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  Settling his exhausted mate in his car gave Israel an odd sense of familiarity, almost like a preview of coming attractions. In a flash of insight, he knew this wouldn’t be the last time he carried his sweet, overworked mate out of the hospital. He planned to help her learn how to bring more balance into her life. Israel rolled his eyes at the irony of him teaching his mate to work less. Bristol was young, but she’d been on her own for a long time, so it would be hard for her to loosen the tight grip she kept on her control. It wouldn’t be an easy transition, and he hoped she’d learn to trust him sooner rather than later.

  Reaching over her, Israel fastened her seat belt, then brushed his lips across hers and reclined her seat. “Rest, Beautiful. We’ll be home in no time.”

  “I’m just going to close my eyes for a few minutes.” I liked the kiss. Wish I wasn’t so tired. I wanted more.

  Smiling to himself, Israel closed the door and moved to the driver’s side. Slipping behind the wheel, he was surprised to see Bristol had pulled off the skull cap she’d been wearing, the brightly colored cloth clutched loosely in her hand. Taking her hand in his, Israel placed the cap in his lap before leaning close and pulling her fingers to his lips. Rest, Dr. B, I’m going to take such good care of you, you’ll never want to leave.

  Driving to Adler Oil didn’t take long. This early in the pre-dawn morning, traffic was practically nonexistent. Israel enjoyed watching the soft amber light from the overhead streetlights fan over his sleeping passenger. The light danced over her wild tumble of blonde hair, glinting off the waves, giving her an ethereal appearance.

  Israel wanted to commit the moment to memory. He kept her hand in his, enjoying the feel of her slender fingers against his palm. Parking in the private parking lot under his family’s building, he took a moment to enjoy the view. Bristol reminded him of the classic pin-up girls of the 1940s. She was perfect. Damn, he’d loved having her in his arms. She was a soft armful. He’d never been attracted to women who were supermodel thin, preferring those with breasts and curves.

  The pictures in her file didn’t begin to do her justice. Bristol Banks was gorgeous on the outside, and the past few hours, she’d proven she was even more attractive on the inside. Sitting outside the club’s first aid station, he’d tried hard to filter what he was hearing from her. Israel hadn’t wanted to know all the details of his sister-in-law’s childbirth experience, but he’d wanted to track how well Bristol was holding up once it became clear she was running on fumes.

  Moving around the car, he made a quick call upstairs to where the night crew manned a large bank of monitors. His staff not only helped secure all the public areas of Adler Oil, they also watched for any signs of trouble at any of the clients’ properties. The guys in the control room could operate the elevators with a few keystrokes, and Israel wanted to be able to carry his precious cargo without worrying about juggling her to insert key cards or tap in codes.

  “Come on, Beautiful, let’s get you upstairs and settled.” She barely stirred when he lifted her from the car. The warmth of her soft sigh moved over the side of his neck, sending a surge of blood to his cock. Dandy, just what he needed his staff to see—him sporting a hard-on as he carried an unconscious woman into his suite.

  It didn’t take long to get her out of her scrubs and into the shower. Israel decided the loose-fitting clothing was his new second favorite attire. He’d always favor short dresses worn without panties, but drawstring pants weren’t bad. Easy access was at the top of his priority list. Thankfully, Bristol was a natural submissive, which meant she responded perfectly to his instructions spoken in his Dom voice.

  “I can’t believe I’m in the shower with a man I barely know. Frickity frack, I don’t even know who’s shower this is.” The words were spoken out loud—barely—but she hadn’t bothered to open her eyes.

  “It’s my shower, my precious, exhausted mate. I wanted to take care of you, and I can do it better here.” Reaching around her to turn off the water, he pulled a towel from the warming rack. She sighed in contentment when he wrapped the thick bath sheet around her.

  Spoiling. Flogger. Babies are sweet, but they sure like to put a kink in my kink.

  Just when he thought he was winning the battle to keep his unruly cock under control, she mentions kink, sending a surge of blood south.

