A Dom is Forever (Masters and Mercenaries #3)(53)

Ian turned the ignition and pulled away from the suburban house. “What’s going on? Damon just managed to work a deal that officially clears you of all wrongdoing and set things straight with G2. You’re clear, Li. Don’t you have anything to say about it?”

If Weston was right, Ian could have done that himself at any time. “It’s great, man, but I don’t exactly have a hankering to head home or anything. I do appreciate it.”

Ian’s eyes stayed on the road, but frustration dripped from his voice. “Are you sure there isn’t something you want to talk about? Are you having mixed feelings about sleeping with Avery Charles? You’re protecting her, you know.”

“Yeah.” How had Ian protected his woman? “I know. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

Ian drove the rest of the way in silence while Liam’s brain raced with a million possibilities.

Unfortunately, not a one of them was good.





Chapter Nine


Avery woke up, blinking in the early morning light. She stretched, her muscles deliciously aching. Every minute of the night before came flaring back to life. She’d made love with Lee Donnelly, big, gorgeous Lee with the broad shoulders and beautiful face and filthy-as-sin mouth.

She’d made love with him in the middle of the night, but now it was morning and time to face the music. She didn’t look great in the morning. He probably would stay and have breakfast and be polite because that was the kind of man he was, but he would extricate himself from the situation and she needed to look cool and collected. God, she wasn’t cool and collected. She pulled the sheet up, unwilling to turn and look beside her. What if he was already gone?

How did these things work? What made her think she’d be able to handle a one-night stand?

The sheet she clutched was suddenly pulled straight out of her hands and cool air hit her breasts.

“I need you.” Lee straddled her, his eyes on her chest. He looked different this morning. Gone was the patient guy who had calmly explained what he wanted, and in his place was a hungry predator. He was boldly naked, his body lean and hard everywhere. The soft light of morning couldn’t dull his suddenly sharp edges.

And there was no way to avoid his cock. He was utterly erect, the thick, bulbous head of his dick nearly touching his navel as he stared down at her.

There was no kindness in him now. There was challenge and a cool distance that frightened her a little. For the first time, she really understood that she was small and weak, and he could likely kill her with his bare hands. Last night had still been civilized for all the dirty talk, but he seemed to demand something different in the light of day.

He leaned over, catching her wrists in his hands. She was trapped beneath his body, their chests touching, his cock nearly throbbing against her *. His weight bore her into the bed. His face was slightly cruel as he looked down on her.

“You want me to go, little girl? Last night was for you. If you let me stay in this bed, this morning is going to be for me and it might not be so pretty. It’s going to be dirty, and it’s going to be my way all the way.”

What had happened to him? She searched his face. Yes, he was acting like a dominant prick, but something in his eyes made her wonder. And what he’d said. He needed her.

She’d needed him the night before, and he’d given her everything she could have wanted. She wasn’t going to fool herself. She was already half in love with him. She wasn’t going to let him scare her off.

And wasn’t that what he was trying to do? Push her to see if she could really accept him?

She suddenly wasn’t so afraid of him anymore. She brought her head up and touched her nose to his. Her body was already warming up. “It wasn’t so clean last night, Sir.”

“Fuck.” The cold look vanished like it had never been there in the first place, and he slammed his mouth on hers.

He held her in place, and Avery understood what it meant to be inhaled. That was what he was doing to her. He dominated her mouth, kissing her like he needed her to breathe. Over and over again he took her mouth, and she gave it up willingly. When he released her wrists, she wrapped her arms around him. She let her legs tangle with his, offering him everything she had. He got her so hot so fast, as though her body now trusted this man to take care of her.

He moved from her mouth to her neck, his fingers on her nipples. “Tell me you’re mine.”

That was easy. She was beginning to think she’d been his from the moment he’d caught her in front of the mummies. “I’m yours.”

She wasn’t sure why he’d gotten possessive so suddenly, but he seemed to need reassurance and she was finding some of her own. He wasn’t acting like a man who was going to walk out on her.

“This is mine. This is f*cking mine.” There it was again, that musical tone he took on when he was really aroused. She loved it. He whispered it across her breasts just before he sucked one inside his mouth and settled in to devour her.

She softened, her whole body giving over. She didn’t have to think here. Her mind didn’t run away from her. All she had to do was feel. All she had to do was let the connection between them flow.

She whimpered a little as he bit her nipple. It was a short, sharp pain, but seemed to spark something deep inside her. The pain melted into a thrumming heat.

“Yes, these are mine to torture. You like a little torture, don’t you, love?” He moved to the other nipple and bit down gently. She didn’t flinch. Her chest pressed up, welcoming him. “Yes, I’m going to clamp these gorgeous tits and run a chain between them. I can pull on it whenever I like and you’ll feel my bite.”