Page 31 of Danger and Dominance (Black Fox Security Doms #1)

If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Mick didn’t have a thought in his head.

“Anyway. Anything weird happen this week? Anything that might make you think that Don is around?”

Cassidy shook her head, her expression sobering, which was unfortunate but necessary. He’d wanted to check in with her on multiple levels, and this was one of them.

“No. I’m hoping he’s gone somewhere else.” She put her fork down, even though it still had a bite of pancake on it. “Though, then I feel guilty because if he’s gone somewhere else, that means he might have found someone else to hurt.”

Which echoed David’s initial thoughts when he’d first gotten her file so much that now, he felt extra guilty. It wasn’t that she wanted someone else to suffer; it was just that she didn’t want to suffer, either. Which no one could possibly blame her for.

The only person to blame for all of it was Don.

“Or maybe he pissed off the wrong person, and now he’s sleeping with the fishes,” Mick mused. “That would solve all of our problems. Though I hope they find his body soon, if that’s the case, so you know you don’t have to worry anymore.”

Cassidy tilted her head at the other man, her expression lightening to one of amusement.

“That is very sweet in a very macabre sort of way.”

“I’m just saying. Doubt he would be missed by anyone.” Mick shrugged.

“He’d be missed by his mom.” Cassidy sighed, rolling her shoulders as if to roll some tension off her.

David squashed the impulse to reach out and rub them for her to help. Touching her outside the club wasn’t going to do either of them any good.

“She was not the type to see any fault in her baby boy. It was always my fault.”

“Sounds like she created the problem, so you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t care that she’d miss him.”

“He’s not wrong,” Jensen chimed in.

Cassidy pressed her lips together, as though she was trying to figure out if she should argue with them—or maybe how to argue with them—because they had a damn good point.

Not that kids could never defy their parents even when they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth—David liked to think that he was proof of that—but some parents did not do their kids any favors.

He'd lost a number of friends over it over the years when they felt like just because they could get away with doing something, that meant they should do it. No matter if it hurt someone else. Which was probably part of why he’d ended up enlisting—he hadn’t wanted to go through life buying his way out of any trouble he was in; he’d wanted to help people.

Still did.

Like he was going to help Cassidy right now by changing the subject, so she didn’t have to dwell on her shitty ex.

“What are you going to do with all the baked goods you’ve got?” David asked, directing the question at Mick. Immediately, the other man scowled again, obviously put out by the reminder of this morning’s lost income.

“Not sure yet.” He sighed.

“I can buy some of them and take them to my grandmother’s church tomorrow,” David offered. “She’s in charge of the after-service refreshments.”

Immediately, Mick perked up. “That would be great!”

For the rest of breakfast, David managed to keep the topic of conversation away from Cassidy’s ex. He also kept an eye on her. She was a lot more relaxed with Jensen and Mick than she’d been a week ago, which was good. More relaxed with him, too, in some ways.

Not so much in others.

If he had to hazard a guess, he would say that she was just as aware of him as he was of her on a physical level.

Being this close to her without touching her made him feel itchy, yet it was better than not seeing her at all.

It wasn’t long before he ran out of reasons to stay, though.

Plus, he needed to meet Mason and Claudia at the gym for their Saturday workout.

Cassidy walked him to the front door. Looking down at her, David wrestled with his conflicting feelings. He was playing with fire, and he knew it… but so far, he wasn’t getting burned. He was keeping her at a distance, despite the scene they’d had at the club.

Maybe he wasn’t doing as poorly as he thought at resisting temptation.

Surely, it would only get easier. Practice makes perfect.

“Let me know if anything happens this week,” he told her, opening the front door.

“Aren’t you kind of busy with the fundraiser this upcoming weekend?”

He came to an immediate halt, giving Cassidy his full attention, facing her, though his hand was still on the doorknob. As soon as he focused on her, her gaze averted, hands coming together in front of her, the very image of a submissive who knew she was doing something she shouldn’t.

“Cassidy. Look at me.”

Reluctantly dragging her gaze back to his, her expression was slightly mutinous. He raised his eyebrow at her.

“If anything unusual happens this week, if anything that worries you happens this week, you are going to call me.” It was a command, not a suggestion. “Got it?”

“Yes, Sir.” She huffed right after she said the words.

“Good girl.”

The light that sparked in her eyes was a completely different kind than the mischief he’d seen earlier, and his body reacted accordingly. Fuck, he needed to get out of here.

“Have a good rest of the weekend,” he said, moving as quickly but as nonchalantly as he could.

“You, too,” she called from behind him before the door could close.

It would be a hell of a lot better of a weekend if he could do what he wanted to her… but…

Do not get physically or emotionally involved with the client.

He’d already bent the first half of the rule; the least he could do was follow the second half.