Dungeon Games (Masters and Mercenaries #6.5)(32)

Somehow the idea of Derek walking around with a duster in his hand made her giggle. “I had no idea how handy you were. I kind of thought you would have some sub do that for you. Aren’t you looking for a slave?”

His smile faltered. “Yes, well we know that’s nothing you’re interested in. If we’re going to survive this I have to be a little less rigid. Besides, I guess I never really thought about that part. I wasn’t trying to find a maid. I’ve cleaned up after myself for a long time.”

Then what exactly was he expecting his chosen sub to do all day if she wasn’t keeping house? It wasn’t forever, but he was right. They needed some rules if they were going to share her very small space. She just needed to be able to get her eyes off his chest long enough to think about what a good rule would be. Maybe he shouldn’t walk around shirtless so she didn’t turn into a drooling idiot every time he entered the room.

“What do you say?” Derek asked. “I’ll even put together that bookshelf you shoved into the front closet.”

She groaned a little. “All the instructions are in Swedish. I’m not very handy.”

“I am. I think you’ll find me very handy to have around. Do we have a deal?”

He must be really hungry. “Yes. Now if you give me a sec, I’ll shower and get breakfast going.”

“We have plenty of time. Now for the second part of our deal. Drop the sheet. I want to see you.”

“What?”

“I want to see your breasts. I want to see your legs. Hell, I want to see your toes, gorgeous. I want to see the way your skin looks in the morning light because I dreamed about it all last night. That’s right. My dreams are usually shitty, but last night I dreamed about f*cking you and I slept like a baby. So drop the sheet and show me.”

Last night seemed like a dream. “Derek, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Just play with me. Sleep with me. Be with me for a week, maybe two. Think of it as a vacation from where you usually are. I don’t know about you, but I’m lonely. I would really like to take a vacation from being alone even if it’s just for a little while. Hell, I’ll be honest. I want you more than I want my next breath. I just…can’t we just be for a while?”

If he’d pushed her, if he’d talked about f*cking or screwing around or even called it sex, she might have been able to get up and walk away. His words had begun an ache that pierced through her because she hadn’t really known how lonely she’d been until he’d kissed her. He might be using her as a stand-in for his perfect submissive, but she knew that the only reason he could fill the void was because he was Derek.

Karina let the sheet drop.

“Lie back. Spread your legs for me. I know you’re going to cook, but I’m hungry now. I’m so f*cking hungry for you.” He dropped his towel and crawled on the bed.

Karina laid back, her eyes closing as he did exactly what he’d promised and ate his fill.





Chapter Seven



Derek looked out over the club and thanked the universe he’d met Ian Taggart. Not just for the fact that the son of a bitch was loyal as f*ck and had saved his life but also because the dude hired a cleaning staff. Sanctum was always clean.

He was pretty sure there were no maids on call at Kink. The place had a distinctly industrial feel crossed with what he believed a back alley looked like after the trash truck crashed and burned.

“Are you okay, hon?” Karina put a hand on his back.

She was the prettiest thing in the room with her emerald green corset setting off her gorgeous skin. And she smelled clean. God, he really liked clean. He put an arm around her waist and brought her close, breathing in the smell of her shampoo. Two days into sleeping with her and the scent of lavender got him hard every time he caught a whiff.

“I’m fine. Tell me about the people you’ve met here.”

She seemed to already know everyone. From what he understood, she’d been coming here for only a couple of weeks. The way she explained it, she’d started visiting the club as part of a case. She’d been hired by the mother of the second victim. He’d met her when he’d followed Karina around for a day. He’d been surprised at her office. It was small and cheap. Her clients had been a revelation as well. He’d expected her to work for corporate types but it seemed she mostly focused her attention on the underprivileged. In addition to taking two cases he was pretty sure she wouldn’t be paid for, she found a couple of homeless men shelter and managed to scare the shit out of a guy who’d been stalking his ex-wife and kid.

Yeah, he’d gotten a hard-on watching her do that, too.

She came in close, brushing her chest against his. “The woman in the back is called Starr, not her real name. Her Dom is Master Will. He’s actually quite reasonable. From what I’ve uncovered, she’s a receptionist and he’s an EMT with the city. I’m pretty sure she’s cheating on him with the guy behind the bar.”

He glanced at the bartender. He was wearing leathers, but Derek would bet they were strictly for show. “Why do you think that?”

The faintest hint of a smile crossed her lips. “Mostly because I caught them f*cking in the bathroom.”

Derek frowned. “Well, if it’s anything like the rest of the place, they probably have Ebola now.”