Dungeon Master (Dungeons and Doms Book 1) Read online

  “Gavin, what are you doing here?”

  His eyes lifted to meet her gaze, and he gave her a lopsided smile. Not the smile he’d given her before. No, this one was a little less confident, a little more vulnerable, and so much harder to resist. When he spoke again, his Scottish burr was much more pronounced, a subtle declaration his emotions were higher.

  “I’m here to win ye back, love.”

  Her heart thudded into the pit of her stomach as the declaration sent her reeling.

  Crap on toast.

  Gavin

  It was a good thing he hadn’t expected Leah to throw herself in his arms in a fit of joy, and he was ready for a challenge, but he hadn’t expected the first words out of her mouth.

  “I have a date.”

  Still holding the tiny orange ball of purring fluff against her chest, her expression was more ‘deer in headlights’ than ‘my secret hopes are coming true,’ which would have been hell enough on his ego, even without the admission. They’d carried a flame for each other long after they split, and even though she’d been the one to leave him, he’d hoped she’d be a little more amenable to the idea.

  Then again, this was out of the blue for her, whereas he’d had months to think about it. To plan. Still, he hadn’t expected that.

  “A date?”

  Leah didn’t date, not since they’d divorced. Neither of them did. They’d both scened platonically with other partners at Outlands but always kept coming back to each other.

  Her chin lifted, and her blue eyes flashed. Gavin looked her up and down. She was dressed for a date, but he’d initially assumed ladies’ night out or something. Her little black dress hugged every curve—though he couldn’t see how low it dipped in the front when she currently had the cat snuggled against her breasts—and her blonde hair was done up in a pretty twist, the kind of makeup that looked so natural it probably had taken twice the amount of time to do than her usual, and high heels that showed off her legs. She was always beautiful to him, but she did look particularly fine this evening.

  “Yes, a date, and he’s going to be here any minute, so you need to go.” She waved her hand at him as if she was trying to shoo him away. She didn’t really expect that to work, did she?

  “What’s his name?” Gavin crossed his arms over his chest, almost hitting himself in the face with the flowers and metaphorically digging in his heels. Leah glared at him. He stared back at her, silently waiting. She knew the fastest way to make him go away was to tell him what he wanted to know.

  “Simon Keyserling, a professor of engineering at Pitt. He’s fifty-five with no criminal record, and he’ll be here in ten minutes. Please go away.”

  There was a true plea in her voice, but Gavin couldn’t go, not yet. Leah going on a date was a wrinkle he hadn’t anticipated, but that didn’t change his goal.

  After meeting Logan and Felicity, he started thinking maybe he could reconnect with Leah. He started reading books about relationships and watching some of the other successful couples at the Outlands. A couple weeks ago, he visited his son and saw Mitch was starting to follow in his footsteps. Thankfully, Mitch had ended up doing what Gavin hadn’t been able to with Leah. He’d made himself vulnerable and got his girl.

  It was time for Gavin to do the same. He didn’t want to do the half-arsed thing with Leah anymore, taking stolen moments and scenes at the club but otherwise not having anything to do with each other. He wanted laughter and movie nights, arguments and conversation. He wanted to wake up every morning next to the person he loved.

  Clearly, she agreed if she was starting to date again. He wasn’t opposed to that, but he meant for her to date him. Give him another chance and prove they could make their relationship work outside of the club or the bedroom.

  “How long have you two been dating?”

  Leah rolled her eyes, jiggling nervously. The cat in her arms wriggled, and she relaxed, stroking its tiny head. The little lad was pretty cute, Gavin had to admit, even though he’d never been much interested in cats. He was willing to make an exception for Leah, and she was clearly already attached.

  “This is the first date, so I would really appreciate it if it didn’t begin with my ex standing on my doorstep.”

  Ah. So, she was going to ignore Gavin’s declaration he was there to woo her back. That was fine. He was going to ignore her request to go away because her words incensed him.

