“You’d need to move to Dallas. There will be times you’ll travel, of course, but we would need you to be based in Dallas.”
She nodded, somewhat impatiently.
“You’d be given extensive training, of course. Knowing how to shoot and having a few defensive moves wouldn’t be enough. Plus, there would be some rules.”
Rules? She didn’t like the sound of that.
“You’d need to learn to follow orders. I would expect obedience.”
Obedience? Was he kidding her?
“Right, is that something you expect from all your employees, is it, Mr. Black?” she asked coldly.
“I expect my team to follow my orders.”
“So you told Tiny that you expected him to obey you when you hired him?”
“Tiny was a Marine. He knows how to take orders. He also weighs about three times what you do and he can kill a man with one hand tied behind his back. I don’t need to watch out for Tiny. You’re infinitely more breakable, you don’t have a military background and you’re a woman. A condition of your employment is that you will answer to me when it comes to your safety. If you can’t handle that then there is no job.”
“Fine.” She stood and turned to walk out.
“Cady,” he said sharply. “Stop.”
Keep moving, damn it. But her body wasn’t listening to her. Did he have some sort of superpower that made her body obey him?
“Look at me.”
She spun around, glaring at him. “What?”
His gaze narrowed and she swallowed hard as he just stared at her for a long moment. His piercing blue eyes didn’t miss a thing. His chiselled face wasn’t classically handsome, but he was sexy as hell.
“I don’t like the attitude in your voice, pet,” he said silkily. Fuck, that voice. So dominant. It struck a part of her she thought she’d long since buried.
Show no weakness.
“I don’t give a fuck what you do or don’t like. And I’m not your pet.”
Although the thought of being his wasn’t entirely repugnant. Cady had a feeling that anyone who belonged to Hunter would be well taken care of. He would never allow any harm to come to those under his protection.
But the price would be too much. Because he would demand all of her, and she could never give him that. She refused to ever love anyone again.
Fuck, what was her problem? He wasn’t offering her a ring or even sex, just a job.
“Thanks for the job offer, but I don’t want it.”
“You can’t keep yourself locked up behind that bitter shell, sugar. You have to let people in at some stage. You have to learn to trust a little.”
How the hell could he read her so well? She gaped at him. Maybe he really did have some freaky powers.
“I’ve been where you are, Cady. Unwilling to trust, to let people help me, to show them the real me. I thought it would make me weak, but it doesn’t. It makes me stronger. Because I have people who I can rely on, who have my back. That’s what I’m offering you, Cady. But you’ll need to lower those shields a bit. Yeah, I can be a demanding, bossy bastard. Yeah, you’ll probably come up with a variety of ways you’d like to kill me, but I take care of my people. I’d be your boss so I’d be in charge of your safety. That’s not unreasonable.”
She snorted. “Our definitions of unreasonable seem to differ. I’m not a charity case you need to rescue, Hunter. I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, how’s that working out for you so far? I’d bet you’ve barely got a hundred bucks to your name and your clothes are so threadbare you’ll soon be able to see through them. I’m offering you a way out, Cady.”
“So this is because you feel sorry for me?” She couldn’t smother the stab of pain. “You don’t really need a female on your team, do you? You just want to make yourself feel better. Well, you can take your offer and stick it up your ass, because I can look after myself just fine.”
Cady turned to storm out of the room when Hunter grabbed her arm, turning her back. His touch wasn’t harsh, but she reacted instinctively, kicking out at him, raising her fist to hit him. He easily blocked her punch, grabbing both her wrists in one hand as he turned, pushing her up against a wall.
She breathed heavily. “Let me go, asshole.”
“No,” he replied.
She pushed against him, but he held her still, an unmovable force. A tendril of panic unfurled.
“Stop looking at me like that. I’m not going to hurt you and you know it,” he snapped.
“Really? How do I know that?” she growled back, her temper rising. “We’re alone. You’ve got me pinned against the wall, holding me against my will. Why should I believe anything you say?”
“Because, brat, the very last thing I want is to hurt you. If you keep living the way you are that is exactly what is going to happen. Right now I’m holding you against your will, but not because I want to hurt you. What happens when someone with bad intentions gets you like this? What are you going to do then?”
“This!” She slammed her head forward.
He managed to turn her head at the last second so she caught him on this cheek. She attempted to bring up her knee between his legs, but she had little room to maneuver and he easily sandwiched her legs between his.
“Calm down, Cady.”
“Let me go.”
“No.”
His whole body engulfed hers, his scent filling her senses, drugging her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured huskily.With his free hand, he tucked her hair behind her ear, his fingers gentle against her skin. Arousal filled his face as he watched her hungrily, like he could eat her up.
He leaned in, his mouth brushing across hers. He pulled back slightly then did the same again. And again. Christ, who knew what a turn on such a fleeting touch could be? Her pussy clenched with need.
She’d never wanted someone to kiss her as much as she wanted him in that moment. Hunter ran his thumb over her lips. “Part your lips for me, baby. Let me in.”
She opened her mouth, unable to deny him. He dipped his thumb inside her mouth.
“Suck,” he ordered.
