Third Chance (3 page)

Well, it was either emotion making him weak or the mega-painkillers he’d downed in the truck on the way home. One of the two.

She caught him before he stumbled and sighed. “Come on, big boy, let’s get you in bed.”

Moira said something to Justan behind them with a for-sure hiss in her voice. A moment later Justan had her laughing, and Ryan hoped his friend knew what he was doing. Emma must have felt the same way because she sighed and whispered, “If those two get together we are in
trouble
.”

His reply was lost as he stumbled over the threshold and grunted in pain as he lightly bumped the frame on his bad shoulder.

“Fuck.”

Emma’s distressed noise was drowned out by Justan yelling from behind them. “For fuck’s sake, Emma, you really gotta wear those crazy shoes?”

Moira evidently didn’t care for Justan’s patronizing tone. “Little boy, she could kick your ass in those shoes.”

“I’m sure she could. The question,
mouche a mielle
, is what you can do in them.”

Ahh, shit. Justan was pulling out the big guns, the Cajun accent that he’d tried so hard to get rid of. Women’s panties tended to explode once he turned that Southern charm on. Moira’s little inhalation showed that she wasn’t immune to Justan on the hunt. Normally he’d ignore his friend’s wandering ways, but Moira was Emma’s best friend, and the last thing he wanted was for shit to be tense once Moira and Justan split. Not
if
they split,
when
they split. Justan’s possessive jealousy would put a quick end to any kind of relationship he could forge with the free-spirited Moira. Hell, Moira was practically married to another Master in an oddly platonic way and they shared a sub together. Trying to fit Justan into that equation wasn’t going to work as anything more than a fuck buddy.

Eager to stop the disaster waiting to happen that would be Moira and Justan forming some kind of relationship, Ryan glared at the other man. “Help me upstairs, asshole.”

Justan rolled his eyes and slowly assisted Ryan as he tried to navigate the stairs. Weariness made his bones into lead and by the time they were near the top Ryan was trying to remember how to keep his muscles stiff. His friend sighed, then the world spun as Justan swung him up into his arms, actually cradling him to keep his injured shoulder safe. Ryan worked out regularly with Justan, so he knew the man’s freakish strength, but the women climbing the stairs behind him let out little sighs and Moira muttered something about a bull in his prime, sending Emma off into a fit of giggles.

Most beautiful sound in the world.

He must have said it aloud, because Justan agreed as he walked through the door of the bedroom and into the bathroom. After propping Ryan up against the wall, Justan closed the door on a nosy Emma and Moira. Ryan took care of business, glad that his friend was here to care for him. For some reason, the thought of Emma having to help him go to the toilet like an invalid stung his pride. After some grunting, Justan managed to lean Ryan against the sink, then turned the water on. Justan attempted to brush Ryan’s teeth, but the whole scene struck Ryan as funny and he kept snorting, which made Justan glare, which only made him laugh more.

“Here, give me that.” Emma’s voice floated to Ryan from nearby, but he couldn’t manage to focus his eyes on her.

Ryan attempted to talk, but she’d gripped him by the jaw and held him still. While he was pretty sure he drooled on himself when told to spit and rinse, he could give a shit less. His big, glorious bed was mere feet away and when he hit the soft surface, he let out a sigh of such depth that everyone around him laughed.

* * * * *

The next morning Ryan woke up sore and aching, and not just from his wound. His cock was hard and pressed against the most deliciously soft surface covered in silk. He groaned deep in his throat as that softness pushed back at him and the scent of Emma’s hair filled his nose while she cuddled into him, careful not to disturb his shoulder.

Her voice was husky with sleep as she asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Horny.”

She shot him an annoyed look, but the edges of her lips curved into a smile. “Then I guess you’ll live.”

Pushing his hips against her, he tried to ignore the way his shoulder throbbed, but Emma must have sensed his distress, because she rolled away then turned to face him with a frown. “You’re in pain.”

He went to shrug, but couldn’t hide his wince as the torn muscle flexed. “Nothing I can’t deal with.”

“Right.”

She sighed, then got out of bed, the fall of silk about her rounded hips a thing of beauty. He wondered if he would ever get tired of looking at her. “Where are you going?”

“To get your pain meds and some food.”

