Cherished: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

by Lexi Blake

  He didn’t know how to explain it to her. He was being stubborn and he’d put himself in a corner. She wouldn’t believe him if he simply said the words. They didn’t mean anything to him, but they seemed to mean the world to her. If he’d said them back to her at the beginning, they wouldn’t be in this place.

  He had to find a way to make her believe they could work because his whole soul rejected the idea of walking away from her. He was incapable of doing it. Somehow, this whole short-term affair that was supposed to get her out of his system had turned into something he needed to survive.

  His tablet caught his eye. The hotel had Wi-Fi. Bridget’s books were all over the Internet. His sister’s words played through his head.

  I was reading her before you started dating her. I love her stuff. She’s funny and she has a lot to say about what a woman deserves. I guess really it’s about what people deserve out of a relationship.

  If he wanted to seduce Bridget into staying with him, maybe he should read what she considered romantic. She’d kind of written whole books about what she thought was sexy.

  About what she wanted out of a relationship.

  He picked up the tablet, downloaded the first book, and started to read.

  When his cell trilled, he started. The world had been so quiet for hours, but now he could see the sun was starting to come up. He looked down at the number and his heart clenched a little.

  Gatesville. His mom was using her weekly call.

  He supposed it was almost noon back in Texas.

  He didn’t even think about letting it go. It was kismet. He didn’t believe in a lot of spiritual crap, but he’d figured out a few things during the long night. He’d figured out that the only way to keep Bridget was to freaking love her, and the only way to do that was to let go of all the shit holding him back.

  “Will you accept a call…”

  “Yes, please.”

  There was a click and then his mother’s voice came over the line. “William?”

  She sounded surprised but then she probably was. He’d stopped taking her calls a long time ago. “Mother.”

  There was a little gasp. “It’s really good to hear your voice.” A sniffling sound came over the line. “Really good. How are you, son?”

  “I’m not going to have some long discussion with you, Mother. I’m going to make you an offer and you can take or leave it. I will take your calls as long as you attend AA meetings and make a pledge to go to rehab when you get out. I will pay for the best rehab possible and the girls and I will come and visit you as long as you are sober and stay out of trouble.”

  “I’ve been sober for two years, Will.” Her voice cracked. “I’m scared I won’t be when I get out of here. I know you can’t believe me but I want to stay clean.”

  He was surprised at the tears that sparked behind his eyes. “Then I’ll help you.”

  There was a long pause. “Why? Why would you do that?”

  “Because you’re my mother. Because you brought me into this world and I think I’m finally grateful for that. I’m on vacation with my girlfriend, Mom, but I’ll come down and see you when I get back and we’ll talk.”

  They hung up a few minutes later, and it felt as though a massive weight had lifted off his shoulders. She might disappoint him again, but he’d done everything he could.

  Would Bridget be proud of him?

  Would Bridget believe him when he told her what he’d figured out some time in those long hours of the night?

  He got to his feet, feeling more alive than he had in forever. A plan quickly formed in his head and he was eager to get started.

  He would make her believe.

  Chapter Eleven

  Bridget sighed as she looked around the brunch gathering. All girls. No boys allowed so not a chance to get a glimpse of Will. Of course that seemed to be the way things were going today. When she’d gotten up he’d been nowhere to be found. He’d left a note that said he’d be back later and that was all.

  Had he had a change of heart? She wouldn’t blame him. It would be for the best. She wished he’d stuck around to tell her. He’d taken her to bed. He’d asked her not to give up on him, but somehow the night before had felt like good-bye.

  “Hey, grumpy.” Serena slid into the chair beside her. “You look like you’re going to a funeral and not a wedding. Have a Bellini.”

  She didn’t feel like drinking. She figured she needed to be sober to go the next round with Will. At some point he would show up. He wouldn’t leave no matter how difficult she’d been. He’d still be kind to her even as he was leaving. “I’ll pass. Sorry about the grumpy. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

  Serena grinned. “Did Will keep you up? I have to say, I was nervous about the two of you getting together. He seemed distant and that’s not what you need.”

