The Wanderer's Children

by L. G. O'Connor

  Simon, chuckling, twirled the handcuffs around his finger, and settled in the chair next to the bed. “Pink and fuzzy. Sienna’s?”

  “Well, they’re not mine,” Michael said, giving him a dirty look.

  Simon tried to wipe the amusement from his face. “This situation is too ironic. Don’t you have a black belt in karate?”

  Michael narrowed his eyes. “What’s your point? Subduing her wasn’t exactly on my mind.”

  “It was obviously on hers.” Simon grinned.

  He shook his head. “You didn’t tell Cara did you?”

  “Didn’t need to. Sienna called her the minute I left.”

  Lying back on the bed, Michael groaned. “Fucking hell. That’s one good reason not to date the best friend of my Soul Seeker.”

  Simon’s deep voice filled with concern. “You promised to tell me the whole sordid tale for my troubles. What happened?”

  Michael glanced at the towel on his lap then back at Simon. “Give me a minute while I put on my clothes and try to regain some dignity.”

  Simon smirked and motioned for him to take his leave.

  Michael secured the towel around his hips and got up. Leaning over to the chair where Simon sat, he tugged his polo shirt out from behind Simon’s back and grabbed his jeans off the floor on his way out.

  When Michael returned he relayed the sanitized version of the story and his theory about Deva.

  “After you confront Deva, what are you going to do about Sienna?” Simon asked.

  It was a fair question.

  Michael hung his head and sighed. “I can’t leave it like this while I’m gone. I need to go see her. I’m pissed that she didn’t even give me a chance to explain. She just jumped to the worst possible conclusion and left me here. I trusted her…” Michael was torn inside. He definitely didn’t want to end it with her, but he didn’t want to let her off the hook, either.

  Simon clasped Michael’s shoulder. “Her passion runs deep for you, Michael. If it didn’t, she wouldn’t have tried to hurt and humiliate you like this. She punished you with the same intensity as her feelings for you. That’s a woman’s way.”

  The corner of Michael’s mouth turned up. “Let me guess, Sensual Pleasure training.”

  Simon smiled and relaxed back in the chair. “It’s in the female psychology section of the coursework. I’ve been brushing up since I met Cara.”

  During his Messenger training at the Sanctuary, Michael had completed a class in Sensual Pleasures. He’d been putting his learning to good use lately.

  Michael smirked. “Is there a section on jealousy? I’d like to give it to Sienna.”

  Simon took a deep breath. “Let me tell you exactly what I think. Get to the bottom of this and work it out, because the two of you are good for each other. You both just need to get out of your own way.”

  In his heart, Michael knew Simon was right. He gave him a wry smile and stood up. “Thanks, I appreciate you coming to help me. And thanks for the advice.”

  Simon rose with a chuckle. “Anytime. Good luck with Deva and Sienna. I’m sure Cara will fill me in on the rest of the story. Let me know if you need anything else. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Michael walked Simon out to where Paco stood waiting next to the door. They went their separate ways. Simon and Paco back to Manhattan, and Michael, at a near run, back to the dojo.

  Chapter 55

  MICHAEL

  Brooklyn, New York. Rising Sun Dojo. Tuesday, May 28, 8:50 PM ET

  MICHAEL PUT HIS KEY in the lock and entered the back door of the dojo at quarter to nine. While Deva was finishing up her class in the main room, he snuck into his office unnoticed.

  He snatched his cell phone from his desk where he’d left it and looked at the recent calls. A call had come in from Sienna at seven-ten and lasted for less than a minute. Luckily, his phone was password protected, so there wasn’t much else Deva could do except answer it.

  Tossing his phone back on the desk, he sat down to wait. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his feet and put them up on the desk. Deva kept her purse in the file cabinet drawer, and she wouldn’t be leaving without it.

  Ten minutes later, Deva walked in wearing her gi, her light-brown hair up in a ponytail. She stopped dead in her tracks, and gasped. “Michael, what are you doing here?”

  He gave her a menacing look and pointed to his cell. “I came to pick up my phone.”

