Her jaw dropped again as she looked from a stern Alex to a wide-eyed Sam.
“Miya, he’ll do it,” Sam cautioned.
“Unbelievable,” she grumbled and headed to the changing screen at the far side of the room. “Would you at least shut the door?”
Alex reached out and pushed the door closed before leaning his back against it. Sam moved to lean against the dressing table as they waited. He kept his gaze down and away from Alex, as he should, considering he’d opened his damn mouth about the club.
“Do you need anything, Miya?” Sam asked.
“No, Sam. I’m good. Thanks anyway.”
“Sam,” Alex said softly. “I want to know exactly where that dress came from. Who ordered it, who made it, and who had their hands on it before Miya.”
Sam nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“We’re not at the club, Sam. You can stop with the sir.”
“Yes, sir.”
Alex sighed. “And another thing. Explain to me how Miya knows about the club.”
Sam cringed and actually appeared to shrink in front of him. “Do I have to?”
“Yes,” Alex replied, keeping his voice level and calm.
“I got drunk one night and told her how good a Dom you were and how I wished you swung my way.”
Alex’s lips twitched slightly. “Well, Sam, thank you for being honest…I think.”
Sam nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“But the next time you’re at the club, you’re going to be punished for opening your damn mouth. You know you’re not supposed to talk about the patrons there by name.”
Sam hung his head. “I know, and I’m so sorry.”
“Have you told anyone else?”
“No,” Sam whispered, his voice shaking slightly. At Alex’s silence, Sam asked softly. “Will you give me to DeBorge?”
“Do you want DeBorge?”
“Yes.”
Alex’s lips twitched again. Sam was a good man. Shy and quiet, he preferred the softer Doms to the more aggressive ones. Alex would probably give him to DeBorge. They fit well together, and he knew DeBorge liked Sam. She was good at punishment, so she would make sure Sam learned his lesson.
“I’ll make a deal with you, Sam. Get me that info and call me the second you see anything odd concerning Miya, and I’ll do my best to see you get DeBorge. Miya has my number.”
Sam’s whole face seemed to light up. “Yes, sir.”
Miya stepped from behind the screen in a pair of worn jeans, a red tank top, her hair in a ponytail, and the majority of the makeup wiped off her face. She’d never looked prettier.
She frowned at him, and Alex had to bite back a grin. “What are the two of you whispering about over there?”
“We’re not whispering. You’re not wearing that, are you?” Sam asked.
Miya frowned and glanced down at herself. She shrugged lightly. “I was going straight home after the show.”
“No parties tonight?” Alex asked.
“There’s always a party somewhere, but I didn’t want to tonight. I’m a little tired.”
Sam snorted. “More like a little freaked out. She hasn’t been to many parties since those letters started.”
“Good,” Alex said.
Miya’s dirty look deepened.
Chapter Three
Miya couldn’t believe she was climbing into Alex’s small ship. She’d fantasized for a long time about him picking her up after a performance, taking her somewhere romantic, then to bed. Too bad this had everything to do with a stalker and absolutely nothing to do with romance.
Why had Sharna told him about that anyway? And if she’d told Alex, did it also mean she’d told Christian? Miya would kill her when she got her hands on her.
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Miya tried to put all that aside. The ship was very similar to the one her brother Hayden had. Small and sleek, it could fly at an incredible rate of speed and get them to their destination probably much faster than Miya really wanted.
As much as she enjoyed looking at Alex, she was still a little pissed at him for his high-handed treatment. He was so gorgeous, she knew she would forgive him most anything if he smiled at her, though. He was a weakness she couldn’t seem to shake.
His beautiful amethyst eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, softening the lines of his face and making him look younger, kinder, more approachable.
He was tall with broad shoulders and a don’t-mess-with-me attitude. He carried that attitude well. He had a way about him that made her feel safe. He had a raw sex appeal, though, that made her hot whenever he was near.
He glanced over at her, and she squirmed slightly in her seat. What would it be like to have those eyes look at her with desire? To run her fingers through all his black hair? A few times she’d thought she’d seen longing in his eyes, but it never lasted. She either mistook what she saw, or he covered it up well. She preferred to believe the latter: that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
The whole Dom thing didn’t concern her. Matter of fact, imagining Alex doing to her some of the things Sam had described made her wet. Just thinking about it now made her nipples tingle and bead. She crossed her arms over them to try to hide the evidence of her arousal.
“You’re certainly used to getting your way, aren’t you,” she murmured as he started the ship’s engines.
He glanced over at her briefly, amusement shining in his dark gaze. “Yes.”
Miya snorted softly. Alex gunned the ship, taking off so fast, she squealed and grabbed the dash. “Jeez. In a hurry?”
His soft, deep chuckle sent a current of lust through Miya’s limbs, startling her. The sound was so deep and sexy. She wasn’t sure she’d ever heard him sound like that, and her desire for him increased tenfold.
“I’m never in a hurry in anything I do,” he replied.
