Master No (Masters and Mercenaries, #9)(47)

“Of course you will. You don’t give up on anything do you, Theo Taggart?” Erin asked in a low voice.

“Not anything that counts,” he agreed before brushing his lips over hers.

“I love watching them together,” a soft voice whispered in his ear.

Faith. She was standing next to him and he’d been watching Theo, trying to figure out what the hell was going through that boy’s brain. Erin was trouble. Falling for anyone was trouble, but Erin Argent was more trouble than most.

So why did Theo grin like a loon when she walked into a room?

Why had Jamie done the same with Phoebe? Sometimes he wondered if Jamie and Phoebe would take it back had they known what would happen. Would Phoebe have spared herself the agony of loving James Grant if she’d known he would die?

Ten kind of thought he would. The ache still felt fresh sometimes, like Jamie had died yesterday and Ten was still searching for his brother’s body. Like he’d just found it and realized how little the universe cared. Jamie had been tossed away like a piece of trash, like he hadn’t mattered.

A hand found his, warmth drawing him back into the real world. When he looked down, Faith was staring solemnly up at him.

“Can I help you, Master?”

Just once he wanted to give in. It was only one night. “Kiss me, Faith.”

She didn’t hesitate. She went up on her toes and placed her lips on his, her hands cupping his face like he was something precious, and somehow it washed away the dirt from his mind. Somehow when she kissed him, he could forget about everything but her warmth, her sweetness.

Maybe a few days. It looked like she wasn’t involved with the mob. It didn’t mean she wasn’t dirty, but it did mean the jury was out and he could fool himself.

Other voices cautioned him not to. His adopted father’s voice blared out a warning. His own voice reminded him that the sweetest-looking woman could turn deadly.

And then there was Jamie’s voice deep inside.

You go, Tennessee. You take her and don’t f*cking let her go. Take the chance.

God, he hadn’t heard Jamie’s voice in his head in years. All he would see when he closed his eyes was Jamie’s dead body, left for the vultures. But in that moment, in the fraction of a minute when Faith pressed her lips against him, he could see his brother on Jamie’s wedding day.

I’ll do this for you one day. You just watch.

When she eased back down, he realized he wasn’t ready. Not for that kiss to be over. He reached out and dragged her close, loving how small she was against him. She was a lovely handful, but small compared to him. She was someone he could protect, could hold close and be a barrier between her and the rest of the shitty world.

For a little while.

He devoured her, not playing around. He let his hands find her hair. For these few weeks she was his. His sub. His girl. His to play with and f*ck and protect and pretend that he was normal for once.

Her mouth opened for his, allowing him in and welcoming him with the silky glide of her tongue. Heat suffused him and his hands were suddenly in motion. He couldn’t stay still. He needed to touch her, to slide his palms over her curves and know that every inch of this woman belonged to him.

For now.

A masculine chuckle shattered his focus and brought him back to the real world. He broke off their kiss, but settled Faith securely in his arms before looking over at Knight.

“You know there are privacy rooms, chap.” Knight’s smirk told him a lot.

The men he worked with were going to give him hell about this one.

So let ’em. Let them joke, Tennessee. It’s all in good fun. You know you would rib them about not being able to take their hands off the hottest, sweetest sub in the club. Jealous bastards.

He kind of liked hearing Jamie’s voice again.

He settled down. There weren’t many scenes up and running yet. It was the time of the night when they greeted each other and talked before hitting the dungeon floor. It was a time to anticipate the evening. He pulled Faith down onto his lap, settling his hand on her knee. She curled up against him as though she belonged there, as though this was just what they did.

“We’ll get there eventually, Knight.” He noticed Markovic had left quickly, taking the British beauty with him. They would disappear since he would go back to working on the island in a few days. Faith wouldn’t remember ever seeing the Russian.

Her eyes had been on Ten the whole time.

A good girl should be rewarded. He let his hand travel up to her thigh. He didn’t have to be a gentleman here. Here she belonged to him.

“So tell me about business, Knight. How’s it going?” Ten began asking innocuous questions, nothing that would give up their covers. Knight could talk about operating the London office and it wouldn’t tip off Faith.

The truth was always the best cover.

Faith sighed and nuzzled his neck sweetly. His free hand moved on her hair.

The truth was he liked having her close. The truth was he could sink into this cover and maybe never want to come back out.

He would. He would get what he needed from her and come out on the other side, but for the first time he wondered if he could have it all. If Faith wasn’t dirty, then perhaps proving her father was would rightfully devastate her. She would need someone then.

She would need her lover to comfort her.

Tennessee Smith suddenly knew one thing. He intended to be that man.