Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(53)

Her friends did, but it wasn’t the same. Her family had always been the fight. And she couldn’t bring him into that world because no matter how hard she tried to distance, they always came back. She took a deep breath and forced herself to step away. Well, she tried. His arms were a cage, keeping her close. “Will, you have to leave. You can’t stay.”

He kissed her forehead. “Of course I can. I’m the Dom, remember.”

“I’m not signing another stupid contract.”

“Then we’ll move on without one.”

“You *. You have to leave.”

“Give me one good reason.”

She was going to have to lay it out for him. He was so stubborn. She needed to put it to him in the harshest terms possible. “Because I can’t help my sister without hurting you. Because I’m resentful that my father can use you against me. I don’t want to be vulnerable to him. So I’m kicking you out of my life. Do you understand?”

His gentle smile stumped her. “So much better than you can imagine.”

She pushed away, and this time he let her have some distance. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m not stupid. I know what you look like when you’re mad and you’re not mad, Bridget. You’re afraid. Your father dug up some crap on my past and he’s threatened you with it. What’s he planning on doing? Is he going to tell everyone my mother’s a meth head and that I grew up dirt poor? Won’t that shock the family?” He took a step toward her, his big body so reassuring she almost stepped back into his arms. “I don’t care what your family thinks of me. They can all go to hell for what I care. You’re the one who matters, and I know I can tell you anything and you’ll be okay with it. As for your sister, I think she can take care of herself. Something’s going on with her and Frankie. They’re planning something. I don’t know what.”

She didn’t really care what they were planning. What her father would do was all that mattered. “Okay, you don’t care what my family thinks. I don’t either. How about the hospital?”

He stopped for a moment and then nodded as though finally getting it. “Ah. So he threatened my job. Honey, I’m very good at my job. They’re not going to fire me.”

“My dad knows one of the board members. He’s going to tell him about Sanctum and about what happened with Starr. He’s going to tell them about your mom. He said no one would want a doctor with a history of addiction in his family.”

Will actually laughed at that one. “Sweetheart, there would be no doctors then. Or very few. Unless I have a problem myself or I start writing prescriptions for my relatives, there’s no issue. As for the BDSM stuff, they have no right to judge my sex life. If they do, Mitch will be happy to sue them and I would find a new job.”

“He’s going to ask his friends in the press to cover the Starr trial and make you look like an idiot.”

He considered that for a moment. “Will you stand beside me?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point.”

“It is the point,” Will said. “Let your father do his worst. Now let’s go to bed. In the morning if you still want to go home, I’ll make reservations. I would rather we stayed though. I think we can use the alone time. I found us a rental with a private pool. I’m going to keep you naked as much as possible.”

She shook her head. “No. No. Will, I can’t.”

He pulled her close, and she didn’t have the willpower to deny him. “You can. You can give me some time to sort this out. You can trust me to take care of you. If the worst happens, stay with me. I can handle a lot if you stay with me.”

She dissolved again. It had almost been a relief to have it over. Now she was back with no hope of getting out with some tiny piece of her heart intact. “You deserve more.”

He picked her up. God, did he know how good that felt? She suspected he knew how much she loved it when he picked her up and carried her around. “No. You deserve more, sweetheart. I’m going to figure it out. I promise. I’m going to figure out what you need.”

“I need you to be safe.”

He kissed her forehead as he started for the bedroom. “I’m safe. I’m good, Bridget. I want you to stop thinking for a minute. Just let us be tonight.”

That was what he always wanted. He wanted to just be and she needed a future. But as he carried her to the bed, she knew she couldn’t turn him away.

And when his body pressed hers into the soft comfort of the mattress, she finally stopped thinking and let herself feel, feel safe and cherished.

Even if it was only for the moment.





Deep in the night, Will rolled cautiously out of bed. He dressed and as quietly as he could, he walked out into the living area of their suite.

It had been a close thing tonight. He’d almost lost her and he wasn’t an idiot. That hadn’t been all about her father. She was scared and sad. He’d done that to her.

He didn’t know how to explain it to her. He was being stubborn and he’d put himself in a corner. She wouldn’t believe him if he simply said the words. They didn’t mean anything to him, but they seemed to mean the world to her. If he’d said them back to her at the beginning, they wouldn’t be in this place.