Submit to Me (The Dungeon Fantasy Club Book 7)

by Anya Summers

  Except, every time she watched her son smile, her heart broke just a little bit more. Damn Hunter for waltzing in and completely wrecking her happy home. Her heart kept on breaking, day by day, piece by piece, until she wondered if there would be anything left if he did return. Did she even want him to come back? For Colin, absolutely. Now that he knew about his Da, it was hurting him not getting to spend time with him. As for herself, she wasn't sure. She'd woken up at night, reaching for him, only to encounter empty space and sob until she drifted back to sleep. Veronica couldn't go on this way. Feeling like she was stretched thin from attempting to appear as if nothing was amiss.

  Two weeks passed, where all Veronica could say was that she was still breathing. She cried at night, after Colin went to sleep, but it didn't help. Like a glutton for punishment, she'd watched him at the Golden Globes, where he smiled and preened for the camera. Her heart sank like an ill-fated ship at sea the entire time. That was where his life was, in Los Angeles, under the glimmering Hollywood lights and cameras. Not six thousand miles away on a blip of Scotland, where the locals held on to the past with a righteous fervor.

  She had to wake up. Hunter hadn't called her, didn't contact them in any way. He'd made the break already, it was time she wised up for both herself and Colin's sake. After two weeks had passed with no sign of Hunter, Veronica decided that she had had enough heartbreak in her life. It was time for her and Colin to start fresh. Her son wanted to go to Disneyland; she'd start looking in to arranging it for his summer break. They didn't need Hunter. Maybe her cousin would lend them one of his private jets to ferry them across the Atlantic.

  Veronica knew that, as hard as it might be, it was time to move on, completely. She had to have a funeral for the love she felt for Hunter. She had to bury it deeply inside her so that it no longer dominated and controlled her life.

  That evening at the pub, Veronica served old man Cameron; his white tufts of hair sticking out at odd angles, making him appear like a deranged version of Einstein. He'd ordered his normal Friday night meal, haggis. The dish was disgusting in her mind, but it was a tradition, and for pub-goers, her Da served some of the finest on the west coast of Scotland. And, if there was one thing this town was good for, it was that they didn't break with tradition. When Colin dashed out from the kitchen with tears in his eyes, she saw red.

  "What's wrong, baby?" she asked.

  "Opa said Da was no good. That I'd be better off without him in my life, and that he was never coming back."

  Something snapped inside her then. "Baby, Opa doesn't know what he's talking about, do you hear me? Your Da, for all his faults, loves you to the moon and back. Now, I want you to go upstairs with Oma while I speak to Opa, okay? Ma, please take Colin upstairs. Tessa, you have the floor. I need a minute with my father."

  She stormed into the kitchen with fire burning in her gut. "How dare you, Da? You had no right to tell my son that his father wasn't coming back for him and wasn't a good man. Hunter may have a lot of damn faults, but he's good at his core. I know you never liked him, but your grandson loves his father. You don't get to talk to him about Hunter, that's my job, do you ken?"

  Her Da had shrunk a bit over the last few years as age had set in, but he was still a built man, with a fine head of white hair cut short above his receding hairline. His blue eyes narrowed at her and his mouth flattened into a straight line as he seethed.

  "I'm still the head of this household and you will mind me. You shamed your Ma and me with your wild ways, I won't take this type of back-talk from you!"

  "Shamed you? Why, because I fell in love, or because I got pregnant with Colin? Which is it, Da?"

  "Both. The boy was never going to marry you. He found himself an easy skirt, and if he comes around again, Colin will grow up to be that kind of man as well. Do you want that for him? Someone around here needs to speak the truth. You never should have let that boy back into your life and Colin's."

  She reeled back as though he'd struck her. It hit far too close to home. "Stay away from me, Da. I quit."

  "You can't quit. I need you here," he spat.

  With the same speed with which she'd entered, she escaped the kitchen, shouting up the stairs as she headed out the back, "Ma, keep Colin for me for a bit. I'll be back in an hour or so."

  She hit the door to the back of the pub and kept going, with the sound of her Da yelling after her to come back in and finish her shift.

