From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(11)

So why was it getting harder and harder to not think about Kai? To watch him with other subs?

She hated the thought, but it might be time to move on. He was too tempting. Maybe she was hormonal or something. She couldn’t leave now. Erin needed her.

She was about to walk into Kai’s office when she saw the door was open. Kai was talking to someone.

Her heart nearly stopped as she recognized Jared Johns. Flipping Jared Johns was standing in Kai’s office. He was older than she remembered, but time had done nothing to dilute that man’s hotness. He was roughly six three and had the body of a tank that had been designed by Michelangelo. When she’d met him he’d been a kid starting out in the television world. He’d been working on some Canadian soap when she’d told Morgan he would be perfect for Dart.

She might have sworn off going back into that world, but apparently she couldn’t stop it from invading.

Kai looked up. “Hey, Kori. Come on in. I’d like you to meet my brother.”

Brother? Jared Johns was her boss’s brother? She turned and walked away as fast as she could.





CHAPTER TWO





“I was expecting Squirrel.” Kai moved back behind his desk, putting some much needed distance between himself and his brother. Kori was apparently still in the lounge with Erin or she might have announced that they had a guest. He kind of hoped she stayed there for a while. Maybe if she stayed in the ladies’ room long enough, he could avoid introducing her. “Actually, I was surprised to hear his name. Wasn’t he your friend in high school? He’s still hanging around?”

Jared looked good. It was obvious he took his training very seriously. There wasn’t an ounce of fat left on his baby brother. Kai had been through the military, but Jared looked like a warrior with his close-cropped sandy hair and rigid jawline. It was easy to see why he was considered by millions of women to be the hottest man on the planet.

“I’m still friends with most of the guys I hung out with in high school, but Squirrel travels with me. He helps out around the set and does some stuff my personal assistant can’t do.” He was wearing a dark T-shirt and jeans, his shirt tucked in. Aviator sunglasses hung from the pocket of his T. Naturally it was V-neck. Wouldn’t want to hide skin when he could show it off. “Would you have been here if you’d known it was me coming?”

“Of course.” This wasn’t family therapy. It was business and baby brother needed to know that now. “I agreed to the terms of the contract. For the time it takes to produce this film, I’ll meet with you whenever you need.”

Jared shook his head, an entirely unamused chuckle coming out of his mouth. “Contract. You like contracts. Don’t you, Kai?”

Were they going there? “I do indeed. Contracts lay out expectations and everyone knows how to behave. Speaking of contracts, have you looked over the one Wade Rycroft sent you? He’s the…”

Jared reached into the small crossbody bag he’d set down beside him when he’d walked in. He pulled out a stack of papers. He placed it on Kai’s desk and then took the seat previously occupied by Alex McKay. “Manager of Sanctum. I believe he also might be called one of the Doms in Residence. He was hired on a few months ago when the old manager left. From what I understand he’s in charge, though Ian Taggart calls the shots. Here’s the Sanctum contract and yes, I read it.”

The years had given Jared some confidence. He sounded more polished than he had before, stronger, and it was obvious he’d done his homework. “Excellent. Then we can start tomorrow. I’ll expect you at the club at four p.m.”

“Why wait? The club is open tonight. I’ll be in the dungeon. According to that contract and the rather hefty fee I paid for a membership, I’m allowed in during club hours.” He crossed his left leg over his right, sitting back as though ready for a nice long chat.

“Don’t you mean the production company? They paid the fee to get you a temporary pass.”

Jared’s head cocked to the left and his lips ticked up in an arrogant grin. “No, I paid the membership fee and it’s not temporary. I understand that I still have to pass all of Taggart’s tests in order to have Masters rights, but I can come and go as I please for the next year.”

Shit. He’d been absolutely certain this was a six-week thing. Why the hell did Jared need an actual membership? “Won’t you have another movie to film after this? Why would you sink so much money into something you won’t need a few months down the line?”

Jared sighed. “You still have the sanctimonious big brother thing down. First, I’m not filming a movie. I’m filming the new season of Dart. Crescent City won’t save itself.”

“Yes, it needs a superhero who runs around killing bad guys with freaking darts. Guns aren’t good enough for you?”

Jared smiled, the expression lighting up his face. “I’m sure the producer would say it’s a metaphor or something. It looks cool. Who doesn’t want to be a billionaire who was kidnapped by aliens and sent back to his home planet with dart throwing abilities to save the world from criminals? Come on, Kai. You read the comic books, too. It’s fun.”

“I didn’t read them like you did. I had too much to take care of.” Including his younger brother.