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  “I don’t want this.” She dropped her gaze to the ground, sighing in resignation. “Mating, I mean. I won’t insult your intelligence by denying I’m physically attracted to you. I don’t lie… hell, it wouldn’t do any good, anyway. My physiological responses are too obvious to ignore. Damn traitorous hormones.” Israel had to bite back his amusement. She awfully cute when she was grumpy. He wondered how often her speech kicked into doctor-mode.

  “We’ll talk about it later. Where is your phone, Beautiful?” Bristol lifted her gaze to meet his. When she blinked several times, obviously trying to focus on the question rather than her racing heart, he slid his hand around the sexy curve of her bare neck. Using the pads of his fingers, Israel gently massaged the tight muscles on either side of the indention at the base of her skull, relieved to see how quickly she relaxed.

  “It’s in my purse.” Looking down at her dress, she gave a small shrug. “There wasn’t really any place to hide it in this dress, and they asked us to leave them in our lockers.”

  Oh, please don’t… Wait, what am I asking for? Please don’t stop massaging my neck because it feels so good? Or please don’t keep touching me, or I’m going to make a fool of myself? This damned dress should have pockets. Crickets. Pockets would have been a great distraction. It isn’t going to matter in a few seconds because I’m going to burst into flames, and the blasted thing is going to be scorched, anyway.

  “The dress is perfect, sweetheart. Seeing the silky expanse of your bareback is sexy as hell. I can hardly wait to see the rest of your creamy skin exposed to my touch.” Israel slid his hand slowly down her back. He felt her shiver as her nipples drew into peaks so tight, they drew his eye. Fuck, she was perfect.

  “It’s refreshing to meet a professional woman who isn’t tied to her phone. Your confidence is incredibly attractive, Bristol. Don’t ever doubt how heady self-assurance is.” Handing her his phone, Israel continued, “Call your phone. That way, you will have my number, and I’ll have yours.”

  With a few quick keystrokes, she made the call. He heard the sound of a phone ringing several times before Bristol’s voice mail picked up. Ending the call, she handed his phone back, tilting her head to the side, unasked questions shining in her pretty blue eyes.

  Damn, I can’t tell him I know he did a background check on me without violating Charlotte’s privacy. He could have easily gotten my number. Maybe it’s against some rule to use company information for private purposes? Fuck a green duck. Privacy laws are insanely strict and ridiculously lax at the same time, so who the hell knows. I don’t want to think about how complicated they are for a business specializing in investigations.

  Taking a deep breath, she decided a direct inquiry was best.

  “Why do I have the distinct impression you didn’t need any help getting my number?”

  He admired her ability to phrase the question in a way without any professional compromise. It was also damned interesting, Charlotte trusted her doctor enough to confide that her husband’s family did a background investigation.

  “Austin is very protective of his lovely wife. It wouldn’t have mattered how many of his friends recommended you, he wanted me to make absolutely certain Charlotte and their baby were safe in your care.” The pink staining her cheeks made her look more like a college coed than a well-respected physician. Owning a successful medical practice before most women her age completed graduate school was damned impressive. Her accomplished life made it hard to remember how young she was.

  “I guess I should be pleased you found me worthy.” There was just enough snark in her tone to demand a response. She may as well learn now, the dominant side of his personality was never far below the surface.

  “Be careful, Beautiful, snark will always be dealt with. Every challenge will be answered. I’m a Dom to the very depths of my soul. I don’t want a twenty-four-seven slave, but I will demand respect. The good news is… I will afford you the same and more.” He paused for a few seconds, watching her pulse beat a staccato beat at the base of her throat as her eyes dilated. Yes, indeed. Bristol Banks is as sexually submissive as any woman I’ve ever known. Fucking perfect. “I know this situation has blindsided you. It was a surprise for me as well, though I’m clearly much happier about it than you are.” He gave her a reassuring smile as he skimmed his fingers down the side of her beautiful face.

