by Anya Summers
Chapter Two
Will was dog assed tired. His company, Goliath Entertainment, had just rolled out the latest Delta Strike Force VI game to loud fanfare. It had sold more than two million copies over the Black Friday weekend alone. All throughout December, he and his team had done an avalanche of promotion. Along with his secret virtual gaming project, on which he worked late into the night, coding at home or in his hotel room, he had been averaging a four hours of sleep a night at best.
Will was at the manor to watch a woman he considered his kid sister get married. While they had not gotten together much in recent years, what with his schedule and hers, there was great affection between them. And since he had known Zoey most of her life, he knew he owed it to her that she have family present for the big day. Zoey and her sister Ophelia were his family.
It didn't make flying a quarter of the way around the globe any easier. Instead of sleeping on his flight, he'd worked. He had to, since he was taking time off to attend the wedding. It was safe to assume that he was a bit of a workaholic, but then again, there were worse things to be addicted to.
Will had expected the driver upon his arrival at Inverness International Airport. Zoey had arranged it for him and told him to be on the lookout for the hired chauffeur. He had not expected the ethereal beauty Katarina, with her wealth of blonde hair cascading down the delicate slope of her back, her big, trusting blue eyes, and pearlescent skin. She was a good foot or so shorter than he was, and every instinct inside him wanted her. He was a good three times her size.
Will was a Dom—albeit a non-practicing one, except for in his virtual world, where he knew no harm would come to the sub. And yet there was something about Kat, seeing her attraction to him as she stared up at him, her pupils dilating with desire, the way she'd licked her lips, that made him want to forego his embargo on his desires and unleash his primitive side.
After helping Stan hoist their luggage into the trunk, Will slid inside the limo. Kat sat facing him in the enclosed space with her legs crossed. They were sheathed in form-fitting black leggings. He envied those damn leggings. She might be small, but she was lithe and graceful perfection. He unfolded his long legs, noting the way she shifted so that their feet didn't touch.
For as long as it took the old codger to shuffle to the limo, the instant he was behind the wheel, the man became Speedy Gonzalez entering a Nascar race. They zipped along the highway and were leaving the comforts of the city behind before long.
Will caught Kat—because in his mind he'd never be able to call her anything else, except maybe kitten, and that was entering dangerous territory—studying him in the intimate space.
"So, are you here for the bride or groom?" he asked, opting to keep his laptop closed for once and actually engage with another human being, instead of burying himself in his work, which was his usual MO.
"Groom. You?" She smiled tentatively. His gut clenched in response. She reminded him of delicate, fine bone china, which a big bull like himself could snap in two just by moving incorrectly.
"The bride. How do you know the groom?" he asked, curious about the petite beauty.
"Declan and I go way back. My mom was his father's maid for one summer when they visited New York. We've been friends ever since." He noted the wistfulness and affection in her voice.
Had she and Zoey's fiancé had a fling? Will never liked beating around the bush and bluntly asked, "So you two dated?"
She snorted. "Heavens, no! It's always been more of a sibling affection we've had for each other. We met when I was eight and he was twelve. We played board games and he introduced me to video games while my mom cleaned his father's penthouse. It was only for that summer, but he took a real shine to my mom. His had passed away a year or so earlier and my mom mothered him a bit."
"And you've stayed in contact all this time?" That was a long time to be friends with someone. It made some of Will's apprehension about Zoey marrying Declan so quickly subside. The long friendship between Kat and Declan spoke of loyalty.
"Yes, for the most part, when he's not conquering some new boardroom enterprise and I'm not on stage," she explained with a slight shrug. It moved the golden cascade of her hair and he wanted to catch one of those strands between his hands.
He cocked his head to the side, attempting to picture her on stage belting out the latest pop hit, and it didn't fit. "On the stage, so you're what, a singer?"
That got a deep-throated chuckle out of her that made his groin twitch. "Good God, no. You don't ever want to hear me sing. My singing voice sounds more like dying cats than anything melodious. No, I'm a prima ballerina with the New York Metropolitan Ballet Company."
