Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(10)

Bridget froze, the words pouring over her like icy rain.

She’d spent days going hat in hand to the Doms of Sanctum and she’d never stood a chance. Not with any of them.

“All right. I’m hoping you view this as something kind of flattering. I mean, I did go to a lot of trouble to make sure I was the last guy standing.” He tried to move back in.

Bridget stepped away, putting her hands up. “Somehow I don’t see it as flattering. And Bratty Bridget? Is that what everyone calls me behind my back?”

“You can’t argue with it. Everyone’s come up against that mouth of yours.”

“Is that what this is about? You want to show everyone that you can take me down a peg?” She was not going to cry. She didn’t f*cking cry. She’d learned it didn’t buy her anything, not even peace since her father would “give her something to cry about” when she did. “Fuck you, Daley.”

She turned and started for the door.





He was going to kill Mitch. The bastard had the worst timing ever and he was so f*cking impatient. If the son of a bitch had left a message on his cell like the rest of the world, he would be kissing Bridget right now. He’d been so close. He would have gone slow, made her feel comfortable. All the while he would have been maneuvering her straight to bed. He would have wined and dined her and woken up beside her the next day.

Now he had to make sure she didn’t murder him in his sleep.

“Hey, we’re not done.” He tried his most authoritative voice on her.

She reached the door. “Oh, we’re done. You can bite my ass, Doc.”

She slammed the door open and began storming out, proving she really did know how to make an exit. Dramatic. That was one way to describe it.

He reached her in three strides, taking her elbow in his hand and turning her around. “I’m sorry you heard that.”

Her face was flushed to an embarrassed pink, but she’d shoved a wall up the minute she’d heard that message and now he couldn’t read her emotions. When he’d been close, he’d watched as desire and something like longing had played across her pretty face. She’d started to open to him and now the castle defenses were firmly back in place.

“I’m sorry I ever met you.” Yes. Bratty Bridget was back.

“Come on. What was I supposed to do? You wouldn’t give me the time of day.” He had very few places to go since he really was the dick in this scenario. He’d done the crime and gotten caught. He had to find a way to plead his case because now that he’d been so close to her, he knew he couldn’t let it go. If she hadn’t responded to him, hadn’t opened up, he would have admired her from afar. But that wasn’t what happened.

“You know what you’re supposed to do? You’re supposed to take the f*cking hint, Daley. Not interested.”

It made him crazy. She was lying. He’d seen the way she softened. “You’re pissed off and I understand that, but not a one of those men would take care of you the way I will.”

Her eyes rolled. “Of course. None of them could possibly be interested in me. Guess what? I wasn’t looking for passion out of this. I was trying to find a man to be my date. I wasn’t trying to find a lover.”

She was so na?ve. “You can’t invite a man to stay in a hotel with you and expect him to keep his hands to himself.”

“Why not? Are you all animals? Do you run around raping any woman you want?”

“Of course not, but every f*cking Dom at Sanctum would attempt to seduce you and I don’t want that. I want to be the one who seduces you. I want to be the one who sees if you can purr.” That was about as honest as he could get. “Bridget, tell me you feel this chemistry for another guy and I’ll go talk to him myself. I’ll make sure he can go with you.”

A calculated risk. She’d already proven she could lie when she wanted to. If she did, he would have to go with it.

But her body was already coming close to his as though they were magnetized. She could spout bile all she liked, but her body responded to his. “I’m not looking for chemistry. I simply want a nice guy to help me out.”

“I’ll help you. You want someone to play your fiancé and all parents love me. I’ll be your successful, supportive fake future husband. I’ll let you dress me and I’ll charm those nasty cousins of yours until they all want what you have.”

The cutest look flashed across her face. She was even lovely when she was annoyed with him. “You know about my cousins?”

The whole while he was backing her up, leading her to the wall so she wouldn’t have anywhere else to go. “I eavesdropped. That should tell you how pathetic I am about you.”

“Or what a freaky stalker you are.” Her back was against the wall and there was no way to miss the hitch in her breath.

“You are pessimistic, sweetheart. Why can’t you see it as quirky and charming? I swear I’ve never stalked anyone before. You’re my first.” Maybe she would see that as adorable.

She shook her head. “Try it on another girl. I’m not buying it.”

So frustrating. “Let me kiss you. One kiss and if you don’t want me as much as I want you, I’ll walk away. But you won’t find anyone as perfect as me for this job of yours. I can give you my full attention, baby. I can make it my goal in life to ensure that everyone thinks you’re the luckiest girl on earth by the end of that wedding, and you know what else?”