From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(79)

“Shouldn’t that be her decision?”

His shoulders squared and he seemed to grow a damn foot. “No. It’s mine. She needs to stay out of this life. She’ll be happier. I’m sorry, Kori. The last thing I want to do is disappoint you. It’s an actual ache in my gut to do it, but I have to. She deserves better than what they would do to her. They shame anyone who isn’t a size zero negative. I’ve seen them hurt women who are a f*cking size two. No woman can win with them. Sometimes I think they live to hurt people.”

“Shouldn’t she decide if she can handle it?” Sarah was strong. She believed in herself. Sarah was smart and self-sufficient.

“She doesn’t understand what could come for her. Not really. I’ve had several women who understood how bad it could be.”

“Maybe you’ve found not-so-strong women.”

“Maybe, but they taught me. I like Sarah too much to put her in harm’s way. Please come up with a reason she shouldn’t come. If you can’t, I’ll have to ignore her and that’s going to break her in a way I never would. I like her. Please don’t make me hurt her.”

Kori understood him. She got that he was trying to save her from herself, but her heart ached for her friend. And for Jared. It seemed like an awfully lonely life.

The door opened and Kori recognized the young man walking toward the office. He was a patient of Kai’s.

“I’ll think about how to handle it,” she said, standing up. “Maybe I’ll convince her to stay in and watch some movies with me.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess that would work. Though if you don’t come, I can’t imagine Kai would. I’ll leave it in your hands.” Jared turned and walked up the stairs.

Kori walked back to the office to make a call. If she told Sarah she couldn’t go, it would break her friend’s heart. She walked through the door in time to see Case walking out as Kai greeted his patient and allowed him into his office. His eyes found hers as he began to close the door.

Heat flashed through her system because there was promise in those eyes. Was the promise only for now? Did she have a future with him?

She settled in behind her desk, her thoughts on how to handle the Ferguson brothers.





CHAPTER TEN





Kai closed the door that led to the lobby behind his last patient of the day. He now had a couple of hours before he would be expected to go to some dance club where he would likely be the closest thing to an adult in attendance. He hated those places. They made him feel old, but then it wasn’t like he’d frequented them in his younger years.

Maybe he’d been born old.

There was one person who could make him feel young though. One activity that could make him not care about any of the pressure that was building inside him.

“Are you going to lock up?” Kori asked. “Because I was kind of hoping we could have a talk.”

That didn’t sound good. “About what?”

“Tonight.”

Shit. It wasn’t like Kori wanted to go to the nightclub. She loved Sanctum, but other than that, she tended to be a homebody. He’d spent the last couple of nights curled on the couch with her as she watched TV and he read a book. He thought it would annoy him. He didn’t even own a TV, but something about how much it seemed to please her made it all right. He’d even watched one of the mystery shows with her. It hadn’t been half bad. Modern day Sherlock Holmes was a nice way to spend the evening. He’d had to talk her into going to the nightclub with him. “You’ve changed your mind?”

What the hell was he going to do if he didn’t have Kori with him? Would Mia still go? She’d seemed so happy to have a friend going with her.

“I was thinking about staying home and spending some time with Sarah.”

“Why doesn’t she come out with us?” Sarah would be excellent at distracting Kori. The more he thought about it, the better he liked the idea. Sarah might distract Jared, too. The lovely brunette was exactly his brother’s type. That way Kai wouldn’t spend the entire evening thinking about murdering his brother because if it was only Kori and Mia, Jared’s attention would laser focus on Kori. “Sarah loves to dance.”

Kori frowned. “Jared doesn’t want her to come.”

“My brother doesn’t want a pretty, curvy girl around?” Who the hell were they talking about?

“I think he’s worried for her. I also think he’s gotten hurt one too many times.”

“Jared doesn’t get hurt. Jared parties and plays and has fun.” And lies. Lots and lots of lies. His eyes caught on the present he’d sent her earlier today. The bouquet of evil sticks was sitting on her desk for all to see. His girl wasn’t one to hide herself away. She didn’t pretend to be a masochist like other subs he’d met. She was a pretty little pain slut. His pretty pain slut.

Fuck. He was hard again. He’d spent every night since that first scene at her place, making her come as often as he could, and the beast still wasn’t satisfied. He had to admit, it felt good to want someone as much as he wanted her. Craved her. Needed her.

Now.

“I don’t think so, Kai. I don’t think you know him as well as you think you do. He’s changed over the years. Are you serious?” She was staring at his crotch, one brow up over her pretty eyes.