  You’re playing with fire, baby. He sat her between his splayed legs on the padded bench at the end of the bed to comb the tangles from her hair. Pulling the long locks into a loose braid, he tied the bottom with an elastic tie, one of his sisters had left at some point. The suite he was currently using had been occupied by several of the Adler siblings at various times, so the bathroom drawers held a strange mix of abandoned accessories.

  “Come on, Beautiful, let’s get you comfortable.” After settling her in bed, Israel took time to make sure the suite was secured, throwing the extra lock that would ensure none of his siblings could enter using their master key. They all had an electronic key, which allowed them access to any Adler owned space, but there were also special locks in case someone wanted privacy. Slipping between the cool sheets, Israel pulled his mate close, closing his arms around her. Bristol fit perfectly against him, her back pressed against his chest, skin to skin, shoulders to hips.

  The position was comfortable and torture at the same time. Her scent surrounded him, and when he leaned forward to skim his lips over the top of her shoulder, the urge to claim her was almost more than he could resist. Israel knew it would be easy to get a yes from her—hell, she was so tired, she would likely agree to anything that would get him to leave her alone, so she could sleep. But as much as he wanted her, he also wanted her to make an informed decision.

  Her mind went silent within seconds, and he knew she was asleep—it took him a lot longer to let go. It had been an amazing twenty-four hours. Kensington and Denali were finally legally man and wife, Austin and Charlotte had a healthy son, thanks to the woman in his arms, and he’d found his mate.

  Fucking amazing.

  Clovia Williams watched Master Israel lead Dr. Banks out of the hospital and frowned. She was hidden in the shadows, but the darkness wouldn’t have mattered if the wind hadn’t been in her favor. The scene Clovia shared with Master Israel had been months ago, but as a shifter, he would recognize her from scent alone. To boost Israel’s scent memory, Clovia had made certain he got regular reminders. Standing near vents when he was playing at the club, spraying the door handle of his car with her perfume, and tucking a perfume-soaked piece of fabric in his locker at the club were a few of the ways she’d helped imprint sensory receptors with reminders of their time together. Every time she remembered the night he’d shown her all the ways a Dom could please a submissive, her body launched into sexual overdrive. It had been their only night together—so far.

  Since Clovia’s scene with Master Israel, he’d proven why he was a sought-after tracker. The damned man had been as elusive as smoke, drifting in and out of the Prairie Winds Club. Asking some of the other submissives at the club about him had been discouraging, but Clovia wasn’t one to give in easily. Israel Adler was more than a skilled sexual Dominant; he was also a highly regarded tracker. His reputation among the multiple shifter packs in North America was impeccable. He was widely considered by many to be Austin Adler’s chosen successor, despite being the seventh in age. Clovia had done her research after she’d realized Master Israel was her mate.

  Additionally, all the Adler siblings were loaded. Not only were their trust funds damned impressive, thanks to Austin Adler’s remarkable leadership, they’d each become incredibly successful in their own right.

  Clovia had enjoyed several scenes at the club with Austin before he’d mated with Charlotte. They’d enjoyed one another’s company, but there had never been any question, it was nothing more than mutual pleasure. When he’d seen her tonight, Master Austin had been polite, acknowledging her in the same way you would any casual business acquaintance. Clovia understood… hell, she’d do
ne the same to Masters and fellow submissives, she encountered outside the club. But it was different when Israel treated her as though they’d never met. She’d been hurt and angry when Master Israel ignored her.

  His unique, masculine scent had alerted her to his presence as soon as he stepped out of the elevator. He’d stopped in to check on his new nephew and sister-in-law, given his brother a congratulatory hug, inquired about Dr. B, then one of her co-workers directed him to the waiting room beyond the security doors. It was a testament to his connections, he’d been given access to the employee elevator, and she’d wondered why he was waiting for Dr. B—until she’d seen him carrying the physician to his car.

