Goal Line (The Dartmouth Cobras Book 7) Read Online Free Page B

Masters are creative with their punishments. Don’t force me to request they give you one on my behalf.”
    Her eyes widened and the color faded from her cheeks. “You wouldn’t—”
    “He won’t have to.” Bower slid his hand under Silver’s hair and took a firm hold on the back of her neck. “Apologize and come with me. Dean had a special night planned for us, but I have a feeling we’ll have to address your behavior first.”
    “But I…” Silver cut herself off at a dark look from Bower. She dropped her gaze to the tip of her pink high-heeled shoes as she did what she’d been told. “I’m sorry, Sir.”
    “You’re forgiven, sweetheart.” Dominik met Bower’s eyes and inclined his head. The man wouldn’t be too hard on Silver, but she’d likely think twice before playing matchmaker again. He watched the couple walk down the hall, then headed in the other direction toward the gym’s locker room. After a quick shower, he changed into blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Pulled on his wool, khaki-colored jacket, and grabbed his sports bag. In the parking lot, he hesitated beside his pickup truck and pulled out his phone.
    Despite her improper approach, Silver had a point. There’d been the potential of a relationship between him and Sahara. He wasn’t sure who’d decided to draw the line at friendship. She’d stopped approaching him at the club—actually, he couldn’t recall the last time she’d been at the BDSM club where he served as a Dungeon Monitor every weekend. Maybe she’d gotten over her attempts at being a sub to draw the attention of the team’s owner, Lorenzo Keane. Dominik found her beautiful and alluring, but he had no interest in a woman playing at being submissive.
    But there was chemistry between them that he couldn’t deny. He’d pushed the possibilities aside to focus on the game, but there was more to life. He could tell everyone who asked that he was moving on from his failed relationship with Oriana, yet he hadn’t done a thing to prove it. Maybe he should.
    He dialed Sahara’s number. No answer. So he left a message. “Hey, sweet lady. Been a while, so I thought we could catch up over dinner. My treat.”
    Straightforward and simple, but as he hung up, he couldn’t decide whether or not he wanted her to call back. Training subs, putting his all out there on the ice, were things he knew how to do. But taking that first step into a future that didn’t involve Oriana was different.
    He was fine with it. For the most part. But when he closed his eyes, he could still see himself growing old with her. Still remember how often he’d seen his children with her eyes. Her smile.
    In his mind, he knew that would never happen. But he couldn’t lie to himself as easily as he lied to everyone else.
    Oriana still had his heart. And he had a feeling she always would.
     

Chapter Two
     
    Sahara picked up her phone. Put it down. Then brought her hands up to tug her hair and groaned really loud when Jami laughed. Today was not her day.
    Jami had shown up at her door about twenty minutes ago, acting like she just wanted to visit. Except, Luke Carter was with her. Sahara had no problem with her friend’s fiancé, but Jami wasn’t in the habit of bringing him along when they hung out. What the hell was he going to do while they chatted about the insanity of Sahara’s life? And discussed how Dominik had left her a message asking her out like it was the most normal thing in the world?
    She’d let Jami hear the message, and they’d sat on the couch and discussed how she should respond, but Luke sitting in the kitchen playing Angry Birds on his phone was still weird.
    Jami and Akira had probably talked about what had gone down with Cort. After all Jami had been through in the past, right down to having her very own demented stalker, her men were understandably protective. But it wasn’t like Sahara would invite Grant over while Jami was here and let him—damn it, he wasn’t some