  Mortified and heartbroken, she headed to the one place she'd always found comfort, the standing stone. It was where she had lost her virginity to Hunter and they had made love for the first time all those years ago. She even believed it was where she'd conceived Colin.

  She sobbed as she drove, knowing deep down that her Da was right. She never should have let Hunter back into their lives.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Hunter tried Veronica's house first. It was the most logical place to find her and Colin. After he'd done his stint at the Globes, and wined and schmoozed with his agent, he had come to the realization how empty an existence Hollywood could be, and that he'd led such an existence for the last ten years as he sought glory. He'd received an offer on his house in Beverly Hills that his real estate agent had wanted to turn down, but considering he'd made more money than he could feasibly spend in one lifetime, he wasn't too concerned with selling the property at a lower price. He pooh-poohed her attempts to deflect the sale of the house.

  He had accepted the lower bid, and had it approved by the bank, now all he had to do was wait for closing to offload the place entirely. It felt good to be rid of it; deep down, he knew it was the right move for him. He'd hired movers to box up all of his items and had had them shipped, at rather exorbitant fees, to Scotland. Hunter was finished with Los Angeles. He'd be back for award shows, but he knew he wasn't the first celebrity to eschew Hollywood life.

  Against Ira's wishes, he'd turned Sony down for the part. It didn't feel right for him. He desired more for his life now. He'd still make movies, but he had the ability to be far more selective about when he was away. He wanted to be with Veronica. He loved her more than anything and prayed she would take him back. If she kicked him out, he had a campaign devised in his head that he would utilize until he wore her down and she gave in. Not necessarily the approach he wanted, but he'd keep it as a last resort.

  When he didn't locate her at the house, he headed into town and McGinnis's pub. At the entrance, he swallowed nervously, staring at the black and gold door. It was time to face the firing squad. Her dad had never liked him, and Hunter could only imagine how it all must look to him.

  Steeling himself for the upcoming confrontation, he sauntered through the front doors and spied Colin. Love washed over him as he stared at the tawny head. Colin spotted him, a grin split his face, and he stopped what he was doing, racing toward him. Hunter scooped him up into his arms.

  "Hey there, sport, how are you? Where's your mom?"

  "I knew you would come back. Opa said you wouldn't, but I knew that you loved us."

  "I do love you, Colin, more than anything. Is your mom here?" Hunter asked, alarmed that she wasn't around. He shot a quick glance around the pub, noting that those nearest him were paying rapt attention to the conversation he and Colin were having. Thank heavens this was Scotland and not LA. They might have an audience, but no one was filming them to sell it to TMZ.

  "She and Opa got into this huge fight and she left," Colin said. Hunter had a bad feeling that he knew what the fight was about—or rather, who it was about. He'd done everything wrong with the two people who mattered more to him than anything else.

  Still holding Colin, he asked, "What would you say if I asked your mom to marry me? Think she'd go for it?"

  Colin cocked his head to the side and thought about it real hard. "Does that mean you'd live with us all the time?"

  "Yeah, if that is something you would like, and if you think your mom would like. As the man of the house, I'm asking for your permission. Do I have it?"


  Colin beamed his toothless grin and said, "Yeah, I would. Mama would, too. I love you, Da."

  "Love you too, sport. Where did your mom go, do you know?"

  Colin was shaking his head as Duncan stormed out of the kitchen, waving a spatula in Hunter's his face like a Viking marauder. "Get out of my pub. You're not welcome here."

  Hunter straightened and looked Duncan dead in the eye. "Look, I know we've had our differences, but I love your daughter and plan to ask her to marry me. I'd like to ask for your blessing."

  Judy, who was Veronica's spitting image, plus thirty years or so, interrupted, "You have it."

  "Now, Judy," Duncan huffed and blustered, his face turning red.

  "Don't you 'now Judy' me. He loves her. Anyone can see that, and if you weren't so blockheaded stubborn, you'd see that, too."

  "Thank you, Judy." Hunter had always liked her. She was tough as nails, and had passed along that strength to her daughter. "Where is she? I just need to find her. Do you know where she went?"

