Table of Contents
Legal Page
Title Page
Book Description
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgement
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
New Excerpt
About the Author
Publisher Page
A Totally Bound Publication
Owned for Christmas
ISBN # 978-1-78430-337-2
©Copyright Willa Edwards 2014
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright November 2014
Edited by Faith Bicknell-Brown
Totally Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2014 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN
Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 1.
OWNED FOR CHRISTMAS
Willa Edwards
Christmas with her boyfriend’s family seems like a lovely idea—until she finds her previous Dom staying for the holidays too.
Kate Baker is nervous about meeting her boyfriend Daniel’s family. When she walks into the family home to find Grant, her former Dom, spending the holidays with them too, her world turns upside down. How can she spend Christmas with the man who shattered her heart and broke her trust in the whole BDSM scene?
Although she had no idea that Grant and Daniel were brothers, Grant revives all those needs that Daniel can’t fulfill. But she won’t give up the man who helped mend her broken heart after Grant shattered it—even if she has to bury the submissive part of herself to do it.
A year ago, Grant Farrell left the woman he loved—and the best sub he’s ever controlled—to tend the family ranch after his father’s death. It almost tore his heart out to leave Kate but he had no other choice. But he doesn’t realize how much it hurt them both until she shows up at his family’s home on his brother’s arm.
Dedication
To my editor, Faith. Thank you for all the hard work you put into this story in a crazy short timeframe. I truly appreciate everything you do.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Uggs: Deckers Outdoor Corporation
La-Z-Boy: La-Z-Boy Incorporated
Richie Rich: Classic Media, LLC
Chapter One
“Are you sure your mom will like me?” Kate threaded and unthreaded her fingers together. The snow-covered Rocky Mountains filled her passenger side window. The ground crunched under their tires, illustrating that they weren’t in Texas anymore—that and the sub-zero temperature.
When her boyfriend had asked her to spend Christmas with his family in Colorado, she’d been ecstatic. Now she was rethinking her decision.
She stared out of the window, focusing on breathing deeply. The last thing she wanted was to have a panic attack the second she walked into her boyfriend’s childhood home. What a great first impression that would leave. For years to come, she’d be known as the crazy girl he brought home that one Christmas who stopped breathing right inside the front door.
Daniel pulled his hand from the steering wheel and reached across the car for hers. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure she’ll love you.”
She nodded and tried to believe him. It had been a long time since she’d met anyone’s mother. She’d stopped being the type of girl a man would take home to his family a while ago. She had never thought she’d be back in this position again.
That was until Daniel had appeared in her life. She looked over at the man sitting beside her. He’d glance at her with his warm, honey-brown eyes every once in a while. He’d combed his sandy hair back neatly. He was her savior. He’d found her, picked her up and helped her to glue her heart back together when she’d given up any hope that it was possible. The least she could do for him was meet his mother.
“What is there about you that’s not to love?” He smiled over at her.
There was a lot not to love. There certainly had been before. Enough to force someone to leave her. Or at least one very notable person. The one who had broken her heart and left her behind to pick up the pieces.
But that was all before Daniel. She tried to smile back.
They took a left turn, pulling off the highway onto a winding dirt road. Snow, a few inches deep, was piled up on either side of the road. White blanketed the trees and rocks. The car shook and dipped down the bumpy road. She braced herself against the car seat. This was a long way from her normal commute to school each morning. She’d never complain about Dallas traffic again. At least it didn’t have potholes the size of cannonballs, or ice.
“Trust me. It will be great. We got through the plane ride, didn’t we?”
Kate nodded. She had survived the plane ride. Thanks in part to Daniel and two mini bottles of vodka, somehow, she’d lived through the flight. Her hands had even stopped shaking. “Of course I trust you.”
Daniel turned another corner, shifting onto an unpaved drive. It was hard not to notice the house so covered in twinkle lights it could almost be seen from space. It was beautiful. The quaint, tiny farmhouse sat nestled back into a hill. With the snow covering its roof and the lights decorating the porch, it almost looked like the front of a Christmas card. The kind she would have found and looked at longingly as a child from her Dallas bedroom.
If only she could stop her stomach from churning, she might be able to enjoy the sight.
Daniel slowed the vehicle before parking the rental car to the left of the small house.
“We’re home.” He grinned over at her.
Kate took a deep breath. He looked so happy, so excited. Her stomach churned more violently. She wished she felt the same as he did.