She sucked on his thumb, both of them moaning slightly.
“Damn, I swear I nearly came in my pants. Do you know how hot you are? I have to taste you.”
Hunter took her mouth in a kiss that melted her toes and turned her legs to mush. She sagged against the wall, trusting him to keep her up. Hunter wrapped his hands around her waist, lifting her up. She placed her arms around his shoulders as he plundered her mouth, swamping her with a need so intense she could have cried.
“Fuck,” he muttered. “Should have done that the first day I met you.” He took her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged gently.
“You smell so good,” he murmured.
“What, for a homeless person you mean?” she said sharply, trying to regain her senses.
His gaze narrowed, sharpened, the arousal dissipating. That should have made her happy. She should never have allowed things to go this far. He was an arrogant, egotistical, Neanderthal who she had no intention of seeing ever again.
So why did she regret the words as soon as she’d spoken them?
“No, that’s not what I meant. And you used to live on the streets. You don’t any longer.”
“Did a mental hospital test too many drugs on you today?” she said. “Just where do I live now?”
“You’re going to live in a fucking apartment, with four walls around you and a roof over your head. I’m not going to let you go from my arms back out onto the streets. I’m not going to spend my nights worrying if you’re cold or hungry or worse. You’re going to take the job, Cady and you’re going to allow me to take care of you.”
Okay, so there was a part of her that kind of melted at his words. But that part was buried deep. Because there was no way in hell she would just let him take over her life.
“Put me down.”
“I want your promise. Promise me that you
’re coming back to Dallas with me.” His erection pressed against her and she licked her lips, nearly giving in to her need. But they didn’t know each other so he couldn’t actually care about her. He wanted to fuck her and once he’d had his fill, he would kick her to the curb.
Well, she was no whore. That was the one line she hadn’t crossed. That and murder. Although she was quickly rethinking that stance.
Reaching into the front pocket of her hoodie, she wrapped her hand around the small cylinder inside.
“I’m not going anywhere with you, Hunter. I’m no charity case and I am definitely no whore.”
He frowned, a confused look entering his gaze.
She quickly brought the can of pepper spray out. Pressing down on the nozzle, she sprayed his eyes, wincing at his howl as the pepper spray hit him. He stepped back, releasing her, his hands coming to his eyes.
Cady watched him guiltily. Then she realized what she was doing. She didn’t know how long it would take him to recover and she really didn’t want to be here when he did.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, before flying out of the room. She raced around the corner of the hallway, resisting the urge to turn back and check on him. What if she’d used too much spray? What if she’d permanently hurt him?
She banged into something solid, cursing as she jumped back. Hands reached out, steadying her. She shrugged them off quickly, stepping out of reach.
“Sorry, wasn’t looking where I was going,” she muttered, glancing up.
Gray stared down at her with a glint of amusement in his eyes. “That’s quite all right. Considering how fast you were moving, I’m guessing Hunter’s little chat with you didn’t go well.”
“He’s an asshole.”
“Well, yes, he is. But he’s also loyal, smart and a good person to have at your back.”
“So is a border collie.”
His chuckle surprised her.
“Well, yes, and no doubt the collie has better manners.”
She gave him a small smile. “Excuse me, I’ve got to go.”
She moved at a fast clip down the hallway. Unfortunately, Gray fell into step beside her.
“Cady, I know Hunter can come across as demanding and arrogant, but he means well.”
She snorted. “He thinks he needs to rescue me. I’m no helpless damsel in distress.”
“Oh, I doubt anyone would mistake you for being helpless. Just what did he say?”
“He offered me a job.”
Gray raised his eyebrows. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, in his bed.”
Gray reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. “What? He didn’t really say that.”
She ran her hand over the back of her head. “No, not exactly. Oh, he said it would be a job on the team, but there’s no way either of you would want me working for you. You know nothing about me. I have no references, no qualifications.” That wasn’t entirely true, but she had no intention of giving them her real name. “So when he pinned me against the wall and kissed me I knew exactly what job he really had in mind.”
“He offered you a job? And he kissed you?” Gray looked thoughtful.
“I have things to do. You want to let me go?” She glared down at his arm.
Gray shook his head. “It’s lunchtime. Let me take you to eat and we’ll talk about this.”
“I don’t think there’s much to say.” She sighed as Gray just stood there, staring down at her. “You’re just as stubborn as he is, aren’t you? Only you have better manners.”
“Glad you noticed. Come on, I’m starving and I hate eating alone.” He made puppy dog eyes at her and she had a feeling he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Gray was a powerhouse in his own right, he just hid it well. So she walked beside him as he moved silently through the hallway to the foyer.
Ahh, there was her friend the security guard.
“Were you waiting on me?” she asked sweetly as he turned to stare at her. She held her arms out from her body. “See, I didn’t take any of your ugly crap. Of course I could have something hidden down my pants, do you want to pat me down to check?”
The security guard took a few steps forward, clearly looking forward to doing just that when Gray growled and grabbed her arm, pulled her behind him. She gaped at his back in shock.
“I suggest you stop right where you are,” he commanded.
