A Dom is Forever (Masters and Mercenaries #3)(60)

She was gorgeous. How had he ever for a moment thought she wasn’t? “Have lunch with me today.”

Her face came up. Just a few days and she already smiled more. She was so much more confident. “That wasn’t a question. Do you need an answer or should you just tell me when I should be ready?”

Brat. Yeah, he loved that. “Noon. I’ll be there at noon. I’m crazy about you, you little brat. We’re going to the club tonight. Are you ready?”

A sure smile he knew damn well he wouldn’t have seen a couple of days ago crossed her face. “Yes. I’m ready. Though I don’t have any fet wear. I should have some, right? I read that sometimes clubs don’t allow people in plain clothes in.”

She’d become an expert in the last couple of days. And he’d noted that she’d started reading a writer named Amber Rose. Serena would be thrilled that she had a new devotee.

“I’ll handle it. You’ll wear what I select for you and only what I select.” He would have to make a side trip. His first inclination was to ask Eve to find her some clothes. He’d never given a crap about what a woman wore. He’d only cared about how quickly he could get it off her. But the thought of Avery wearing only what he picked out played around in his brain.

“No undies then, huh?” She frowned. “I used to like underwear, you know.”

“Why hide that pretty little *, baby?” Her nipples had already peaked. He could have her again. Maybe if he impaled her on his cock twenty-four seven he could keep her out of trouble. He wanted to ask about the names on those files. He wanted her to tell him she wasn’t thinking about investigating them herself, but he couldn’t risk tipping someone off. They were listening in here, and someone had started following them. He’d picked up the tail the afternoon after they had slept together the first time. Someone was watching Avery Charles, and he couldn’t be sure whom. Her creepy boss or Nelson? Had Nelson made him? Would Nelson show for the meeting now or would he disappear into the woodwork again?

He was just about to kiss her when he noticed her leg spasming. He pulled her up. “You have to tell me when it hurts.”

She held on to him for one sweet moment, her nipples brushing against his chest. “It didn’t hurt, Lee. It just does that from time to time.”

He didn’t like that her leg could give out at any moment. It wasn’t bad when he was around because he was always watching and ready to catch her, but what happened when she was alone? “I think you should stay home.”

She snorted a little. “Lee, if I stayed home every time something was wrong with my leg, I would never leave the bed.”

And that was a problem why? “I can bring you food in bed. We can just stay there.”

A haunted look crossed her face as though she was remembering terrible things. “I did that for far too many years.”

She needed to be independent in a way others didn’t. Of course, her version of independence was just being able to walk on her own. Over the last few days, he’d gotten to really know her. He’d done dumb tourist crap that should have him pulling his hair out, but he’d looked at the world through her eyes and had to admit that he’d had fun.

She’d stood on the beach at Dover, marveling at the cliffs in the distance. They’d gotten something to eat, and she’d talked about how hard it had been in the hospital. He wanted to keep her safe, and she needed a little freedom.

He was walking a very thin line. He wanted to lock the door and never let her out, and it would crush her right when she was starting to find herself.

He stepped back. It wasn’t his place to lock her up. Well, not for more than a couple of hours and only for play, but he couldn’t do it on a permanent basis. “Lunch it is then, but promise me you’re going to do those exercises we talked about.”

She groaned. “You are a hard taskmaster.”

He’d read up about her leg. She needed daily conditioning to stay strong. He needed her to be strong. “Yes, I am. I’m serious. Daily workouts.”

She grinned up at him. Her smile kicked him in the gut every time. “As long as you promise to take off your shirt and work out with me.”

“You’re going to get spanked for that saucy mouth.” He lightly smacked her ass, cupping it afterward. “Go get dressed. I’ll take care of everything for tonight. You just have to stay out of trouble today.”

Tomorrow was another issue all together. And tonight could prove troublesome. He’d hidden for four days. He’d sank himself into her and forgotten for a brief moment that he was lying to her and manipulating her. And he’d avoided all those nasty questions about the past and about Ian.

He sat down and watched as she started getting dressed. He acknowledged the truth. He’d started to think about becoming Lee Donnelly. He could leave McKay-Taggart and just become the man she thought he was. His cover would hold. He actually was quite good with his hands. He could legitimately work as a contractor. He could be the man Avery was falling in love with.

She hadn’t said it, but it was there in her eyes. He wasn’t sure he could say the words back, but f*ck, he wanted to hear them. He was a greedy bastard when it came to her. He wanted everything.

If she found out he wasn’t who he said he was, what would she say? Would she run from him?

Maybe the best way to handle it was to never let her know. Ian would let him go. He was fairly sure of it. If Ian wouldn’t then Liam would get enough shit on him that he would.