Miya licked her lips as she imagined Alex taking his time with her. She remembered Sam saying that about him—that he took his time, bringing subs to orgasm several times before he was done with them. To be with a man that good at sex would just be…
Lord, if he knew all the things Sam had told her, he would probably be livid. She shouldn’t have outed Sam the way she did. It had just happened before she realized it, and then it was too late to take it back.
“I didn’t mean to let that slip about Sam. Don’t be too hard on him. He was drunk, and well…I didn’t discourage him from talking about it.”
At her admission, Miya felt heat move over her cheeks.
“He isn’t supposed to tell names, so he will be punished,” Alex said.
“You realize Sam likes to be punished, right?”
Alex glanced sideways at her briefly before turning his head back to the front and merging the ship into other flying traffic. “He won’t like this one. If he does, he’s more a masochist than I thought.”
Her lips lifted slightly. Yes, Sam was definitely a masochist. “So are you a masochist?” She knew he wasn’t. She just wanted to see if she could get him to talk about it more.
“No, sweetheart. I’m a sadist.”
Miya eyed him skeptically. “Sam says you don’t like doling out punishment.”
“There’s a difference between punishment and pain play, Miya. Pain play is for fun. Punishment is not. And we should probably stop this discussion before it goes any further.”
She turned in her seat slightly to face him better. She saw the muscles jerk in his cheek and wondered what exactly had him so tense. Was it their conversation?
“I’m curious,” she said.
Alex snorted. “No, you’re not, imp. You’re just trying to make me uncomfortable.”
“Imp,” she scoffed. “Now you sound like Dad.”
“I take that as a compliment.” He turned his head briefly and gave her a smile that was both a little mischievous and slightly sad. “I like your father. I do business with your father, which is exactly why you and I shouldn’t be having this discussion. Tell me about the
letters.”
“Why did Sharna tell you about the letters?”
Alex sighed, and the muscle in his cheek twitched again. He definitely didn’t like being disobeyed.
“Does my brother know?” she asked.
“Yeah, he knows,” Alex said, then gave her an apologetic look before turning back to the traffic. “He was about to force you to go with them this week, but I agreed to keep an eye on you since I was going to be here anyway. That’s when he told me about the letters.”
“Great,” she grumbled. “Like they don’t treat me like a baby enough.”
Alex chuckled softly. “They love you, Miya. I would expect no less of them.”
“You don’t baby Cara like that.”
Cara was Hayden’s wife. She and Alex were very close. Cara considered Alex a brother, despite the fact they weren’t really blood related.
“That’s because Cara has the ability to take care of herself, if you’ll recall, so there’s no need for my protection. You on the other hand…”
He gave her a firm look she assumed most people would understand and obey without question. Miya, not so much.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “What about me on the other hand?”
“Can you throw a man ten feet across the room with just your mind?” Alex asked.
Miya knew Cara could. “No,” she replied.
“Then you need protection.”
“I don’t have to be able to do telekinesis to protect myself. There are other ways of doing it, you know.”
“True.” Alex sighed before continuing. “Accept it, Miya. Your brothers adore you. As long as they’re alive, you will be babied.”
“Just promise me you won’t tell them about the costume.”
Alex shook his head firmly. “I’m not making that promise.”
“Alex—”
“Don’t Alex me, Miya,” he said firmly. When she opened her mouth to say something else, he growled, “Miya.”
“Don’t tell me what to do. Keep in mind I’m not one of your subs you can boss around.”
“Miya.”
“You’re as bad as they are!” she snapped.
She was so sick of everyone still seeing her as a child and not an adult. She was tired of her brothers and her father butting their noses into everything she did. Now she had Alex treating her like a damn kid, threatening to tell her brothers about the dress.
She sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose. And she probably wasn’t helping matters by screaming like a spoiled child.
Alex rolled his eyes in frustration. “Unbelievable. Miya, I swear, if I wasn’t driving this ship, I’d put you over my knee!”
“Oh please,” she snapped. “You’re so afraid Daddy would be mad at you, you wouldn’t dare lay a hand on me, in anger or otherwise.”
“You sure you want to place that bet?” Alex snarled as he jerked the ship into the parking pad atop her apartment complex so hard she actually gasped.
He stopped the ship and turned to glare at her in anger. He looked incredibly delectable that way, but Miya had a sinking feeling he wasn’t trying to be. She had him where she’d wanted him for so long. They were alone, about to head to her apartment, and she’d flown off the handle and made him mad.
“You’re a handful, do you know that?” he growled in a deep, sexy voice that made Miya shiver.
Licking her lips, she tried to think of something to say that might defuse the growing tension between the two of them. She glanced down at her breasts and shrugged. Trying to get his attention off her attitude and onto her body, she decided to move the conversation in a different direction. “I’ve been told that before, but I don’t think my breasts are that big.” She looked up and smiled sweetly. “Especially with your large hands. I always thought they were a little small.”
He frowned slightly, then shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. And they’re not small, Miya, they’re—”
At the grin on her face, his frown deepened.
“So you do look,” she said.
Growling low in his chest, he opened the door on his side of the ship and slipped out. Miya chuckled softly, pleased she’d actually made the sexy Alexander speechless.