  Maybe he’d seemed that way in the beginning, but from the moment she’d said yes to him, there hadn’t been a lot of space between them. “He isn’t distant. Not most of the time. Most of the time he’s on top of me.”

  Serena laughed, her eyes lighting up. “I know. Isn’t that great? You two look good together. Sometimes it takes the right woman to bring a man out of his shell. That man used to be cold. I believe in all the time he’s been at Sanctum he’s said two words to me, and then he starts dating you and he’s always opening doors for me when my guys aren’t around. The poor man carried all my crap up to my room yesterday. Tristan was being a wiggle worm and I couldn’t handle the bag, my purse, and my laptop bag. But no problem. Super Doc to the rescue. Then he came in and took a look at Tristan for me because he was running a slight fever and I was nervous. Apparently Tristan’s starting to teethe. Will told me to let him chew on something cold and he stopped crying. He still remembers his rotation in Peds.”

  “He’s a nice guy.” He was a nice guy and she was a woman with a bad attitude. Could they have lasted longer if she hadn’t brought him here where her family problems seemed to have pushed her over the edge?

  Serena sat back, regarding her. “I don’t think you understand what I’m saying. He hasn’t been that nice. Oh, according to club gossip, he’s really good in bed, but he never spends a whole night with any of his lovers and he’s usually done with them after one go. He’s never rude but always cold. He takes the D/s very seriously. It’s why I was worried. I thought you would have a problem with an über Dom.”

  He liked to spank her, but that was just play. “Will? He’s not a super Dom. He never truly tops me except in the bedroom. He’s the kind of guy who gently suggests. He wanted me to stop working at night. How crazy is that? He seems to think that I need down time. So he started rubbing my feet, but only if I wasn’t typing. Does that sound like an über Dom?”

  “How often have you worked at night in the last two weeks?” Serena asked the question with a sly grin on her face.

  “I…” Holy shit. She’d stopped. She sat with him now. He didn’t even have to rub her feet anymore. She set the computer aside when he came home. “I don’t. Damn him. He trained it out of me.”

  Serena nodded. “Sneaky Dom. He’s totally changed his approach because he figured out what you need. Most Doms aren’t so adaptable. I thought it was going to be a train wreck, but he totally loves you.”

  That was where she was wrong. “He doesn’t. He’s made that very plain.”

  “He said he doesn’t love you? Or he hasn’t said anything yet? It’s early. Guys can be dumb.”

  “And so can I. I said the words. He very gently explained that he couldn’t return them.”

  “Are you kidding me? He said he couldn’t love you?” Serena’s face took on that expression she got whenever her loved ones where threatened. Bridget liked to think of it as her “Momma Bear” expression. She needed to shut that shit down or Serena would be cornering poor Will.

  “He told me he doesn’t believe in the word, and you know what that means. It’s okay. It’s not going to work long term. I didn’t go into this expecti
ng to find the love of my life.” That was the way it had worked out though.

  Serena relaxed. “Oh, good. He’s just stupid then.”

  “He’s not stupid,” Bridget shot back. “He’s one of the smartest men I’ve ever met. Hello, brain surgeon. He’s just…I don’t know. He needs someone different.”

  Serena groaned. “Get your self-esteem in check, Eeyore, because I’m calling bullshit. I’ve seen how he looks at you and how’s he’s changed his whole life for you. If he’s saying he doesn’t believe in love it’s because he’s a dumbass, and you can’t hold that against him. It would be really mean to dump him because he’s emotionally stupid.”

  “Serena, you don’t understand.”

  “I am married to Jacob Dean. Trust me. I understand emotionally stupid men. Now, I am also married to my gorgeous drama king, Adam, so it all…I was going to say it all works out but it’s more like grand and beautiful chaos. And that’s kind of what love is really. Trust me. I’ve been watching him with you.” Her hand slid over Bridget’s with a comforting squeeze. “You took care of me for years. I want you happy. Don’t let a single word screw things up. What you call love, he might call devotion.”

