to the house beyond the parking lot. “I’d love to stand and chat, J, but I have a pressing matter to deal with. Did my naughty little sub do any lasting damage?”
The sadist cracked his neck, rolling his head gently until something in his neck popped. He ran his tongue around his teeth, then shook his head. “Aside from ringing my bell pretty damn hard, there’s nothing to write home about. Sure as hell wouldn’t want to meet her in a dark alley at night, though. Poppet packs a punch.”
“She sure does.” Braun felt the echo of those tiny hands battering him not so long ago. She was strong despite being so lean. Must be all that dancing. “If you’re sure you’re okay, I’m gonna take her in and get her head down for the night. Expect an apology tomorrow night once she’s realized the error of her ways.”
Jasper frowned. “Tomorrow’s Sunday.”
“It is.”
“Boadicea never comes into the club on a Sunday.”
Braun just smiled slowly. “Things change, J. Bodie’s about to understand just how quickly they do so.” When she moaned again, he nuzzled her hair and murmured, “They change even faster once all those secrets come into the light, little one.”
Rubbing his marked cheek, Jasper’s frown deepened. “Not trying to stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong, Braun, but there are circumstances to this. I don’t want her getting in trouble for it.”
“I know, and she’s not. We’ll see you tomorrow night, J.”
“Hold up, you’ll need these.” Metal jangled quietly as he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed them over. “Her car keys. Had to make sure she didn’t slip past me and drive off.”
“Good thinking.” Braun shoved them into his own pocket and set off toward the house. Each step roused a tremor in his subbie. By the time he pushed through the garden gate and kicked it shut, she was trembling as though she expected him to read her the riot act...or worse.
Always expecting the worst, he thought. She was always poised to take a hit. Be it a fist or harsh words, she rarely lowered her guard. Just in case.
It took seconds to cross the short width of lawn and carry her into the warmth of the house. He didn’t pause in the hallway, just hauled her tired, emotional ass straight upstairs to the master bedroom. He managed to nudge the main light on with his elbow, then carried her to the bed.
She wouldn’t look at him for love nor money when he slid her down his side onto her feet. Her inner bitch was all burned out, leaving a shell shocked and apparently mute female in her place.
That was fine with him.
“Seems to me some vital information was withheld from our conversations, little one,” Braun chastised gently. “Makes me think you don’t trust me. So that means we need to have a talk tomorrow.” He began stripping off her clothes slowly, watching the trembling intensify. “I don’t want you to worry about what was said between you and Connie, Bodie. She only told me what I needed to know, what you said she could tell me. I’m not mad.” Just hurt. “I can see why you’d want to hide the truth, but it doesn’t happen again. Trust has to work from both sides or it’s useless.”
Bodie crossed her arms over her chest after he whipped away her dirty hoody. God, she looked edible, standing beside his superking size bed with that expanse of beautiful skin on show.
Eating her a second time was high up on his wish list.
“Do you want me to get you some ice for your hands?” he asked, kneeling in front of her as he tugged the jeans down over her hips and sleek thighs until they puddled at her feet. One by one, he removed her boots and completed his task of getting her naked.
“They’re fine.”
She speaks! Braun rose and captured the dainty weapons in his, inspecting them and growing displeased as he counted the teeth marks in her skin and the swelling consumed her knuckles. “They’re not fine. Jasper’s granite face roughed them up.”
“Wasn’t his fault.”
He hated hearing her so downtrodden. The spark he loved was dwindling, buried under exhaustion and worry. “Wasn’t yours either, little one.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, feeling her relax as she understood he actually wasn’t angry with her. “Been hiding some big secrets, Bodie. It’s got to hurt, letting them go.”
No response to that, he