"Really?" That explained why she was so perfectly formed. She looked near him in age, which meant she'd likely been dancing most of her life.
"Yeah, I love it. What do you do?"
"I own a gaming company in Los Angeles."
It was her turn to study him with the hint of a grin hovering over her lips. "Really? What type of games—like arcades and such?"
"No, like computer console video games."
"I've never played a video game on a computer."
"Are you serious? Have you been living on Mars for the past twenty years?"
"No, growing up, my training took up the majority of my day. What with school and six or so hours of dance each day, it didn't leave room for much else. I told you that Declan was the one who taught me how to play his Atari and Nintendo games the summer we met. That was really my only experience with video games. It's not that I didn't want to try them or play them, I just didn't have the time. And I'm too old for them now."
"Nonsense. You're never too old for video games." He knew one computer game he'd love to try out with her.
She looked disbelievingly at him, with a half grin and raised eyebrow. Will wanted to ease the stiffness out of her form as she held herself in what she likely considered proper comportment. He withdrew his laptop from his bag and patted the seat next to him.
"Here, I'll show you. I think it's well past time you played a video game on the computer."
"Right now? In the limo?"
"Absolutely. Come." He patted the seat next to him once again, speaking in his Dom voice. This time, at his urging, she shifted, crossing the distance between them until she was nestled beside him. It stirred him that she responded to his command like a well-trained submissive. Was she?
Not that he would do anything if she were. It had been years since he'd practiced the lifestyle with something or someone that wasn't virtual.
Will's fingers tapped a few keys, as familiar with computer commands as he was with eating and sleeping. Gaming was a way of life for him. He lived and breathed computers, sometimes to his detriment.
With Kat at his side, he shifted and situated the computer on her lap. It was either that or pull her into his lap—which he was fairly certain she would balk at.
"See these arrow keys?" He pointed to the quad set in the lower right hand corner.
She nodded. "Yes."
"That's how you're going to move your player around in the game. I've got you set on a beginner's level."
"So Kingdom of Elves is going to make me like computer video games?"
"I figured, being your first computer game, that having a quest—rescuing the princess—was a good place to start. Ready?" And because she reminded him of a fairy tale princess, the type that knights slayed dragons and fought wars over, it was the one he had selected. This close, he could see the individual strands of her long, inky lashes. Her peaches and cream scent filled his senses and made him want to nuzzle her neck.
"Okay, so how do I do this?" It was cute the way she scrunched her forehead in concentration as she hit the arrow buttons.
"Let me show you."
Over the course of the next hour, he watched her transform as she laughed and cursed her way through a series of elven quests.
"I did it!" She turned her exuberant face, tilting her gaze up until it locked o
n his. Her porcelain skin carried a rosy hue, flushed with the excitement of her victory. Her lips were slightly parted as she grinned up at him. But it was her eyes, the big, trusting baby blues that gazed up at him with the spark of passion inherent with conquering the video game, which did him in.
Before his brain connected with his body, the Dom inside him that he so rarely let out to play, surged forth with a potent need to taste her. His hands cupped her face and he noted how her skin was softer than the finest cashmere. Her grin faded and she gasped as he rubbed his thumb along her lower lip.
Her delicate hands went to his chest. Instead of pushing him away, she dug her fingers into his coat. On a pleased growl, his lips captured hers and it was like tossing an incendiary on to a fire. All his possessive Dom urges clawed to the surface and he felt himself drown in the sweet mewling noises Kat made in the back of her throat as he pulled her close, tilting her head back further so he could plunder the velvety depths of her mouth.
And Christ, what a mouth. She met his fevered thrusts, caressing his tongue with hers in a heated tangle. His laptop slid to the floor of the limo, forgotten, as she all but plastered her lithe form against his chest. He nipped at her pouty lower lip, sucking the supple flesh into his mouth. He reveled in the feel of her against him. She shifted her body until she straddled his lap, canting her hips against his groin.