  Bridget shook her head. “Teamwork. He called it good teamwork.”

  Serena gasped and seemed to share in Bridget’s disdain. “Oh, that is horrible. I’ll have Adam work on him. The man does know how to use his words. Luckily, Jake knows how to use his tongue for different things. In some men’s cases, sex is how they communicate. It’s the only way they know how.”

  He’d asked her not to give up on him. She’d thrown a shit storm at him the night before and he’d asked her not to give up on him.

  What was she willing to throw away over a single word? Over the possibility of failure?

  “Bridge, are you okay?” Serena asked. “I’ve never seen you cry before.”

  She’d never let anyone see her cry before. It had been a weakness, something to hide. That was before Will. He was right. No one ever fought for her. Will had fought for her the night before—he’d been forced to fight her. Any other man would have walked out the door, not fought to stay and held her all night.

  What was a word worth in the face of his care and devotion?

  She stood up, jostling the table. All around her, family members stared up as though they’d been waiting for her to cause trouble. They started to talk behind their hands.

  Amy left the group she’d been talking to and made her way to Bridget, a concerned look on her face. “Hey, you okay?”

  She was about as far from okay as a woman could get, but it was her sister’s wedding day and she didn’t want to drag Amy into her drama. She would have enough of her own. “I have to go.”

  Amy put a hand on her elbow. “Uhm, I think you should stay.”

  “I have to find Will.” She couldn’t leave things the way they were. She needed to find a way to make the idiocy of the previous night go away. She would sit down with Will and do what she should have done in the first place. She would talk to him and make a plan about how to deal with her father.

  Amy looked over her shoulder and a smile lit up her face. “Oh, I think he’s going to be around. Sit down, Bridget.”

  “Holy hot doc.” Serena grinned. “Damn, that man is fine. Don’t tell my men I said that. They can be sensitive.”

  There was a hum of excitement all around her, and when she turned, it was easy to see why. Will was striding into the room wearing nothing but his leathers and boots. He was heartstoppingly gorgeous and he was carrying what looked like a mountain of flowers her way.

  Every eye in the room was on him and every woman in the room was talking about him.

  “Did Amy hire a stripper?”

  “Oh, I know who I’m doing this weekend.”

  “We need to figure out how much Bridget paid him and offer him more.”

  Will stopped right in front of her and turned to her cousin Violet, who had spoken that last bit of wisdom. His eyes narrowed and his jaw took the consistency of granite as he stared down Violet, who flinched. “There isn’t enough money in the world to get me to touch you. You offend me.” His whole face softened as he turned back to Bridget. “Now you, on the other hand, you make me happy.” He gave her a wink before turning to Amy and passing her one of the two large bouquets he was carrying. “For the beautiful bride.” He then passed the second one to Serena. “And to my fiancée’s very sweet best friend. Ladies, this is my apology for kidnapping the maid of honor. I promise she will make the wedding, but don’t expect her to be able to walk down the aisle properly because I am going to fuck her until she can’t move.”

  Bridget felt her jaw drop open before she mustered the necessary strength to yell at him. “Will!”

  His lips curled up in the sexiest grin she’d ever seen. “Hey, I know you prize honesty, sweetheart. And I prize something else.” He reached for her hands.

  She let him because she was still reeling over the fact that he was here and he was dressed like a sub’s wettest dream and he’d told off her awfulest cousin. “Will, I know we need to talk, but…”

  And that was when he cuffed her. One minute he was sweetly holding her hands, and the next he was slapping a pair of handcuffs on her. They were metal, but lined with super soft material that kept the cold off her wrists.

  Serena smiled approvingly. “Oh, I know that brand well. Such fun.”

  Amy’s mouth had dropped open and she stared at the cuffs. “Is he going to arrest her? Why did he…”

  “Amy, your sister and I are involved in a D/s relationship. I will leave the explanation of that to the expert.” He nodded to Serena before tugging on the cuffs and pulling Bridget out of her chair.

