The Dom's Dungeon (29 page)

Alex's
fingers lifted her chin so she could meet his uncompromising blue eyes. “When
our kitten screws up, does he dwell on it? Even if I scold him, what does he
look like?”

This
morning, the kitten had knocked over a bowl from the mantel. When Alex scolded
him, Chef had given a haughty look and stalked away, tiny tail straight up in
the air, indifference in every step.

“I call
you 'little cat' for a reason, you know,” he murmured. “Even before I knew how
well you land on your feet.”

Well. She
felt her spine straighten and her chin come up. He was right. She'd turned her
life around. She deserved respect, not scorn.

“That's
it.”

And they
continued forward.

As Alex
greeted friends, Mac kept an eye on Dickerson. Her mouth dropped open when
Peter and Hope strolled over to him, all chummy and smiling. After a minute,
Peter turned and nodded at Alex, and then the traitorous lawyer actually winked
at Mac before continuing his conversation with Dickerson.

Hand on
the small of Mac's back, Alex guided her right up to Peter. He didn't even look
at Dickerson. “Peter, I wanted to ask you—”

“Alex,”
Peter interrupted. “Have you met Carl Dickerson? He recently joined your
mother's list of vet volunteers.”

“Indeed.”
Alex gave him an indifferent glance, not extending a hand. “Peter, I wanted to
ask—”

Dickerson's
face purpled at being ignored, and his glare descended on Mac. He obviously
thought she'd caused trouble for him. “Nice to see you again, missy. Long way
from the alleys, isn't it? How much are you charging these days?”

“Excuse
me?” Peter said, lifting his eyebrows.

Dickerson
snorted. “Oh, weren't you at the last party? The little lady here used to be a
whore back in Des Moines. I think—”

“Really?”
Peter
interrupted. “How do you know her, then?” His voice had risen to match
Dickerson's.

What was
he doing? But the murmured “little cat” from Alex kept Mac in place, head high.

“How do
you think?” Dickerson gave a filthy laugh. “Hell, she'd do anybody who offered
the price. She—”

Victoria
appeared on Mac's other side, her voice ice cold and carrying. “Have you ever
noticed that men with inadequate equipment are incredibly loud?” She
didn't—quite—sniff at Dickerson before looking at Mac. “My dear, how old were
you and how long did you do this?”

Starting
to get an idea of what was going on, Mac wet her lips. “Fifteen. For a year.”
She tried, but her voice didn't come out very loud.

It didn't
matter. Hope jumped in. Loudly. “Fifteen? Oh my God, you were just a baby.”

“Indeed.”
The look Victoria gave Dickerson could have cut stone. “Please leave. I do not
associate with men who prey on youngsters.”

Dickerson's
mouth dropped open.

Then Alex
attacked. “Might I add,” he said, and his voice didn't rise, but it carried,
“if you ever speak disparagingly about my fiancée again, I will take you apart,
physically, financially, and socially”—he cast his mother an amused
look—“although the
socially
is
probably superfluous at this point.”

Dickerson
sputtered. “Did you just threaten me?”

“What? Do
you lack ears as well as morals?” Victoria did sniff this time.

“Good job,
Alex,” a man boomed from across the room. “Does she want to press charges?”

Startled,
Mac glanced over. Wasn't that the police commissioner?

Bug-eyed,
Dickerson stood frozen until Peter leaned forward and said quietly, “Leave.
Now.” Dom voice.

No one
seemed to notice his exit as the room broke out in a fresh buzz of
conversation. Expecting to hear her past hashed to pieces, Mac heard people
discussing their children and how difficult teenagers were to deal with, the
need to clean up the streets and increase the services to the victims. The
glances that came her way showed sympathy and even respect.

“That was
totally fun,” Hope announced, bouncing up and down on her toes. “Can we cut the
legs off someone else?”

“Bloodthirsty
midget.”
Peter
ruffled her hair and then looked at Mac. “You stood up well. Very nice.”

As he and
Hope walked into the crowd, Mac pulled in a breath. Dear God, what had she done
to deserve such friends?