  Deva shifted uncomfortably. “Oh, you could’ve just called. I would’ve dropped it off for you.”

  Without preamble, Michael asked, “What did you tell Sienna when she called?”

  Deva wore a look of guilt as she stood open-mouthed. It saved Michael the trouble of dipping into her head.

  “I, um, told her you had gone home to shower, and I, um, asked her if she had a message.” Deva stumbled while trying to fake doe-eyed innocence.

  Bullshit, he thought.

  This time, Michael dropped his shields and dove into her head.

  Damn it, I knew he’d figure it out. But it was worth it if she never speaks to him again.

  Michael scowled and took his feet off the desk. “Deva, we both know that’s not what you told her. Why don’t we confront the elephant in the room.”

  Deva’s discomfort turned to defiance. She crossed her arms in front of her. “Fine.”

  Michael stood up and prepared for a fight. “You need to decide if you can continue to work for me, knowing that we won’t be together again… romantically. I don’t love you that way, Deva. We’re friends. We have a business relationship—that’s all. Nothing else. Not ever. Is that clear?” Michael’s voice rose as his anger escalated.

  Deva’s head tipped back as if he’d struck her, tears welling in her eyes. “I thought…” her voice trailed off.

  “You thought what, exactly?” he snapped.

  “Never mind, it doesn’t matter,” she replied, a tear slipping down her cheek.

  Michael gave her a piercing look. “It does matter. I want this out in the open. We need to decide if we can move forward. I’m leaving tomorrow. I need to know if I have to make alternate plans with Rodney or possibly shut down the dojo next week.”

  She nodded, tears now freely spilling over. “Fine! What about the night we spent together before you opened the dojo, what was that? Just a booty call? You didn’t feel anything for me then? You asked me to work for you a month later. Why?” she said, doing a little indignant screaming of her own.

  Michael cringed. He should’ve known based on their history that Deva wouldn’t be a good candidate for his “friends with benefits” policy.

  He softened and he told her the truth. “I’m sorry. I’ve never been good at this. I hired you because we were friends, and you needed a job. You’re highly qualified and I trusted you. I slept with you for the same reason… we were friends and I trusted you. It was a good night, Deva. I assumed we were both adults, no commitment required.”

  Deva crumbled into the chair in front of his desk and gave him an anguished look. “I figured once you got this place going and finished grieving for your father, you would slow down enough to see me again. To see I was right here in front of you.”

  The mention of his father gave Michael a twinge. It was true, he hadn’t finished grieving for his father, but that hadn’t held him back from Sienna.

  His anger diffused and he let out sigh. “I’m sorry if I left you with that impression. It wasn’t my intent. Can I still trust you after tonight? Can we move forward or do you want to leave? I need to know where we stand.” Her answer would determine how he’d spend the rest of his night.

  She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath. “I’ll stay for now. I’m sorry, Michael. It won’t happen again,” she said and met his gaze. “You can still trust me. I promise.”

  He gave her a small smile. “Thanks. You’re a good manager. The staff and the clients all like you. I’m lucky to have you here.” As much as he wanted to fire her, in reality, it was a m
ess of his own making.

  She rose from the chair, and he walked around the desk to join her. He touched her arm. “Listen, Dee, you’re a woman with a lot to give. Trust me, I’m no picnic. You deserve someone who’ll go the distance for you. Don’t settle for anything less.”

  Her mouth quirked up in a half-smile. “You giving relationship advice—pretty ironic, don’t you think?”

  “Even old dogs can learn new tricks.”

  “You really like her, don’t you?” Deva said, shaking her head.

  He gave her a warning look and leaned back against the desk with his arms crossed in front of him. “No thanks to you, I have to go and convince her that I didn’t cheat on her.”

  “Sorry. Can I write her note or call her or something?” Deva said, sheepishly.

  Michael wiped his hand over his face and sighed. “No. I got this one.” Although he didn’t look forward to confronting Sienna.

  Deva nodded and extracted her purse from inside the file cabinet. “Anything else, Sensei, or can I head out?”

  Michael headed to the office door. “Let’s head out together.”