  “I’m going to respond to the comment you should have made, rather than the one you said without realizing how it sounded.” Her blue eyes flashed for a second before she conceded, giving him a quick nod. “Ordinarily, during an investigation, I would have arranged an accidental meeting. My team and I would have studied your habits, what time you left for work, where you bought your morning coffee, your gym schedule, nights out with your friends—all of those would have given me opportunities to observe you personally. Your background was so clean, it wasn’t necessary. Everyone, from your former roommates to your damned childhood nemesis, sang your praises.” In hindsight, he wished he’d hadn’t deviated from his usual procedure. If he hadn’t, perhaps they’d have already moved past her reluctance. He noted she hadn’t denied they were fated mates—she’d only said she didn’t want it. What he needed to know was why.

  “I apologize for being snide. Not because you’re a Dom, but because it was unprofessional and rude. I’m thrilled to work with Charlotte, she is a joy, and I would never do anything to jeopardize the trust she’s given me… it’s a gift. I won’t say much because of confidentiality, but I’m certainly free to tell you, I also consider her a friend outside our professional relationship.”

  “Very tactfully put, Dr. B. I know you are well trained to protect patient confidentiality at all times, but I want you to know anything we discuss will never go any further. You will always be safe, acknowledging someone in my family is your patient.”

  “Because you’ll already know?”

  “Yes.” Israel gave one quick nod of agreement. “I’ll already know. More importantly, I want you to be confident in my promise that anything you say to me about your work will remain completely private. We are fated mates, Bristol. You don’t know me and have no reason to trust me… yet. That will change as we grow closer, but it’s important for you to know this much upfront. My business centers around confidential information. As a professional, I understand the importance of shielding vital information from prying eyes—whether or not the law requires it.” Her eyes widened briefly before he saw her pull in a deep breath.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you. Protecting my patients is such a huge part of what I do, it’s often difficult to remember they are also wives, sisters, and daughters.”

  “No offense taken, Sweetheart. It’s important for us to clear the air and get off on the right foot. Now, let’s switch gears. How long have you been a member at Prairie Winds?” Her shoulders relaxed, her posture showing relief at their change of direction.

  “A couple of years. I joined shortly after I moved to Austin. I haven’t been able to attend as often as I’d like, but I’m hoping that will change soon.” When he raised a brow in question, she shrugged. “I’ve finally brought in another doctor. My practice grew much faster than I thought it would, and it took a long time to find someone I felt confident bringing on board.”

  “I can’t imagine it’s easy to find doctors in your field who have any background working with magicals.”

  “Very difficult. I also wanted someone who understood the BDSM lifestyle. I didn’t want a doctor who would bristle when a Dom refused to leave the room during his submissive’s examination.”

  “I don’t suppose they teach kink in medical school. Medical professionals who have only experienced vanilla sex wouldn’t understand how intensely protective a Dom can be when it comes to protecting what belongs to them.” When she nodded, he was pleased to feel her relief. She obviously appreciated his understanding of the challenges she faced.

  The guiding tenet of Dominance and submission was always Safe, Sane, and Co
nsensual. The words were more than just an abstract concept written into every membership contract. They were a promise made between all legitimate BDSM players. But the foundation of any good D/s relationship was communication. He was determined to establish a solid foundation with Bristol—they’d need it to weather the inevitable storms ahead.

  They both had demanding careers—working long hours meant they’d have less free time available to spend together. His business often required travel—hell, last year, he’d been out of the office more often than not. Frequent separations were stressful for any relationship, but they were particularly difficult for shifters. Their sexual nature was in overdrive for several weeks after they were first mated, and any significant separation during that time would be particularly painful for both of them.

  “There are a lot of special seminars available during a new physician’s residency, but I don’t remember seeing anything about communication strategies related to interactions with sexual Dominants.”

