by Lexi Blake
“She’s pretty,” Tag said before calling over a waitress.
“She’s all right.” She was fucking gorgeous. He’d watched her as she bought the lip-gloss and then answered her phone. He wasn’t sure who she’d been talking to. He’d get the report on that later. Erin had bugged her phone a long while back. He could listen to the recording and hear her talk in that practical way of hers that seemed to do something to his dick. He’d hung back, pretending to be fascinated with scarves.
She was gorgeous and he’d been way too long without a woman.
“Hey, if this is going to be hard on you, let me send Case in. He’s kind of got a thing for her. Case really wouldn’t mind getting in bed with her. Ah, there it is.” Tag turned to the brunette. “I’ll take a Scotch. The one Sean keeps in his office.”
The waitress nodded. “I’m supposed to tell you that you’re a greedy son of a bitch and then get it for you anyway. Also Macon’s got lemon madeleines in the back.”
That seemed to make Big Tag incredibly happy. “Thanks, Ally. I have no idea what that is, but I’ll look forward to it, and tell Sean that just for that, make it a double.”
Ally smiled and walked off.
“There what is?” He had no illusions they wouldn’t go right back to their increasingly uncomfortable conversation.
Tag sat back. “For a minute there, the mask fell away and you were ready to stab my brother through the heart.”
“Don’t.” He wasn’t falling for this shit. “Don’t you play cupid here, Tag. You think I don’t see through you. Everyone else here thinks you’re the big bad, but I know what you are. You’re a meek teddy bear dressed up like a grizzly. You’ve been declawed, brother, and you want the rest of us to be just as pussy whipped as you are so you manipulate and put people in positions where they have to couple up, and then you walk home and polish your fucking halo. You aren’t doing it to me. I’m not falling into that trap.”
“What would you like to bet on that? A thousand?”
“A thousand dollars?”
Tag nodded. “Yes. I have to go big. Have you seen what college costs these days? I have to make sure those girls get into Ivy League schools or they’ll end up on the pole. I can’t have my girls on the pole, man. Chris Rock was right. I got a mission in life now and it’s keeping my baby girls away from skeevy dudes who go to strip clubs.”
“You used to go to strip clubs.”
“Exactly. No way I want my baby girls around any dude like me. Or you. Or Alex’s kid. I see the way he looks at my girls.” Tag eyed him as though sizing him up. It made Ten nervous. “When was the last time you were around a real woman? The last few months don’t count because you distance from the women at the office. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
Tag seemed to notice everything. Didn’t he have anything better to do? “Not that it’s any of your business, but I met a woman in a bar last week.”
He’d been out of sorts. Talking to Faith every day made him feel…weird. He’d needed to distance so he’d gone to a bar the previous Friday night, and within an hour he was back at some blonde’s place. He couldn’t remember her name. Wasn’t sure he’d even asked. He’d steered her straight to the bedroom, ready to lose himself the way he always did. Sex had been his thing for most of his life. Since he’d been sixteen and figured out how good it made him feel, he turned to women when he got restless. He’d gotten the blonde out of her clothes, laid her back on the bed, and was going to get out of his own when he’d looked down at her and seen someone else.
He’d seen Faith.
Yeah, he wasn’t about to tell Tag he’d made an excuse and walked out the door and spent the next week yanking his own dick.
Tag’s eyes rolled. “I wasn’t talking about getting your rocks off. I was talking about being with a woman. Talking to her. Having a relationship with her.”
“You know how easy it is to have a relationship in my position? Yeah, working for the Agency, never knowing what continent I’ll be on tomorrow, that’s been a breeze for keeping a woman around.” Had Tag lost his damn mind? “And hey, the Agency wanting me dead is another plus in my win column.”
“Have they tried anything?”
Ten kept waiting. He’d been careful while he’d been out of the States. He’d spent time in Saudi, Iraq, and Pakistan while building his intelligence about the network Senator McDonald had put together. He’d been totally off the grid and constantly watching his back. It was easy in that part of the world.