  They locked up the dojo for the night. Deva confirmed that she would be there bright and early to do paperwork. She’d run the dojo in his absence as planned.

  Michael hopped into a cab to Manhattan, not exactly sure what he was going to do when he got there.

  Chapter 56

  SIENNA

  New York City. West Village. Tuesday, May 28, 10:10 PM ET

  SIENNA HAD CRAWLED INTO a pair of night shorts and a matching tank when she’d gotten home. Her dress lay discarded in a crumpled heap on her bedroom floor, along with her hopes for the evening. After downing a protein shake to replace the dinner she’d missed, she took out a corkscrew and opened a bottle of wine.

  She was on her second box of tissues as she sat on the sofa in the living room, listening to music, and drinking the wine from the bottle. Fuck the glass.

  After she’d hung up from her call with Cara, she’d been doing a stellar job of wallowing in self-pity over her own stupidity. Thoughts of how good it felt to seduce Michael in the hallway kept looping through her head. Her mouth was at home on his body. She’d almost abandoned her plan the moment she’d touched him. Then again in the bedroom when she sat on top of him and secured his hands; it would’ve been so easy to slip him inside of her.

  Her entire motivation for buying the handcuffs had been to do just that—have her way with him until she had him screaming in ecstasy. That was the plan until the fucking phone call.

  Okay, maybe she should’ve listened a little longer before she left him there deliciously naked for Simon to find. She winced, thinking about what a big step it had been for him to invite her to his home. He’d planned on cooking dinner for her. And she’d ruined it. How could she have been such an idiot?

  The tears wouldn’t stop. Grabbing another tissue, she gave her nose a good blow.

  The doorbell buzzed and she froze. Michael. Her tears instantly dried. Shit.

  Taking measure of her surroundings, she didn’t like what she saw. She dashed to the bathroom to retrieve the waste basket and shoveled in her used tissues before returning it and the tissue box to the bathroom. She hit PAUSE on the iPod remote and ran to put the wine on the kitchen counter.

  She glanced into the nearest mirror. Ugh. She looked like hell, but there was nothing she could do in thirty seconds to make it any better. Maybe being caught on the back foot could work to her advantage.

  The doorbell buzzed again. Taking a deep breath, she cracked open the door with the chain still intact.

  Michael scowled with his hands crossed over his chest, tapping his foot.

  “Are you planning on doing me harm?” she asked through the chained crack. Seeing him filled her with a combination of fear and elation.

  “As well deserved as it might be, no. I’m not planning on harming you. May I come in?” he asked.

  Crap, he’s really mad.

  Sienna removed the chain and opened the door wide enough for him to enter. He walked briskly into her apartment, and she closed the door behind him.

  She might as well start with a good offense. “I’m sorry, Michael. I—”

  “You’re sorry?” he interrupted as he paced with his hands clenched at his sides. “Do you realize how humiliating that was for me? To have Simon come and release me? The only thing that would’ve been worse is if were Cara or my mother!”

  Sienna couldn’t help it. The thought made her smirk.

  “It’s not fucking funny!” he yelled, his neck a bright pink.

  She bit her bottom lip to prevent the nervous laugh threatening to escape. “I think it would’ve been funny if it were your mother.” He must’ve thought so too for about a second because a ghost of a smile passed over his lips.

  “Admit it, you just smiled.”

  He held onto his scowl. “Sienna, I’m fucking pissed at you.”

  She smiled sweetly. “I know, because you’ve said ‘fucking’ twice since you got here.” Michael didn’t swear as a general rule, so she found it both shocking and amusing when he did. Maybe she was rubbing off on him.

  “Sienna! Knock it off,” he snapped and stamped his foot. “Why is it that you can drive me to the brink of insanity?”

  “Just special I guess?” she said in a small voice.

  He threw his hands up the air. “Woman, you drive me bat shit crazy! You know that?”

  “Who answered your phone? Deva? Cara told me you worked out with her this afternoon.”

  Glaring at her with daggers in his eyes, he snapped, “Yeah. If you’d stuck around for another five seconds, maybe we could’ve figured that out instead of you leaving me tied to the bed with my dick hanging out.”