He scrambled out of the car toward the back to get their bags. Kate opened the door, stepping out into the cool air. Her boots squished in the snow. Good thing she’d gone for the heavy winter coat. She’d never seen so much snow in her life, besides on television. The bitter wind brushed her face and her nose burned slightly. But the snowfall was pretty, decorating everything in white and ice.
Daniel slammed the trunk before coming to meet her beside the car, a bag cradled under each arm. Always the gentleman. Just another reason she loved him so much.
“Don’t tell me it looks that bad,” he joked, a wide smirk on his face.
Kate tightened her coat around her chest, schooling her features into a more excited expression. She�
�d hate for his mother to see the dumbfounded look she must have been sporting. She didn’t want to give his mom the impression she was judging them, or that she was disappointed in what she found—she certainly wasn’t.
She didn’t think his childhood home looked bad at all. In fact, the little house in the snow was very pretty and picturesque. So different from her parents’ house, so different from the Christmases she’d always known.
“You said you lived in the country, but this is more rustic than I was expecting,” she joked back, not wanting Daniel to have the last laugh.
His honey-brown eyes flashed with life. She loved his eyes. She loved his smile. No one else had the ability to calm her anxieties the way Daniel’s bright, laughing eyes could or that radiant little-kid grin.
“Don’t worry,” he said, “you won’t have to use an outhouse.”
“Very funny.” She nudged him in the ribs.
He made a little “oomph” sound that quickly morphed into a deep, throaty chuckle.
The door to the house opened, and a short, plump woman walked outside, dressed in loose jeans and a sweatshirt with a pair of cowboy boots and a Christmas wreath on it. Loose strands of her blonde hair fell around her face from the bun on top of her head. Besides the gray dotting her temples, the color exactly matched the same sprouting from Daniel’s crown. Little lines crinkled around her light brown eyes—Daniel’s same honey-brown color that Kate had fallen in love with.
He reached to grab Kate’s hand. His strong grip comforted her, even through her mittens.
“Just remember, I love you. She’ll see that and love you too. I promise.” His big, bright gaze almost made her believe it was that simple. But she knew life was much more complicated than that.
“Oh, Danny, you’re home.” His mother ran across the yard, throwing her arms out and pulling Daniel into a hug. Almost a full foot taller than his mom, he stooped to hug her back but he did so with such enthusiasm that it brought a smile to Kate’s face.
Kate could see a lot of Daniel’s personality in the affectionate little woman. Daniel must get his charm from his mother.
“And you must be Kate.” She turned toward Kate then tugged her into an embrace as well. Her hug was affectionate and warm, even in the snow-covered field. “We’re so excited to have you with us this Christmas.”
Daniel only shrugged. He certainly hadn’t warned her about this. Her family wasn’t big into hugs, or affection at all, really. She folded her arm around the woman, giving back a gentle squeeze. When in Rome.
After a long moment, Daniel’s mother pulled back from her, blinking up at her in surprise. “I’m so sorry. Where are my manners? I’m Gale Farrell, Danny’s mom.”
“It’s great to meet you.”
Gale pushed the flyaways back from her face, trying to straighten them into her bun. “I’m sorry. I’m all flustered.” She tugged her sweatshirt down. “My Danny’s never brought a girl home before, especially not the daughter of the President of the Texas National Bank.”
Kate tried to smile at the mention of her father and his prestigious title. Everyone was impressed by his promotion—everyone except her mother.
“You must be very special.”
Kate glanced over at Daniel, who had a pained expression on his face.
“Moooommm.”
“Sorry, sorry. I know, too much sharing.” She shook the idea off, as if erasing everything she’d just said, which only made Kate grin harder. “I’m just so excited to have my baby boy home. I have a roast in the oven and fresh apple pie for dessert.”
“Awesome.” Daniel beamed like a seven-year-old boy who had just found out that monster trucks were going to be driving by the house. He wrapped his arm around his mother, pulling her into a big bear hug. “You know how to spoil me.”
She laughed, squeezing him back. “You only come home a couple of times a year. I have to make it special.”
Kate stared at the scene longingly. She didn’t think her mother had ever made an effort to make a day special for her—or even made an apple pie. Between the ladies’ lunches, benefit dinners and berating her father for not making enough money so they could have everything those other ladies did, her mom had never had the time for baking.
“Those are his favorites,” Gale added, glancing over at Kate.
Kate appreciated her concern. “I know. I made him an apple pie for his birthday. It was all he wanted.” And she’d rather enjoyed baking it too. It had been fun peeling all the apples, rolling out the dough, measuring out the spices. There was a beauty to the simplicity of it.
“That’s my boy. He’s never had too many wants.”
