Drake Restrained: A Novella in the Unrestrained Series (The Drake Restrained Series) (14 page)

"Thanks," Lara said and smiled at me. "You won't regret it. She's really smart and will likely have some good questions. I sent her a link to your website so she could read your letters. That'll get her so worked up, you'll have no problem getting her to sign on the dotted line. You'll probably really enjoy it."

She stood and I walked out of the café with her, my arm at the small of her back. We stopped outside on the street and she eyed me up and down as if assessing me.

"I think she'd probably be right up your alley. You might end up with a new sub after all if you put in the effort, so try to seduce her a bit. "

"Try to stop me," I said and grinned. I leaned in to kiss her cheek and we parted ways.

Lara called to set up a meeting with the young woman who wanted to interview me about the lifestyle, but even the prospect of seducing someone new didn’t fill me with the usual excitement. After I finished my first afternoon surgery, I pulled my lab coat over my scrubs and left NYP to make the short walk to the café where Lara and I met.

I entered the café and saw Lara immediately – she was hard to miss, with her platinum blonde hair and expensive tailored business suit. I started towards the table, curious about the young woman, whose back I saw through the window.

Then, I realized who she was.

Katherine
.

Katherine McDermott. The woman I’d been fantasizing about despite my best attempts to block her memory from my mind. When she turned to the door where I stood, I was struck once more by how pretty she was. She wore a creamy sweater that made her breasts look even more enticing – if that was even possible. Her hair was down and silky, falling around her shoulders, her features petite and pretty.

I stopped up short, frowning when I saw her with Lara, wondering if I had somehow got it wrong. I glanced around the deserted café in confusion, thinking that perhaps Lara knew Katherine and was meeting with her for coffee and that I had the date wrong.

Lara stood and waved me over to the table.

"You’re
late
," Lara said, air kissing my cheeks when I arrived as if she'd been expecting me.

Then it became obvious why Katherine was there, and the truth registered as a shock of adrenaline surging through my body.

Katherine
was the researcher.

She
was the young woman who wanted to interview me. To interview a Dom because, as Lara said, she was curious, but was too afraid to do it for real.

The young woman Lara thought I could love…

"Oh,
God
," Katherine said, glancing away for a moment, her face blanching. I stood there like a total zombie, confusion and elation battling inside of me. I didn’t know whether to laugh out loud with glee or act apologetic, still not entirely certain that I was right.

"I have to go." Katherine pulled on her coat, gathered up her bag and put on a pair of sunglasses. She walked away, her body stiff.

She was horrified that it was
me
she was supposed to meet.

"Kate!" Lara called out, but Katherine was out the door and on the street hailing a taxi before Lara could get to the door.

We stood at the open door and watched as Katherine entered a cab.

“You know each other, I take it?” Lara said to me, her arms crossed.

“Yes,” I said, my heart pounding. I was just about to go after her, but Lara grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Let her go," she said, her grip firm. "She's obviously freaked out. I take it there's some reason she's upset that you're the one."

"I’m very close with her father," I said and shook my head in amazement. "He was my dad’s best friend. We finally met about a week ago.”

I watched as the taxi drove off. My instinct was to follow her, but I listened to Lara. This would only end well if I handled it – and
Katherine
– with utmost finesse.

Lara and I went back into the café and sat down once more at the table. The waitress brought me an espresso, and I shot it down, needing the buzz to calm me. Lara ordered another espresso and then we sat looking at each other.

“So,” Lara said, hesitantly. “What do you think? Are you still interested in doing the interview?

Interested
? I was fucking
ecstatic.

"I am," I said, keeping my voice calm. "I actually
like
her."

"Oh,
oh
." Lara smiled at me over her espresso. "By her reaction, she likes you as well."

It was then I realized that she
did
like me, despite her response. If she didn't, she would have laughed or shrugged it off. "This could get complicated."

"Only as complicated as you let it get. You're the one in control."

I looked to the street where Kate had caught the cab. I wanted to follow her, talk to her. Make this right between us. Traffic was pretty heavy, and given the recent rain, it was even slower, but she was long gone.

"Poor Kate,” Lara said. “To find out you're the Dominant I was going to introduce her to. How embarrassing for you both."

"She's probably upset that I know she's interested in BDSM. It's quite the change from famine in West Africa."

"It is," Lara said, smiling. "She's fascinated with the lifestyle but doesn't want to admit it to herself. She'll be a tough nut to crack."

"They always have the sweetest meat." I smiled at Lara. She knew
exactly
what I meant. Submission, when a strong-willed person finally gave in, was even better than one who succumbed too easily.

Their eventual submission was total, their sexual response unrestrained.

 "I should call her and try to calm her down," I said, reaching into my scrubs pocket to retrieve my cell. I held it in my hand, indecision filling me. "Do you have her number?"

 “She'll never answer your call. Let me see if I can salvage this,” Lara said and took out her own phone. She entered Katherine’s number but she didn’t answer.

"You take it," Lara said, handing me her cell. "Try again. She's seriously freaked out. She wants it – and maybe
you
– bad."

I took Lara's cell and couldn’t help but smile. "I'll try again."

I redialed and this time, Katherine answered. Before I could say anything, she spoke, her voice breathless, almost panicked.

"Before you say
anything,
I want you to remind Dr. Morgan that this was
purely
academic. This was research – nothing more. No matter what you think, Lara, I'm not interested. This was nothing
personal
—"

"Kate,
Kate
, shhh," I said, keeping my voice soft. "Don't worry. I
know
. You’re a serious student. This is just research. If anything, it's me who should be embarrassed."

She hung up.

I pulled the cell away from my ear and looked at Lara, who raised her eyebrows.

"Boy, does she want you," Lara said and finished her espresso. "
Real
bad. I think if you push a bit, she'll be signing a submission contract for real."

"I won't give up, then." I checked my cell for the time. "I better go. I've got a lot of paperwork to go over. I may pay a visit to Kate's apartment later this evening. Give me her number."

"Should I give it to you, Drake?" she said and eyed me from under a frown. "You sure about this? Is this manageable?"

"Never been more sure," I said, waving my hand in dismissal. "We already have a history. That will mean the walls are already crumbling. I know how to manage someone like her."

"I don't mean
her
."

I checked Lara’s face to see if she was kidding.

"
Lara
…" I cracked a grin. "You know me better than anyone. Me not control myself around a sweet little girl like Katherine? I'll bend her to my will easily. I'll have her eating out of my hand in no time…"

"If you say so."

"I say so," I replied, and then I leaned down to peck her on the cheek. She rose and put on her jacket, then walked with me out of the café into the cool Manhattan afternoon.

 We stood facing each other on the sidewalk and she had this strange expression on her face – part disbelief, part amusement.

She gave me a look. “I thought rule number one was to keep your life completely secret, apart from anyone in your personal life. Don’t tell me you’re going to go through with this…”

I smiled and walked backwards for a few steps, filled with elation.

“Try and stop me.”

End of Part One