Luther’s grip was firm, solid. I’d seen him fight in the octagon. Ronan usually walked out unscathed, but not when pitted against Luther. He could double the bones in my hand without trying.
“I know.”
“Then do something about it.” Luther pressed. “If she means that much to you, you’ll have to make her official to protect her.”
“I know.” Problem wasn’t making her mine; it was loving her too much to make her mine.
Love.
Fuck.
Perish the thought that I, Ibby Mercia, would use the L-word without my balls in a vice.
Perhaps they were.
Luther continued his warning, this time slapping my back to leave. “No one will touch your woman, but while she’s just another hostess, Garrison and his boys will consider her fair game.”
“I know, believe me, I know.”
Fuck.
Katie
Each minute lasted hours.
It could have been a doctor doing her job, or because Dr. Layla Kerr had been asked to give me special treatment. Not the usual six-minute rushed appointment. After giving up her planned day, Layla turned up to The Club and took her time asking questions and getting to know me.
As a person, not a patient.
She gave me time to feel comfortable before the physical examination.
I could have told her; they didn’t hurt me. Not really. My wrists and ankles would heal. As for my emotions, I didn’t believe in miracles.
Without knowing who and why, I’d remain a sitting target for them or him to try again.
“Katie, are you sure I can’t do anything more? I can prescribe you a mild sedative, refer you to someone who is a good listener. I’m here to help, but you have to give me something to work with.”
“No, I’m just really tired.” I couldn’t even guess how long it had been since I’d left my pillow.
“Ibby seems quite devoted to you.”
“He’s my boss, he probably feels responsible if it had anything to do with The Club.” Yes, his arms had held me close, given me shelter when the tears got out of control, but he’d made it quite clear. We. Were. Not. A. Couple. Never would be.
“He didn’t sound like just a boss when he demanded my presence,” Layla laughed. “Don’t worry, he didn’t threaten to pull my membership, but he was quite persuasive.”
Maybe, I could read something into his hug.
“Katie, I’ve known Ibby for a long time. He cares. I’ve seen him with a lot of women, but he’s never looked at them the way he looks at you.”
“He was just worried about me.”
“Katie, I said looks at you. Why do you think he spends so much time here? He’s got an empire to run and a business partner who can carry the load here. I’d give anything for a man to look at me the way he looks at you when he thinks no one’s looking.”
“Will you tell Ibby that they didn’t, you know.” My brain fought to process Layla’s words while the man of the moment was still somewhere in the building. My greatest fear had been what my kidnappers would do to me before killing me. I couldn’t imagine Ibby not thinking the same. If Layla told him, then I’d never need to relieve what did and thankfully, didn’t, happen.
“Of course.” Layla’s hug was unexpected. “Katie, physically, you’re very lucky, but that doesn’t mean you can process something like this quickly. I know you didn’t want to, but I’d really like you to talk to someone.”
“I have friends.”
“Good, and you’ll need to talk to them. But at some point, I want you to talk to someone who will give you strategies to deal with it and move on. Strategies for when you’re at home alone, for when you are walking down the street.”
“I don’t want to even think about things like that, not yet,” I pleaded. “Just tell him, to hell with it. Send him in.”
Layla hadn’t even finished opening the door before Ibby filled the doorframe.
Damn, he was a beautiful man.
Yes, he was sexy and alpha in the way that opened doors and legs.
But underneath the gloss he wore for everyone else, was a beautiful man. Soft chocolate eyes and long lashes looked for me. His chest only falling with his held breath after I smiled.
“Doc?” he asked quickly, “Katie?”
“Physically, she’s fine, but I’d feel better if someone was with her for the next couple of days. To listen, be a friend and generally look after her.” Ibby didn’t see her wink my way.
“Already organized.” Ibby insisted, his usual confidence returned. “I’m taking her back to my place. There’s already security in place and she can either hang out in the main living areas, or there is a whole wing if she wants privacy.”