  You look very sexy tied to the bed with your dick hanging out, she thought, a smile escaping this time. “So, you didn’t cheat on me?”

  “No, Sienna. I didn’t cheat on you. Do you want it in blood?” he said with anger etched deep in his brow.

  Maybe she had half a chance of fixing this—as long as she didn’t make any more stupid moves. She probably wouldn’t need Cara’s help after all.

  “I’m sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?” Sienna took a step toward him, and his body went rigid, stopping her in her tracks. “I don’t want to lose what we have, Michael.”

  His face softened. “I don’t either,” he replied and lowered himself onto the sofa. Afraid to get any closer, she sat on the club chair next to it.

  Clasping his hands, he leaned on his thighs and flashed a cool smile. “I’ve thought about acceptable restitution. I think I’ve come up with something satisfactory.”

  Uh-oh, I’m in trouble. “Restitution, huh? Give me your thoughts.”

  He leaned back and rested his arm along the back of the couch. “First, I want one hundred points credited to my bank.”

  Sienna gasped. That was a lot of card games. “Okayyyyy,” she said slowly, recovering.

  He smiled wickedly. “I’m withdrawing seventy-five points right now.” He slipped the pink furry handcuffs from his back pocket and threw them on the coffee table.

  Sienna panicked. “Are you serious?”

  He got up and lifted her up off the chair into an embrace. His hot and smoldering gaze caught hers, reminding her of the Calvin Klein ad. “Dead serious. Haven’t you heard that make-up sex is the best? Especially if it’s creative?”

  His lips met hers, tenderly at first, and then with increasing insistence until he conquered her mouth. Being back inside the warmth of his embrace and pressed up against the hard muscles of his chest set her on fire.

  Her hands snuck underneath the back of his shirt to touch the smooth hollow along his spine. Her nails traveled down into the top of jeans until they found his bare ass.

  He grasped her arms and gently pulled them out. “This is my party, remember?”

  She gave him an innocent look. “What? I’m not allowed to touch you?”

  �
��Only until I get you into the bedroom, then its handcuffs for you, cupcake.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You promise you won’t return the favor and leave me handcuffed and naked for Cara?”

  He chuckled, wrapping his arms securely around her. “As tempting as that would be. No. But you’ll just have to trust me.” He kissed her on the top of her head, and then spun her around. Giving her a tap on the butt, he gently nudged her toward the kitchen. “Go get some ice and meet me in the bedroom.”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Are we talking a bucket or a glass?” she asked on her way.

  He laughed. “You deserve a bucket but a glass will do.”

  She stumbled to a stop on her way into the bedroom and her breath caught. He’d already taken his shirt off and placed it neatly on a chair. Standing half-naked next the bed, he was sexy and beautiful. Her eyes swept top to bottom, from his high cheekbones down along the curve of his neck to the smooth muscles of his torso and lower to his rippled abs; the red family crest tattoo on his chest an added turn-on.

  He clasped the dress she’d discarded on the floor and held it out to her. The corners of his mouth turned up. “I think you owe it to me.”

  Suppressing a smile, she handed him the glass of ice and snatched the dress from his hand. “I’ll be back.”

  Her heart leaped on the way to the bathroom, she wouldn’t dream of denying him the full package. She took the opportunity to repair her face with some strategically placed make-up, and then shimmied into her dress, sans underwear, and headed back.

  “Your wish is my command,” she said, stepping into the heels lying inside her bedroom door.

  Michael sat on the bottom edge of her bed. The glass of ice and handcuffs lay on the nightstand.

  “You look beautiful.” He stood up, encircling her in his arms. She felt at home again wrapped in his warmth. She stared into his royal-blue eyes and nearly melted. She wanted him now more than ever, in any way that she could have him.

  He slowly lowered his lips onto hers and closed his eyes as he kissed her, pressing her body closer to his. His lips were soft and gentle—loving. Breaking the kiss, he hugged her hard. “Baby, you make me crazy in so many ways,” he whispered into her hair.