Will yearned to slake his thirst, to slide his cock into her willing heat and pleasure them both until they were too spent to move. And he wanted it with a fierceness that upended all reason and his usually formidable control. He'd kept a tight lid on his lust for ten damn years and now, with a single kiss, the little dancer had blown the door off the hinges of his iron-willed composure.
He tangled his tongue with hers, drinking her cries as they mingled with his groans. His fingers grabbed at the fastening on her coat, ready to rend it beneath his fingers, craving to feel her flesh beneath his palms—when a gust of wind entered the car.
Stan McNamara cleared his throat, disrupting their make-out session. Will was aching to peel Kat out of her clothes and get his hands all over her but at the sudden interruption, she sprang away from him with a bewildered expression clouding her gaze. She touched her fingers to her swollen lips and stared, her big blue eyes swimming with unrequited need and shock.
Collecting his computer off the floor, Will murmured, "Let's get inside, shall we?"
A slight flush suffused her cheeks and the delicate ivory of her neck. Kat nodded and turned her gaze away from him. He didn't miss the flash of need sparking her gaze that she tried to hide.
He took a steadying breath himself, calming his own raging lust. He'd like nothing more than to slam the door shut on the driver and pick up right where they had left off. While he might not be a practicing Dominant, he sure as hell didn't eschew sex. Although, lately, he'd kept it to his virtual world where he could be himself. It was not as good as the real thing, and after just one taste of Kat, he'd like nothing more than to discover whether the rest of her was just as succulent.
When he felt confident that his erection wouldn't show, he climbed out of the limo and helped Kat get out—only to see the expectant faces of the bride and groom.
"Will!" Zoey exclaimed from her post outside the huge front door.
With a last look at Kat, Will turned toward his childhood friend and took the stone stairs two at a time. Affection for Zoey filled him as he opened his arms and she rushed into them. He enveloped her in a bear hug, glancing beyond the top of her head toward Declan McDougal's assessing gaze. Declan's business acumen with Apex was near legendary. He and Will swam in many of the same circles but had never met before.
Like always recognized like as they summed up each other's measure. Will understood he was in the presence of another Dom and so did Declan, with a slight nod of recognition his way. Will wondered if Zoey knew her fiancé was part of the BDSM lifestyle.
"Kat, I'm so glad you came." Declan shifted his attention to the petite blonde Will had just shared one of the most carnal kisses of his life with. Would he have stopped his sensual exploration of her knockout body if the driver hadn't interrupted? Will feared the answer. It went against the vow he'd made all those years ago. Lust for Kat hummed in his system and he had to beat it back. The only thing that lay that way was pain. Will and relationships didn't mix, they couldn't, not when he didn't trust himself.
At Zoey's inquisitive expression when she withdrew from their embrace, he deflected and said, "Zoey, it's been a while, it's so great to see you. Is your sister here?"
Zoey didn't press him, her joy overshadowing her inquisitive nature. "Yes, she's inside. We didn't think it would be good for the baby in this cold."
"Baby?" Lia was having a baby? How the hell did that happen, or when?
"There's a lot you've missed while conquering the gaming world. She's in the library with Tobias, her fiancé, whom you'll get to meet shortly. I'm so glad you came." Zoey was practically bouncing in her excitement.
"Let's get inside out of the frigid temperatures, shall we?" Declan said to their little party.
Zoey looped her arm through his as they entered the manor. Normally Will would have been impressed by the history of the building and the design. Hell, he was in a historic manor home owned by one of the most elite businessmen in the world. It was akin to unleashing a child in a candy store. And then there was the added bonus in that he could use some of what he discovered in the design as inspiration toward creating a more realistic castle in the medieval battle game his company was currently working on.
However, all of if it paled by comparison to the arousal humming in his body. He allowed Zoey to lead him indoors, except his mind couldn't seem to focus on anything but the way the petite ballerina had felt in his arms. Will's entire system had said mine.