  "Where she always goes when she needs to think," Judy said, with a knowing intelligence in her gaze.

  "And where's that?" He didn't want to play twenty questions. Colin was resting his head on Hunter's shoulder, and as wonderful as it was, he still had the best part of himself missing: Veronica. He needed her.

  "At the Campbell standing stone, of course," Judy replied with a twinkle in her blue eyes.

  The one place Roni always went to think had been their spot. Buoyed by that knowledge, he nodded. "Thank you. Colin, can I leave you here for a bit longer while I go talk to your mom?"

  "Yeah, you tell her I said yes."

  "I will." He placed a kiss on his forehead and reluctantly set Colin down. "We'll be back as soon as we can, sport. Judy, Duncan," he said with a salute and set off.

  Back in the rental car, Hunter drove toward the standing stone. Except that fate, the capricious bitch, seemed to be laughing her bloody head off at him as she tossed challenges his way. About a mile from the stone, he heard a loud, banging thump as his rental blew a tire. He steered the beamer, the tire thudding against the pavement, the steering wheel vibrating in his hands as he pulled the vehicle off the road. When he put the car in park, he glanced out the windshield at the tiny white flakes descending from the heavens.

  Figures.

  If this were a film, he'd be worried that he wouldn't even make it to the stone intact. His mind made up, he left the rental car parked on the roadside and hiked the rest of the way. The snow fell at an alarming rate. They were in for one heck of a snow storm. Hunter pressed on as the pavement turned slick beneath his feet.

  When he rounded the last turn and spied the stone, he saw the lone silhouette standing in front of it, with her hand resting against the rock. He covered the last bit of distance in long-legged strides. His heart was thumping madly in his chest.

  He was ten feet from her, admiring her form even as the snow fall increased, when she turned to leave.

  "Why are you here, Hunter? What do you want this time?" Veronica asked, and he noted the red-rimmed eyes and firm set to her mouth. She looked tired. Like she hadn't slept in days. And he knew it was all because of the destruction he'd wrought upon her and their son. He was such a selfish bastard, but that part of his life was over. He'd spend the rest of his days making it up to her.

  "What I've always wanted and never fought for. You. I want you, Roni," he said, with his heart in his throat.

  She cast him a sorrowful glance and shook her head, closing her emotions off from him. "We've been down this road before and I just can't. It hurts too much when you leave."

  "Come with me. I want to show you something. Please? And after I show it to you, if you still want nothing to do with me, I'll go." He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it, to accept him, to forgive him for being such a fool. "Please," he begged, and noticed his hand was trembling.

  Roni did, too, and took a deep breath before she responded. "Against my better judgement, I'll go with you. But after that, all bets are off. I can't have you yo-yoing in and out of Colin's life. I won't allow it."

  He nodded at her as she placed her hand in his. It was a small victory, but hopefully the first step. "Fair enough. Can we take your car? Mine got a flat."

  "Sure," she replied, so exasperated with him that she rolled her eyes.

  He slid into the driver seat of her Mini Cooper and navigated the slick road to the Craigard House. It was the one he'd seen along the banks of the Campbeltown loch. She didn't speak as he drove, just glanced out the window, shutting him out. When he turned on to the driveway, Roni shot him a curious look.

  He parked the Cooper at the base of the stairs leading to the front door. The first fingers of trepidation slithered along his spine. He prayed he hadn't miscalculated. Hunter helped her out of the vehicle and towed her up the steps.

  He withdrew his key from his pocket as they neared the top. He already loved this place. The front door reminded him of a drawbridge.

  Roni pulled her hand from his at the top of the steps and asked, as he strode to the door, "What are we doing here? This property has been on the market for years."

  "Let's get in out of the cold first, and then we will talk." Pushing the front door open, he ushered her in out of the cold. When he'd left earlier to implement his plan, he'd left the lights in the foyer and front parlor on. Closing the door to keep out the chill, he put a hand on her lower back and guided her into the parlor.

  She was silent as she studied the furniture and decorations.