  Israel was stunned. He could tell by the sincerity reflected in her expression, she wasn’t kidding. Her response wasn’t snark, but her sincerity was borderline humorous. Damn, he’d been spending so much time with his artistically inclined siblings, he’d forgotten how literal scientists could be.

  Note to self: Remember how you deal with London—do that. The next to youngest Adler had reluctantly taken a step back from her intense research schedule when she’d mated. Now, as the mother of twin sons, she told him she was beginning to return to work. Her goal was to regain some margin of control in her own life, and with any luck, she’d be able to save her sanity. Israel had assumed she was joking until he’d watched her chasing the boys through the Monroe compound a few weeks earlier.

  London’s mates, Eli and Dr. Evan Monroe, were also twins. They saw the pandemonium as normal and had taken their young sons’ antics in stride, laughing when the dynamic duo tried to climb the playground equipment, intent on launching themselves into the air to prove to their harried mother, they could fly. Perhaps knowing one of their dads was a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon provided more of a safety net than the two hellions needed. As much as he’d been looking forward to seeing his nephews this weekend, he’d understood when he heard the young parents left their sons with their grandparents. The pretty blush painting Bristol’s cheeks reminded him of the pink he’d watched move over his sister’s face when she’d confessed, she wanted time alone with her husbands.

  Frazzle. I’m such a dork. I can’t believe I said that. I may not be ready to be mated, but I don’t want the man to think I’m a blooming brainiac with no social skills. Bristol had always been what her friends called a literal geek—she took things at face value, assuming people meant what they said, rather than attributing their words to sarcasm or teasing. Hell, it’s exhausting, trying to sort through every word spoken during a conversation, wondering if it’s some kind of puzzle. Who wants to spend time sorting through that nonsense? Probably easy if you grew up with brothers and sisters, constantly yammering some level of bullshit in your ear, morning, noon, and night. Some of us spent all our time with our noses shoved in books, without any time for fun and games.

  “As we learn more about one another, it will get easier, Beautiful.”

  Israel Adler was wrecking her defenses. The soothing tone of his voice, the gentle way his hand wrapped around her neck—it was seduction on a level Bristol had never experienced. If she didn’t get away from him, she’d be begging him to take her before the string quartet finished their first number.

  “If we’re in a scene, begging may or may not be appreciated. Outside of a defined period of play, you’ll never have to beg, Bristol. I will always give you what you need.”

  It didn’t escape her attention, he’d said he would give her what she needed. During her training, when she first joined the club, she’d been warned there was a difference between what she wanted and what she needed. She’d never had a D/s relationship but had heard plenty of other subs discussing the distinction.

  “I need to get back. I promised to help. It’s why I’m here.” He kept his hand wrapped around the side of her neck, the pressure of his fingers reminding her he was in control without overwhelming her. The sensation was oddly comforting, and Bristol realized she felt safe when she probably should have felt anything but. When he didn’t say anything, she blundered on, “I’m not the sort of person who gets invited to Hollywood superstar’s weddings. Heck, I didn’t know who was getting married until I got here. We all had to sign nondisclosure agreements… Shitballs with coconut, you probably already knew that.”

  “Asia and I put the NDAs together, even though we didn’t feel they were necessary. We also helped the Wests handpick who they asked to help. You were the first name on the list, Bristol. Charlotte, Asia, and Cat, all listed you as their first choice.” She wondered why he’d told her, and he didn’t make her wait long for an answer. “It’s important you understand where you stand. I’m looking forward to introducing you as my mate. My family is going to be thrilled.”

  Maybe… maybe not. She wasn’t convinced anyone enjoyed socializing with their doctor. In her experience, people valued their physician’s opinion, respected their education, trusted their opinion, and appreciated their discretion, but when it came to social events, they were often decidedly chilly.