  Clovia had watched Master Israel at the club for almost a year before she finally got the opportunity to scene with him. His touch was magic, but she’d never seen him look at any sub the way he looked at Bristol Banks. Why was he so enthralled with Bristol when it was so obvious, he belonged to her? Where the hell was he taking her? Clovia knew where Dr. B lived, but the taillights of Israel’s car turned in the opposite direction. Maybe he was taking the doctor back to Prairie Winds to get her car. Clovia was still pissed she hadn’t been invited to help with the wedding. She rarely worked weekend shifts but was drafted to help when her supervisor failed to schedule additional staff during the full moon. Hell, the woman had only been a labor and delivery nurse for a fucking decade—you’d think she’d know the ropes by now.

  Stepping out of the shadows, Clovia made her way back inside. There wasn’t anything she could do about the situation now—she still had at least another hour before she could go home. Maybe things would make more sense after she got a good night’s sleep. Clovia would make some calls tomorrow and find out what happened after the wedding. Hell, as famous as Kensington Adler was, it may well be on the damned news.

  One of the other subs would know whether Master Israel took Dr. B back to her car. Fucking hell, Clovia finally found the man she knew was destined to be hers, then had to watch him carry another woman to his car. There had to be a logical explanation—she just needed to find out what it was.

  Chapter Five

  Bristol couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this comfortable. The sheets sliding over her heated skin were cool and so smooth, they felt like silk. The fabric was a luxury she never indulged in for herself. She wanted to stretch, just to see how it felt caressing her bare ass.

  Wait. Bare? I’m naked? I can’t be naked. I always wear a sleep shirt and panties to bed. Sometimes, I wear socks and yoga pants, but naked? Nope.

  “Go back to sleep, Beautiful. You don’t have to be anywhere today, and your body needs rest. You are naked because I want to feel your warmth pressed against mine.”

  She didn’t know what time it was, but the room was cool and dark—perfect. She was more comfortable than she’d ever been in her cheap bed, but her bladder was demanding attention. Damn.

  “Two minutes. You better be back in two minutes. Don’t doubt for one minute I will come and get you.”

  Scrambling out of his embrace, Bristol didn’t worry about flashing her bare bits in Israel’s direction—no doubt he’d seen more memorable asses. He’d seemed more than a little interested in her, but standing on the other side of the bathroom door after she’d finished, the old insecurities started to resurface.

  She embraced the kinky side of her personality, but her open-minded view stopped short of feeling confident about her naked body. It didn’t matter how much time she spent, toiling away in the hospital’s gym, Bristol had too many curves to be considered slender. Crickets, two of those well-rounded, bouncy features would have been on full display when she’d sprinted across Israel’s bedroom a minute ago.

  The door opened with a whoosh, startling her, and she let out a quick shriek of surprise.

  “Time’s up.”

  She probably should have been scandalized, seeing Israel in all his naked glory, but the truth was, she was too fascinated to be shocked. His cock was wide awake, reaching almost to his belly button and… huge. As a physician, Bristol understood the mechanics of sex and the body’s ability to adapt and stretch… but there were limits. There have to be limits. Right?

  A significant portion of her work time was spent watching women push babies the size of small watermelons through a channel ordinarily the width of a couple of fingers. She was always amazed by the human body—frighteningly frail and remarkably resilient at the same time. Truthfully, it was shocking humans hadn’t died off centuries earlier.

  “Your mind whirls very quickly, Dr. B.” He sounded as if he was trying to keep the amusement out of his voice. She knew she’d cycled through several topics in the time it took him to take a couple of deep breaths. Hell, the way her gaze locked on his morning woody made her wish he would just get on with it and fuck her into a stupor.

  “Come back to bed. The sun won’t be up for hours, and I already know you’re off today.” She started to ask how he knew she was off today, but he shook his head, laced their fingers together, and tugged her back to bed. “I wasn’t snooping into your private business—although I’ll never take that off the table where your health and safety are concerned. You were muttering in your sleep, talking about how you were looking forward to a weekend off. We’ll talk later. You need sleep, and my self-control is not without limits, Beautiful. Your scent is making me so hard, I’m afraid my damned cock is going to split its skin. The sleep-tousled hair, pink blush, and inquisitive eyes are going to move this along much faster than you’re ready for, Bristol.”