“Like that is it?” Layla laughed, but it didn’t seem at my expense. “Should someone let Cara and Neve know?”
I didn’t know who Layla was talking about. No Cara or Neve worked at The Club. As the uncharacteristic flush crept up his neck, I didn’t know whether Ibby was more embarrassed about the mention of these other women, or that Layla was making assumptions about a relationship that didn’t exist.
Whatever, my beautiful man looked to see my reaction before quickly putting me at ease.
“Cara’s like my sister and Neve has her own guys.”
“Relax, Ibby.” Layla touched his arm, slightly pushing him my way. There was room on the couch for him to sit, but I still had questions. Who took me, were they still after me, and who were Cara and Neve?
“Katie, don’t worry about Cara or Neve.” Layla smiled and I remembered why she was popular with men on their last night of freedom. “I was trying to lighten the mood and shake Ibby up a bit. I met Ibby through their brother, Ronan.”
“Now we’re back to Ibby and Layla instead of Mr. Mercia and Dr. Kerr, remind me, Layla.” Ibby had dropped his guard. I didn’t know they were old friends. “Did you break Ronan’s heart, or did he break yours?”
“How about, neither. We hooked up and I stayed friends with Cara after we broke up. She finds it amusing to invite me to family dinners when Ronan lowers his standards. Some of his women are more like stray cats he brings home for feeding.”
“Ronan’s like my brother.” Ibby assured me. “Which means his sisters are my sisters. Understand?”
“No, but that’s alright.” Seriously, my head was spinning with faceless names. I wanted sleep. Preferably in the arms of the man who made me feel safe, but if we waited any longer, any floor or flat surface would do.
“Thanks, Layla, I mean Doctor Kerr. Send me the bill and don’t look for a tip!” Ibby managed the right blend of professional respect and old friendship.
“Thanks, Doctor Kerr,” I had no problems with how to address Layla. “Next time you come in, there’s a bottle of your favorite bubbles on my tab,” I smiled and teased. “And, I’ll make sure to let you know whenever we have the next bachelor party booked.”
“You look after yourself.” Layla surprised me with a hug. “You look after her, or I’ll introduce her to Ronan!” she threatened Ibby.
Ibby followed Layla into the hall, their whispered conversation of no concern. Layla would only tell Ibby what he needed to know.
I snuggled into Ibby’s jacket, tucking it around my bended knees. Becoming a small ball almost engulfed by the large couch. My heavy eyelids fell. All I wanted was sleep. Hours and hours of blissful sleep.
“Sweetheart,” Ibby’s whisper would have made me jump, except for the soft kiss to my cheek. “I’m happy for you to move in here if you want, but how about I get you home?”
“To your place? But I don’t have any clothes or anything.”
“Give the day manager a list of what you need, and your keys. Steve will take Janet and they can drop everything off to my place.”
“Is that really necessary?” I felt the need to protest. “They let me go.”
“I’m not taking any chances. Let’s assume it is Garrison. Do you want to go to the police?”
“No, hell no.”
“Then, trust me. He’s got an interest in you and Chelle. Darius is setting Chelle up with a new job, but until things settle down, she’s staying with friends of a friend.”
“Do you trust them? I don’t want what they did to me,” I gasped. Until now, I hadn’t thought about anyone but me. “How can you trust them, and why can’t I stay with her?”
“I’ve known Erebus for a few years. He used to be a male stripper, moved into more personal entertainment and then gave away the lifestyle for love. He’s got a place a couple of hours away on the south coast. Chelle can work remotely until things settle down. Erebus can pass one woman off as his wife’s friend. But if two gorgeous women turn up in a small town, it gets harder to hide.”
“I guess.”
I didn’t like the idea of Janet going through my things, but if it was a choice between Steve and Janet, well.