  “First date? And he’s picking you up here? Don’t you know you’re supposed to meet them somewhere, not give out your home address?” He snapped out the words as if they were in the club, not on the doorstep of her house.

  “Oh, please, Gavin, we’re in our fifties. I hardly think I need to worry about a local professor being some kind of Ted Bundy.”

  Gavin grit his teeth. This was a side of Leah he’d never quite understood. She was extremely careful about her safety in most regards, but she had some peculiar blind spots. His hand itched to spank her until she understood her safety was always paramount, and she was just as appealing at fifty-two as she had been when she was a lass in her twenties. Since they weren’t at the club, he didn’t have any rights to discipline her the way he longed to. The next time they were there… If there is a next time. An uneasy feeling rippled through his stomach.

  He’d expected a long road to win Leah back—he hadn’t expected competition.

  There was a long moment, then the side of her mouth twitched, and her eyes sparkled. Dammit. She was having him on.

  “I’m kidding, Gavin. Jax knows him from around campus and signed off on him, and I let Cyana do a full background check on him. It’s fine. Now, will you please go?”

  Little minx, having fun at his expense. Invoking the name of two of their mutual friends did help him relax. Jax was also a professor at Pitt, and Cyana… well, Cyana would do an even deeper dive into someone than Gavin could since she was a private investigator. He’d used her services more than once when researching new club member applications. He would definitely be asking her for the report on this Simon Keyserling.

  He wasn’t going to go on his merry way. He’d come here for a specific reason, and even though his timing was apparently shite, he wanted to make sure Leah knew he wasn’t going to let her go without a fight. That was one of the mistakes he’d previously made and not one he was planning to repeat.

  “I’ll go. Enjoy your date, but don’t forget what I said, love.” He grinned at her. “I aim to win ye back.” He held out the flowers he’d almost forgotten about during their conversation.

  She took them reluctantly, but he saw the flash of appreciation in her eyes. The lilies were her favorite, and he hadn’t bought them nearly often enough for her before. Something so small hadn’t seemed to matter, but from the books he’d been reading about relationships, the small things often mattered a great deal.

  “Thank you for the flowers,” she said primly. “But we are not getting back together. That’s the whole point of me dating someone else.” Despite her prim tone and her glare, she still hugged the flowers to the side where the cat wasn’t. The kitty reached out to bat at the cellophane.

  Gavin’s grin widened as satisfaction laced through him. Yes, she appreciated the flowers. He wasn’t nearly as confident as he was pretending, but he did like seeing Leah with her dander up. It meant he still affected her, even if frustrating her wasn’t the emotion he’d been aiming to invoke. This wasn’t indifference. He could work with that.

  “Challenge accepted, mo chridhe.”

  Leah’s eyes widened at the Gaelic endearment he hadn’t used since they’d signed the divorce papers. It was something he’d heard his grandfather call his grandmother when he was a child, and he’d used it for her while they were married. Never since.

  My heart.

  Because she still was. Always had been.

  Gavin turned and sauntered back toward his car.

  “That was not a challenge, Gavin Craig! Do you hear me? That was not a challenge!”

  He
waved to his ex before getting into his car, leaving her fuming and forewarned. Bet she thought about him on her date. His therapist was going to have a field day when he told her about this, but it was worth it.

  Chapter Two

  Leah

  That rat bastard. Fuming, Leah refused to lean down and smell the lilies until after he’d driven away and couldn’t see her do it. Oliver batted at the cellophane again, seeming to like the crinkly sound. Hmmm. She would have to make sure the flowers were out of his reach. Were lilies poisonous to cats?

  Something else to look up.

  Dammit, Gavin.

  She would have fallen over herself if he’d done this twenty years ago. Hell, even five years ago.

  But now? He had to choose now? This specific day? Today?

  Hmmm.

  Maybe he wasn’t the only rat.

  Putting the flowers down on her kitchen table, her heart still an unsteady thump from Gavin’s unexpected appearance, Leah grabbed her phone. Oliver squirmed in her arms, so she put him down on the floor, away from the flowers. Of course, he immediately jumped up onto the kitchen table and started batting at the cellophane again. Well, as long as he wasn’t chewing on the flowers.

