The Dom Who Loved Me (Masters and Mercenaries #1)(59)

“I’m not going anywhere.” Grace pulled away from Adam. Sean was back. He’d come back. And found her kissing another man. That wasn’t good. “Sean, he’s just a friend.”

Sean’s fists were clenched at his sides. Everything about him said “angry man.” It was up to her to soften him. Doms probably didn’t like finding their subs in someone else’s arms. Grace’s hand went to the necklace she was wearing. It might help to point out she was still wearing her collar. She hadn’t had the heart to take it off.

Sean’s eyes flashed down to the little gold heart at her neck and then back to Adam. “Oh, I bet he is, sweetheart. I bet he’s a good friend. You’re not going anywhere with him.”

Sean’s words were icy, but he held his hand out, and Grace took it immediately. She walked from Adam to Sean, placing herself as close to him as she could get. Her hand rested on his chest. She didn’t care that he was cold and wet. A light joy filled her heart. He’d come back. “Of course I’m not going anywhere now that you’re back. Though I should play harder to get than I am. That note was a terrible way to leave me, Sean.”

His eyes stared down, still flinty and cold, but his hand came up and wound its way into her hair. He pulled her head back and crushed her mouth against his. His other hand grabbed her ass and held her to his body, leaving no mistake about his desire. His erection poked her in the belly as his tongue plundered her mouth. Grace let herself go very soft against him. Something was riding her lover, and whether it was catching her with Adam or something that happened in Chicago, she knew he needed this show of dominance.

When he finally came up for air, she touched the line of his jaw. “He really is just a friend. He didn’t mean anything by it.”

“He meant it.” Sean ground the words out.

Adam’s face was flushed. “Of course I did, Grace. I care about you. I care about you a hell of a lot more than Sean does. He gave you to me. Do you understand? He chose to leave you and then told Jake that we had his blessing to sleep with you.”

“Now is not the time or the place to question my rights to my sub.” Sean took a step toward Adam, and Grace wondered if she was going to have to stop a fight. What was wrong with Adam?

Adam didn’t seem to have a sense of self-preservation. Grace could feel the pent-up violence in her Dom, but Adam just moved closer. “Oh, really? Your sub? Don’t you mean slave, Tag? Sean Taggart doesn’t have a girlfriend. He takes a slave. You should know he never keeps one for long, Grace.”

“Jake, if you don’t want your friend to end up in a shallow grave in East Texas, I suggest you get him to shut up.” Sean growled the order.

Jacob Dean’s head swung from one man to the other. “Are you seriously going to do this here? We need to go. Adam, hold your tongue before you make an idiot of yourself. He’s back. She’s made her choice. As for you, you f*cking Neanderthal, can we get her to a safe place before you tattoo your ‘property of’ sign across her ass?”

There was too much going on. About three thousand questions slammed through Grace’s head as Sean’s hand tightened on hers. He started to drag her toward a row of vehicles. What were the men talking about? They were speaking in some shorthand she didn’t understand. It made no sense. They barely knew each other. They had only met when Grace had introduced them a few days before. And who the hell was Sean Taggart?

Grace dug her three-inch J Renee heels in and pulled back. It was time to get some answers. “Stop. Why are they calling you ‘Sarge’ and ‘Taggart’? And how do you know them? Why do I need to go to a safe place?”

Sean’s face was set in fierce lines when he turned to her. If he hadn’t had such a tight hold on her hand, she would have backed away from what she saw there. “Obey me. Get in the car.” He gestured toward a monstrous SUV and tossed his keys through the air. Jake’s hand came up and caught it. “You drive.”

Grace didn’t move. Sean’s eyes narrowed on her. “I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me what’s going on.”

“You are wearing my collar, Grace. You will obey me.”

She felt a stubborn look cross her face, her mouth firming, her eyes settling into a steely gaze. “You said that was just for the bedroom, Sean. We’re not in the bedroom. I want some answers.”

Instead of being reasonable, Sean simply leaned over and grabbed her, tossing her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. Grace felt her world upend and dropped her briefcase as she was held firmly against Sean’s shoulder. “I changed my mind. You’ll obey me, or there will be hell to pay. I’m doing this to protect you, little one. The next several hours will go much more easily if you do everything I tell you. The first order of the day is complete obedience. You will look to me for guidance during the interrogation, and you will not lie. I discover one lie that crosses those sweet lips of yours and you’ll be over my knee. I won’t hold back. I swear you won’t want to sit down for a week after I’m done.”

“Interrogation? What kind of game are you playing, Sean? I don’t want any part of it.” Why was someone going to interrogate her? She was starting to get frightened. Her playful Dom was gone, and in his place was a cold, aggressive predator. The predator looked hungry, and Grace was afraid she was lunch.