The Drake Unwound Complete Collection (The Drake Series Book 9)(14)

"She did." She cupped my cheek with a hand. "But she's like family. I've been her friend forever. I owe her one last chance to make her understand. Or at least, accept."

I sighed and pulled her closer, my face in the crook of her neck. "You're too good."

"She's been there for me through so much of my own stuff. When my mother died. Flyboy. Problems with my father. Africa. I can't throw her over without one last try."

I nodded, pushing her hair away from her shoulder, which I bit softly then kissed.

"Sweet, forgiving Kate." I pulled her down on top of me, her head resting on my chest. "If you really want to see her, go ahead, but at some point, you'll have to decide if keeping her as a friend is worth the aggravation.” I slipped out from under her and tucked her into the bed. I bent down to kiss her. “You go to sleep. I have to zip to the hospital and check on a case."

She nodded and watched as I dressed. I left her alone in the apartment and went to the hospital with extreme reluctance, but I’d put it off too long. I hated leaving Kate at that precise moment and knew that while I was gone, her mind would be going over the whole thing with Sunita. Without me there to comfort her, I was afraid she’d make too much of it.




I went to the hospital and checked on my patients, reading over their charts to see how they had been doing post-op and going in to see them personally. I spoke with the nurses who cared for them and was satisfied that everything was going as expected. The cases were complicated and required close observation for the first day after surgery, but so far there were no complications. On my drive back to the apartment, I thought about Sunita and was angry that Dawn had been snooping around looking for dirt on me so she could try to convince Kate that I was dangerous.

There was no convincing Sunita otherwise. I had hurt her, using a flogger, riding crop and finally a cane, but it was consensual and I didn’t enjoy it. It didn’t make me erect, and all it did was make me consider the damage done to the tissues in a non-erotic and solely medical way.

I finally stood up to Lara and said that I was definitely not a sadist, did not respond sexually to inflicting pain, and that I wanted to find a sub who was more appropriate to my own tastes. In other words, not into pain. I had nothing against those whose tastes ran to S&M but it wasn’t for me. I tried it and I didn’t like it.

End of story.

Except the story was coming back to haunt me, potentially destroying the one relationship I’d had for years that actually made me feel love.

I arrived home a few hours later and Kate was fast asleep, her hair a mess on the pillow, the covers tucked under her chin.

I crept in beside her and didn’t wake her, falling asleep within moments, the comfort of her warm body next to mine a wonderful sleep aid.



In the morning, I woke up and slipped out of bed early, deciding to run a bath for us both. When I returned to the bedroom, naked, I saw that she was awake, and was lying on her back, rubbing her eyes.

"Would you like a nice bath? I feel like a soak."

She smiled and that was all the answer I needed.

She crept out of bed, still a little shy with me despite our relationship, and quickly brushed her teeth. I joined her at the sink and when we were finished, she slipped into the bath.

I took a moment to enjoy her as she did, her soft skin, softer curves, the angle of her cheeks all becoming so familiar to me. I felt as if I was imprinting her onto my memory as protection in case Dawn’s attempt to separate us was successful. I’d do everything I could to stop that, but I had learned the hard way that there was no controlling someone who didn’t want it. If Kate was going to listen to Dawn, it was because she preferred to hear her version of the story instead of mine.

Kate was the best thing that had happened to me since Maureen and I divorced. If I could keep her, make her mine, I would use every tool in my romantic and sexual toolbox to do so.

I stepped into the tub after she had submerged herself, noting a narrowing of her eyes, a contemplative expression on her face while she watched me.

"What's that look, Ms. Bennet? What's going on in that mind of yours?"

She smiled. "Drawing you naked. Or photographing you naked."

I made a face at that as I sat down, the water rising, threatening to overflow the rim.

"I don't want photos taken of me, but you could draw me, as long as you kept my face out of it…"

"If you want,” she said. “I'd love to draw or photograph that delicious body of yours. I've never drawn a male nude before or photographed one. I might get so aroused doing it that I'd need you to…" she said and raised her shoulder, her cheeks pink.

"Need me to what?" I grinned and leaned forward, pulling her onto my lap in the water. "I'm always up for giving you a good f*cking, Ms. Bennet, if that's what you need…"

I kissed her and ran my hands up and down her back. I pulled back and looked at her, tucking hair behind her ear. "I know you're always horny in the morning. How would you like to be f*cked today? Tell me what that big heart of yours desires. I don't have much time, but I'm sure we could pull something off."

She shrugged a shoulder in her characteristic way. "I don't care, Drake. Whatever you think. Whatever you want. I know I'll enjoy it."

I nodded. "I'm considering."