Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(14)

Bridget had enough of Maia. “He isn’t stupid. He’s a freaking neurosurgeon. What the hell are you? Some kind of dumbass, can’t do anything but smile for the camera model?”

Maia put a hand on her arm. “That’s so sweet. I always thought I could model. No. I’m assistant district attorney for Dallas County and I’m the one who got your crush out of the mess he’d gotten himself into. He had his perfect sub but she turned out to be using him. What he saw in that no-brain idiot, I have no idea.”

Karina put a hand up. “Maia, there’s Eve. Why don’t you go and bug her?”

Maia nodded. “Oh, those shoes. Yes, someone should tell her they make her look like a milkmaid. And that hair. Horrible. She needs an intervention.”

“Is that a good idea?” Bridget liked Eve. It seemed a horrible thing to sick a blonde demon on her.

“Eve finds her amusing. I believe she’s writing an academic paper on Maia as the new Narcissus.” Karina turned sympathetic eyes on her. “You’re interested in Will?”

Interested? Was she interested in a man she couldn’t stop thinking about? She’d tried to write this morning and her blond cowboy hero kept turning into a dark-haired doctor. “I’m considering going out with him.”

For a limited time.

“He’s a good guy. I met him while I was working a case having to do with missing girls.”

“Was he a suspect? Because I can’t see him physically hurting anyone.” He might break her heart, but she’d been safe with him. The minute she’d shown a hint of pulling back, he’d respected her decision.

“Only in Derek’s mind,” she said with a wink. “Derek was jealous, but I always knew Will was a well-meaning man. We met him in a club. Not a good one, but then he was testing the waters. I think he tried to hide his dominant needs for a very long time. He even had a cover story. He pretended to be an EMT so no one from the hospital he worked at would find out. I get the feeling there’s a lot Will likes to hide from the world.”

“Do you know about his mom?”

“Only after the fact. I dug into his background. He grew up really poor, Bridget. He’s likely not proud of the fact that he came from a trailer park and his mom was in and out of jail.”

He needed to be in control because so much of his life had been out of it. “He should be proud. He’s come a long way.”

“I happen to know for a fact that it never feels far away,” Karina said, her eyes softening. “When you come from someplace like that it always feels like you’re one step away from being right back there. Will isn’t hiding anymore. He changed hospitals and while he’s private, he’s not actively hiding now. I know he’s talked to his sisters about going to clubs.”

“And they didn’t have a problem with it?” Lisa didn’t seem to have a single problem with her brother.

“They adore him. He could murder someone and they would ask how they could help him. He raised them. He protected them. He had two jobs from the time he was fourteen and he got through school. He’s a hell of a guy, but I worry he still doesn’t know what he wants.”

He knew what he wanted when it came to her. He wanted a couple of weeks of casual fun. Was there really anything wrong with that? She hadn’t had sex in a year. Since she’d kicked her no-good boyfriend to the curb, she’d lived like a nun. “The evil one said something about him having a sub?”

“Her name was Starr,” Karina replied. “Well, she called herself that. She was more like a slave than a sub.”

“That’s what he wants?” She couldn’t do that, couldn’t suppress her own needs to give everything to some man no matter how good his abs looked. She’d met some of those women and a few she genuinely believed were happy, but it wasn’t for her.

“Like I said, he was exploring. Most Doms go through a phase where they want a very submissive playmate. And a whole bunch of them come to the conclusion that they would rather have a full partner. It works for some people. You know the saying. There are as many ways to practice D/s as there are people who practice it. Some people look at it like a religion and some of us adapt it to fit our needs. It’s simply a more open way for two partners to use their strengths and buoy each other’s weaknesses. Will came from a place where everyone was dependent on him. He’s comfortable handling the whole load, but that’s not necessarily what he needs.”

“I don’t know what I need either,” Bridget admitted. “I thought I needed stability and that led me to stay with a man who cheated on me for years. Maybe I need to follow my instincts this time.” And not give in to her fear that she was going to be the fool again.

“I think you could be good for Will, but I would advise you to take it slow.”

Slow. She didn’t have time to take it slow. Her cell chirped. Her sister. Damn it. “Thanks, Karina. I’ll think about what you said. I have to take this.”

Karina nodded. “I’ll go save Eve. Oh look. Charlotte Taggart threw a glass of water at Maia. Don’t you fight! She’s pregnant!”

Karina hurried off to stop the chick fight.

Bridget flipped her phone to answer it. “Hey, Amy.”

“Hey, big sis. I wanted to let you know that I got the private jet set up for you. I e-mailed all the details.”