From Sanctum With Love (Masters and Mercenaries Book 10) (32 page)

Damn but he needed that Kori right now.

She turned in her chair, the one he’d bought for her because after their first office had blown up, he’d enjoyed shopping for new furniture with her.

Why had he wasted all this fucking time? Was he going to waste more? Was it too early to get her tipsy and on a flight to Vegas and oops, where did that wedding ring come from? Damn, guess we should make the best of it.

He had to play it cool with her. She was the elusive, free-range sub and he had to get her to understand she was safe with him.

“Do I even want to know what’s going through your head right now?” Her eyes lit with mirth as though she could read his thoughts.

“Probably not.”

She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. Her head came to his shoulders because somewhere along the way, she’d kicked off her shoes. “Thank you for dealing with the Sarah situation. I don’t want to cause anyone trouble. It’s why I thought staying home would work.”

He cradled her against him. “She would know something was wrong. She still will, but confronting the problem is almost always the best way to move forward.”

Her head tilted up and she proved she could give him some puppy eyes of her own. “Like you’re doing with Jared?”

“I’m going to talk to him. Let’s get through tonight and tomorrow morning, we’ll have a nice knock-down, drag-out fight the way only brothers can. Will that make you happy?”

She nodded. “Yes. I want you to be happy, Kai. I don’t think you can be until you deal with this situation.”

Case’s words from earlier had haunted him all day. “I’ll talk to him. Now can we play?”

“You said you had a problem with my work duties. Did I do something wrong, Sir?” Kori stepped back, biting her bottom lip as she stared up at him. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Boss and secretary will work so well on me today, baby.”

“Assistant.” There was his brat.

He shoved a hand in her hair, drawing her back so she was forced to look up at him. “Are you correcting me? If I say you’re my gorgeous secretary, then what are you?”

Her eyes had gone hot. “I’m your dirty little secretary, Sir.”

He let go of her hair. “You’re not in uniform, Ms. Williamson.”

Her hands immediately went to her blouse, undoing the buttons one at a time. “I’m sorry, Sir. I’ll fix that as soon as possible.”

“And I’ll be waiting in my office for you. Bring along the present I gave you. I think you’re going to require some discipline.” He strode into his office. It was so much more comfortable than the lobby, with its hardwood floors. He had carpet in his office. He’d done it for the sound reduction, but now he was happy because his sub was going to spend some time on her knees.

He sank into his chair and watched as she walked in. She’d taken off every stitch of clothing and moved toward him with the grace of a goddess offering him a prize. She was the prize, of course, but she held out the bouquet for his selection. She dropped to her knees before him, holding up the instruments of her torture as though they were gifts. Which they were.

“Did I say a proper thank you for my present, Sir?”

“I think you forgot, but we’ll get to that. Spread your legs wider. I want to see my pussy.”

Her knees splayed, though her spine remained perfectly straight. He watched as the pink lips of her pussy were revealed for him. She had the prettiest fucking pussy in the world, plump and ripe and always so creamy for him. Her breasts were thrust out, nipples already tight.

She was ready to play.

Kai took the present from her and set it on top of his desk. All day long he’d had this nasty feeling in his gut. It had been about what he had to do tonight, about what was left unsaid with his brother. It was about not letting the Taggarts down. He let it all flow away now.

If Kori wanted him to talk to his brother, he would. He might never be close to Jared, but for her he would try. And after tonight, he would be out of the spy business and he could concentrate on what he did best. He would put all his training into finding a way to help Theo when he came home.

Because Theo Taggart would come home.

“Take off my shoes.”

She went to work on his loafers, pulling them off and dragging the socks with them. He nearly sighed when she ran her fingers over the arches. It was a service he usually provided for her. The last few nights when they sat together, she would put her feet in his lap and wiggle them until he finally gave in. He loved the sounds she made when he rubbed her feet.

“That feels good, baby.”

“Anything for my boss.”

He wanted to be so much more than her boss. “Really? Because I think you think you’re the boss.”

She shook her head, all that gloriously curly hair tumbling around her shoulders. “No. I’m only a secretary.”

