The Dom Identity (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 2)

Michael had been lovely. He’d been generous. “He didn’t seem to know who I am. Is that going to be a problem?”

Would he find out who she really was and turn on her? It wouldn’t be the first time. After George died, a lot of people had turned on her. The minute they’d realized they had to choose between her and George Jr., they’d left her quickly. She’d found herself in a house that had once been staffed by seven all alone.

Then she’d had no home at all and no money.

“He knows you work for me. I’m not sure what else Julian would have told him. Sometimes it’s best for the relationship to develop organically,” Dani said.

That was what she’d been afraid of. “He should have been told.”

“I don’t think he’s going to care. If you want to tell him about your past, I think you should, but it doesn’t mean anything for the training relationship.” Dani went quiet for a moment. “Unless you like him.”

Oh, she wasn’t going there. “I’m spending at least six weeks with this man.”

There was another moment of quiet. “You do like him. You’re attracted to him. Oh, honey, I don’t know how smart that is. His family situation…it’s complex. Maybe I can find another training partner.”

She couldn’t have that happen. Even if Dani was right. It could take weeks to find another partner, and she’d already wasted a couple of months. The trail was cooling every minute she wasn’t in that club. “I don’t want another top. I do find him attractive. I’m not looking at this the right way. All the crap with Ashton is affecting me. Rejection hurts, and I worry about it a lot. I know this is a relationship with an end date. I don’t need or want anything serious right now.”

“He won’t reject you,” Dani assured her. “And if you’re attracted to him and he’s attracted to you, there’s nothing wrong with exploring. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

She wasn’t sure she could be hurt anymore. So much of the time she felt numb.

Except for today. Today when she’d sat on his lap and his hands had been on her, she’d felt. When she’d lain back against him, she’d felt a peace flow through her she hadn’t had in…maybe never. In that moment she hadn’t had to think at all. Her mind was always full of worry, always churning with the worst-case scenario. But in that moment all she’d thought about was how nice it had been to lean on him as her blood thrummed through her system.

She might be able to have more of that if Dani was right and all he wanted was to get access to The Club and have a nice training relationship. Six weeks. She could handle the situation in six weeks.

Maybe Julian would be happy she’d found the dangerous person at his club. Maybe she would be able to stay. Maybe she could find a place for herself in this nice world she’d grown to like.

A shadow moving out of the corner of her eye brought her straight back to reality.

There was a reason she hadn’t gone to Julian.

“I know the score,” Vanessa promised. “He’s a lovely man, and he seems very nice. I think he’ll make this training period very comfortable for me.”

“And when you’re done, I can introduce you to some tops I think might work well for you,” Dani began.

She likely wouldn’t actually finish the training. She wasn’t sure why she’d had that brief moment of positivity, but it was over now because she could hear a quiet knock.

“Dani, I have another call coming through,” she said.

“Of course. I’ll see you in the morning. We can talk some more then. Good night.” Dani hung up.

Vanessa set her phone down and moved back into the living room.

She had most of the lights off for the same reason she always made sure the car was in the garage. She didn’t want anyone to know she was home, but this was one visitor she wouldn’t keep out. Couldn’t really since she still had a key.

She glanced out the curtain covering the window in the door that led to the backyard, and sure enough, there was a slender figure standing there, body covered in leggings and a hoodie, the hint of dark hair coming from under the hood.

She opened the door. “Hey, Ruby. How was your day?”

Ruby Lockwood lived three doors down, and the young woman had formed a friendship with Nicki over the years they’d been neighbors.

Ruby sighed and moved through the open door, her ever-present laptop in her hands. “Same old, same old. Went to class. Came home. Didn’t conform to the norms so Mom is silently seething. Fun times, man.”

Ruby’s homelife wasn’t the greatest. “Did you eat dinner?”

She shrugged. “Not all that hungry. Mom’s on a no-carbs kick. She told me there was a salad in the fridge if I wanted something, but no actual dressing, so there’s that. She’s using some kind of oil on it. Ick.”