  He gave her a moment to adjust and absorb before beginning the speech he'd prepared. He'd prepped everything for her arrival, including the fireplace, now stacked with wood and kindling. Kneeling before the hearth, he struck a match and had a blazing fire going before he stood. He was surprised that the workers he'd hired to assist him with unpacking his belongings hadn't whispered a word about it in the village. Granted, they'd all signed gag orders, so they couldn't talk about it without potential legal ramifications.

  "We're trespassing! Show me what you wanted to show me, and let's go."

  At her question, he knew the time had come. He stood and pivoted, waiting to reply until he was standing before her. "We aren't trespassing. I bought the place."

  "What? Why?" she said in astonishment as she gave the room another inspection.

  When he tried to lace his fingers with hers, she jerked away and took a step back. "Hear me out," he said. "You've been telling me to leave for ten years. What if I wanted to stay? What if I have always wanted to stay with you? I want a life with you, and with Colin. I want us to live here, as a family."

  Suspicion clouded her gaze and she held herself so tightly he thought she'd snap in a strong wind. "You want us to live with you? But I have a home, Hunter. Why would Colin and I live here? If you want to be close to Colin, fine, I won't stand in the way, but I don't see why you think we should live here. I wasn't lying when I said I can't do whatever this is between us anymore."

  "Because I want, I hoped, that you would marry me. I love you, Roni. I have since we first met all those years ago." He pulled a tiny slip of rose colored lace out of his jeans pocket. He'd carried it with him since their first time at the standing stone. He held it out toward her as his peace offering.

  Her eyes widened as she stared at his outstretched palm. "But how do you have that? After all this time?"

  "Roni, I loved you from the first, and the gift you gave me of being the first man to make love to you is something that has stayed with me. I wanted a keepsake to remember it by, and slid them into my pocket. I've carried them with me ever since."

  "But why? I don't understand. You've had the panties I wore that night for ten years? Why?"

  "When I left all those years ago, I left the best part of myself behind. You are the best part of me, Roni. I love you. It's always been you for me. And if you let me, I'll spend the rest of my life making you happy."

  Before the roaring fire in his new
house, he did the one thing he never thought he'd do. With her left hand in his, he got down on one knee and withdrew a diamond ring from his pocket.

  "Marry me, Roni, be a family with me?"

  Tears streamed down Veronica's face. "I never stopped loving you, Hunter, never. There were times over the years when I'd see photos of you in the tabloids or on a press junket and want to hate you, but I never could."

  His heart overflowed with love. "Nor I you. What do you say, Roni? Marry me?"

  He held his breath as she searched his face. He dropped the mask he normally wore and let her see all his vulnerabilities, all his hope, and most importantly, all the love he had carried inside him that had only grown over the course of time.

  "Yes," she said, nodding through her tearful gaze. "Yes, I'll marry you."

  Hunter slid the ring on her finger and stood, drawing her into his arms. She yielded, her tension softening as he cupped her face in his hands. He rubbed his thumb over her lower lip and watched her eyes darken as passion entered her gaze.

  "I love you, Roni," he said, staring into her eyes, needing to ensure that she believed him. He'd repeat it a hundred times a day for the rest of their lives if that was what it took. And then he kissed her, sucking that lower lip into his mouth as he traced it with his tongue before sealing his promise and claiming her lips with all the pent-up love and desire raging inside him.

  He wanted this woman forever.

  When her hands went to the button fly on his jeans, he groaned into her mouth. He hadn't planned on making love to her until later, after they picked their son up. But Colin would have to wait, there'd be time for the three of them as a family, and he'd be fine with his grandparents for a little longer.

  He needed to claim Roni, needed to dominate her in every way. Breaking the kiss, he grabbed a blanket and laid it on the floor before the fire. He tossed a few pillows on the ground as well. And then he turned back to his Roni.

  "Christ, woman, you could lead a saint to damnation."

  She had stripped while his back was turned, and now stood in all her naked glory. He toed off his shoes, and damn near ripped his shirt off over his head. He shucked his slacks off before pulling her down onto the blanket.