Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(28)

Chris shrugged as he picked up Tristan’s baby bag, obviously eager to make his getaway. “He’s the Dom. I think he can do most of what he wants.”

Will walked inside, not bothering to wait for an invitation. “Ah, you’re having a party. Tell me. Did this party start yesterday morning? Is that why I woke up and my sub was nowhere to be found? I amended that part of the contract, too. I thought it would be obvious that when we spend the night f*cking like jackrabbits, you’re supposed to be there in the morning.”

“Dude, company.” She could feel herself blush.

“Oh, sweetheart, if you didn’t want to have this argument in public, you shouldn’t have had people over. I am tired. I haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours so I am incapable of being polite.” He slapped the contract on her breakfast bar. “And don’t you dare dude me again.”

“Will, it was good to see you. Don’t be too hard on her. She’s smart about so many things. This is not one of them.” Serena winked her way as she made her exit.

“Talk to you later.” Chris gave her the universal signal for call me later.

And they were gone. And they called her a coward.

“Why have you been awake for twenty-four hours?”

He glanced down at his watch. “Twenty-nine hours. I had one of those days. And nights. ER got slammed. Big accident on 75. Twenty-car pileup. Lots of head trauma. Then when I thought I could come home, some idiot decided to skateboard without a helmet. You know those flips they like to do? He didn’t quite get it right. Surprisingly enough the concrete was harder than his head.”

So he had a good reason he hadn’t come over. “Whoa. Is he okay?”

“I don’t know. I had to remove a portion of his skull. I can’t do anything until the swelling goes down. I’ve probably got a day or two before I have to decide. I intend to spend those days pounding your ass.”

Now that they were alone and she really looked at him, she realized she wasn’t afraid of him in any way except the obvious. He might break her heart, but he wouldn’t hurt her. She relaxed a bit because he was here and that meant it wasn’t over. “In an anal sex way? Or in a spanking way? You’ll have to be more specific because my brain can’t differentiate.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “In a spanking way. Damn it, Bridget. Why did you run?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t know if I was supposed to stay or go. I got confused.”

“Which is why the contract now states that you stay. And you owe me thirty smacks. I’m going to the bathroom. When I come back out, you better be ready.”

She shook her head. “You can’t punish me for something I didn’t know about.”

“Watch me,” he said as he turned away. “It was common sense. There is a clause in our contract about common sense. I’m invoking it.”

“Use my bathroom. It’s down the hall. I don’t know if I put soap in the guest bathroom.” She never used it.

“Fine.” He strode away.

And she stood there because of all the reactions, she hadn’t expected this one. He was pissed. Seriously pissed. He was upset because she hadn’t been there when he woke up.

How should she handle him? She wasn’t afraid of the spanking. She’d been spanked before. Even the hard smacks did something for her. She was comfortable with her freakiness. If he spanked her hard, she would have an excuse to cry and she really needed to cry. She could cry and he could feel in control.

All in all it was a good plan.

Now she knew. He wanted her in bed when he woke up. She glanced down at the contract. Will didn’t believe in love, but he believed in that stupid contract. He cared enough to amend it.

He was taking a while. She walked into her bedroom.

There he was. He’d lain down on her bed as if he couldn’t move another muscle. He was still dressed, still in his shoes. With his eyes closed and his arms at his side, he looked like an exhausted boy. A beautiful, tired boy. Her guy. For now.

How should she handle him?

He’d taken care of her. Maybe it was time someone took care of him. She wasn’t sure she would be good at it, but she was going to try. She carefully eased his shoes off and found a blanket to put over him.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about the spanking.” His eyes didn’t open.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Doc.” There was something about seeing him in her girlie room that made her smile. Her bedspread was a pretty silver and she’d indulged in a bunch of eggplant-colored pillows to contrast. It gave the whole place a glamorous feel. Will looked like a sleepy predator.

“Shitty day. Shitty, shitty day,” he murmured. “Kiss me.”

He was going to kill her. She leaned over and brushed her lips against his. He sighed and his breathing became even, sleep taking him.

She was already in love with him because she was an idiot. She was a stupid fool who didn’t know when to protect herself, but it didn’t matter.

She had a little time to prove to him that it could work.

Damn, she hoped she still had the recipe for those enchiladas.





Will yawned as he moved from the bedroom to the living room and wondered exactly how much he’d f*cked up. When he’d woken up the day before and found himself alone in bed, he’d thought about how to handle Bridget. She’d run. He hadn’t expected that and he really should have.