“What did I order for lunch, Kori?”

Her cheeks went the sweetest shade of red. “A steak salad with bleu cheese dressing.”

“What did I get? And don’t try to tell me they were out of beef.”

“You eat too much red meat. I thought you might like the salmon. The light dressing was a mistake on the restaurant’s part.”

He reached out and selected one of the sadisticks, turning it over in his hand. He’d known exactly what she was doing and he hadn’t complained. It was hard to complain when someone cared. He’d spent too much of his life without anyone giving a damn that he ate too much red meat. But it did give him a perfectly fine reason to torture her. “Lean back, hands on your ankles.”

A fine shiver went through her body as she complied. In this position, she was on full display for him. Her pussy was exposed, her torso leaning back, hands balancing against her ankles. She was a gorgeous example of submission with her breasts thrust out, her eyes on him.

“When I say I want something, you will give it to me.” He gave her a wink. “Unless you’re willing to pay the price.”

“Anything to save my Master from the inevitable heart attack that will come.”

Gorgeous brat. He flicked the pink tipped rod over her breast and she gasped. Immediately the skin reddened, a matchstick mark on her tender flesh. “You’re very giving, baby. Let’s make a deal. You feel free to save my arteries and I’ll happily mark you.”

She groaned as he flicked her other breast. “Yes, Sir.”

Her eyes were already dilating. How could he have spent all that time with her and never seen this part? Had he seen it deep down? Was that why he’d been so attracted to her? “And we’ll make another deal. I think part of your day should be spent in a creative exercise.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

He flicked her again and then again, loving the way her flesh responded. Seeing those marks swell made his dick jump in his slacks. “I’ve been thinking over the past few days.” He dropped down behind her because he was fairly certain that leaning back against her own ankles was probably starting to get hard for her. “Lean back against me. Hands on your thighs.”

She leaned her weight back and he felt her sigh. He wasn’t going to let her rest for too long. Being in this position made it easy to flick the stick against her thighs.

“Oww, oww.”

He could feel her breath, the way her skin jumped when he flicked her. “Tell me what it feels like.”

“It stings. It burns. It lights me up and goes straight to my pussy. Please, no more.”

That was not her safe word. He flicked her again, the marks showing up against the ivory of her skin. She wouldn’t be able to wear too short a skirt or someone would see. He was okay with that. Those legs were his along with every other pretty piece of her. She jumped against him as he struck again, a bit harder this time because she was warming up nicely. He used his free hand to cup her breast. “You’ll take as much as I give you.”

“Yes, Sir.”

He rolled her nipple, tweaking it as he pulled back the stick and let it fly. “As for your creative time, I want you to write for me.”

She went still in his arms.

He’d thought about this a lot. “Whatever you want. If you want to write nothing more than how awful I am, then that’s what you do. But I want you to write because I think you miss it. I saw Serena’s script on your desk.”

“I’m just helping out a friend. Please don’t stop, Sir. I’ll talk about this, but please don’t stop.”

He understood this woman. This was her safe place. She could talk here because this was a space where there was nothing but honesty. She accepted herself here. “I won’t. I won’t ever stop. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are to me?”

“I feel beautiful with you, Kai.”

He twisted her nipple and was rewarded with a squeal. “You are always beautiful. I want you to have everything you need, everything you want. Do you want to be my assistant for the rest of your life?”

“I could be happy. That’s something I’ve learned. I can be happy in many places. I don’t have to be one thing, but I’m starting to miss it, too. I don’t know what I want beyond being here with you.”

“Will you try?”

She nodded. “Yes. I think I might write about this. I might write about us.”

“As long as names are changed to protect the innocent, I’ll go along with that. Are you going to write about how wet your pussy is?”

“It’s always wet when you’re here, Sir. When you walk into a room, my body gets soft and ready, and I always want you inside me.”

Every word was like a drug. “Write about how hard I get when I think about you. Write about how much pleasure it brings me to see you wearing my mark, to make you squirm and scream for me. You don’t ever have to put it out in the world if you don’t want to, but you should write it down. Every day. A little bit more.”

