Page 54 of Bonded

“Okay, first, you need to calm the hell down before you speak to anyone. Look, I talked this over with the guys and it seems, well… it makes them feel uncomfortable—you changing and showering with them, especially as they know how Digby feels. So, everything considered, we all agreed this was for the best. My office has an en-suite, so I put you in there and I come in here. Kat, trust me, it’ll be better for everyone this way. Hopefully, we avoid Diggs trying to kill anyone each month.”

“What? Wait… No! No, it’s Digby’s problem to sort, not mine. I mean, why should I move? I don’t get it? Wait, I thought I was part of this team, I thought I was just ‘one of the guys’. I don’t understand how you can do this. You wouldn’t do it to anyone else.”

“Well, sorry, but you’re going to have to suck it up because it’s non-negotiable. Kat, it’s for the best. Look, I would do the same if it were anyone else if I thought it made things better for the team.”

“So, you all just decided this without me? Great… Thanks for nothing.”

“I spoke to them without you, because I wanted them to be honest. They wouldn’t do that with you standing right there. Look, I can’t help that there are obviousphysicaldifferences, with your body. Hell, this way you get more privacy.”

“I thought you told me being a woman on this team wasn’t a problem, that I would get treated exactly the same as the guys. You certainly didn’t give me any leeway on exercise. Fuck… I can’t believe you’re doing this.”

“Well, I am. And to be honest, it’s not your body that’s the problem. It’s your relationship with Digby. You two get that squared away and tell me there’s nothing going on and then you can go back to getting showered with the team. So, can you tell me that? That it’s all done, that there’s nothing going on between you?”

She hesitates and doesn’t look at him; he stares, waiting for her answer but it doesn’t come.

“All right, I didn’t think so. So, then this is the best solution to the problem.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I want it on record that I didn’t agree with this. That I thought it was bullshit!”

“Okay, point noted,” he smiles, placing his hands on her arms. She pulls away, still not looking directly at him. “As for your other issue… me treating you like a whore? Why would you think I did that?”

“Seriously? Why would I think that? Christ, are you serious? Isn’t it more why the hellwouldyou do that?” she sighs. “Geez, I can’t believe you. You can be such a fuckin’ asshole at times.” She shoves him hard in the chest, pushing him back, her fist pounding against him. “Just keep your fuckin’ hands off me from now on.”

“Kat, what the hell? What exactly did you want from me? Okay, I’m sorry I left like that but after what happened, I needed some time to think and clear my head.”

“You know you hurt me, last night—that hurt. You didn’t even bother to check if I was okay.”

“I hurt you? What you mean your ass, right?” He grins. “Well I warned you I was going to punish you, I thought you knew what that meant? I thought you knew it would hurt?” He smiles smugly as he leans forward to kiss her. “I thought you’d done it before and that you could handle it? Sorry, I’m lost about what I did wrong here.”

She shoves him hard, slapping his cheek. Stifling a smile as she thinks about her ass—which is still aching this morning. “Get the fuck away from me. How dare you? No, I don’t mean ‘my ass’and yes for your information I have done ‘it’ before. That isn’t what I was talking about.” She quietens her voice and bites her lip. “What I meant was you treating me like a whore, leaving money on the bed? Do you know how that made me feel? How I felt when Michael asked me for the money—that hurt. Darius, you made me feel cheap like I was some random whore that you ordered. You didn’t need to do that; you could have just said you didn’t want to see me again. But no, I should have realized what an asshole you really are.”

“Shit… that’s what this is about? Look, I’m sorry okay, hell I didn’t think you’d… Well, I didn’t think that’s how you’d see it. I thought you’d see that I did that to protect you—protect us. You don’t seriously think I’m that much of an asshole, do you? Well, do you?” he stares; watching her shrug. “Okay, well seems I need to work on my image somewhat then. Look, I didn’t want Michael to ask awkward questions. He bought the story of what you were there for, so I figured better we just play it for real.”

“Seriously?” she tries to hold back her tears, unsure if she’s angry or relieved. “That’s really why you did it? Oh God, I thought… Shit. Why the hell didn’t you just tell me that’s what you were going to do?”

“Sorry, I guess I should’ve said somethin’ but I just needed to getaway. I couldn’t think straight after what happened between us. I didn’t plan for that, for it to go that far, and I needed to think it through. But maybe now I see that probably was a dick move. Kat, I’m sorry.” He smiles, “but hey, you got my hundred bucks back, right?”

“Your what?”

“I left a hundred-dollar tip,” he smiles. “Didn’t Michael give it to you?”

“No. I mean, yeah. Yeah, he offered, but I told him to shove it up his tight shifter ass. You really left me a hundred-dollar tip? I’m not sure if I should be offended by that?”

“Hell, yeah! And no, you shouldn’t be offended cos trust me, I would have paid double for that.” He leans in, teasing his hand against her breast, and kisses her.

“Well, it’s going to cost you a lot more next time—my rates just went up.” She bites her lip and with a smile teases him. “It was an asshole move and you’re seriously going to have to make it up to me.” She wraps her hands in his hair, pulling him towards her.

Her tongue exploring his mouth and her hand on his groin; he continues with his hand inside her shirt, exploring her breasts. “I’ll bring my credit card next time,” he laughs.

She pushes him back, away from her. “Wait… so, does that mean it’s going to happen again?”

He wraps his arms around her, gripping her butt—playfully spanking her. “I guess maybe it does, but I’ll leave it for you to decide.”

“I just wish you’d told me, you were going to do that. I mean, do you even realize how angry I was with you? My God… if only you said something. Anyway, it looks like you were worried about the wrong person finding out. Rhys put it together, not Michael. He spoke to me before I left. Says he won’t tell Digby but… I don’t know, I feel he’ll want something to stay quiet.”

“No, Rhys won’t say anything, he’s too shrewd for that. He knows his game. He won’t wanna cause that kinda shit. It’s Michael that concerns me more. He’s an opportunist, and he’s not a wolf—he has no loyalty. Hell, he’d sell his own sister for a buck. That’s why I didn’t want him to know. Michael’s a pain in the ass and trust me, nothing gets past him. Rhys only keeps him around because he knows how to handle the clientele in that part of the club and he can get money out of anyone. Besides…” he laughs. “I think he knows too much about Rhys’s dealings for him to just let him go.”

“Yeah well, I gotta say, he even scared the crap out of me. He was way stronger, for a shifter than I thought he’d be.”

---