Setting all the concerns aside, Israel let his mind float and let his heartbeat and breathing synch with hers. He knew the moment she slipped into a deep sleep and sent up a silent prayer, she’d stay in the more restful level longer in his arms. She needed the rest, and he wanted her well-rested—she was going to need all the energy she could muster tomorrow. He had a full day planned for his mate.
Chapter Thirteen
Catalina leaned back in the poolside lounger and sipped the wine cooler she’d found in Asia and Austin’s tiki bar. When her sister and brother decided to add the two-story outdoor living space, none of them had foreseen how amazing the unused space would be. Asia’s decision to call a pool designer and builder from Florida was the beginning of a truly off-the-wall and explosively creative team.
Austin finally stepped away from the project after Asia, the designer, and the contractor called him for a creative collaboration in the Adler Oil conference room. Having inherited the business long before he’d expected to, Austin had rebuilt the failing enterprise, turning it into the conglomerate it was today. He’d rolled his eyes and left after a half-hour discussion about tinted versus printed tile for the pool perimeter.
The process might have been brutal, but the results were stunning. Letting her gaze move over the generous space, Cat marveled at the way it completely transformed at night. The rock waterfall looked genuine, the composite material a perfect imitation in appearance at a fraction of the weight. There were even palm trees in enormous pots that could be easily rolled into protected areas during the few cold nights Austin experienced every winter. Underwater lights highlighted ripples in the water from a sudden gust of wind, and fairy lights twinkled along the walls and strung along the wall behind an intricately landscaped wall totally unlike anything Catalina had ever seen.
She’d traveled all over the world and would have assured you she couldn’t be impressed. Maybe it was because it belonged to the family, or perhaps because this building always represented home, but her breath always caught when she stepped out of the elevator into Asia’s oasis atop Adler Oil.
Her vantage point above the city streetlights gave Catalina the opportunity to enjoy the vast Texas sky. As a child, Catalina imagined the Goddess scattering sparkling diamonds on a sea of deep blue velvet. She’d scamper out her bedroom window, climb the trellis onto the room roof, and lie back, watching the sky shift as the hours passed. Imagining elaborate strings of twinkling jewels, she’d seen beautiful necklaces and bracelets where others saw worlds far removed from their own. Cat often wondered if her passion for jewelry design was rooted in those memories.
A familiar voice filled her mind. Israel’s voice surprised her. She’d assume he would be busy with Bristol. Cat was thrilled her brother had found his mate and hoped the brilliant beauty wouldn’t make him wait too long before agreeing to be officially claimed. In the past, she’d only been able to hear Israel when he opened the channel between them, or they were both shifted into their wolf. Sensing he hadn’t intentionally opened the line of telepathic communication between them, Cat was hesitant to keep the path open. When a second voice faded in, she zeroed in on what he was saying.
Sitting up straight, Catalina strained to hear every word, hoping to find out where her lover was working. What suicide mission had the Agency sent Cooper on this time? Cat was attuned to every nuance of her lover’s voice, making a mental note of the background noise, memorizing everything, so she’d be able to analyze it later. She smiled to herself when she heard Cooper complain about the feelers she’d put out and his concern she would try to get to him.
So, what’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander? You can run headlong into the bowels of hell to rescue me, but don’t believe I should do the same? You’ll have to put those patriarchal views to rest if you plan to be my mate, Ace.
Bristol stared at what was little more than a scrap of material, draped precariously on the padded hanger Israel held. Her thoughts were triangulating between shock, disbelief, and horror. His deep chuckle had her focus shifting between the dress and the man who’d just told her this minuscule excuse for clothing was what he expected her to wear to dinner before they went to the club.
“Triangulating? Damn, I love the way your brilliant mind works. Extra point for creative vocabulary, but I’m not going to change my mind about the dress.”
“Dress? That’s a very liberal application of the term, don’t you think?” He had to agree the garment was unlike any of the modest items he’d seen in her apartment. “I’ll be arrested if I wear this out in public. You said we were going to dinner, right? I’m not a snob or anything, but I have worked hard to achieve a certain level of respect in the community, and this would jeopardize that in a big way. Huge. Ginormous.”
“As your Dom and mate, what is my first concern?” Rather than pushing her, Israel wanted Bristol to sort through it on her own. He would lead the conversation, but she was too intelligent to be lectured.
“My safety?” It was humbling to think about how intelligent she was, how long she’d been a member of the Prairie Winds Club, and how much she still had to learn.
“And my second priority?” He loved seeing realization dawn in her pretty blue eyes. Damn, the woman was a treasure.
They’d spent the first half of the afternoon in the playroom before swimming and enjoying a short nap under the fading afternoon sun. He’d checked every inch of her during their long shower, pleased none of the lash marks from his flogger were visible. The restaurant where they’d be having dinner catered to people in the lifestyle, and he’d known the dress was going to rattle her—no need to add concern about marks to the mix.
“My happiness… but… why would you think this handkerchief would make me happy? If I sneeze, everybody is going to see so much more of me than they need to. And that’s not even mentioning, the odds of my boobs making a surprise appearance are upward of ninety percent. I’ll be lucky if I don’t get arrested. Good night, nurse, can you imagine the hospital gossip if that happened?”
It was time to shut down her hissy before she said something he’d have to address in a more aggressive way.
“I’ve asked you to trust me to know what you need, and I’ve reminded you that needs and wants do not always run parallel.” He waited a few beats before continuing. Israel was learning Bristol processed information at warp speed unless it was about her—then it took her a bit longer to internalize anything he tried to tell her. “Jeopardizing your reputation isn’t something I would ever do.”
He doubted she’d ever been to The Capriccio. The upscale establishment, whose name literally meant kink in Italian, wasn’t the sort of place anyone watching their budget would go for a casual dinner, nor was it an establishment a submissive would enter alone—the maître d’ would politely arrange reservations at a nearby eatery.
“Our dinner reservations are at a specific kind of establishment. It’s likely you’ll be the most conservatively dressed sub in attendance.” Tossing the hanger aside, Israel lifted the dress over her head. “Arms up or use your safe word.” After the briefest hesitation, Bristol raised her arms, letting him slip the garment into place. Stepping back, he didn’t try to hide his reaction. “Fucking gorgeous. I knew the color would match your eyes.” Nodding to the shoes he’d set out for her, he saw her eyes glaze with fear. What the hell? She’d objected to the dress but hadn’t looked frightened.