It was harder here. He had a solid paper trail thanks to Chelsea. He had backup thanks to his old team and McKay-Taggart. He had babies in the room next to him. He had freaking two-hour Skype conversations with Faith McDonald where he told her lie after lie about his life and she talked about saving kids in Africa. The world was soft here. This was where they would get him.
“Again, I’m going to ask you to be reasonable,” Tag insisted. “What happened an hour ago changes everything. If she’s got someone gunning for her, she needs protection. You can’t watch her back and your own. Bow out gently tonight. Tell her you changed your mind and you think she needs a younger Master. I’ll introduce her to Case and you can handle this whole situation the way you should—from the background.”
“If you try to pawn my sub off on your fucking brother one more time I’m going to be the one throwing punches, Tag.”
Tag slapped the table. “Two thousand. I will bet you two grand you’re getting married at the end of this. Come on, man.”
He wasn’t ever getting married. He wasn’t built for it. He’d known what he was born to do since the day he’d met Franklin Grant. He couldn’t do that anymore. Not until he cleared his name and found out who’d burned him at the Agency. That man was the one working with McDonald. That name was why he was doing all of this. Yes, he wanted to take McDonald down. Yes, he wanted to stop the senator’s network from ever making money off American lives again, but he wanted back in. He wanted his name back, his job back. He wanted to grind down the people who had sold him out.
No. He wasn’t getting married and he wasn’t getting close to Faith McDonald. Once he got her in bed, he would see that she was like all the rest. And then he could move on with his life.
CHAPTER FOUR
Faith poured a cup of chamomile tea and wondered if her hands were ever going to stop shaking. It had to be six or seven hours since it had happened. Now she was back at Theo and Erin’s three-bedroom ranch house and she wondered if she should stay after all. Had she made the right choice? Should she call her dad and head down to the safety of his Houston mansion?
“Hey, you going to be all right?” Erin had changed into pajama bottoms and a tank top, her face scrubbed clean. She’d been hovering all night, and Faith was worried Erin had gotten into serious trouble over what had happened.
“I’m good.” She put on a happy face. That was what she did. It was the same fake smile she used when her father forced her to go to campaign rallies. “I am sorry I seem to have gotten you into hot water with Theo’s brother.”
“Oh, she’s not simply in trouble with Theo’s brother. She’s in trouble with Theo.” Theo looked delicious in nothing but a pair of jeans. He strode into the kitchen and planted himself behind Erin, his hands finding her hips. The man couldn’t seem to take his hands off his sub.
Which brought her to the other reason she was wondering if she shouldn’t run to Houston.
“Erin’s in trouble with everyone tonight.” Master T stepped in after Theo. Unlike her friends, he was still completely dressed, with the exception of his Stetson. He’d taken that off and placed it on a table in the living room. “But I suspect she’ll pay for it and be back in Theo’s good graces in the morning.”
Erin tried to move away from her Master, but he wasn’t having that. She sighed and then relaxed back against him, his arms winding around her waist. “Theo often takes his job far too seriously and uses his position to his own advantage.”
Theo’s lips cur
led up in a secretive smile. “That’s the thing, baby. Sometimes you think we’re playing checkers when we’re really playing chess, and that’s about the time I take the queen. I’m going to spank the queen tonight because she was very naughty.”
There was no way to miss how Erin’s eyes softened at the thought. She wanted that discipline.
Faith wanted it too. It had been a stressful day and she wanted to feel a soft flogger on her back and let go of the tension. It was way too early for that. Wasn’t it?
“I wasn’t thinking,” Erin admitted. “I’ve relaxed since we came home. When Faith said she needed a few minutes, I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“You wanted to yell at me in private, Erin. That was why you let her go and that’s why you’ll be over my knee in a few minutes.” Theo’s tone held a bit of a bite, the Master coming out.
“Well, I’m back on the job now. Did Big Tag find out anything about our super-dead asshole?” Erin asked.
