Sanctum (Masters and Mercenaries #4.5)(21)

“To obey the Dom.”

“You’re right, at least to my thinking. Not according to Jake and Adam’s wife, though. Those books of hers. Yuck. She seems to think a sub’s first job is to save her Dom because if the sub doesn’t, he’ll end up tied up in contracts and a world without a lick of color in it. It’s all bullshit, but that’s what she says.”

A single moment rushed through her memory.

Ryan walking off the airplane with a bundle of flowers in his hand. How hard had it been to keep them from being crushed? He’d likely had to hold them the whole flight. “They reminded me of your hair. All golds and browns and reds. I couldn’t stop myself.”

He hadn’t trusted her to stand beside him, but then, she’d never promised him she would. She’d been so scared of looking like a fool, but love was more important than pride. More important than being right. More important than anything.

“I can’t let him go.”

Taggart’s head fell back, and he sighed in relief. “Thank God. Does that mean you’ll f*ck him?”

“You’re kind of the worst fairy godmother ever, you know.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you intend to f*ck him?”

He was obnoxious. “Yes.”

Taggart got up and stretched as though this whole exercise had been tiring. “Then I would say I’m pretty f*cking good. But the next time I have to play fairy godmother, I’m shoving a wand up someone’s ass.” He smiled, a wolfish leer. “The good news is, I really like shoving things up a pretty sub’s ass. And after everything you’ve put him through, expect something up yours. That dude hasn’t had sex since you broke up. He’s probably going to be an animal.”

Her whole body lit with excitement because she knew one thing. He was her animal, and it was long past time to claim him.





Chapter Six


Ryan looked around the dungeon, his heart heavy. It was so odd. He’d taken the job because he’d had to and now he was deeply sad that it was time to leave. He felt like he’d walked into the place kicking and screaming and he was leaving the same way.

He glanced back at the bar. He wouldn’t see her working there anymore. He wouldn’t glance over and see her standing there again.

At least he had a decent relationship with Ashley. She’d kept him up to date on Jillian’s progress. She was doing well and would be back at work on Friday. He would be looking for another job. He had a decent amount of money, but he knew damn well it wouldn’t last forever, and now he was planning on paying for Ashley’s school.

It was the only thing that made him feel good. He could help Jillian’s sister. It was a connection.

The lights were low on the stage. It was only left that way when someone was about to perform a serious scene. He hadn’t been given notice that a member was performing this evening. Alex and Eve performed scenes often, as did Liam and Avery. Sean and Grace practiced more privately, as did Jake, Serena, and Adam since she’d gotten pregnant. And that Brit didn’t need a stage. He was tearing through Sanctum like a man on a mission to have as much sex as he possibly could.

So who the hell was sceneing? The last thing he needed was something to go wrong on his final night here.

“Are you ready?” Alex McKay walked up to him, followed by his sub, Eve St. James. McKay was dressed in leathers, pants and a vest and boots. The lovely Eve looked perfect in her corset, thong, and sky-high stilettos.

Ready to leave? No, but admitting it wouldn’t change a thing. “I’m not happy about it, but I’m ready.”

McKay glanced off to the stage. “Not happy? Really? Don’t let her know. I think she planned this out quite carefully.”

“Definitely don’t let her know,” Eve said, staring at the stage. “She’s been out of the lifestyle for so long. The last thing she would want is to find out her Dom isn’t happy with the scene she’s set out.”

“What?” Who the hell were they talking about?

Ian Taggart slapped his shoulder as he came up behind Ryan. “Church, your resignation is not accepted.”

Taggart had tried to talk him out of this once. “You can’t keep me here.”

His eyes trailed to the stage. “No. But I think she can.”

The lights went up and his heart almost stopped. Jillian was in slave position, on her knees, her head submissively down, knees spread wide. And she wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing, nothing but her own gorgeous skin. Her hair shone in the spotlight, bringing out all the golds and reds in her brown locks. They brushed past her shoulders and curled against her breasts.

Just like that his cock stirred to life. Half the time he’d thought the damn thing was dead. In the last year, he hadn’t felt a stir of arousal except for the times he’d thought about her. Until she’d walked back into his office, he’d been a zombie, walking but not living, his heart and cock both dead things.

Oh, but she brought him back to life.

“Do you need another lecture on how sex works?” Taggart asked.

He was so past politeness with that man. He gave his boss his happy middle finger and stalked toward the stage over the laughter that followed. There was always laughter at Sanctum. There was laughter and a deep sense of belonging and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have to leave.