Redemption [Book 3] Read online

  COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE INFORMATION

  REDEMPTION- PART THREE

  Copyright © 2018 Kate Benson

  All rights reserved.

  2018 Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes. If you are reading this book and you have not purchased it or won it in an author/publisher contest, this book has been pirated. Please delete and support the author by purchasing the ebook from one of its many distributors.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental or, if an actual place, are used fictitiously. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The use of these trademarks is not sponsored, associated, or endorsed by the trademark owner.

  Edited by: Chasing Sophie Publications ©

  Cover Design: Dana Leah, Designs by Dana

  Print layout & eBook Design: Deena Rae, E-BookBuilders

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Also by Kate Benson

  About the Author

  Redemption

  ISABELLA

  One night of passion.

  It was meant to remain a memory, one unbridled moment of forbidden bliss.

  However, it quickly transformed into so much more.

  I wanted something deeper and that’s exactly what he gave me.

  I’ve been engulfed into his world of secrets, thrust into the new reality I begged for.

  Now, I live him… breathe him… crave him.

  I’ve been taught, trained, completely owned by him.

  Everything between us has changed.

  But will it be enough for Adam?

  Will it be enough for me?

  ADAM

  I swore this line was one I’d never cross with her.

  I vowed our relationship, the one we were never supposed to have, would remain untainted.

  Untainted by my cravings… my desires… untainted by me.

  But things with her are different.

  Isabella’s changed everything.

  Isabella’s changed me.

  She’s given me her submission and, in the process, scaled every wall I’ve built around myself.

  Can I shield her from the dark sides of my reality?

  And if I can’t, will I be enough to make her stay?

  Redemption: Part Three

  is the multi-POV follow-up to

  Redemption: Part One & Two,

  a spin-off from

  The Promise Series

  which was previously released in

  The Vault: A Sinfully Sexy Collection.

  Dedication

  For Sean

  Keeper of my heart.

  Protector of my soul.

  Master of my universe.

  I love you.

  Acknowledgments

  There are few parts of writing that I love more than that sweet spot within a series when I’m writing the story, watching my two characters fall in love, and I look up and I’ve fallen, too.

  This was the book that made me fall head over heels in love with Adam and Isabella.

  I hope you’ll fall, too.

  Thank you to God for giving me the passion to tell love stories.

  Thank you to my husband for showing me that they’re real outside of pages.

  Thank you to my parents for being the first cheer squad I ever had.

  Thank you to my family and my closest friends for, every once in a while, reminding me to look up from my fictional escape and take in the amazing things happening around me. Thanks for getting that sometimes, I just need to stay inside and let my soul travel. Most of all, thanks for being here when I come back all crazy-eyed and loving me just the same.

  Thank you to my PA’s Heather and Charlie for being two of the best friends a girl could ever ask for. I’ve traveled to so many more places than I ever thought I’d get to. I’m so honored to have had both of you by my side along the way.

  Thank you to my alphas/betas on this project, Heather, Charlie, Jenna, Nikki, Christie, Patti and Amy for reading Adam and Bella’s story. Thank you for coming back and telling me how to tell it better. Thank you loving them as much as I do.

  To my readers… I’m not sure what to say that I haven’t already, but I love you. I love every one of you. Thank you for reading my books. If it wasn’t for you, this would all still be a just-out-of-my-grasp dream.

  My Babes (Benson’s Book Babes): Thank you just doesn’t seem good enough for the support you show me every release… every day. The only way I could love you more is if you were puppies bringing me cheese in the arms of The Hemi while singing Queen ballads. I love you.

  Thank you to Deena Rae and Dana Leah for making my book baby beautiful.

  Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Leona Lewis. Thank you for singing to me while I write. I love you guys. Gorgeous George, I didn’t listen to you much this time, but I still love you.

  Special thanks to: Amber Garcia, Michelle Dare, Angie “Boom Boom” Tucker and The Vault Authors.

  Last, but never least, my characters. It’s an honor to tell these stories. Thanks for choosing me. Especially my beautiful girl. I love all of you endlessly.

  Until next time…

  XO Kate

  Redemption

  Part Three

  “I represent to you all the sins you have never had the courage to commit.”

  — Oscar Wilde

  Chapter One

  One Month Later

  Isabella

  I settle anxiously at my vanity, focusing on the gentle sweep of my bronzer brush on my cheekbones, smiling to myself as the soft, pink petals catch my eye in my reflection. I lean forward, inhaling their scent, unable to contain the blush that heats my cheeks at the thought of their sender.

