Bristol met Cameron and Dr. CeCe Barnes at Prairie Winds not long after she moved to Austin, but she’d only recently met their spirited young daughter. Cecelia Barnes was one of the most widely respected pediatric surgeons in the world, and her husband was a retired CIA intelligence officer. According to club gossip, the retired part of that description was questionable at best and more likely, a gross exaggeration.
“Who. Is. That? I’m telling you, that man is damned hot.” Anna was fanning herself, but Bristol wasn’t sure who she was referring to.
“Bronx Adler. It has to be genetics. All the Adler men are good looking. This is the first time I’ve seen him. His sisters told me he works all the time.” Living with the Barnes meant Lindy always knew who was who in the zoo.
“To heck with that. Who wants a man who’s all work and no play?”
Bristol understood the young woman’s sentiment, but having a man who was driven held a lot of appeal. The men she’d met recently were more interested in their sports cars, boats, and jet skis than they were setting themselves up for the future.
Anna shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know if he’s a Dom, but I could probably do vanilla for a few months… maybe.”
“Who are you kidding? You wouldn’t last a month.” Kim was probably right. Anna was a masochist. It was doubtful she would ever be satisfied with vanilla sex.
Bristol shook her head, laughing at the three women she considered friends. After fast-tracking through school, it was often hard to remember these women were all her age.
“Bronx and Israel are the only Adler men who are still single.” Anna fanned herself and grinned. “Master Israel is drool-worthy and pure magic with a flogger. He doesn’t like to leave marks that will last more than a few hours. I have to negotiate like a wild woman anytime I want to scene with him, but it’s worth it.”
“I’d never reached subspace before my scene with him. Too bad he’s such a commitment-phobe.” Kim had obviously understood her scene with the gifted Master Israel was nothing more than mutual play.
Flogger? Subspace? Hell, how had she missed meeting Israel Adler? She’d met various members of his family, but for some reason, their paths had never crossed.
“Don’t look now, but he’s headed this way.” Anna nudged Kim, nodding her head toward a man stalking across the courtyard.
“Damn, he is in full-on Dom mode and lasered in on you, Dr. B.” Lindy’s warning was unnecessary—the hair on the back of Bristol’s neck was already standing on end. She tried to pull in a deep breath but suddenly felt as though all the air had been sucked away from where she stood. The panic of not being able to breathe only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough to make her heart skip a couple of beats. The combination deprived her brain of enough oxygen for her legs to get the message to run. Fucking hell, I don’t need this. He was close… much too close by the time she pulled her head out of her ass and turned to retreat. No. No….
“Stop.” One word, but it was enough for her to freeze. Shit, shit, shit. What a lousy time for her naturally submissive nature to surface. A warm hand wrapped around her upper arm, and she felt herself being propelled forward. “Come. We need to talk.” The words were spoken softly, the warmth of his breath brushing the shell of her ear, making her shiver as goosebumps raced over the surface of her exposed skin. Of course, she’d chosen today, of all days, to wear her sexiest halter dress. The material of the full skirt floated around her full hips, hiding the curves she could never seem to lose, no matter how much time she spent at the gym. The halter left her back exposed all the way to her waist—it was the sexiest piece of clothing she owned. There wasn’t a chance in hell he’d miss her reaction to his touch.
“I wouldn’t be a very good Dom if I missed such a telling response to my touch, would I?” Bristol fought the urge to roll her eyes—a move trained submissives knew was a sure ticket to a punishment scene. Nope, not going to fall into that trap. “Pity. I think we’d both enjoy your spanking more than you’re willing to admit.”
Bristol was a shifter and understood telepathic communication, but she was shocked by his ability to tap into her thoughts. She needed to research ways to block the intrusion. Fuck it, let him figure out this isn’t happening. I have no desire to be tied down.
“Watch your language, Beautiful. This wasn’t on my agenda for today, either, but you know what? If I’ve learned one thing about fate, it’s the Universal Force operates on its own timeline. What you or I might have had planned just flew out the window, Sweetheart.” He rounded the corner of a tall hedge, turning her so quickly, she stumbled against him.
Damn sky-high heels. She was much more comfortable in the athletic shoes she wore to work. A lot of medical professionals wore clogs, but Bristol had never been able to keep the damned things on while sprinting between patients who always seemed to go into labor at the same time.
The sudden contact of her body pressed against his brought her up short, making her suck in a deep breath. Mistake. Huge error. Monumental blunder. Prior to their physical contact, his scent only been teasing her senses—now, it overwhelmed her. For several seconds, Bristol was lost in a fog of desire so strong, she felt herself sway. The haze of lust was a lure, making her worry her knees were going to fold out from under her. Cream flooded her pussy lips in preparation for mating as her labia swelled with blood rushing into the tender tissues. She had a split second to send up a silent prayer, he wouldn’t notice her body’s autonomic changes, but her hope was dashed when his pupils dilated, and his nostrils flared.
Fucking hell.
Chapter Two
Israel had never had a woman respond physically as perfectly as Bristol. Her reaction was especially significant since he sensed she was fighting the attraction with every fiber of her being. He suddenly wished he’d spent more than the few minutes reviewing the background check his company did for Austin when Charlotte chose Dr. Banks as her obstetrician. The only detail he remembered from the security clearance was she’d graduated from every educational level early and was one of the most respected OB/GYNs in the southern half of the country.
Israel’s hand spanned the width of her bare back, holding her against his chest after she stumbled into him, the contact sending a surge of blood to his cock. He was pleased when the enticing scent of her arousal surrounded him—nice to know he wasn’t the only one affected. The lovely doctor stayed pressed against him for several seconds, the temptation building to the point, he wasn’t sure he could hold it back. He wanted nothing more than to pull aside whatever scrap of nothing she was wearing under the loose flowing skirt and plunge himself as deep as her delectable body would allow.
Tucked behind a hedge during his brother and new sister-in-law’s wedding reception was not the time or place to claim his mate, no matter how tempting. Israel didn’t try to mask his interest. She had every right to know how much he wanted her. It was damned satisfying to watch her blue eyes widen as the pulse at the base of her throat pounded so fast, he knew she’d begin to feel lightheaded if she didn’t rein it in soon. Her breasts pressed against his torso, peaked nipples poking into his chest, the invitation rocketing his desire into the stratosphere. Soon he wouldn’t be able to resist taking her—propriety would no longer be enough of a deterrent.