Chosen For His Love

That poker evening had grown increasingly uncomfortable.

It was her exquisite scent that unsettled me.

Or perhaps it was simply her breathtaking beauty.

She sat right beside me, so close and yet forever out of reach.

Natasha Cortez.

The black velvet dress she wore clung to every curve, highlighting her hourglass figure.

Still, I thought the neckline dropped a bit too low.

Royce Williams, one of my protégés from Vegas, hadn't taken his eyes off her all night.

I even caught him licking his lips—what a pervert!

Damn it! Speaking of pervert, I had already grown as hard as a rock!

No wonder I had been losing from the start.

This woman had been driving me insane.

I might as well have thrown in my cards.

I decided to retreat to my room for the night and cool off with a cold shower.

After all, everyone else had planned to organize a little BDSM strip-poker game later on. That was their way of quietly celebrating the upcoming wedding of Cameron Holt and Arlene Newman, a couple of friends whose ceremony would take place the day after tomorrow.

However, since I was an international star, I couldn't join in on such activities without risking exposure. Besides, BDSM had never really been my thing. I hoped people understood— while I would never say no to spicing up my love life from time to time, anything beyond that simply wasn't for me. I had no interest in a woman who catered to my every whim or in negotiating and checking off a partner's list before making love. No, thank you. That was never what I wanted.

What I truly longed for was a sense of mystery, a spark of romance.

What I wanted was... Natasha.

Stop it! Garrett! You shouldn't even think about it!

She was married.

Married—don't forget that!

And to my damn cousin, no less!

"I would like to join too... if it's... hmm... possible," Natasha announced shyly, her sweet voice barely above a whisper.

I froze mid-motion, just as I was about to toss my cards aside. I had thought about slipping away and heading back to my room. All I had wanted was to quit the game and put as much distance as possible between myself and this enchantress!

"I would like to join too." Those words struck me like a heavy blow.

A vein throbbed on my forehead.

I wasn't jealous, not at all. Of course not!

She was still my cousin's wife! It was only natural to feel shocked at the idea of her joining a BDSM strip-poker game with a room full of dominants, wasn't it?

Yeah, right. Just keep lying to yourself, Garrett!

Lenora Mendez, the wife of one of the most influential members of our pack at the Billionaire Beach Club, placed her hand on Natasha's and offered with a gentle smile, "Of course! It shouldn't be too difficult to find you a gaming partner." Then she turned toward the big players gathered in the neighboring room—not in the grand living room where we sat—and called out loudly.

"Hey! Jason! Natasha's looking for a partner for strip-poker! What do you say?"

Jason Fletcher was an Alpha, just like me.

He stood on the same level as I did.

A pure-blooded Divine Alpha, through and through.

His wife had passed away a year and a half ago.

That was why, in Lenora's eyes, he made the ideal partner for Natasha. He never engaged in full sexual relations with his partners, while Natasha happened to be married to that bastard—my cousin—who was nothing but a wife-beater!

My cousin, Brent Cortez, was an Alpha as well, but he belonged to a far lower tier than ours.

All this explained why, if Natasha truly wanted to dip her toes into the BDSM lifestyle that had fascinated her for so long—a lifestyle that attracted many people here tonight—Jason would be the perfect person to guide her, and, most importantly, the least committed option she could choose. Without question, he would be a much safer Dom than someone like Royce, who was barely more than a beginner.

After all, Jason not only lived the lifestyle but also owned several BDSM clubs that welcomed both Alphas and humans. If I remembered correctly, there was even a special day at his clubs set aside for Alphas in heat, looking for compatible partners…

So, it could be said that he was an Alpha with a wealth of experience as a Dom. My rational mind told me that Jason was probably the ideal person to introduce Natasha to the lifestyle she had secretly longed to experience for quite some time.

I also knew perfectly well that it wouldn't be with my idiot cousin that Natasha would ever risk exploring this submissive side of herself— at least, not in any way that was truly healthy.

No.