  Tonight marks the end of the first month of my training. Just as Adam had promised, everything between us has changed.

  Though most things have proven to move at a more rapid pace in our relationship than in any I’ve ever had before, I have no regrets about my decision. What began with such trepidation has grown into something that makes so much sense to me now, I have a difficult time understanding how my relationship with Adam had ever felt natural before I gave him my submission. Despite the expected bumps and stumbles I’m sure any new submissive would endure, there isn’t a single part of me that believes I could ever go back to the way things were before.

  My first week of training was hardest on us both.

  I learned quickly that Adam’s naturally dominant tendencies are something I’d been conforming to all along. The obvious rules were easy, things I already did on instinct as his girlfriend. Things that didn’t come quite as naturally in the beginning were our scenes, something he’s insisted on no less than twice a week since I’ve been in
training. I’ve also had to adjust to him choosing my wardrobe, him asking about everything from my diet to my sexual experiences over breakfast and dictating other parts of my everyday life that I’ve so often taken for granted.

  Adam had said from the beginning that my smart mouth would be my biggest struggle.

  He’d been right about that, too.

  It was the catalyst for the one and only time I’d fallen out of line and directly disobeyed him. He’d been patient, sending me to my bedroom while we both cooled down.

  Although I’d yet to endure a physical punishment, looking back at my behavior, the same patience I admire him for had been much more than I deserved.

  While the new aspect of our relationship surprised me by taking a lot of pressure off my shoulders, my responsibilities multiplied overnight, that much is undeniable. However, the rules he’s given have also offered discipline and structure to what has swiftly become sometimes a completely overwhelming day-to-day.

  He gives me structure.

  He gives me direction.

  He gives me guidance.

  More than anything, Adam has given me a version of himself I never knew existed.

  He nurtures me, spoils me, comforts me in ways I’ve never experienced. He’s taught me that there is so much more to this than physical pleasure, rough sex and obedience than I ever imagined. It’s trust and vulnerability and honesty. He not only encouraged me to expand my horizons sexually, he makes it clear it’s his duty to take care of me, protect me and offer loyalty, guidance and unwavering support by putting my needs as his submissive before his own in everything.

  He worships me completely just as he promised, and I adore him in ways I never knew my heart was capable of.

  Simply put, he’s become my home.

  The office has been insane, the initiative I’d taken over the last four years finally culminating into a legitimate promotion that has me taking on more for Avery Finance than I ever have before. Although I try my best to never falter in my submission, we’ve been able to keep things as separate as our relationship will allow.

  Once we step into his private elevator, though, all bets are off.

  Once the doors close that piece of our reality off, Adam becomes my master.

  And I couldn’t desire that part of him more.

  Despite my reservations to give up so much of my independence, Adam has managed to not just uncover the darkest shadows in my heart that have felt eternally empty, he’s filled them to capacity and just keeps going.

  I have no doubt that I’ve fallen head over heels in love with him.

  We haven’t had that particular talk yet.

  Between work and my training, I haven’t found the right time to bring it up. Truth be told, my infatuation with him has me feeling nervous, reckless even.

  I want everything to be perfect, but I found more often than not, perfection was a quality in Adam Avery’s life reserved only for the man he was proving to be.

  I know it’s against the rules, but for tonight, I’m fine keeping one secret from him.

  Tonight.

  The word flashes in my mind and I swallow hard, returning my attention to my makeup.

  Tonight, Adam is taking me to his club, the place he’d used to feed his cravings for dominance before I reappeared on his doorstep. Although he’s insisted I shouldn’t feel nervous, I can’t help the swarm of anxiety swirling inside my belly.

  I know he’s got no intention of forcing me into anything, I’ve been very clear about my limits, same as him. However, I’m also not entirely sure how comfortable I am taking our perfect little secret out into the world.

  There’s a level of responsibility on both of us that only compounds the second we step outside this space.

  It’s my duty to serve him and his to make sure I do so flawlessly.

  He’s devoted every spare moment to my training, to me, to us. From day one, he’s answered all my questions, his attention to detail something I still marvel at. He’s taken things slow, teaching me everything from what he likes to what he expects of me in public and most importantly, behind closed doors.

  There’s so much more to all of this than I thought there’d be, but he’s taken his time going through every aspect thoroughly and patiently.

  I may have taken on a new role but seeing this side of him leaves me positively breathless.

  The last thing I want is to disappoint him.

  “You look quite ravishing,” he says from the doorway to my bedroom, pulling my gaze to the mirror.

