The Dom Identity (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 2)

“No worries there, love. You come quite nicely,” he said with a chuckle. His hand slid out of her pants. “I barely managed not to come myself. I think we can safely say the chemistry between us is fine.”

“Are you really lonely?” All of her walls were down. She would build them back up in a moment, knew better than to walk out of that door without her armor. But sitting here with him, she felt safe and wanted to know the truth.

“I am very lonely, Vanessa,” he replied quietly. “I have started to think that I might not have the family I wanted. Want. But you should understand that I’m not using this position to try to build anything more than a friendship right now.”

His words soothed her. “Me either, Sir. I’m not ready for any kind of a romantic relationship, but it would be nice to have a friend.”

“And a couple of orgasms wouldn’t hurt.”

“No, they wouldn’t, Sir.” She started to move, but he held her.

“Sit with me for a while,” he commanded, holding her close.

She lay back and let herself enjoy the moment for once.

This could work out.

Hope.

It was the most dangerous emotion of all.

* * * *

Half an hour later, Michael held the door open for Vanessa after hustling to move around the table before she could flee on her own.

Not flee, exactly. It wasn’t like she’d run, but it was also clear to him that she wasn’t used to the courtesies she would find at The Club.

She stopped, and her eyes came up, looking at him through thick lashes. “I’m sorry. I suppose you’re going to be doing all kinds of gentlemanly things.”

She was a gorgeous woman, and she’d been hot as hell in his arms. He had to give it to her. The “I’ve never had an orgasm” act worked well on him. For a hot minute, he’d even believed her.

Vanessa was a dangerous woman, and he had to remember that because she was also a siren. That fragility of hers called to his every protective instinct, and now she looked the part. There was nothing hard about her. She was soft on every level, and it would be easy to forget that the woman knew how to play a man. She’d certainly figured him out quickly.

The whole conversation had been one long circling of two fighters, poking and prodding and looking for weaknesses.

“There are protocols in The Club, and one of them is a Dominant partner shows every courtesy to his or her sub. How we choose to behave in the outside world is up to us, but I would be looked on poorly if I didn’t open the door for you. One of my jobs is to make life comfortable for you,” he replied. It was true at Sanctum as well, though Sanctum was less rigid about protocol. In some ways Sanctum was a rave and The Club a Victorian tea party with sex on the menu.

“I’ll remember that.” Her generous lips curled up slightly, and she held the sides of her cardigan together as though she felt vulnerable. “Thank you for an illuminating afternoon, Sir. I look forward to our next session.”

“As do I.” He watched her walk down the carpeted hallway, studying the sway of her hips. Her whole body seemed to have responded to the physical pleasure he’d brought her. Her shoulders had come down from around her ears, and there was a soft feminine energy about her that had replaced the anxiety he’d sensed before.

Had that anxiety vanished because she’d figured out how to play him? Because she felt comfortable she could control him now?

Or was she exactly what she presented herself to be?

The very fact that he was asking the question gave him pause.

She turned down the hallway that would take her back to the elevators and he could breathe again.

Fuck. He wanted her, and that was something he hadn’t expected. He’d known she was attractive, but the actual woman was different than he’d imagined. His cock still ached from her squirming on his lap, from the breathy gasps he’d elicited from her. She could fake both of those things, but not the slick arousal that had coated his fingers as he’d stroked her pussy.

After they’d sat together for a moment, he’d excused himself to clean up while she got her questions together. He’d gone to the bathroom and had to masturbate in order to get his head on straight. He could practically hear Big Tag giving him a lecture for jerking off on the job. That’s what he should have done. He should have pictured Big Tag offering him a condom. It was the single unsexiest thing in the world.

It was merely the fact that it had been a while for him. That was what he told himself. It wasn’t the woman, merely that he’d reached a level of horniness he hadn’t felt in a long time.