The slight jiggle of her unbound breasts beneath her nightgown drew his attention and he stared unabashedly as she moved across the room to her suitcase, digging through the contents while he ogled her ass. Beyond the obvious bonus of having her physical charms available to him, he enjoyed watching her gather up some clothes before disappearing into the bathroom. With a sigh, he flopped back and stretched his good arm above his head, fantasies of a naked Emma filling his head.

He must have fallen back asleep because before he knew it, she was whispering in his ear, “Wake up, honey. You need to eat and take your meds, then get dressed. The police are going to be here in an hour to talk with me, and Justan called. He wants you to call him back when you get a chance.”

At the mention of the police, Ryan’s head cleared of the fuzzy remains of sleep and he sat up with a groan. While it would be nice to just laze about in bed all day, something he rarely did, Emma needed him right now and that took precedence over his desires. She’d made him some oatmeal and at the sight of the big glass of orange juice, his stomach gave an angry grumble.

Her giggle warmed him inside and out as she set the bowl and glass down next to the bed along with a couple of big white pills. “How many calories do you eat a day to maintain your bulk?”

“A lot,” Ryan muttered as he dug into the oatmeal. Emma had mixed some dried fruit in and had drawn a heart out of honey on top. It was such an unexpectedly sweet thing to do that he couldn’t help but smile at her. “You’ll make a good mom someday.”

“What?”

He gestured to his bowl. “Not many people draw hearts on oatmeal.”

She blushed, then stood and brushed her hands off on her jeans with a brisk movement. “It’s no big deal.”

“To me it is.”

The red of Emma’s cheeks deepened. “Yes, well, we need to get you dressed, so eat up and take your pills.”

Ryan did as ordered, grinning at Emma while she dug through his closet, picking out his outfit for the day. Instead of taking both painkillers, he only took one. He had a feeling he’d need his wits about him for the day to come. By the time he was done and out of bed, Emma had returned from the bathroom and frowned at him as he began to get dressed as best he could with one arm.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting dressed.”

“You’re supposed to wait for me to help you.”

“Why? I can get dressed on my own, Emma. It’s just a flesh wound.”

Her full lips pressed into a firm line as she snatched his pants away before kneeling before him and helping him into them. “Ryan, you got shot.”

“Emma, I got grazed.”

Instead of anger, fear mixed with guilt filled her beautiful blue eyes when she looked up at him. “I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, hey, hey, take it easy.” Ryan drew her to his feet with one hand and hugged her the best he could. “It’s not your fault.”

Emma buried her face against his chest and muttered into his bare skin, “He was watching me.”

“What?”

“He had cameras at my house, Ryan. That’s how he knew you were there.” Her voice broke on the last word and the warmth of her tears wet his skin. “I feel so violated.”

A hint of guilt panged through Ryan’s stomach at the thought that he’d watched her without her permission as well, but he’d tried to justify it because she knew there was a video camera in the room at her work and was aware that someone could be watching her.

Unable to think of anything to say that would make Emma feel better, he settled with a lame, “You’re safe here.”

She softened against him and nodded. “I know, but I can’t stay here forever.”

“Yes, you can.”

That made Emma push away, and she blinked up at him, yearning mixing with confusion on her expressive face. God, she was so beautiful she stole his breath. “I appreciate the offer but—”

He silenced her with a kiss that grew more and more heated right up to the point that she inadvertently touched his shoulder, making him hiss.

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He kissed each of her cheeks, then her forehead, trying to pour his affection and strength into her. “You have to know that I’m not thinking short term with you, Emma. As far as I’m concerned, my home is your home, and you will always have a place here.”

“Ryan…”

“Like I said, when you’re ready.” Ryan gave the top of her head a final kiss. “Come on, let’s get some coffee before the police arrive.”

An hour later, he sat on the other side of the broad oak coffee table in his formal living room, keeping a close eye on the young, good-looking cop, Officer Daniels, who seemed to have more than a professional interest in Emma. Not that she noticed in the least. No, right now his Mistress was struggling to keep her iron self-control intact while the police told her about the surveillance equipment that had riddled her home. Emma gripped Ryan’s hand hard enough that her nails dug into his palm, but he didn’t try to loosen her grip. He was here for her, however she needed him.