“Katie, sweetheart,” If only Ibby had held me like this on the dancefloor. I’d have been in seventh heaven. One muscular arm woven around my back, pulling me close until the only thing between us was the buttons from his jacket digging into my chest. All the while, my cheek tingled at the touch of his other hand. This moment could almost erase the last day. “Sweetheart, we’ve got a lot to sort out, but right now I want to keep you safe. Please, come back to my place and let me look after you.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
I dared to hope as his fingertips raised my chin. His eyes framed mine and with only a moment’s hesitation, Ibby crossed what I knew was his own boundary. He’d been so insistent that we couldn’t, that we shouldn’t.
The last day had broken the rules. Smashed through boundaries.
As his lips met mine, I gave into my dream becoming real. He couldn’t hide the truth from his kiss. He stopped hiding behind macho bullshit.
Ibby Mercia kissed me with the passion of a man who was giving of himself. Opening himself. Allowing me inside his heart.
His kiss, his arms, his presence surrounded me with the heat of a sauna. My skin flushed; heart raced as I wanted more. Craved more.
Only when we briefly broke apart, to catch our breath, I realized the trauma had subsided into a dull panic, instead of a head pounding, body shaking terror.
This.
This, whatever it was.
This moment exceeded every expectation.
I’d watched Ibby pick up girls by the dozen, sleep with them, never returning to the same bed twice. I’d wondered how they could be so stupid, to fall for a man who made no promises.
“Ibby?”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
“Oh, Ibby,” I sighed.
I didn’t need promises. Hope was more powerful than promises made in the heat of the moment. This time, my lips sought his and I chose to believe this kiss would last for more than one day.
Just Once
Ibby
One fucking, awesome kiss that should never have happened.
The taste of Katies lips blew my mind.
Soft, pliable and perfectly fit to mine. Hell, her hands fit neatly within mine, her face the perfect contour. How had I never realized she was perfect, for me.
Cocooned within my jacket, I’d felt her curves meld to the contour of my chest while her heart gradually found time with mine.
Heart. Body. Soul.
Fuck.
Of all the bastard acts I’d either gotten away with or caught in the act, this had been the worst. Hell was waiting for me. It had to be.
How the fuck could I stoop so low? To take advantage of Katie in her weakened state, when she’d been scared to death and vulnerable, I’d swooped in and fucking kissed her.
I hated myself almost as much as I hated the bastards who’d taken her. She deserved better. She deserved better than the life I’d sentenced her to by giving her my attention. Putting a target on her back just by letting Garrison know that she meant something to me.
Means something to me.
I kissed her first, but she’d come back for seconds. Katie had to be the one to pull away because I sure as hell couldn’t. Any more than I could stop stroking her hair. Inhaling the faint scent of lavender shampoo underneath the stench of mechanics oil and grease.
Where they’d held her.
My mind refused to play out all the possible scenarios. Last night, they’d been real possibilities. Today, I couldn’t stop thinking about how worse things could have gotten if Garrison hadn’t feared the bikers more than he wanted to punish me.
Rambling thoughts needed time to process and accept. I needed a clear head. Logic. Not emotion.
A single kiss.
Months in the making, and minutes to deliver.
Taking emotion out of the situation had become impossible.
“You are coming back to my place,” I insisted again. “You’ll have as much space and privacy as you want.” Resisting the urge to kiss her again, I couldn’t help adding, “Or don’t want.”
“Are you sure it’s no trouble?”
Katie’s hands to my chest held no pressure. She wanted answers, not to push me away.
“Habibti, it’s either my place, or you get to live in this room. Here, you’ll be surrounded by people who care about you and will move heaven and earth to keep you safe.”
“And at your place?”
A man who’s falling in love with you and will walk away from every fucking business deal to keep you safe. Fuck, I’d even called her sweetheart in Arabic. Every fucking morning, I heard my father greet my mother with sweet black coffee and Habibti qalbi. I’d never thought I’d use the words for a woman. Never.
“You get me and my cooking.” If Katie noticed my slip of the tongue, she didn’t let on.