Master T leaned against the sink, his body all lean muscle and sharp lines. “We should have some kind of ID on him by tomorrow. He’s got a tat that makes me think he spent some time in prison, so he’ll likely be in AFIS.”
“You get to use AFIS?” AFIS stood for Automated Fingerprint Identification System and was used by government law enforcement agencies. Not private investigators.
“The company I work for has some discreet contacts with law enforcement,” he explained. “We took prints off your attacker and called in a friend with the DPD. He’ll keep everything very quiet, but he’ll get us a name by tomorrow, I suspect. We’ll regroup and go from there.”
She wasn’t sure her father, with all his contacts, could work that quickly. He would also be hampered by the press. Maybe she was making the right call. “I’m sure this is about my dad.”
“Are you? This couldn’t have anything to do with what happened to you in Ghana?” Master T asked.
Just like that the world seemed to go cold. She had to force her hand to close around the mug or she would have dropped it. Ghana. She tried so hard not to think about Ghana. “No. That was an isolated incident. A crime of opportunity, in your vernacular.”
Master T shrugged and then turned back to Erin. “And you’re not her bodyguard anymore. I am. This is my op.”
“I understand that, Sir. I do, but I’ve worked with her for months. I think I should…” Erin began.
“Stop.” The order came out of Theo’s mouth as a sharp bark. “Don’t argue with our superior. I think it’s time we had a talk. T, I’ve set the alarm and put out bedding for the couch. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Wow. It was easy to see who was the boss here. Everyone deferred to Master T. She really had to have another name to call him by if she was going to see him in the vanilla world, which it looked like she would.
How had he known about Ghana?
“We’ll be fine,” Master T replied. “The security system seems up to date, but I’m not happy with all the windows. I’m going to have a discussion with my charge about moving this someplace more secure tomorrow. You’re dismissed. And Theo, I expect you to talk to Erin or I’ll have to. I know she’s used to the way your brother runs an op, but I expect more. And I don’t expect that your personal relationship is going to cause any more trouble.”
“Of course not, Sir.” Erin was practically standing at attention.
Theo nodded. “We’ll take care of the situation.”
He led her back to their bedroom, his hand finding hers.
“You didn’t have to be so mean to her. She was trying to get some time alone with her boyfriend.” Erin hadn’t been alone with Theo very much because Faith was always around.
Master T stared at her. “She could have gotten you killed.”
“She wasn’t on duty. She’s supposed to be my friend now. I told her to go with Theo.”
“And she listened to you when she shouldn’t have.” He let that settle for a moment before he continued. “I wasn’t being mean, Faith. I was being their boss. It doesn’t matter that Erin’s employment as your bodyguard ended when you left Africa. She should have been watching out for you until I could. And now they’re back on the clock and they will answer to me.”
“It all seems very military.”
“And you have a problem with the military?”
Well, that answered one question she’d had. She’d wondered how he’d gotten into this particular career. She’d kind of been afraid to ask given the fact that she wasn’t overly fond of military types. She knew it was all psychological. She really liked Erin. She told herself it was because Erin was the exception, but Faith knew that wasn’t true. Erin still acted like she was in the Army half the time, and it didn’t bother Faith at all.
Men. It was men in uniform that bothered her.
“Let’s simply say I’ve run afoul of a couple of military men in my time.”
There was a long pause. “That wasn’t military that took you, Faith. It was a group of criminals.”
“They called themselves an army.” They’d worn camouflage. Of course, she also knew a real army didn’t have little boys carrying weapons almost bigger than they were. Little boys who had pointed those guns at her, who had killed her staff without thought or remorse.
“They weren’t,” T said with authority. “The team that escorted you home after you were released, they were military. How did you feel about them?”
“Honestly, they scared me, too. I was grateful, but I think I’d seen far too much death by that point. If I never see another gun again, I could be happy.” She took a deep breath, trying to banish the memories. “How do you know about this? I thought it was all classified.”