  She stood on suddenly shaky legs. What was he doing? “Will, you can’t handcuff me in front of the bridal party.”

  “Oh, but sweetheart, I just did. I think everyone will agree that I can. They’ll agree I can do this, too.” He leaned over and gently shoved his shoulder into her midsection, catching her in a fireman’s hold and easily lifting her.

  “You did that very well, Will,” Serena agreed. “And thank you for the flowers. They’re gorgeous. I’ll make sure to perform her duties until she can.”

  “Bridget, are you sure this is all right?” Amy asked.

  Bridget tried to bring her head up so she could see her sister. It wasn’t easy. She caught a glimpse of Amy’s lovely Jimmy Choos. How did one explain BDSM to a woman who thought marrying a gay guy was the key to her happiness? “It’s only play. He would never hurt me. Embarrass me, but never hurt me.”

  Serena took over. “Come on, hon. I’m going to give you some new reading material. Have you really never read your sister’s books?”

  “I haven’t had a lot of reading time,” Amy replied.

  Story of her life. Everyone had an opinion of her books but very few had read them. “Will, put me down and we’ll talk about this like adults.”

  She heard the loud smack before she felt it. Will turned and started for the door. “Nope. We’re going to do this my way. I’m going to talk and you’re going to listen, and if you don’t, I have a very nice ball gag all prepped and prepared back in our room. Good morning, Mrs. Slaten.”

  Shit. She twisted her head and saw her mother walking into the room still wearing her big-ass Chanel sunglasses and carrying a Bloody Mary.

  “Good morning, young man. Bridget. That skirt makes your backside look smaller. Very nice.” She tottered off toward the tables. That was her mom. Seeing her being carried away in handcuffs and all she could comment about was how her backside didn’t look as hideous as usual.

  Will kept moving. “Did you like the flowers? Did they seem at all familiar?”

  She was staring at his ungodly gorgeous backside. “Will, I don’t care about the flowers. We need to talk.” But there was something familiar about the flowers. “I think I wrote a scene like that.”

  He turned down the hall toward the elevators. “You did indee
d. In Love Wickedly, the youngest of the Coleman brothers takes flowers to the heroine’s mom and sister to apologize for kidnapping her from Sunday dinner.”

  He’d read her book? It had been her first book, and it involved three brothers and one very lucky woman. A woman she admitted had a lot of Bridget in her. “So you thought you would play out a fantasy? You didn’t have to go this far.”

  “Oh, but I do.” He stopped at the elevator and pressed the button, paying absolutely no attention to the people around them. “I’m going to prove something to you. There were three brothers in that book. They each had one obvious personality trait. There was the sweet one who took care of her and made sure she had everything she needed. There was the smart one who always knew what to say. And then there was the Dom, and he knew how to give her what she needed in the bedroom. I think my sister is right, and if you put all three of those men together, you get Bridget’s perfect man. Guess what, sweetheart? I’m going to prove to you that I’m that man.”

  The elevator doors opened and Will entered. Bridget tried to look up before he turned. She noticed everyone else had decided to take another car.

  “Will, you don’t have to prove anything. Seriously, I was wrong to push you.” Serena’s words had gotten to her. It was important that she stopped only thinking about her needs and gave a little back to him. “It’s okay. I don’t want you to leave. God, I’ll be miserable if you leave me. If you want me to sign another contract, I will. I know you need that to feel safe.”

  She felt him shift and suddenly her feet were on the floor, his arms balancing her. He stared at her for a moment while the elevator made its progress. “I only need you to feel safe. I had a talk with Frankie last night. You know, he’s not a bad guy and I think your sister knows what she’s getting into. But that talk got me thinking. Then after you went to sleep, I read your book. Only the first one, but I’m going to read them all. I get it. Love isn’t just a word. It’s the most important word but we have to define it for ourselves. We can’t let someone else own what love means to us. I’ve been using a definition straight out of my childhood, but I need to figure out how to define that word as a man, not a boy. Tell me what it means when you say you love me.”