The Submission of Alistair Ingram Read Online Free PDF

again.
    “Fine,”
he said, standing. “But I’m nowhere near done with you.”
    “The
only thing you should be worried about is saving your reputation.”
    He
stopped beside her before walking out the door. “And yours.”
    She
shrugged and dropped her eyes to her feet. “Nobody knows who I am. Even if they
do, my reputation wasn’t all that golden to begin with.”
    How
could she shift from alpha female from Hell to soft, vulnerable and broken so
fast? He lifted her chin with a finger. “We’re going to change that.”
    A
phone rang, the ringtone singing about Master and Servant .
Bethany stumbled back against the door, her eyes huge staring at the phone like
it had just burst into flames.
    “What’s
wrong?” he asked. “Whose ringtone is that?”
    Her
fingers pulled at the top of her sundress, like she couldn’t get it up high
enough over her breasts.
    “Bethany?
Who’s on the phone that you’re afraid of?” He couldn’t help himself, he had to
reach out and stroke her arm, try to calm her.
    She
jerked away from his touch, like he’d shocked her. “It’s my ex-husband,” she
said. Her voice sounded remarkably young and unsure, not the woman who’d been
on his lap moments ago.
    “Why
are you afraid of him?” He stroked her arm again. This time she let him. “I’m
guessing he hurt you?”
    She
shook her head but only slightly. “He didn’t mean to.”
    He
exhaled sharply. “They never mean to, do they? Was he into all this…” he
gestured around the room to her whips, straps, canes, and God only knew what
else was hidden away in her drawers.
    “Yes.”
Her eyes flickered to his, then back to the phone.
    “I
thought this was supposed to be safe? Consensual?”
    She
ran her fingers over her throat. “I was his property. I belonged to him. He did
what he wanted to me.”
    Rage
bloomed and combusted inside Alistair. He slammed his hand against the door.
“No. I don’t care what kind of fucked up kink you’re into. You don’t hurt a
woman.”
    Bethany’s
entire body shook with fear. “Not even if I begged him for it?” she whispered.
    “You…”
There were no words for the utter shock and confusion he felt. He took her in
his arms and held her tight. “I don’t understand your past or what you’re into
here, but you never have to be afraid of me. Do you understand?”
    Her
head bobbed in a nod against his chest. Somehow he knew it would take a lot of
convincing to really make her understand.
    The
phone had stopped ringing, but he wanted to grab it off the dresser and call
the bastard back. He wanted to meet him in a dark parking lot and beat the holy
shit out of him for putting such fear into the woman in his arms.
    “Don’t
worry,” he whispered against her soft hair, “I’ll take care of everything.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Once
Lost Found Again
     
    Bethany
pushed Alistair away. “You’ll take care of nothing.” She brushed by him and
strode to the chest of drawers where her phone sat. “I’ve been on my own a long
time.” She picked her phone up and turned to him. “I’m a big girl. I can take
care of myself.”
    Alistair
studied her face intently, one hand on his hip. He had a way of looking at her
that made her feel like she was made of snow and stuck in the blazing sun. She
was sure she’d pool into water at his feet then evaporate altogether.
    He
jerked his hand to his head and ran his fingers through his hair, lips pulled
into a tight frown. “I have no doubt you can take care of yourself. I only
meant--”
    “You
only meant to be the hero,” she broke in. “You might play one on T.V. or in
movies, but you don’t know what you’d be getting into with this.” She held up
her phone indicating her ex.
    Bethany
walked by him out into the hall and glanced back over her shoulder. “Stick with
what you know. Pretending.”
    “Hey,”
he said, taking two long strides to catch up with her and grab her elbow. “I’m
very real. Just like Black Betty is your