Free Dominated By Desire by Barbara Donlon Bradley

coffee.”
    “Really?” He loved the way the white gown she wore that first night clung to all the right places. “And if I were to throw you over my shoulder and force you onto the ship?”
    “I’ll be obnoxious and fight you all the way.” She took a sip of her coffee. “It’s the coffee that keeps me human.”
    He came up behind her and slipped one hand inside her gown. “As long as you still get on the ship you can be as obnoxious as you want.”
    “Like you?” She looked up at him, leaning her head against his arm.
    Something changed between them last night. She was more comfortable with him and his advances. He’d like to think she was more comfortable with the upcoming ceremony but he wouldn’t know for sure until they talked about it.
    His sister came slamming into the room. “Are you two out of your minds?”
    “What are you talking about?” Heather was the first one to speak.
    “Last night. The mating ceremony?” She was angry. She stared at his arm still inside Heather’s nightgown. “Can you please focus?”
    “We are.” Heather pulled his hand out of her top since he hadn’t removed it himself. “You brought up the ceremony and your brother wanted to show me what was involved. So we, um, did a dry run.”
    “I wouldn’t say it was dry.”
    She blushed a pretty shade of pink at his words.
    “And where did you get the capes?” Storm’s sister stared at him.
    “They were in my closet.” He wasn’t quite sure what she was so angry about. “I don’t know how they got there but they came in handy.”
    “I do.” Heather took another sip of her coffee.
    “They were mom and dad’s in case you didn’t, wait, you know who left them?” His sister turned her attention to Heather.
    “Yeah.” She sat her cup down. “The strange little man who did that other ceremony. The chalice and the rope were resting on those capes. He must have left them behind after the ceremony.”
    “You two have no clue what happened last night, do you?” She looked at him then looked at Heather. “He was there last night.”
    “Who was where?” Heather didn’t get the implications but he did.
    “In the woods. I watched him bless your union.”
    “What were you doing there?” Storm had wanted last night to be special between him and Heather, now he was learning it was more than that.
    “I saw the two of you running across the lawn last night and knew what was on your mind. I had to be sure you were going to be safe.” He glared at her.
    “Don’t give me that. I’ve seen the way you become hyper focused on something and this time it’s Heather. You weren’t thinking about safety, just privacy. Someone had to watch your back.”
    “So you were our witness.” He looked at Heather, realizing she was truly his.
    “Yes.”
    “I’m not sure I understand.”
    “We had the real ceremony last night.”
    “What?” She looked from Storm to his sister. “But I thought there were certain things that had to happen.”
    “Yes. Our religious leader was there to proceed over the ceremony.” He knelt beside her chair watching her reaction.
    “But we were alone.”
    “We thought we were alone.” He touched her face softly. “We’ve fulfilled the obligation of the mating vows.”
    “Does that mean I don’t have to go through something so intimate with an audience?”
    “Is that all you can think of?” Storm’s sister slammed her hand on the table. “You broke protocol!”
    “How?” He stood and glowered at his sister. “If he was there then he approved. How was that breaking protocol?”
    She got flustered because she didn’t have an answer. “Your mate and I need to go over what will happen tonight.”
    Heather stood. “Let me get changed.”
    “I haven’t seen a mark.” Storm still couldn’t believe the ceremony had happened.
    “That’s because you are as blind as they come.” She punched him in the chest. “It’s right where I hit you.”
    He walked to a mirror and noticed the