Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(58)

“So you want to be the brat?” He moved to her front, setting the crop back down before turning around to face her. He moved into her space, his hands starting at her breasts and skimming their way down to the waistband of her skirt. “That was a little taste of what I have planned for you. Let’s see how you like the crop against your naked skin.”

He eased the skirt down, over her hips and thighs until he pulled it off and she was left standing in her wedge sandals and the embroidered tank top she’d picked out because Will told her it made her breasts look good. She’d known she was dressing for him, hoping to smooth things over this morning. She hadn’t quite planned on things going this way.

The crop came down again on the fleshy part of her ass. She whimpered but had to admit the man knew how to wield a crop. Her body was warming up, her muscles heating and preparing for what would come.

“I can be good.” If he wanted to play, she could play. She still wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but she suspected this wasn’t his revenge on her for trying to throw him out. He wasn’t that man. If he told her he wanted to try, then he wanted to try.

He took her not exactly cheap tank and tore it right down the middle, sending sequins and rhinestones clattering to the floor. His hands went straight for her breasts, thumbs rasping over hardened nipples. “Ask me.”

She couldn’t think about anything but his hands on her body. “Ask you?”

“About love.” He leaned over and licked one nipple. Her whole body started to quiver. “I’ve heard your definition. Now you need to hear mine.”

If he said teamwork, she was going to smile and agree with him. Anything to keep him touching her. Anything to keep him with her. Serena was right. She couldn’t give this man up over the definition of a word. “What do you mean when you say I love you?”

“I mean I want you. I mean I can’t breathe without you. I mean you invade my every thought, and my whole f*cking world lights up when you walk into a room.”

Oh, that was better than teamwork. “I want to touch you, Will. I want to hold you.”

He brought his head off her breast and loomed over her. “I want that, too, but only after I make a few things clear. When I say I love you, I mean you’re my safe place, and don’t think I take that lightly. Don’t think it will always be easy sailing. I’m going to start visiting my mother to make an attempt at salvaging some sort of relationship with her. I’d like to save her if I can. I didn’t before. No child can save a parent. They can merely survive, but I’m an adult now and for all she did, I think I would regret not trying. I want you to go with me.”

Yep. She was crying again. “I would love to. I want to help you, babe. I’ll help any way I can.” Her heart swelled at the thought of him reaching out to her and trusting her with something so personal. She wouldn’t let him down. A terrible thought struck her, and she had to hope this newfound openness and forgiveness didn’t go too far. “Please don’t tell me you think I should try to reconcile with my dad.”

He stepped away. “No. What my mother did was selfish, but when I look back, I can see she was never malicious. She got caught in a bad cycle. Your father is simply an atrocious human being. I told you. I’m going to take care of your father. When I say I love you, I mean I’ll protect you. You don’t need walls around me. You don’t need walls anymore because I’ll take care of you. I think I understand what you need now. Tell me, was I right about the characters?”

His voice had gone deep again, his hands on her body. He stroked her as he waited for a reply.

She sighed as his fingers skimmed down her belly and over her *. There was no way to hide it. From the moment he’d touched her, she’d been wet and ready for him. She’d never responded to a man like that before and she knew she never would again. Will was hers. And he was right. “I took what I wanted in my dream man and made him into three brothers. It’s only a fantasy, Will. I fear what real ménage would be like with all the laundry and three men demanding I listen to their work stories. Hopefully they all have jobs. Then they would probably fight over the TV and I would never get to watch The Bachelor.”

He reached up and gave her nipple a nice twist. “Stay with me, sweetheart. So let me get this straight. Your dream man is thoughtful.”

Like he’d been thoughtful. She couldn’t help but smile at him. “Yes. He’s thoughtful. He’s the kind of man who gently maneuvers me into relaxing more.”

His hand was on her *, lightly playing, making her crazy. “So you caught that. Well, I’ll have to be sneakier next time. Bridget, I promise to always think of you, to put your needs before mine.”

He stepped away.

“Hey, already breaking your promise here,” she complained. “Because I am definitely feeling needy.”

He was standing at the table, and when he turned back, he held a set of nipple clamps in his hands. “I fully intend to take care of all your needs, to make you understand that you don’t need three men. The only one you need is right here.”

He dropped to his knees and sucked her nipple into his mouth, tonguing her and making her writhe. He wasn’t playing around. It seemed he meant business. He nipped at her breast, and when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he leaned back and slipped the clamp on.