  She kept her eye on him as she called Jax, one of her two friends who knew about her date. There was no way Cyana was the one who had told Gavin—the woman was basically a vault—but Jax… well, he and Gavin were closer, just like she was closer to Jax’s wife, Esther. She still hadn’t expected Jax to tattle on her.

  “Hello? Leah? Are you okay?”

  The concern in Jax’s voice was enough to soften her, just the tiniest bit. He hadn’t seemed worried about her dating Simon when she’d told him, but he was also protective, big old Daddy Dom that he was.

  “I’m fine,” she said automatically before realizing that wasn’t the honest answer. “I mean, Simon hasn’t done anything. He’s not even here yet. Did you tell Gavin I have a date?”

  “What? Gavin? No. Hell, no.” Even though she couldn’t see him, Leah was sure Jax was shaking his head. Sincerity rang in his voice. “I’m not going to be the one to do that. You’re on your own there, sweetheart.”

  “Okay, sorry, it’s just he showed up here a few minutes ago, and I thought…” Her voice trailed off, guilt niggling because she’d been wrong.

  “That’s okay, sweetheart. I would have thought the same thing,” Jax said comfortingly, a touch of amusement entering his voice. “That’s one hell of a coincidence. Gavin’s timing always was spot on.”

  “Yeah, for the worst timing ever,” she muttered. Jax didn’t argue with her. The doorbell rang again, and her heart leapt. “Crap, I think Simon is here.” At least, she hoped it was Simon and not Gavin returning for round two.

  “Go. Have fun on your date.”

  She appreciated Jax being supportive of her dating again. It made it easier to hear his encouragement before she went to open the door. Oliver squalled when she took him away from the flowers but was otherwise calm enough. She quickly shoved the bouquet in the fridge, so she wouldn’t have to worry about Oliver eating the flowers until after she’d looked up whether they were toxic for him, before hurrying to the front door.

  Opening the door with a smile on her face, Leah relaxed when it was Simon standing there. Wearing pressed pants and a suit jacket, he was a good-looking man. A silver fox, like Gavin, but a little more salt and pepper than her ex, tall and maybe not quite as well-muscled, but Gavin was in exceptional shape. He also had a little less presence and none of the dominant vibes that hovered around Gavin like a cloak.

  That didn’t mean he couldn’t be what she needed. A lot of men didn’t have the same kind of bearing Gavin did, but they were damn fine Doms. She and Simon hadn’t explicitly discussed sex, but he was aware she was kinky and hadn’t seemed concerned. Being with the alpha of alphas hadn’t saved her marriage, so maybe what she needed was someone who was less intense. More willing to bend. Someone willing to be vulnerable on occasion.

  No matter how she felt about Gavin, that had never been him.

  “Hello,” she said, smiling brightly. The cheerfulness might have been a little too forced because Simon blinked in surprise. Leah did her best to reel her overenthusiasm back in. Dammit. Gavin had completely thrown her off.

  “Hello. Nice to officially meet you, Leah,” Simon said, holding out his hand. Leah shook it. It seemed a little formal for a first date, but then she didn’t know what she was doing. Maybe Simon felt as awkward as she did. “You are just as beautiful in person as you are in your pictures. Maybe more. And who is this little guy?”

  “This is Oliver. I just got him last week.” She scratched the kitty under his chin, her smile from the compliment widening further when Simon leaned in and gently rubbed the top of Oliver’s head, and the kitten purred. That seemed like a good sign, right? Gavin hadn’t done more than stare at Oliver. Not that she should be comparing Gavin and Simon. She needed to get Gavin out of her head—in more ways than one. She gave Simon a brilliant smile.

  “Well, shall we?”

  Gavin

  Leah was dating someone who wasn’t him. Of all the outcomes he’d gone through in his head for this evening, that hadn’t been one of them.