  Bristol found it easier to narrow her practice to patients in the lifestyle and shifters. They weren’t uptight about their bodies, but often still had reservations about socializing with their doctor. Nudity was a large part of a shifter’s everyday life, so engaging in small talk with someone who’d seen them naked didn’t make them particularly uncomfortable. They may be more open than nonmagicals and those in the vanilla world, but there was still an underlying reluctance to cross those invisible social boundaries. When you added in her age, lack of sexual experience, and flakey family, most people backed away quickly. Pulling her thoughts back to the moment, Bristol wondered how long she’d been lost in thought. Israel’s indulgent smile told her it had likely been longer than she realized.

  Chapter Three

  Israel knew the effect he was having on his newly discovered mate. The earthy scent of her arousal circled them in a haze so thick, it was pushing him dangerously close to the edge of his control. Pulling her against him, Israel brushed his lips lightly over hers. Bristol’s quickly indrawn breath made him want to kiss her again… and again until he felt the first layer of her reluctance fell away.

  “You’ve been spending time with the wrong people, Bristol. I know the background check seemed intrusive. I’m sorry about that, but it couldn’t be helped. If you will stop and think about it, I believe you’ll see it’s working to your advantage. We already know all the things you’re worried about.” If he hadn’t been completely focused on her, Israel would have missed the brief flash of relief in her eyes.

  “As I said before, we don’t know each other well enough for you to trust me, but you will. That also goes for my family. They aren’t snobs, Beautiful. You’re brilliant and beautiful, and I suspect you have a killer sense of humor lurking within. You’re going to fit in perfectly. Hell, Asia and London will probably want you to move in.” The three women had a lot in common, and he looked forward to seeing how much she enjoyed their company. Hopefully, they won’t scare her off.

  “I haven’t met London, but I’ve read several of her published papers. She does remarkable work. Her discoveries are going to revolutionize the way vaccines are developed and distributed.”

  Israel wasn’t surprised to hear Bristol was already a fan of London’s work. Physicians who understood the importance of vaccines but didn’t blindly swallow big pharma’s narrative loved London’s ‘err of the side of the angels’ view. Insightful people are always drawn to others who seek the truth. Bristol and London would likely become fast friends.

  “Traditionally, scientists were easily compromised because their research was funded by big pharmaceutical companies. Governmen
t oversight was minimal at best until you started wading through the bureaucracy of the FDA. Every stage is a money game.” Bristol’s passion for her patients’ care was easy to hear in her voice.

  “Holy shit, if you don’t claim her, I’m going to adopt her. She just spoke to my heart.” Israel looked over his shoulder and grinned when he saw London standing behind him. Flanked by Asia, Paris, Catalina, and Brooklyn, the group would have seemed intimidating if they hadn’t all been smiling like cats who’d just swallowed the proverbial canaries. London always reminded him of a sprite, a petite ball of barely contained energy. She’d calmed down some since she’d become a mother, but without the boys here this weekend, the old London was shining through.

  “Come on, Bristol, Israel has kept you to himself long enough. Time for some fun. Tobi is going to teach us line dancing.” As the oldest of the girls, Asia rarely missed an opportunity to take charge. She and London stepped forward, each grabbing one of Bristol’s elbows, intent on leading her away.

  “Hold on, ladies.” When Israel moved to intervene, London elbowed him aside.

  “Back off, Barney. We’ll bring her back after we’re finished enjoying ourselves. Austin is looking for you, anyway. He can’t keep Charlotte in her chair. She wants to walk because she’s having cramps. Austin is bitching about her being fifteen months pregnant and swearing he’s going to tie her to a chair if she doesn’t sit down and put her feet up.”

  “Cramps? What kind of cramps? Where is she? Come on, let’s go.” Israel watched his mate slip out of her heels and take off running with the fluid grace of a shifter. He smiled when she instinctively ran to one of the small enclosed areas where a small group was gathered. He stopped to scoop up her shoes, grateful to be able to do a small act of service, making their connection seem more intimate than it had a few seconds ago.