Cady took a step to the side, determined not to look like she was hiding. Gray sent her a brief look which clearly demanded she stay right where she was.
“But, sir, you don’t understand, she…” the guard trailed off, clearly intimidated as Gray stared at him.
Cady couldn’t help but grin. It was a bit petty of her, taking pleasure out of the guard’s discomfort.
“She what? Do you have something to accuse my guest of?” Gray asked quietly.
“Mr. Mathers is there a problem here?” An older man walked over. He looked at from the security guard to Gray before dropping his stare to her. His lip curled up slightly, but his face remained polite.
“Yes, your employee is harassing my guest.”
The other man, whose name tag identified him as the manager, stared over at the security guard then at her. His lips tightened, but when he looked at Gray his face was apologetic.
“I apologize, Mr. Mathers. There has obviously been some misunderstanding.”
“Yes, I believe there has been. I expect it won’t happen in the future or I’ll have to take my business elsewhere.”
He held out his arm to Cady. When they were past the guard and manager, she turned around. The guard was facing her. Unable to help herself, she stuck her tongue out at him, laughing quietly at his look of outrage.
Gray squeezed her hand. “That wasn’t very mature.”
“No, but it sure felt good.”
“You should have told me you’d had problems with them.”
She shrugged. “I’m used to it. I don’t exactly fit in.” She pulled at her clothes.
Gray shook his head. “I detest others who judge on appearances. One of the richest people I’ve ever met used to shop at the Gap and lived in a small, two-bed apartment.”
“Yeah?” If she had money, she’d buy herself a big house and a flashy car, she’d dress in the nicest clothes…yeah, maybe not. She wouldn’t have a clue what to do if she had money.
Cady followed Gray into a small diner. He should have looked out of place in the small, slightly run-down diner, but somehow he managed to look right at home as he led her to a booth, smiling at the older waitress as she dropped two menus on the table.
Gray perused the menu for a moment. “What would you like?” he asked as he set the menu down.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Well, I can’t eat on my own. That would be extremely bad manners. I was really looking forward to a burger too.” He sighed dramatically.
Cady barely resisted from rolling her eyes. “Fine, but I’m paying for my own.”
“I never said anything different, did I?”
She blushed slightly as she realized he hadn’t actually offered to pay, she’d just assumed.
“Sorry,” she muttered.
They placed their orders with the waitress then Gray sat back and looked at her. “So, you want to tell me what Hunter said?”
“He offered me a job, said that you’d been bugging him to hire a woman.”
Gray nodded, taking a sip of the iced tea the waitress had brought over. “There have been times when it would have been good to have a woman on the team.”
“And then he proceeded to tell me the conditions I’d have to agree to.”
Gray raised an eyebrow, looking slightly disapproving. “You have an objection to medical benefits and the pay we’re offering?”
Her cheeks heated. “No, I mean, we didn’t even get into that.” She didn’t want him to think she was ungrateful.
“Then what conditions were you talking about?”
She resisted the urge to squirm.
“Maybe you should talk to Hunter about this.”
“Hunter’s not here. I asked you, Cady,” he said firmly.
“He seemed to think that there should be side benefits. Look, he didn’t come right out and say it, but it was obvious that my main job would be fucking him. Why else would he be so concerned about my safety and where I live? I’m sure he doesn’t take such an interest in every employee. I’ve taken care of myself for years and although I might live on the streets I’m not a charity case and I don’t need anyone to take pity on me.”
Gray sat back and folded his arms. Luckily, the food arrived and she had a reason to look away.
“Have you ever had anyone who has cared about you, Cady? Worried over you? Wanted to help you?”
She shrugged, feeling uncomfortable with where this was going.
Gray cleared his throat. “When I ask a question I expect an answer, Cady.”
Okay, she recognized that tone of voice. Gray sounded as intimidating and stern as any Dom she’d ever met. Crap. She moved the fries around on her plate.
“He barely knows me. You don’t offer someone you don’t know a job, things like that just don’t happen. So I knew there would be something more to it.”
“And that something more was Hunter wanting to fuck you?”
She shrugged. “What else have I got to offer? He kissed me. He pinned me against the wall. He seemed to be attracted to me.”
At least she figured he couldn’t fake that fucking huge erection that had been pressing against her stomach.
“I’m not about to tell you that Hunter isn’t an overbearing bastard or that a lot of his views on woman belong in the eighteen hundreds, but he doesn’t need to pay for sex and he would never make that a condition of a job. I think there has been a misunderstanding here. I’m surprised he let you out of his sight without making this clear.”
“Well he didn’t exactly have a choice,” she muttered, moving around on the bench seat uncomfortably. “Why else would he offer me the job, though? It can’t have been real.”
“Sometimes, Cady, people do something nice without expecting anything in return.”
“He wants to control me.”
Gray watched her for a long moment. “I can see how you’d think that. He is a bit of a control freak and he’s not always the best communicator. Hunter is a protector, he always has been. Sometimes he comes across as pushy and controlling because he’s trying to do his best to keep everyone around him safe. He’s one of the good guys.”
Forever Yours, Sir (Doms of Decadence) Page 2