Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(11)

Her hands had gone to his waist. She’d already made the decision. He knew he would get his one shot with her. Excitement built in his gut and his dick was already hard as a rock.

“What else, Daley?”

“I’ll be your Dom. I’ll show you what it means. Any questions you have, I’ll answer. We’ll sign a short-term contract and by the end, you’ll know for sure if you want to find a permanent Dom. Hell, I’ll help you find one if that’s what you want.”

Something passed over her face, almost a sadness, but he couldn’t be sure because she was so good at hiding it. Her chin came up stubbornly. “All right then. Kiss me.”

Suddenly he wished he’d talked her back into his condo, wished he’d been able to sit and eat with her. He wanted more time and he wasn’t even sure why. Up to this point, all he’d required was her body, but now he realized she was more than a glorious set of tits and a heart-shaped ass.

She was a mystery.

He leaned over because he wasn’t going to get more time. He had roughly two minutes to tempt her into something that likely wouldn’t be good for her. He was a bastard and he knew it and he still couldn’t stop his head from dropping. His lips pressed against hers and warmth poured through him. He let his hands find her waist. He wasn’t going to go straight for her ass. He hadn’t earned it.

Gently he molded his lips against hers, savoring the sensation. He could f*cking eat her up. She was wearing some kind of lip balm, something sweet. Whatever it was, he couldn’t get enough of it. He ate at her mouth, softly running his lips over hers and giving her the barest hint of his tongue. He didn’t want to scare her with what his every instinct told him to do. He wouldn’t have dreamed of it, but there was a caveman deep inside him, and cavedick wanted to drag her back to his bed and make sure she couldn’t leave it come morning.

He wasn’t that guy. He was civilized, educated. He didn’t get addicted to anything. Anything. He wasn’t about to get addicted to a sweet brat who would make him crazy. Peace. He needed peace and he wouldn’t get it from her.

Not that he wanted peace in that moment. He wanted inside her. Every cell in his body was singing like it never had before. She stirred him.

Bridget sighed and softened against him and he stopped thinking. Only one thing mattered and that was the feel of her in his arms, the way she moaned into his mouth. Her jaw dropped slightly and he was inside, his tongue playing against hers. So soft. Everything about her was so damn soft.

He dragged her hard against his body, no longer worried about frightening her. She needed to know what he could offer. He could give her the dominance she craved. His cock pressed to her belly and rubbed against her like a cat seeking affection. Her hands clutched at him as she gave as good as she got.

Pure fire threatened to take over. He didn’t need a bed. He could f*ck her right here in the hallway. He could drop his jeans and he wouldn’t care who watched.

Before he reached for her breasts, she put a hand between them.

“Stop.” Her voice was husky, out of breath.

Fuck. He took a step back because he wasn’t sure he would be capable of following her very clear order. His damn hands were shaking. “All right.”

She took a long breath and seemed to compose herself. “I’ll admit, physically it seems like we’re compatible.”

“We’re explosive, Bridget.” He’d never had that reaction to another woman. He wasn’t sure he liked it, but he couldn’t seem to stop.

“That doesn’t mean this is good for either of us. I don’t like being manipulated, Daley.”

“Call me Will.” He wasn’t dumb. He’d taken enough psych classes to know when a person was distancing. He couldn’t allow it.

She slipped by him and started going through her purse. In seconds she had the key out. “Fine. I don’t like being manipulated, Will.”

A pit opened up in his gut. He forced himself to walk back to his own door. “Answer me this. Would you have asked me? Would you have ever let me kiss you?”

“No.”

“Then at least I got my shot.” He was used to having to fight for the things he wanted. He’d been doing it since he was born.

She opened the door, but her eyes stayed on him. “I need to think about it. Can I have a couple of days?”

She wasn’t outright rejecting him? “Sure. My schedule’s open. I won’t change that. I really can help you, Bridget.”

“I’m not so sure about that. I’ll get back to you.” She disappeared behind her door.

He wasn’t out yet. He still had a shot, but it was going to be a long couple of days.

His phone rang again. His cell this time. Damn it. He wasn’t on call. He should get a little bit of peace. He shut and locked the door and crossed the floor to grab his cell. He didn’t recognize the number, but answered anyway. Sometimes Laurel forgot to charge her phone. His sisters were the real reason he always answered his damn phone. He’d spent his whole life watching out for them and now he couldn’t quite stop.

“Hello?”

“Will?”

He went still because he recognized that voice. He didn’t want to believe it was true. “This is Doctor Daley. Who is this?”

A sniffle came over the line. “Will, it’s Starr.”