Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(47)

Yeah, Will bet he had. He loved Mitch like a brother, but the man was known for going through women, and he didn’t want one of those women to be his sister. “I’ll get you another job.”

Just for a second, a flash of rage went across Mitch’s face. It was quickly subdued and replaced with his usual devil-may-care vibe, but Will hadn’t missed it. No matter what he said, Mitch was interested in Laurel.

Will wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

“Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me. I need to talk to my brother for a moment.” Laurel gripped his elbow and he found himself being hauled away.

“I’m only watching out for you.”

Laurel’s jaw became a stubborn line as she glared up at him. He might have gotten Bridget happy with him, but he seemed doomed to forever have a female pissed off at him. “He is your friend and you hurt him. You will back off and let me handle my own business. I am an adult. I’ve gotten through college and I’m ready to make my own decisions. Is that understood?”

She needed to understand a few things about Mitch. “He’s interested in you. Not as a secretary.”

“Good because he’s not stupid and backward enough to call me a secretary. I’m an office manager. I have a business degree. His books are horrible. He’s got a brilliant mind and not an organizational skill in his body.”

He was going to have to be really clear with her. “Laurel, he’s interested in you as a woman.”

“Again with the good. I’m interested in him as a man. Now if you’ll give me a few tips on how to get that man in bed, I would appreciate it because he is proving to be very difficult.”

He couldn’t help but wince. “I did not need to hear that.”

“Then you shouldn’t have butted in where you don’t belong,” Laurel shot back. “I understand that Mitch has been divorced a couple of times. The man has had to start from scratch twice. I’m fairly certain that’s why he’s so skittish.”

“He’s also into some hardcore hobbies.” He didn’t want to go into what Mitch needed sexually. He’d talked to his sisters about going to clubs, but he wasn’t going into details.

Laurel crossed her arms over her chest and sent him a pointed stare. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black. If you’re talking about the BDSM stuff, you shouldn’t judge, big brother. And I’m cool with it. Reading Bridget’s books have opened me up to the idea that I might enjoy submitting to the right man in the bedroom.”

He put his hands over his ears. “Oh, god. Don’t. Please. Wait, you’ve been reading Bridget’s books?”

“Duh. I was reading her before you started dating her. I love her stuff. She’s funny and she has a lot to say about what a woman deserves. I guess it’s about what people deserve out of a relationship.”

“Orgasms, right? I mean she writes about single women with multiple men.”

Laurel shook her head. “It’s a metaphor, dummy. All of those men are actually aspects of one. At least that’s how I see it. I can’t explain it. You have to read it. And you’re a horrible boyfriend for not reading her books.”

“I’m not really…”

She held a hand up, stopping him from finishing his sentence. “Don’t say it. Don’t say you’re not her boyfriend, Will.”

But he wasn’t and it looked like he was going to have to explain. “I’m her Dom and you obviously know what that means.”

“I know that it’s your way of distancing yourself and it makes me sad.”

What was she talking about? “I’m not distancing myself. I’m quite close to her.”

“Have you told her you love her?” Laurel asked.

A weariness settled over him. He thought this restlessness would fade when Bridget agreed to simply be with him, but it was stronger than ever. “You know how I feel about that word.”

“Yes, I do know and that makes me sad. I’ve thought about this a lot and I have something to say to you. Lisa and Lila and I have been talking about it. I think you have a twisted version of the word.”

He was really ready to give in so he didn’t need to have this argument with the women in his life. “It’s only a word, Laurel, and if it bothers everyone so freaking much, I’ll use it. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“Because it didn’t mean anything when Mom used it. Will, I think when you hear that word, you still see her.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit.” He didn’t need another Kai.

“It’s true,” Laurel replied with passion. Her voice went low but he could hear the force of will there. “You think I don’t remember. I remember how she would tell us she loved us. Especially when she was high. She would bring her boyfriends home and she loved them, too. She would call from jail and coax you into picking her up when we got older. She did it by telling you she loved you. It was just a word for her and you’ve put that definition on it. But I have a different definition and I wish you could see it my way.”

This whole conversation made him uncomfortable. It was better to leave the past behind, but he needed to know why she saw things differently than he did. “We grew up in the same household. We should have the same definition.”