  Fuckity fuck. She could feel the heated blush moving over her so quickly, it felt like she’d been dipped in liquid fire. She’d never been comfortable with her body, but she took a deep breath, grateful his expression didn’t hold any judgment. The only thing she saw in his eyes was concern and desire. He got into the enormous bed and held the cover open for her.

  “Come. Lie down next to me, so we can go back to sleep before the last thread of my fraying control snaps. There are only two ways for that to end, Beautiful. I’ll either fuck you until neither of us wants to move for hours, or we’ll go to the playroom.” His eyes darkened, and she assumed her ass would pay the price if that was the path she chose.

  Letting her eyes drift around the room, she wondered if there were any shirts in the nearby chest of drawers. A t-shirt would help her sleep, anything to cover her bare breasts and ass. “Don’t even think about it, Bristol.” Heaving a sigh, she got back in bed and laid stiffly at the edge of the mattress.

  “I don’t think so, Beautiful.” This time his words were more of a growl than coaxing. Wrapped around her waist, Israel’s hands almost spanned her thick mid-section. “Thick? You are going to spend a lot of time over my lap if you keep this up. You are perfect. Contrary to what many women believe, most men aren’t attracted to toothpicks. We appreciate curves and want to be able to feel your softness beneath us.”

  Settling her against him, Israel smiled when she rested her head against his bicep. His cock laid between the cheeks of her ass as though it had every right to be there. His palm pressed against the underside of her breast, and he fought back a moan when he felt her nipple peaking against the pad of his fingers. Splaying his other hand over her lower abdomen, Israel smiled to himself as her scent moved over him in slow, lapping waves as her skin heated beneath his touch.

  “You are so responsive. I know you are fighting it, and that makes it all the sweeter. I can hardly wait until you belong to me. I’m looking forward to tying you to my bed and waking you with my tongue, tracing the folds of your delectable pussy. Maybe I’ll finger you until you’re nice and slick, then slip inside you before going to sleep.”

  “Normally, I’d appreciate your take on a bedtime story, but in this case, it seems more like teasing. At least my dreams will be a lot more interesting now… if I can get the visual out of my head and my heart to stop pounding.” She felt his chest vibrate against her back and let herself slip back into the peaceful oblivion
before sleep. Knowing she’d amused one of the club’s Masters made her smile.

  Bristol learned at an early age to keep the lighter side of her personality hidden from all but her closest friends. If she joked around in public, she could almost count out the seconds until the blonde bimbo jokes started. Being younger than her colleagues hadn’t helped—they’d usually discounted her ideas without even giving them consideration, citing her age or chalking up anything outside their comfort zone as the rantings of a blonde ding-bat. It had been humiliating, and she discovered early, it was easier to maintain a professional distance.

  Israel made her feel… she didn’t know exactly how to describe it… something akin to important. He focused on her when they were together and seemed to want to learn more about her rather than simply trying to find a flaw to exploit. Sighing to herself, Bristol let herself float deeper into the twilight before true sleep.

  Frickity frack, I’m not ready to be mated, and Israel Adler is going to be damned hard to resist. Why does fate always open the perfect door when I’m not ready?

  Remarkable. The woman was so much more than he’d dared dream fate would send his way. It seemed greedy to ask for a woman as brilliant and beautiful as his sisters and sisters-in-law, but that was exactly what he got. The Adler siblings might have lost their parents too soon, but the great Goddess was showering them with blessings now.

  Israel couldn’t remember a time when being telepathic had been more important. He and Luke had sat at the hotel bar after Austin and Charlotte tied the knot, wondering how in the hell men could conceivably understand women if they couldn’t eavesdrop on their thoughts.

  Refining the plan he’d been working on was easy. He just had to keep reminding himself it was more important to establish a good foundation with Bristol than to rush a relationship he knew would last the rest of his life. There wasn’t a doubt in the world he could seduce her—Bristol wasn’t as sexually experienced as he was. Hell, she wasn’t experienced in anything other than her chosen field, but she was fucking brilliant as an OBGYN. She’d already admitted to herself she was susceptible to his charm, but he wasn’t willing to trade one night of pleasure for the trust he knew it would take for them to build a future together.