“Sounds like a good deal, to me. Does it come with another kiss on the side?” The sassy Katie who could set my balls on fire with one cheeky look, peeked through her earlier tears.
“Only if you eat your vegetables,” I teased back. Relieved she hadn’t pressed the point or given me grief about wanting her close by. Needed to be in control of her security. “Or, if you ask nicely.”
“I’m asking.”
Hell now had me on speed-dial and our next kiss bought me a one-way ticket.
I should have called Steve to deliver her to my house where a room was already being fixed up for her. Give Katie time to sleep and decide whether kissing the asshole who probably put her at risk, was worth the risk.
Instead, I craved her kiss like oxygen. Needed to feel her in my arms to know she was real. To be assured Katie was safe. I now accepted that the blast from this powder keg we’d been dancing around might send me to hell, but I didn’t care as long as she could be spared.
Tap. Tap, tap.
“Boss?”
“Yeah, come on in, Steve.” I helped Katie sit up without time for a quick kiss before the testosterone of Steve, Luther and one of Luther’s crew filled my room.
“Grizz, Ibrahim and the sweet Katie.” Luther made the introductions.
“Grizz? Don’t you guys ever have real names?” Katie asked, not at all intimidated by the man who could probably bench press the rest of us.
“Only used by my mother and the cops when they’re filling out my arrest sheet.” Grizz held Ibby’s stare before smiling at Katie. “We ready to go?”
“I think so, but I have a shift here in a couple of hours.”
“No, you don’t.”
I spat out before reining back my emotions. Fuck. Luther had just finished telling me to keep my shit together. I could trust Steve, but this Grizz dude and I had no history. Quickly back-peddling, “I want you working offline on some marketing strategies, for The Club and for my new concept place. You’ll get paid, but no need to come back here in person.”
“You think I’m still not safe?” I felt the couch cushion shift as she leaned away. I glanced between Luther, Grizz and Steve for a way to tell her the truth without unnecessarily scaring her.
“Miss Katie,” Luther start
ed easily. “The immediate threat has been neutralized, but if Mr. Ibrahim has a way for you to keep a low profile for a couple of weeks, then I suggest you take it. Grizz here will protect you with his life, but let’s not put him to the test. Underneath the scowl and tattoos, he’s a good guy and I’d rather keep him around.”
“Why did they let me go if they’re only going to take me again?” Trust Katie ask the questions none of us knew the answers to, at least not yet. But I could hear her quickening breath. The panic from before had lessened, but I needed to get her home and to bed. Her bed. Not mine. Not yet.
“Shh, things we don’t need to worry about. Whether you admit it or not, you’re still in shock and we need to get you to bed, to rest.”
There’d be time to punish my so-called friends for their sniggers. Damn it, for once I wanted a woman in bed her benefit, not mine.
“Let’s go,” I cut them off and helped Katie to her feet. Wrapping the blanket around her, I stood back for Steve to play hero, again.
My arms should be carrying Katie down to my car. Mine. Not Steve’s. But I didn’t need the warning look from Luther. Yes, Grizz leading the way and Steve carrying Katie would cause enough attention. I couldn’t be seen getting personally involved.
The missing Darius caught up with me at the reception desk. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“My place is like a fortress. Luther is giving me a guy to stay with her at all times; Grizz and another guy, Rex.”
“So, what are you going to do about Garrison?” Darius didn’t have to pass judgement, the veins popping out of his neck were enough. “If you let him get away with it, he’ll have your balls in a vice forever.”
“Right now, I’m more concerned about Katie and Chelle. I’ve known Erebus for years, but are you sure we can trust him?”
“He knows how to handle himself, and he knows how to keep his mouth shut.” Darius knew more but wasn’t gonna spill. “Look, I’ve paid the next six months’ rent on Chelle’s place and suggest you do the same for Katie. They need to think they can go back to their old lives, but it gives you six months to sort the shit out.”
“I only need six weeks.”
Hard Bargain: a Billionaire Suspense Romance (City Sinners Book 3) Page 9