  He hadn’t held much hope for her immediately jumping into his arms, but he’d considered the possibility. She hadn’t safe worded, which was how the end of their marriage had begun. If she’d done that, he would have turned and walked away, despite what he wanted.

  She hadn’t.

  Though she had been flustered. Next time, he’d make it clear if she really wanted him to skedaddle, all she had to do was say “Red” and hope it wasn’t the first word out of her mouth.

  Should he be worried about the date tonight? Pulling into the parking lot of his condo building, he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. As soon as the car was parked, he pulled out his phone to call Cyana. He would do his own search, but he wanted to see what he could get out of her first.

  Tonight had been his opening gambit to see how receptive Leah was. Not particularly. That was expected. His goal for the evening had been to get her thinking about the possibility. Let her know he was interested. To show her he had evolved a little.

  He had never been very good about bringing her flowers. Perhaps he should get a toy for the cat. That would surprise her.

  The ringing stopped, and the phone clicked as Cyana picked up.

  “Hello?” As always, her tone was brisk and businesslike, even though she knew who was calling.

  “Hello, lass. Tell me everything you have on this Simon.” He didn’t bother with unnecessary pleasantries because they tended to make Cyana impatient and annoyed. Even so, she sighed.

  “How did you even find out?”

  “Leah told me.” He decided to neglect to tell Cyana the circumstances under which Leah had told him. If Cyana thought it had come up in conversation, she was much more likely to tell him what he wanted to know. “I just want to make sure she’s safe. Did you know he’s picking her up from her house?”

  The frustrated, derogatory noise Cyana made clearly expressed her feelings on the matter.

  “Yes. So, I went extra deep. He’s had a couple of parking and speeding tickets, none of them within the last three years. Other than that, he’s clean as a whistle. No complaints, officially or unofficially, with the police or at the university.”

  Which meant Cyana had gone digging deeper than the regular reports. That was good. Wasn’t it? He didn’t want Leah out on a date with a predator. I don’t want her out on a date at all. Right, but if she was going to be out on a date with someone other than him, better it was a stand-up gentleman. Right?

  “Okay, good.” He kept his tone as mild as he could.

  “You’re going to stay out of it, right?” Cyana asked, with only the tiniest bit of threat in her tone. There weren’t too many people who were willing to go toe to toe with Gavin, but Cyana topped the list of those who were.

  “Out of h
er and Simon’s date? Absolutely.” He would absolutely stay out of her date tonight. In fact, he’d been a very good boy and left them to it instead of hanging out on Leah’s street, waiting for Simon to show up, then following them to the restaurant. He wasn’t that creepy stalker guy, even if he’d considered it for half a second—for her safety, of course.

  “Out of her and Simon dating, period,” Cyana stressed.

  “Sure, lass. I won’t bother her and Simon at all.” Nope. He was going to be one hundred percent focused on his relationship with Leah. If her dates with Simon suffered for it… ah, well, too bad. So sad.

  “Be sure you do. Bye, Gavin.”

  “Thank you, Cy.”

  Grinning, he turned off his car and headed into the condo building. He’d a setback tonight, but he wasn’t out of the game. Not yet. Now he needed to plan his next move, that was all. Maybe he’d pick up another one of those romance books Leah liked so much. They really weren’t half bad and gave him plenty of ideas.

  Leah

  This wasn’t the worst first date in the world, but she doubted it was the best, even though she didn’t have much to compare it to. Simon was a nice guy. He clearly loved his job and was interesting to talk to, but there wasn’t that massive spark of attraction she got with Gavin.

  Argh.

  She really wished her ex hadn’t shown up right before her date. It would have been so much easier not to compare the two men if she wasn’t seeing them one right after the other. Not her fault or Simon’s, but there it was.

  “How’s your dinner?” Simon asked, smiling at her.

  Leah looked down at her plate. She’d been so engrossed in her own thoughts, she’d barely noticed how the steak tasted.

  “Good! It’s good. Everything’s wonderful. How is yours?” Ugh. Could she be any more ridiculous? Simon probably thought she was a total nitwit.