Page 28 of Master's Rise

I laugh. “Thanks. Being aware is learned so I’m not sure it’s going away. I’ll relax. Freedom looks relaxed so I’m good.”

He chuckles again. “Is she military?”

“Nah, she’s deadly though. They’re good friends and have always watched out for me. We’re like sisters, but their parents are crazy hippies so I didn’t really spend much time with them. Just Freedom and Victory.”

He nods. “I like that. Is Victory deadly too?”

“Yeah, but she’s more about spreading her flower power. It’s really more of a new age concept but she uses her hippie upbringing to make her points. I think her mom smoked a little too much hashish when she was pregnant with Victory.”

He laughs so loud, I jump, then hold on. It’s like he didn’t expect it to come out. People are smiling at us so I smile back. Not one person turns away. I love it here.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says when he’s calm.

I stand and catch Freedom’s eye then give her a nod. I’m good. She smiles and I’m nervous, it’s not a real one, it’s calculated. “Cort Masters, she’s safe or you never will be.” She yells it from the end of the table and everyone stops talking.

Oh, my fucking God. I’m going to kill her.

“I’m with her, Boss. She even used your words,” Raid says making me smile. When Web agrees I laugh.

The whole table says something and I look at Cort. “So much for having your back.”

He shakes his head smiling. “They have yours on my order. It’s how it’s done. I’m not immune. If you get hurt on my watch, they’ll string me up by my balls.”

“I call that one,” Freedom says.

I pull him away from them all, laughing because Victory wants to see his balls and will help.

Cort finds them funny. I want to smash their faces in their plates. How embarrassing.

“I like your friends.”

I smile, since he wasn’t put off, the food fight is on hold. I love my friends. “I like yours.”

“It’s a good start.”

At the bike, I get lifted and wrap my arms around his neck. When it seems like I’m not going to be put down anytime soon, I wrap my legs around him too. My legs pull him in tighter when my body clenches. The man’s kisses are orgasm-inducing. I moan pulling away. “Take me home, Cort, or I’m embarrassing myself right here.”

With a moan or growl low in his chest, he puts me down. I can’t think to distinguish right now. “No one sees what’s mine alone.” He snaps a helmet on me, gets on his bike and puts his hand out.

My brain’s matrix takes over and I automatically take his hand and move behind him. As he pulls out, I register a bike tire on my right. Holy crap, he was there all that time?

~*~*~

Cort

The garage door goes up a hell of a lot faster making me smile. I get my girl in and she stops in the kitchen. “This is nice, Cort. I expected a bachelor pad in modern and functional decor showing your Scandinavian side.”

“Not my thing. Banks likes modern, serviceable and sleek. I’m more of apersonality, presence and no clutter kind of guy.”

She laughs making me smile. “I can see that. Show me around.”

I love that confidence. Taking her hand, I show her around leaving the bedroom off our tour.

“I’m happily surprised you shopped.”

Laughing, I lead her out to the back porch. “Not really. The cowboys at the furniture store picked and I agreed. Raid gave them a color for his bedroom and walked out. They just delivered what they wanted.”I lift the lid on the old-fashioned Pepsi cooler and she takes a water out. I grab one too while she laughs. “Before I got furniture, which was last week, I spent a lot of time out here. The cowboys took my couch and left me this stuff.”

She turns from the lake to look at me. “They brought you the cooler?”