Master No (Masters and Mercenaries, #9)(29)

“It’s fine now, Faith. You’re safe here. The alarm’s on and I’m not letting anything get in.”

“You’re right. I didn’t thank you properly.”

He stopped. What exactly was she offering him? “If I’m your bodyguard, then I don’t need to be thanked.”

He should take whatever she offered and get them back on track. He could put on his pleasant mask, spread her legs and give her a great ride. In the morning, she would fall into her role and he would play his. He would let her use him for sex, for comfort, to build up her pride. He could do all of it. All he had to do was take what she was willing to give him.

She frowned. “I’m not good at this part. This is the part where the dominance stuff comes in and I really need an alpha partner to take over, but I’m going to try.”

Her face had screwed up sweetly, as though she was determined to get this right. Her seduction techniques lacked subtlety. She walked straight into his arms and sighed as she held him tight. “I’m sorry, Sir. I think today was hard on you, too, and I didn’t do a thing to make it better. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I think after three weeks of talking every day, well…I should have been better. A better sub. A better friend. I’m sorry and I’m truly sorry for how you began your life. No one should feel unwanted. I hope you know you’re wanted now.”

She didn’t rub herself against him or start talking dirty. She held him, her hand stroking a line down his back. She placed her head against his chest and relaxed as though she could do it all night, just stand there and hold him.

What the f*ck was he supposed to do with that?

Women didn’t hug him. They f*cked him. They got what they needed out of him. They didn’t sigh and listen to his heartbeat and try to soothe him.

He waited for her to turn her face up, to offer him her lips, to rub her breasts against him. He understood sex. He knew what he was supposed to do. She did none of those things, simply stood there, holding him until he finally relaxed because there was nothing else to do. He sighed deeply because her warmth seemed to penetrate him and he could smell the lemongrass scent of her hair, feel his breathing synch to hers.

It had been a shitty day. A shitty month. A shitty year. Fuck, it had pretty much been a shitty life, and he couldn’t remember a single time someone offered him comfort in the form of warmth and a heart beating against his. He’d held Phoebe when Jamie died, but he’d focused on her. His rage, his grief had been spent alone. His mourning had no partners.

It was right there. It was right on the tip of his tongue to tell her about his brother, to see what else she could give him.

He pulled away abruptly.

Faith took a step back. “I’m sorry. Was I wrong to do that?”

He forced a smooth smile on his face. “Not at all, darlin’. It’s very sweet of you, but it’s getting late. You should be in bed.”

She grimaced as she looked down at the couch. “You’re not going to fit on that.”

“I’ve slept in worse places.” It was true. He needed to buck up. He’d gotten soft in his old age.

“I could sleep on the couch. I would fit much better than you.”

He wasn’t sure he liked this side of Faith. He preferred the pampered princess. “Nah. I’m good.”

She stood there for a moment, obviously trying to decide what to do next. “The guest bed is pretty big. I assume this is about the bodyguard part, right? You want to put yourself between me and the door. You could do that if we shared the bed. I’m not trying to…well, I’m not saying I wouldn’t, but not tonight. I think I should probably know you better…I don’t know what I’m saying. Tennessee, it’s late and I would like to share my bed with you. Please come to bed.”

He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he found himself being led back to her room, his fingers tangled with hers. He watched her move in front of him. He took in how her luscious ass swayed as she walked, how her back was straight, her head held high. Her dark hair was up in a messy bun. It left the nape of her neck exposed and he couldn’t help but wonder how soft the skin would be there. On all her questionnaires she’d said she liked a bite of pain. He wondered what she would do if he stopped her, pressed her against the wall, and set his tongue and teeth right where her neck met her shoulders. He would lick her, getting her taste on his tongue, and then bite down enough to make her shiver and moan in his arms. Barely enough to leave a mark so he could look at it the next day and remember the night before.

He was suddenly aware of how small she was compared to him. He had to have a half a foot on her and probably a hundred pounds. After what had happened in Ghana, what did it take for her to wrap herself around him like that?

He was fooling himself. She wasn’t like the rest, and saying it over and over again in his head wasn’t going to change the fact. He had to find a way to deal with her. He had to wake up in the morning and put them back on the proper footing.

But tonight, he was going to sleep with her.

She led him into the room she’d taken over. He wondered what her own rooms looked like. He would bet Charlotte had decorated this room. It was pretty and feminine. He’d heard some of the women talking about getting Theo’s house ready. Theo had made the down payment on the house. It was in his name and he planned to live here. It was all supposed to be part of the setup for the op, but Theo was taking serious advantage of his situation.