Just One Taste (Topped #2)(4)

So he’d hit a wall here. When he couldn’t go through a wall, he went around it. “Thank you, sir. I’ll contact Ian on my own.”

Sean rolled his eyes. “God save me from freaking upstanding SEALs. You’ve already got Deena. I would have made sure of it, but Kai put you two together, which means he thinks you’re a good match. Actually, so do I. I think she needs someone like you in her life. She needs someone who can be patient with her. I was worried when I found out she’d taken the Sanctum offer.”

“She’s curious. I think she believes she’s going to go out there and sow some wild oats, but she’ll end up getting hurt.”

“She’s not the kind of woman who can have a string of one-night stands and come out of it whole,” Sean agreed. “She’s a one-man woman who happened to get the wrong man and now she’s determined to change. It could go seriously wrong.”

“I don’t intend to allow that to happen.” He had plans and being Deena’s Dom was the perfect way to set them in motion. Patience. In his SEAL team, he’d been the best sniper because he could sit motionless for hours at a time. One assignment he’d stayed in his perch for a week before taking out his target. He’d smelled like hell at the end and sometimes he was sure his spine had been permanently messed up, but he’d gotten the job done.

He would get this one done too. After all, this was the most important mission of his life. This was the rest of his life. He’d served his country and now he wanted his prize. Her.

Sean stood and held out his hand. “I’m glad to hear it. But whatever you do don’t tell my brother you intend to steal that girl. This whole program is about bringing in singles because everyone is pairing off and he’s got Doms who need subs to play with. So don’t mention the whole ‘you’re in love with her’ thing.”

Eric felt a grin slide across his face as he shook his boss’s hand. He wouldn’t admit it, but getting Sean’s approval was important to him. He would still have gone after Deena, but he was damn happy to know he had Sean’s blessing. “Not only will I not tell Big Tag, I think I’ll keep it from Deena for a while.”

“You know, I would have thought you would fight the whole love thing.”

Not at all. He hadn’t even thought about fighting it. When he’d seen her, gotten close to her, he’d known she was the one. “I’m not a stupid man. I’ve seen some bad shit. I know a good thing when it comes along and I’ve learned that good things are worth fighting for.”

And tonight, he started the real fight of his life.





“What is up with Eric? He’s in a weird mood tonight.” Deena locked her purse up and turned to Tiffany, hoping and praying that her friend couldn’t tell that she felt all flushed and anxious because merely being in the same room with that man was enough to get her hormones flowing. Yes, being near the man did that to her and then he’d gone and called her sweetheart in that deep as night voice of his. She’d damn near had an orgasm right there.

Could the sound of a man’s voice cause her womb to spasm? It seemed to.

Tiffany looked in the mirror of the employee lounge and smoothed down her hair. Her hands had small flecks of paint still on them, as though she’d gotten up from her easel to come to work, which she very likely had done. She was an artist and she painted every chance she got. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Eric is a tiny bit protective.”

She leaned against the locker and tried not to think about how hot he’d looked. Or how he’d made her feel when he’d called her sweetheart. “I suppose, though he should stick to the kitchen. He doesn’t understand what goes on in the front of house. He should keep his nose out of it.”

His gorgeous, masculine nose that went so well with his face and his ridiculously large body.

She had to remind herself of all the reasons she wasn’t getting involved with him. A—She wasn’t getting involved with anyone. She was so over involvement. B—He was too much. Too gorgeous. Too masculine. Too sexy. She couldn’t keep Eddie around. There was no way she would be able to satisfy a man like Eric Vail. C—She didn’t play where she worked.

She pretty much didn’t play at all, but now that she was going to, it wouldn’t be with a man she had to work with. Especially not the sous chef. If it came down to a choice, there was zero question who would win. Servers were easy to find. Eric’s brisket was not.

Tiffany’s eyes widened. “I wouldn’t say that around the man if I were you. You know you’re going to have to watch that if you’re going to survive the training program.”

A little thrill went through her. It all started tonight. “Watch what? And I think I can handle the training program. I’m looking forward to it.”

She’d been counting the days since she’d been accepted. When Grace Taggart had explained that Sanctum was taking new trainees and they would allow Top employees to train in exchange for later work at the club, she’d jumped at the chance. Sanctum was the single most exclusive club in Texas. It wasn’t something she could ever afford and now all she had to do was wait tables once a week and she got a membership? Count her in.

Maybe, just maybe, she could find an outlet, have some fun. Maybe she could find a lover. Oh, not a lover as in she would love him. She was totally done with that. But someone she could try sex with. Put her toe back in that deep, scary pond she’d nearly drowned in.