You Only Love Twice (Masters and Mercenaries #8)(46)

Li grinned, the smile making him look younger than normal. “I bet she could find a way. The Agency likes their operatives to be wily ones.” He sobered slightly. “So why isn’t she really down here? Are you not getting on now that she doesn’t cry at the drop of a hat?”

“She didn’t cry that much and we’re getting along all right.” When he really thought about it, the last several days had been peaceful. He’d enjoyed her company, and she’d actually talked to him. The night before they’d had something called osso buco, and she’d drank some of the wine Sean had brought and Jesse had enjoyed a beer. They’d sat in front of the fire in Kai’s living room and talked about where they grew up. Jesse had told her about Wyoming and she’d talked about horse country in Virginia. She’d even talked a bit about her husband and some of the trouble they’d gotten into as teens. “I like her.”

“I could tell. You know, I’m glad my wife understood why I did what I did. We wouldn’t be together if she’d taken a hard line against men who met her under false pretenses. Unlike Chelsea, who curses the poor woman’s very name, I understand the position Phoebe was in. Yes, she lied, but it was her job. All I’m saying is if you want the girl, get her. Don’t be afraid the rest of us are going to think poorly of you or that we won’t accept her. I guarantee this will be nothing but a tale to tell your kiddos one day. Go upstairs and coax her down. She’ll see it’s not so bad.”

He wanted her. His need to seduce and dump her had lasted an entire night. When he’d woken up next to her that first morning, she’d been curled up against him and all of his badassed revenge had gone up in smoke. That was who he was. He was surrounded by men who understood what vengeance meant, but he was a puppy begging for affection. He was exactly what the Caliph had called him. A dog. Dumb. Loyal when he shouldn’t be. He shook his head. “No, she’s fine where she is. She’s nervous about the BDSM stuff. We went over the contract and I explained how things work in the dungeon, but she decided it wasn’t for her. She’s going to read or something.”

“Little chicken,” Li said, taking another beer from the bartender. “If there was ever a woman who needed some dominance, it’s that one. Scared of her own shadow. She could use some discipline.”

“She was only pretending to be skittish, Li.”

“Perhaps, but I think it’s interesting that she chose that persona to hide behind. You know as well as I do that it’s best to stick close to your own self when going undercover. She decided to be the girl everyone worried about, the girl all the other women tried to protect. That says something about her.”

He hadn’t thought of it that way. “She was raised in foster care until she was a teen.”

“There you go. That makes sense then. She spent her whole life taking care of herself. She chose to be a person who needed to be protected. Do you understand?”

Jesse shook his head. “I don’t understand a damn thing about her.”

“Well, that’s because she’s a woman. I love my Avery, but I rarely understand why she does the things she does. I only know that I’ll do anything at all to make sure she keeps doing them. That woman’s a mystery to me and I won’t ever finish solving her.”

Phoebe was completely a mystery. So was his reaction to her. Not one single dream. He’d slept better than he ever had. He didn’t even wake up when she rolled out of bed. It was incomprehensible to him.

Li looked up, his eyes widening slightly. “Well, it looks like you were wrong about her.”

Jesse followed his line of sight and his jaw damn near dropped.

Phoebe walked into the bar wearing the clothes he’d put out for her earlier that day. He’d laid them out with very little hope that he’d see her in them. A scarlet corset sat over a tiny spandex miniskirt that revealed far more than it covered. He’d left out the fishnet hose that had come with the outfit because he would rather see her legs. Her feet were bare, showing off the way her toes were painted a hot pink.

“Hi.” She stepped up to the bar. “Can I have one or is that something just for the Doms?”

Li eased off his barstool. “I’ll leave you two. Phoebe, you look lovely.”

She frowned. “Really?”

“Really. Welcome to Sanctum. Jesse, don’t let that one get too far away. Every unattached Dom in the place will be after her.” Li nodded toward the dungeon. “Big Tag is here with Charlotte. He’s doing some kind of exhibition where he spins around floggers like a bloody baton twirler. What’s the world coming to?”

Jesse sort of, kind of realized Li was walking away. His whole focus was on the woman in front of him. “You can have a drink. I suggest one before and one after.”

“After?” She tugged at her skirt as she tried to get on the barstool. “Does this have to be so short?”

“If you don’t like it I could exchange it for a thong.” He thought he’d been pretty damn kind to give her a sort of skirt.

“That’s worse.” She cursed under her breath.

He slid off his barstool, picked her up, and set her down. “There. Better?”

She wiggled a little, obviously trying to find some modesty. She finally settled on crossing her legs and looked as prim and proper as a woman in a corset could. “Not really. You couldn’t have given me some undies?”