She opened her own door and stepped out. A strong, cold night wind blew her hair, and she shivered as she reached for her jacket and slipped it on. Staring up toward the sky, she wished she could see the stars, but here on Rhinari, there were too many lights that blocked them out and gave it a reddish hue. She sighed wistfully. That was the one bad thing about living here. No stars.
“You couldn’t wait for me to open the door for you?” Alex asked.
“Why?” she asked as she reached around to shut the door. “Is that a Dom thing?”
“No, that is not a Dom thing.”
She eyed him coyly as she passed and headed to the entrance of the building. “Are you always this pissy late at night?”
Alex mumbled under his breath, “I should show you pissy.”
Miya grinned and swiped her card, unlocking the door to her complex. Inside, the guard greeted her with a smile. “Good evening, Ms. Miya. You’re home early tonight.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t feeling well, so I cut my performance short.” She waved to Alex, who stood behind her. “You know Chancellor Dorn?”
The guard nodded. “Yes. Good evening, Chancellor.”
“That’s debatable at the moment,” Alex grumbled as he followed Miya to the elevator.
“You don’t have to be such a grouch, Alex.”
“Miya, I’ve silently counted to ten three times, and I’m still pissed. Don’t push it.”
With a grin, she nodded to the elevator attendant and waited for him to hit the number to her floor.
Chapter Four
Alex nodded to the attendant as he followed Miya out of the elevator and down the hall toward her apartment. He took the key card from her hand and swiped it over the panel, opening her door. He walked through first, looking around her apartment with a critical eye.
Miya stood at the door and crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you expect someone to be here?” she asked.
“Blades in your costume, Miya.” He then gave her a look that clearly said need I say more? “Come inside and shut the door,” he said as he strolled into her bedroom.
“Hey,” Miya said.
“Shut the door!” he called from the bedroom. “And lock it.”
She sighed and turned the lock. If she’d known he would be in her bedroom, she would’ve cleaned it up a little first.
“It’s locked. Are you through rummaging through my bedroom yet?” she asked as she headed toward the kitchen.
She needed a little alcohol, but she would settle for hot tea. No sense getting drunk and stupid around Mr. Hot Pants. She walked over to the replicator and hit the on button. “Dragonwell tea. Hot.”
Alex strolled back into the room about the time the replicator beeped.
“Is it all clear?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said as he sat at the island separating her kitchen and living area. “Nice place. Small, neat. Never would’ve pegged you as a minimalist.”
She shrugged. “I’m not really. When I’m on Rhinari, my schedule is so crazy. I mostly just sleep here. Besides, this place isn’t really home to me, so I don’t spend a lot of money decorating it. I made tea. Would you like something?”
“Tea’s good.”
“Hot or iced?”
“Hot.”
She nodded and handed him the tea she’d just made. He took the cup while she ordered another for herself.
“A replicator?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t cook.”
“You should have your mother teach you. She’s a great cook.”
“She tried. I just don’t love it like she does.”
Alex smiled softly as he watched her over the rim of his cup. “Where are the letters?” he asked.
She pointed to the drawer in the island as she grabbed
her cup of tea. “In there.”
Frowning, he opened the drawer and found a stack of paper envelopes. He set his cup aside and pulled out the one on top. “Paper?” he said as he pulled the letter out and opened it. “Who uses paper anymore?”
“Apparently, this guy. I think he does it because it’s harder to trace than an electronic one. Plus, he can leave them in odd places.”
ALEX NOTICED MIYA shiver slightly but didn’t say anything. “Where have you found them?” he asked as he skimmed through the letter.
There wasn’t really anything major, mostly typical secret admirer stuff. A little sappy and poetic, but nothing he found to be threatening.
“Most of them have been in my dressing room.”
Alex read through another letter and frowned as the tone began to change slightly, becoming darker, more possessive.
“You said most,” he murmured as he pulled out the final letter.
“The last one I found in my ship,” Miya replied quietly.
Alex glanced at her through his lashes. The letters bothered her more than she wanted to admit. He wanted to hold her, wrap his arms around her, and make her feel safe again, but he knew touching her would be a huge mistake. Hell, it was bad enough to be in her apartment. All he could seem to think about was the large bed she had in the other room and how much fun it would be to see her lying on it naked, her wrists tied to the bedposts.
Forcing his thoughts back to the letter, he began to read the neatly written scroll. The further he went, the angrier he became, both at the author and the pretty brunette standing across from him.
Setting the letter down, he frowned at Miya. “You didn’t show this letter to Sharna, did you?” he snapped.
She flinched and licked her lips. “Why do you say that?”
“Don’t play coy, Miya. It doesn’t suit you.” He tossed the letter across the counter at her. “He threatens you in this letter. Physically!”
She sighed and returned his glare with one of her own. “I know that! But good grief, Alex. When could anybody get to me without a camera being in their face? You know how the media follows me around. I can’t buy an alcoholic drink without it being plastered across the screens Lord Marcone’s charmed princess has a drinking problem, and I have no doubt you taking me home will be all over the news tomorrow. They’re probably out there right now watching your ship to see what time you leave. What makes you think he could do anything?”
Entwined Fates: Dominating Miya Page 2