“Nothing is truly classified. When Ian asked me to meet you, I looked you up. When I didn’t find everything I wanted, I dug deeper.”
“Why would you dig deeper?” Their relationship had an end date stamped plainly on it. Most men she knew would simply let it be since they wouldn’t be around her for more than a few weeks, a month at most.
“Because I’ve learned that when something looks too good to be true, it usually is. I want to talk to you about our contract.”
Her stomach clenched. She’d had a nice evening with him after her near murder and then him having to clean up after the attacker’s actual murder. She’d already proven to be trouble. She’d told herself all night long that it was best to separate business from pleasure, but the idea of keeping a wall between herself and Master T didn’t sit well. Still, she had to be practical. “I don’t know that’s such a good idea anymore, do you?”
“I think it’s an excellent idea,” he replied. “I think it’s more important now than it was before. Are you afraid of me?”
She wanted to lie. She wanted to stand there and tell him yes because it would prove that she was halfway intelligent. She’d seen how deadly the man was. Within two minutes of being in his presence, there had been a dead body at her feet. “No. I know I should be. Why on earth would you think I’m too good to be true?”
He huffed and then turned and opened the fridge, coming back with a beer. “Let’s see, you’re from a wealthy family, but you’re not pretentious or snobby. The fact that you’re friends with Erin tells me that.”
“I never really fit in with my peers.” The kitchen suddenly seemed too small for the two of them. It hadn’t been so intimate when Erin and Theo had been here, but she was very aware of how alone she was with Master T.
He stepped closer to her, his eyes on her face. Those blue orbs seemed to hold her so she couldn’t look away from him. “You’re stunningly beautiful, but you don’t seem to know it.”
“I definitely don’t.” She wasn’t the beauty in the family. Hope was. Hope cared about things like makeup and hair. Faith’s fingernails were cut to the nub and unpainted.
T’s hand came out, brushing back a stray lock of hair. When his fingertips grazed her skin, she fought not to shiver. “You’re smart and kind and surprise, you�
��re also submissive when it comes to sex. You, Doc, are pretty much exactly what I would ask for if I was putting together the perfect female. So I’m not sure I trust that you’re real.”
How was she supposed to respond to that? “You’re…incredibly attractive.”
His lips curled up. “Not perfect for you though. Let’s see if I can find my flaws. I’m not well educated. I work a job that most would consider dangerous. You prefer your danger to come in the form of germs and bacteria. And I’m ex-military and mean. That’s strike three, Doc. Am I out?”
He was close. Really close. He hadn’t been this close since that moment in the alley outside Neiman Marcus. Of course, they’d also been standing over a dead body, and there wasn’t one of those here now. Just her and Master T. Standing really close together so that she could smell the sandalwood of his aftershave again.
All it would take would be to tilt her head up slightly and he could plant those lips on hers. Hadn’t she been dreaming about it for weeks? She’d wanted nothing more but to know what it felt like to be in this man’s arms. From the moment she’d turned on her computer and seen him on her screen, with his gorgeous face and quick mind, she’d dreamed about this moment.
“What do you want me to call you? Uhm, besides Master T. In the vanilla world, I mean. Should I call you Tim?” It came out all breathy when she’d meant it to be an intellectual question, not a “hey, I need something personal to call you in bed when you’re taking me roughly” sort of question.
“Call me Ten, Faith.”
“Ten? Like the number?”
“As in Tennessee. It’s the nickname I grew up with. And yes, that’s like the state.” He took a step back, his jaw tightening as though he didn’t like where the conversation was heading.
“It’s an unusual nickname.” She needed to know more. Now that she was here with him, she could see that they’d both kept their conversations to this point light and flirty. She knew he was a Cowboys fan. He knew she’d gone to the University of Texas at Austin and managed to never actually attend a football game. They’d talked about how they’d gotten into the lifestyle and told a few stories of some of the crazy things they’d seen.