Free Taken (Dark Grove Plantation) by Julia Sykes Page A

my preferred moniker, but thanks anyway.”
    Ella threw up her hands in exasperation, rolling her eyes at him.
    His s trong arms were around her instantly, his palms pressed against the wall on either side of her, trapping her.   “I don’t permit people to roll their eyes at me,” he said softl y, a dangerous edge to his voice.
    Ella couldn’t stop her eyes from widening.  The nerve of him!  But she couldn’t deny her attraction to him, and it was only heightened by his close proximity.  His eyes had shifted from genial brown to an intense, dark green now, offsetting his curly black hair that she secretly wanted to run her hands through.   And his scent…   She wanted to drink it in.  He smelled of amber and musk and darkness.  Looking up into his eyes, she had to resist the urge to swallow hard.
    “When will you admit that you want me, little one?”  He asked, his voice low and rough.
    Ella shook her head vigorously.  “Never,” she whispered.
    “You’ll never admit it, or you’ll never want me?”  He asked with a sly smile.
    “Either.  Both ,” she said, getting flustered.  His closeness was throwing her off, his masculine scent wreaking havoc on her brain, making her think that she did want him.  But that was crazy .  Brandon was a Dom through and through.  And Ella wasn’t interested in a man who wanted to undermine her.
    She pressed her hands agai nst his hard chest, resisting the urge to run her fingers over his sculpted body, to lightly sink her nails into his flesh…
    Stop that!  She ordered her s elf.
    He didn’t budge a millimeter. Ella was unsettled, but she felt her body betray her, and her sex pulsed as she realized her predicament.  What was wrong with her?  She neede d to get out of here, to go home .
    “Back off,” she hissed.  “Or I’ll make you.”
    Brandon just chuckled.  “You’re cute when you’re angry, you know,” he told her.  Then he cocked his head at her.  “But I have to ask: Just how are you planning to get out of this ?”
    His smug expression was enough to quell her lust for him.  She shot him an evil smile before shouting, “Red!”
    Several people turned to look at them, their attention caught by the sight of Ella, the infamous Domme, shouting out a safe word.  She was slightly embarrassed that they had heard, but it was the only way that she knew to force Brandon away from her.
    He growled, and his hands clenched to fists against the wall.  He stared down at her for a momen t, his gre en eyes stormy.  Then he pushe d away from her.  Ella determinedly held back her sigh of relief.
    “Fine,” he snapped.  “You win.  For now.”
    Ella watched him as he stalked off, fe e ling an inexplicable pang of regret.  Was it because she felt bad for embarrassing him or because she missed his presence?
    For god’s sake, stop thinking like that!
    She downed the rest of her drink, hoping that a buzz would quell her nonsensical thoughts.  She didn’t want to run, but she couldn’t bear to stay at Dark Grove any longer tonight.  She told herself that it had nothing to do with Bra ndo n, that she was just tired after playing with Holly.  But a part of her told her that she was lying to herself.
    Shut up!  She told it firmly.
    A week later, Brandon found himself back at Dark Grove.  He seemed to be drawn there every weekend now.  Drawn by the allure of Ella, the gorgeous Domme who he longed to force to submit to him .   She was the ultimate challenge, and he had never been so turned on b y the idea of dominating any woman.
    He had tried playing with other submissives at the Plantation since he had first seen Ella, but none of them had been able to slake his desire, to quell his longing for the enchanting Domme.   She called to him like a Siren; he would have resisted her song if he could, but he seemed powerless to do so.   She was undeniably gorgeous: lithe and fit , with dark eyes that matched her long, silky hair.  But his attraction