Page 43 (1/2)

Author: Roni Loren

Someone "Wyatt"

"He set it up before you left for the trip He wanted you to be able to come home without worries"

She shook her head, the hollow ache that had been a constant presence since she’d gotten back from the trip seemed to yawn even wider "I don’t even knohat to do with that"

Grant gave her knee a squeeze "You do what you want, darlin’ You can go back to your life Get your old job back, go to school"

She certainly could, though she wouldn’t need the job for the money She had a two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar check in her cabin Wyatt apparently wasn’t so great atherself to cash it though

She forced a s that was the appropriate response to the situation But all the things she’d been so happy with only a feeeks ago, the existence she’d been so desperate to hold on to, now seemed painted in colorless strokes in her"Thanks, Grant Really I can’t even tell you how much it means that you helped"

"Anytime, darlin’" He put a hand out to her and pulled her to her feet as he rose "But that’s not why I came out here to talk to you"

"Oh?"

He cocked his head toward theclients, but there’s a certain college football player in there who says he really needs to see you What do you want me to tell him?"

She frowned "Hawk’s here?"

"Yeah, apparently he took it upon himself to drive out here when the receptionist told hi appointments"

She stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, staring up at the house If Hawk had gone through all that trouble, souy if he needed her "I’ll go see hihed, a sound she found herself ood heart I just wish I could take away all that shame he carries around with him, make his life a little easier"

Grant laid his aruided her toward the house "You know, darlin’, I think I rong Caring that h painyou do have a true do brother vibe from Grant unfamiliar but welcome "Too bad I have a submissive heart"

He opened the door for her with a sy, Kelsey It’s a beautiful gift You just have to ht hands"

She looked away, unable to let her eon B And be warned, he didn’t come alone"

"What do you mean?"

"You should probably see for yourself"

Uh-oh Kelseyto stop by the locker rooear She usually never let her clients see her in street clothes, but the way Hawk had couest needed to be discussed first It wasn’t like hih the vie of Dungeon B, she forgot all about discussing the rules

Hawk sat on one of the benches aligned along the far wall, his head bowed Next to hiirl with hair down to her waist She was gripping Hawk’s hand so hard her knuckles were pale, but her expression was pure deterood

Kelsey turned the knob and walked in, drawing their attention her way Some combination of relief and desperation crossed Hawk’s face, but the girl’s hard expression fell instantly Her lips pressed together as if she were fighting tears She turned to Haith a choked whisper "You could’ve told me she was so pretty Godda his head miserably "It’s not about that"

Kelsey took a deep breath "Haould you like to tell h his already lanced back at his girl--"Mistress"

The girl winced like she’d been slapped

"I know I shouldn’t have come like this, but Christina, she--"

"I demanded he show me" Christina rose and brushed invisible lint off her khaki skirt before looking up, as if biding tie to speak more "He tried to break up with me, and I wanted to knohy"

"Oh, Hawk," Kelsey said softly

"He loves me I know he does and he wanted to justend it" Christina’s voice caught on the last tords

Hawk shook his head, his eyes bloodshot "I wasn’t going to tell her, but she deserved to knohy I’ood for her I’m fucked up"

Kelsey didn’t think, but instead reacted Her hand caht across the face, the sound reverberating in the sasped and Hawk blinked, his pupils going big, his sub in whether he wanted it to or not Face slapping was one of his kink buttons "I’ Hawk’s ar Kelsey the coldest, irl "You crazy bitch! You hit hi to return the favor, but Hawk held her back "Baby, don’tThisThat’s what this is I--I need to be hurt sometimes"