Chapter Three
"Honored guests, may I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Declan McDougal. Declan, you may kiss your bride."
Before the assembled crowd, Declan kissed Zoey brainless. Some of the anxiety Will had felt about Zoey marrying so quickly vanished as he watched the overt display. He considered Zoey his sister, and in the forty-eight hours since he'd arrived at the manor, Declan had proved that he loved Zoey to distraction. Declan was obviously a good man and a good Dom.
Will clapped with the rest of the assembled guests. Beside him, Katarina and Veronica cheered. Will turned his gaze to the stunning woman next to him and noticed Kat's blue eyes were exceptionally bright with unshed tears. An acute pang of intense need swamped him whenever he looked at her. Ever since that kiss, he hadn't been able to expel her from his mind. His every urge, his every instinct clamored that he pick up where they left off and see if the rest of her tasted as sweet as her mouth—which was fucking incredible, and made him crave her even more, if that were possible.
It drove Will crazy that this delicate slip of a woman seemed to bring out every dominant longing he possessed. Will was a Dom but he'd kept that part of his life under lock and key for nigh on ten years. He'd had to refrain from indulging at the bachelor party when she'd appeared in the Dungeon with the rest of females. Will hadn't scened with a sub, gone full on dominant, in a decade. But Christ, the woman rattled his hard won composure, unearthing the primitive Dom inside him.
Foolhardy as it was, Will wished he could give in to the need he felt any time Kat neared. He would love nothing more than to strip her bare, restrain her, take a cane to her supple backside and watch it redden beneath his touch. He'd wondered if her porcelain skin would flush with desire, and what she looked like naked. Around them there were whistles and howls over the bride and groom's kiss and Will's only thought was that Kat was the most enticing woman he'd met in an age. The musicians started an exuberant number as the bride and groom left the altar. Their happiness made him all the more aware of his own pitiful situation.
The guests were dismissed row by row by none other than Hollywood's leading man, Hunter Clarke. Will escorted Kat and Veroni
ca from the conservatory into the formal ballroom. Bridal Dreams had outdone themselves on the design; the walk between the two rooms was patterned like an enchanted forest.
"That was lovely. What did you think, Will?" Katarina asked, standing beside him, her big blue eyes glancing up into his.
There was hope swimming in her gaze, along with a blatant need, and it nearly crushed him. Desire churned in his system and he had to ignore it. Ignore the way she seemed to call to him on every level. Will wasn't fit to be anyone's Dom, let alone this tiny angel's. He shouldn't lead her on to think that anything could happen between them—but he also didn't have it in him to tear himself away from her just yet. Not when he'd love nothing more than to take her up on the offer written across her face and in every move of her body language towards him. He'd love nothing more than to sink himself into the tight vise of her cunt and lose himself for a night, maybe two.
Will stumbled at the carnal image blazing through his mind—Kat on a spanking bench, her creamy thighs spread wide while he pummeled his cock inside her grasping heat—and stuttered before he gruffly replied, "As far as weddings go, it was fine, I suppose. I don't know that I'm the expert on that."
"Men really don't get it, do they?" Katarina gave Veronica a grin with a look that passed between them. The romantic aspect of weddings was for women, not men in Will's mind. The only thing that weddings did for a man were to show the world that they had claimed their woman. He believed in the institution of marriage. His parents' thirty-five-year marriage was a testament to it. But Will knew that marriage, commitment, having a woman that was solely his, was something he could never have. Not when they discovered his past misdeeds. He was unfit for women, couldn't trust himself, and they were better off without him. No, Will was bound for eternal bachelorhood.
"No, they don't. It's okay, Will, don't feel bad. I think it's more of a female thing," Veronica conceded, trying to give him a break with a sweet smile. Declan's cousin was a beauty and about as nice as they came. She and Zoey had seemed to hit it off. It made Will content to know that so far from home, Zoey would be taken care of and would have companionship outside of her relationship with Declan.