Her head fell back against his shoulder, her body offered to him. “Yes, Sir.”

He flicked the stick over her breasts, raising pretty welts as she shook and cried in his arms. She never cried before, but she did now. That was an offering he would take, too. Her tears, her pain, her pleasure, her every emotion. They belonged to him.

“Touch yourself,” he ordered. “I want to play with you while you make yourself come.”

Her hand moved, sliding over so her fingers could reach her clit. Kai watched, his eyes roaming the length of her body as he flicked her skin from time to time. Every time the stick would impact, she would jump slightly and go breathless in his arms.

Her finger was immediately slick with her own moisture. He watched as she ran the pad of her finger over and around her clit. He pinched her nipple and bit her ear again, sliding his tongue over it to soothe the ache. He could see the spot where he’d bitten her the night before. It would fade by tomorrow, but she would have fresh marks, all those matchsticks that proved how much fun they’d had.

“One more time, please, Kai.” Her finger rubbed hard, in furious motions.

He didn’t have to ask what she meant. He knew. He knew her and what it took for her to really come. He flicked the stick hard, right on her thigh, and her whole body stiffened. She called out his name, turning her face up for his kiss. Even as her fingers slowed, he fused their mouths together.

Perfect connection.

Now it was time to get what he needed from his sub. He would relax, spend all afternoon inside her, and once tonight was over, they would be home free.

“Up, baby. Time for you to serve me.”

Her face was flushed as he got to his feet in front of her. Playtime was over and he needed the feel of her mouth on him.

She seemed to understand exactly what he wanted. She let him help her up. He took her hand in his and when she was steady on her feet, he brought it to his lips. Those pretty fingers were coated in her own arousal, and damn but he loved the way she tasted. He sucked her fingers inside, giving her a bite that made her shiver all over again. He sucked her fingers clean, enjoying the sweet taste of her essence.

“Undress me,” he said when he was satisfied those fingers were perfectly clean. “Tell me how you feel.”

She gave him a smile as she started to work on his shirt. “Happy. Relaxed.”

He watched her, enjoying the graceful way she moved and how the marks on her body formed patterns he could touch, patterns that spoke of her trust in him. “I don’t want you to worry about tonight.”

She smoothed the shirt off him and placed it around the back of his chair before running her hands over his chest. “I want everyone to be happy. I hate the thought of Sarah feeling bad, but I also hate the idea that Jared will think I betrayed him.”

“I’ll talk to him. He’ll understand that it was one hundred percent my call.” He cupped her face in his hands, staring down at her. “I know you like Jared, but you have to understand that once this film is through, he likely won’t be back.”

Her hands moved on his waist as though she drew comfort from the contact. “I don’t know about that. I think if you would let him in, he would be close to his family.”

He kissed her nose and then her lips, tenderness welling inside him. “He was never close. Not after we got to be teenagers. He went his way and I went mine. You’re my family, Kori. You’re the one I need close.”

“You know exactly how to manipulate me,” she whispered.

“I’m not manipulating you. There is nothing but truth here. I will talk to my brother, but I don’t want you to get too close to him because he disappears. Have fun tonight, but always know he’s going to go away again. Your sister is much better and you’ve learned to distance from her.”

She frowned. “Not really. She drives me insane, but she’s my sister. She’s family.”

“Family is what you make it,” he whispered.

“I…I…”

He knew that look. She didn’t want to say something because she thought it would make her look foolish. Kori struggled with any emotion that wasn’t bravado. There was only one thing she could want to say that would make her blush that hard. He could spank her ass all day, inflict torture on her and fuck her sideways, but only one thing would make her blush. “Say it.”

Her mouth formed a stubborn line.

He moved in, his lips hovering above hers. “Say it.”

“I love you, Kai.”

That was what he wanted to hear. “I love you, too. Always have.”

He kissed her long and hard, his tongue tangling with hers. He let his hands slide down her back, cupping her cheeks and dragging her against him. He didn’t need anyone else. He didn’t need Jared or the rest of the world as long as he had her.