Detective Hornbeck, the same woman who’d talked to them at the hospital, glanced down at her notebook, then back up at Emma. “Our crime lab will go over the devices we’ve found, but I can tell you right now that it’ll take time, and we may not find anything.”

“Or we could get lucky and lift a print,” Officer Daniels said, with a small smile for Emma.

Ryan narrowed his gaze at Officer Daniels, but Detective Hornbeck ignored him. “We’ve got an abundance of evidence, but like I said, it’s going to take time to dig through it all.”

Emma nodded, her movements slow and controlled despite the faint tremble running through her. “Do you have any idea who could have done this?”

With a sigh, Detective Hornbeck set her notepad down and leaned forward so her elbows were resting on her knees and gave Emma a level look. “We have theories, but that’s all they are at this point — theories. What we do know is that someone out there is very likely obsessed with you and obsessions don’t just stop.”

“But we’ll keep you safe,” Officer Daniels added with a gentle smile for Emma that Ryan didn’t like one bit.

Detective Hornbeck gave Officer Daniels and exasperated look before continuing, “I’m assuming you’ll be staying here?”

Ryan squeezed Emma’s hand. “Yes.”

“Good. I’ve talked with Mr. O’Shay and he’s assured me that your home will be well protected at all times.”

“Who’s that?”

“Justan.” Emma gave him a questioning look. “Justan’s last name is O’Shay.”

“Very smart man, despite looking like he belongs in a heavy metal band.” Detective Hornbeck relaxed a little bit and leaned back against the couch. “He found some things at your home that our techs missed.”

Emma shifted next to him. “Like what?”

“Some listening devices and a GPS tracker on your car.”

“A tracker?” Emma took in an unsteady breath and Ryan hated the look of fear twisting her face. “Jesus Christ, is there any part of my life he didn’t invade? Any time he wasn’t watching me?”

Officer Daniels leaned forward, and his hand twitched as if he wanted to reach for Emma. “I’m sorry, Ms. Simonov, I really am. I can only imagine the sense of violation you must feel right now, but please know that I will personally do whatever I can to make sure this guy gets caught.”

Giving her partner a censoring look, Detective Hornbeck sighed. “So, Emma, will you be staying with Ryan, just in case we need to contact you?”

Ryan said yes while Emma said no, then turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. “I can stay with Moira.”

“No way.”

Oh, Emma did not like that, and her shoulders came up straight while a familiar, determined glint flashed through her eyes. “I’m perfectly capable of—”

“We all know you’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. That isn’t the point. I’m not letting you out of my sight until this psycho is caught, and I’m certainly not letting you make yourself twice as tempting of a target by staying with Moira. Two beautiful women like yourself, alone in that big house? Not gonna happen.”

Ice wreathed her voice as she leaned forward. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“Yes, I do, because I’m your man, I love you, and if anything happened to you I’d never forgive myself. Please, give this to me.”

Emma blinked once, twice, then her shoulders relaxed and she titled her head to the side. With a quick glance at an impassive Detective Hornbeck and a scowling Officer Daniels watching them, a hint of pink came to her cheeks. “Yes, well, we can discuss it later.”

Something inside of Ryan relaxed then he reached out and slipped his fingers through Emma’s before returning his attention back to the police. “What can I do to help?”

Detective Hornbeck met his gaze straight on. “Keep her safe, and let us take care of the rest.”

Oh, Ryan’d keep her safe, but there was no fuckin’ way he wasn’t doing everything he could to find and end the threat against Emma. “You got it.”

They talked for a little while longer about possible suspects before the police finally left and Ryan was alone with Emma. She gave him a small, tired smile then wandered through the main hallway off the foyer to the back deck. Today, she wore a pair of loose khaki shorts paired with a navy blue t-shirt that stretched nicely over the tempting swell of her breasts. Her golden hair was pulled up into a messy bun and even without a stitch of makeup, she was so beautiful in the sunlight that she took his breath away. When she sat in one of the padded wrought iron chairs facing the lake, he took a moment to admire the long, endless expanse of her legs as she crossed them. At some point, she’d put a slim golden chain on her ankle with a tiny gold four-leaf clover charm.