Kate knew he was a simple man. That was one of the qualities she loved most about him. The problem was that she had too many wants. She had cravings she shouldn’t have. That he’d never be able to give her. Needs that had only gotten her into trouble.
But the need never stopped.
Kate smiled, loving the camaraderie between Daniel and his mother. She couldn’t ever remember smiling so much with her own family. Her mother was too focused on being polite and proper to banter with her.
Gale looked between the two of them, shaking her head. “Look at me going on and on about pie and parties while you two are freezing. Let’s head into the house. It’s cold as a witch’s tit out here.” She turned, motioning them toward the brightly lit house as Kate tried to stifle her laugher. She certainly wasn’t like any other mom Kate knew. She couldn’t imagine her own mother saying the word ‘tit’.
“We’ll get you in the house and warm you two right up.”
Kate trudged behind Daniel and his mother, liking the crunch of snow beneath her boots. It squished under her feet, and made squeaking noises when she pulled each foot back. It was a lot more fun than she’d heard people talk about.
“I’m sorry, Kate.” Gale turned back to her.
Kate stilled, not sure what she’d say next. Did she not have room for her? Did she not want her to stay in her house? Her stomach tensed at the thought.
“I don’t know what your favorite pie is. I didn’t think to ask Danny. But if you let me know, I’ll make sure to get all the fixings tomorrow.”
Kate sighed, relieved. “Apple’s great. I love apple.”
“Oh. That works out well. You two are just perfect for each other.”
“Mom.” Daniel trudged up the stairs behind them, his boots thumping on the steps.
“Sorry, sorry.” She grinned wider, a slight devilish gleam in her eyes. Her small slips seemingly intentional with every smile.
“You’ll have to forgive us, Kate. The house isn’t much,” Gale declared, pushing open the door and ushering them through the entryway. “But it’s our home.”
Kate didn’t care what the house looked like. She just had to get inside. As much as the snow was pretty and fun to tromp through, her thin Texas blood didn’t love the cold. She stepped inside, following Gale and Daniel through the entryway into the living room.
A tan plaid couch that had seen better days took up one wall of the room. In the other corner, a golden rod La-Z-Boy with a rip in one arm held court. The room offered a homey, welcoming feeling. Everything looked well-worn and used, unlike the sleek modern cream couches in her parents’ sitting room that stained easily. She knew from first-hand experience, having made many messes as a child and a few as an adult.
“Oh, no, it’s lovely.”
Photos lined the rich wood panel walls. She picked out a few from the collection featuring a small sandy-haired boy with light brown eyes—the man she loved. Some showed him holding a rod, a gun or standing next to a cow with a man with light brown hair and dark gray eyes. That must be his father, who passed away a year before we met. He looked kind and sweet, just like Daniel.
“Thank you, dear.”
Daniel dropped the luggage right inside the door. He took a deep breath, sliding his eyes shut, almost as if he were trying to absorb the place into his lungs. “It’s good to be home.”<
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“You two can have the far bedroom.” Gale motioned toward one end of the house. “The sheets are clean and there are towels in the closet. Dinner should be ready at six. Why don’t you go and get settled? I know it’s been a long trip.” She took their coats, laying them both over the sofa arm. Everything in Kate’s parents’ house had a place, and coats definitely didn’t belong on the couch. But in Gale’s home, it didn’t look out of place. The untidy pile looked right. It made the house appear warm, lived in.
“Your brother will be back in a bit. He’s gone out to the far fields to tend to the cows.”
“Can I help you with anything?” Kate didn’t know exactly how she could do. She’d attended more catered meals than family dinners. Kate couldn’t recall ever assisting anyone in the kitchen. But it seemed right to offer, especially after all Gale was doing for her. She’d be fine, as long as she got a simple task.
Gale smiled up at her, blinking her honey-brown eyes. “Of course. Dinner’s almost ready but I can always use help.” She twined her arm with Kate’s and tugged her toward the back of the room, where an archway led to the hall.
“Now you, go be a gentleman like I taught you, and take the bags to your room. Kate and I are going to finish making dinner.” Gale tossed the sentiment over her shoulder.
Daniel hoisted their bags, throwing Kate a worried look as his mother gently pushed her toward the kitchen. Kate nodded back at him, her cheeks a bit warm. She loved his concern. But she could handle his mother, at least for half an hour.
“We are very excited to have you with us this holiday.” Gale leaned close to Kate, her bright, happy manner rubbing off on Kate. “I’m sure we don’t throw the kind of holidays you’re used to, but if there’s anything I can do to make this Christmas special for you, I’ll be happy to do it.”
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