  My body reacts on every level when I find his reflection staring back at me.

  He makes me ravenous.

  There’s something behind his eyes, something I’d never seen before I gave him my submission, but now seems to rest beneath his gaze nearly every time it falls on mine. His silence speaks volumes, twists my insides, makes me desperate yet feeds my cravings all at once. He looks at me like he’s already inside me, claiming me, owning me.

  I crave it.

  I crave him.

  “Are you nearly ready? We need to leave in twenty minutes.”

  “Yes, Sir,” I nod, giving him a small smile as I slide the red stain over my lips. “I’ll be ready in less than ten.”

  “Perfect,” he returns my smile, reaching for the small leather-bound journal resting on my mantle beside another vase, this one filled with the bright purple orchids he’d sent only two days before the pink roses I’d just been admiring. “How are you feeling? Did you write tonight like I asked?”

  “Yes, Sir,” I nod, my anxiety swarming once more as he thumbs through the pages that catalogue my thoughts until he falls on tonight’s entry, reading carefully. My fingers reach for the brush I’d been holding, gently tracing the edges as I bite the edge of my lip and try to deflect him. “Thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

  “As are you, my darling,” he smiles, his eyes trained on the pages for a moment before he closes the book altogether and comes to a stop behind me, one palm resting gently on my shoulder. It calms me almost immediately and I cease my anxious fidgeting, unable to help the low hum that moves through my chest. “What has you so restless?”

  “Aside from you pretty much reading my mind every time you open that?” I smile coyly as I gesture to the book in his hand.

  “You get nervous every night and every night it’s fine, isn’t it?” he counters, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze when I nod. “But this isn’t a completed entry. Why didn’t you finish?”

  “I was cutting it close on time,” I admit, biting my lip once more. “I didn’t want to be the reason we were late.”

  “I hope you’ve learned your lesson and will manage your time better in the future, but that’s a perfectly acceptable reason,” he offers, pulling a nod from me. “It simply means you’ll have to be brave and talk to me now. What has you so nervous about tonight?”

  “I just don’t know what to expect. New situations always put me a little on edge,” I admit, returning my gaze to his in the mirror. “This feels like a big deal. Are you sure I’m ready?”

  “I wouldn’t be taking you otherwise,” he promises, setting my journal to the side before extending his hand to help me stand, turning me to face him. “Come.”

  We make our way to the foot of my bed and he pulls my robe away, admiring the skimpy lingerie hiding beneath the silk. He rakes his eyes over my skin before reaching for the dangerously short, black strapless dress he’d laid out for me an hour earlier. He holds it out and I use his shoulder to steady myself, something sensual about the way he slowly pulls it up the length of my body.

  “This is quite a change from the usual, Mr. Avery,” I smirk as he meets my eyes.

  “Don’t worry, kitten,” he chuckles, pulling me close to his chest as he reaches for the zipper in the
back and slides it into place, holding my gaze as he reaches the top and brushes his hand low over my waist. “I don’t anticipate you’ll be wearing it for long.”

  When I slip my feet into the stilettos he’s chosen for me, I’m tall enough for my mouth to graze his and I let it, gently begging him for entry, satisfied when he surrenders and gives it to me.

  He pulls away a moment later, my thoughts hazy with the taste of him fresh on my lips.

  “Are you ready?” he asks.

  “Yes, Sir,” I nod, wiping the remnants of my lipstick from his skin. “Whenever you are.”

  “Good girl,” he hums, pressing his lips to my nose. “Before we go, I have something for you,” he says quietly, reaching into his pocket as I take a slight step back and look up at him in question. “Give me your hand,” he commands gently, taking my right hand into his. It’s then that I see the two black rings in his other palm. “Do you know what these are?” he asks, prompting me to shake my head.

  “They look like wedding rings,” I say quietly, unable to cover the slight shake in my voice.

  “Not quite,” he smirks. “However, what it represents in the world I’ll be walking you into tonight is in many ways just as significant.”

  “What are they for?” I ask, glancing back up at him.

  “These signify the end of your initial training, Isabella. You’re officially out of my boot camp,” he admits with a wink as I take the smaller band and trace my finger over it, admiring the intricate engraving inside, Princess, before glancing back up at him. “Of course, as you know, your training will never truly come to an end, but wearing this will mean that you’re officially spoken for. That you belong to me completely,” he admits, his eyes sparkling with aroused pride. “Owned.”

  The gravity of the commitment he’s offering me has my breath catching in my throat for a moment before the pad of his thumb gently grazes my hand before he squeezes it in his.