The Drake Unwound Complete Collection Book 9 by S. E. Lund Read Free Book Online Page A

mistake.
    "Sunita was one of my first subs. You have to understand," I said, rising up on my elbow. "Lara didn't believe I wasn't into pain. She thought I was being gallant, so she thought Sunita might help bring it out. Sunita was a bit of a painslut. Lara was trying to see if I was into pain."
    Kate frowned.
    "I tried , Kate," I said, needing to make her understand. "It did nothing for me so I didn't do it with any conviction. Sunita had a bit of a crush on me. She was upset when things didn't work out between us and tried to stir up trouble."
    "What did she do?"
    "She tried to force me to do what she wanted,” I said. “Lara finally hooked Sunita up with a new Dom, but she's always made me know how she felt. I've seen her a few times at dungeon parties and she's tried to get back with me. I've always refused her politely."
    "Then you intentionally hurt her."
    "Only as part of my training," I said in protest. "Once I discovered my own hard limits, I never did S&M again. What is it with Dawn?" I said, leaning over to kiss her shoulder. "Why can't she understand?"
    "She was traumatized as a young girl. It's her blind spot."
    "You're very generous with her." I shook my head. "If she were my friend, I'd have ended it with her by now."
    "She's only trying to help. She really believes I'm in danger from you."
    I pulled her onto my lap, so that her arms threaded around my neck and her face was level with mine. I needed to look in her eyes to see if she could understand. "I hope you know you're not. I'd never purposely hurt you, Kate. I love you."
    "I know," she said, avoiding my eyes.
    "Look, if you doubt me, Lara can tell you."
    "No, that's all right," she said, her voice sounding apologetic. "I don't need to call her. You've never done anything to make me question you. I've never been afraid of you."
    I nodded. "We have to trust each other for this relationship to work."
    "I know. But maybe before we leave, I'll meet with Dawn and have it out. Try to reason with her."
    "Why?" I said, frustrated with her that she kept trying to be friends with someone who clearly was unhinged about us. "What do you owe her? She tried to break us up. She tried to harm me professionally."
    "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