She turned
to Alex and kissed him on the mouth. “You could have warned me, you sadistic
bastard.”

His lips
quirked.
“You
wouldn't have come.”

“I… Yes,
probably true,” she admitted. “So thank you. But, um…the fiancée thing? Isn't
that something people discuss? I've even heard of terms bandied about referring
to
proposals
?”

“No,” he
said. His eyes narrowed. “You will marry me. Refusal is no longer an option.”
One hand gripping her arm, he kept her pinned in his gaze.

Not that
she'd refuse, but he needed to learn that he couldn't walk all over her—except
when he was doing his Dom thing. She shivered, thinking of the previous night
and…

His lips
curved, and his thumb stroked her lips.

“Ahem.”

Alex's mother.
Still
here.
Frak
me
. Mac reddened and tried to
step away from Alex.

His grip
only tightened. After a long, long second, he released her, making sure she
realized it had been his choice, not hers.

Victoria
glared at her son before saying, “I fear I need to leave; I have another
engagement across town.”

When Mac
realized why Victoria had come, she had to blink back tears. “I can't thank you
enough. You cowed him completely.” The memory replaced her tears with an urge
to laugh. “It's amazing how you can do that.”

“It will
be my pleasure to teach you,” Victoria said. “And as for thanking me? Since you
already have a Butler and now a
Chef
,
I believe it's time to start on grandbabies. Brown eyes or blue, dark hair or
light—I'm quite flexible.”

The idea
of having a baby with Alex sent a surge of joy through Mac that she couldn't
conceal, and Victoria's smile warmed for a second before she frowned at her
son. “
Human
grandbabies, Alex.
Human.”

Alex
chuckled. As his mother walked away, he bent over, his breath warm against
Mac's ear. “My mother is not to be denied. So when we return, you will strip
and place yourself over the spanking bench to await my pleasure.”

Her mouth
opened as a wave of heat washed through her.

His finger
traced a path down her cheek. “If I am unsatisfied in any way, you will be in the
right position for me to show my dissatisfaction.”

The
thought of his hand slapping against her bottom made her want to squirm, and
she realized the thought no longer brought images of unease—just of heat.

His thumb
rubbed over her lips as he smiled at her. “I love you, little sub.” He waited.

The words
came ever so easily this time. “I love you, Alex.”

His brows
drew together at the omission of the expected
Sir.

With a
sense of growing anticipation, she repeated, slowly, defiantly, “I love you…
Alex
.”

His eyes
glinted. “I see. Perhaps it's time to sample some of the equipment off the
wall.” His hand closed over her arm, warm against her bare skin.

Equipment?
No. No
way
. The
firm grasp mercilessly holding her in place sent a thrill through her even as
she whispered frantically, “
Sir
. I
meant
Sir
.”

He smiled
at her—
oh
frak
—and
she knew she was doomed.

Loose Id(R) Titles by
Cherise
Sinclair

Master of the Mountain

The Dom's Dungeon

The
MASTERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS Series

Club
Shadowlands

Dark Citadel

Breaking Free

I met my
dearheart
when vacationing in the
Caribbean. Now I won’t say it was love at first sight. Actually since he was
standing over me, enjoying the view down my swimsuit top, I might even have
been a tad peeved—as well as attracted. But although our time together there
was less than two days, and although we lived in opposite sides of the country,
love can’t be corralled by time or space.

We’ve now been married for many, many years. (And he still looks down
my swimsuit tops.)

Nowadays, I live in the west with this obnoxious, beloved husband, two
children, and various animals, including three cats who rule the household. I’m
a gardener, and I love nurturing small plants until they’re big and healthy and
productive…and ripping defenseless weeds out by the roots when I’m angry. I
enjoy thunderstorms, playing Scrabble and Risk and being a soccer mom. My
favorite way to spend an evening is curled up on a couch next to the master of
my heart, watching the fire, reading, and…well…if you’re reading this book, you
obviously know what else happens in front of fires.