biggest competitor in a multi-million dollar deal.”

“Oh, lord, another billionaire.” I say teasingly, rolling my eyes.

Alexander chortles a few times, shaking his head. “No, actually, we don’t all have ridiculously big piggybanks like my friend here.” He nods over to Hunt, smirking at him. “But, I live a very comfortable life. I have no complaints.”

“Oh, good, so not another typical, Dominant billionaire…I was starting to think they produce you in a factory somewhere.”

They shoot each other side-glances with amused, lopsided grins firmly planted on their smug faces.

A
fter about ten more minutes of light chatting, Alexander rises and announces, “I should be off. I have others I must drop in on for a visit, but I’ll be in town for a few more days. I’ll call you and see about a round of golf.”

Hunt stands, holding out his hand.

“Sounds like a plan,” he replies, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.

Crap. Hunt and I alone, this could go one of two ways, but only one option leaves my rump red and raw.

Alexander walks over to me and offers me a hand, lifting me up off the couch. He holds it in a kind, gentle embrace and says, “It was truly a pleasure to meet you, Gabrielle. You are a delight.”

I smile up at him and retort, “You’re too kind…really.”

He chuckles once more before Hunt walks him to the door and sees him out. He shuts it behind Alexander, standing there for a few agonizingly long moments with his back to me.

Yipe!

I watch him with that familiar fear rising up my throat, clamping it shut.

Get a hold of yourself!

Finally, he turns to me, but not all at once. First, his head slowly shifts until his dark eyes are focused on me then his whole body follows suit. He strides over to me with elongated steps, with determined purpose. My body tightens, preparing itself for impact. However, it’s not what I expected.

He lifts me up into his arms and slams his mouth onto mine. It takes me some time to realize what’s occurring, but when I do, I fling my arms about his neck and kiss him back with the same smoldering desire.

When we part, I’m woozy and breathless, I feel as if I might actually faint. He keeps me in his arms, staring down at me with searching eyes and a heaving chest. “I missed you so fucking much, angelface.”

“You’re...you’re not mad?”

“I’ll admit, at first, yes, I was. Actually, I was more hurt than anything else, but you were very charming, and I’ve been dying to be with you ever since I left you at your office. I don’t want to waste what little time we have disciplining you…Who did you think was up here, and why?”

“I thought you were up here with Marlena or…Vanessa. As far as why I believed it was either of them, your use of the word emergency in your text.”

He gives me a bewildered look, eyebrows creased. “Why do you think it would be them by my use of that word?”

“You’ve referred to me as an emergency. You’ve referred to

Marlena as an emergency. What am I to expect when you use that word in reference to women?”

“Hmmm. Yes, I can see how you might come to believe that’s the meaning of that word, but it’s not. I use it when there is something I must attend to immediately. There is no double meaning in the word.”

“Well, why are you so secretive? I mean, you’ve opened up more, but you’ve also been really sneaky lately. You’ve always been guarded when it comes to your past and the women in your life. It makes me feel insecure, and I don’t do insecure, Damian.”

“Oh, Elle, I would never purposely attempt to make you feel insecure about yourself. You know that, don’t you? I’ve only ever tried to build you up and help you see yourself for what you are…Everything. You are everything to me.”

“You’re right. I can’t read into everything you do as you betraying me. That shows a lack of trust, and I do trust you. You have never made me feel anything less than wanted and loved.”

“You know you never have to apologize for your feelings or insecurities, Elle. I realize we have much work to do on how you see yourself.” He places his large hand over the side of my face, rubbing the apple of my cheek with his thumb. “You are loved, angel, and very wanted.”

He leans in and kisses my forehead, lingering there. I shut my eyes and let out a mixed breath/sigh as I relax in his arms. “I love you, Damian. More than I can express.”

We hold one another for a while, with his defined cheek atop my head resting on his chest.

“So,” he finally speaks, “have you kissed and made up with Mr. Cahill yet?”

I hear the teasing tone in his voice. I push myself away from him and spot his shit-faced grin.

“You jerk!” I firmly smack him on the peck and he laughs boisterously. “Not funny.” I mockingly pout.

“Yes, it was,” he chuckles out, and I smirk, shaking my head at him.

“No, it wasn’t,” I giggle. “And, yes, we did. Thank you for sending us lunch…Though, it was a bit presumptuous of you.”

“How so…? I knew you would eventually run into him and want to talk. How could you not? He’s your best friend, Elle. I know how much he means to you.”

“Suddenly, you like him? You must since you had him keep track of me while I was staying at my par…my mother’s home.”

“I beg your pardon…Who…?”

A sense of clarity comes over him.

“Aubrey,” he murmurs with annoyance under his breath.

“Yes, when we were at Pure, she told me how you had Banks follow me before that as well.”

“What else did my dear little sister tell you?” He seems to be gritting his teeth a bit, aggravated.

“She told me about you coming to them for emotional support after I left, how you informed them of what went down with Olivia and Dante…Do you know where he is…? Do you have any new information?”

“No, please, drop it,” he snaps, and it takes me aback.

“You do know something, don’t you? What aren’t you telling me? Is he the reason Banks always has ‘important’ information for you or you receive all these odd phone calls?”

“Gabrielle, it wasn’t a request, it was an order…Drop it.”

He releases me and takes a large step back. The look in his eyes is terrifying. However, it’s not the unsettling stare that scares the shit out of me, but what’s behind it. The realization that I’m right petrifies me. He wouldn’t be this upset if it weren’t true.

“I better get back to work,” I mumble, but I have no plans of dropping it. In fact, I may have to look into this myself. I’ll just need the right time to do some investigating in his study at home. If I were him, my personal office is just where I would keep any information about Dante. “I’m grabbing drinks with Chase after work. I’ll meet you at home later.”

I start to walk away, but he clasps my hand. “I don’t like the idea of you out and about at this time, much less with Chase when alcohol is involved.”

I give him an are-you-serious look.

“Hunt, it’s alright. He won’t do anything. He promised. Plus, he can take care of me if Dante decides to make himself known.”

“No, I would rather you drink at home…You can invite him over for dinner and a few drinks.”

“You’re joking, right? You want Chase in your home, for dinner?”

“It’s better than having you unsafe and vulnerable.”

“I…” I want to argue, but I won’t. I need to choose my battles wisely. “I think that would be lovely. But, please, behave yourself.”

“Gabrielle, I’m not an animal. I know how to entertain a guest. You just worry about enjoying yourself.” I kiss him on the cheek and make my way out. “Just not too much,” he calls out in a joking tone.

I open the door and turn back to him, sticking my tongue out and crinkling my nose in an infantile gesture to his teasing remark. I slip out of his office to the sound of his loud, deep laughing.

Blindsided

W
e ride the elevator up to the penthouse at around five forty-five, as I stand silently between them. We’re all quiet. The air is thick and hot from the discomfort of having them in such close quarters. I’m starting to regret my decision to have Chase over for dinner.

When the doors slide open, I can’t jump out quick enough. I take a deep breath and my body deflates from its tense state.

“Why don’t you go put something comfortable on while I make our guest a drink,” Hunt suggests.