Bound(The Mastered Series)(12)

            That wasn’t entirely true. Amery had known where Master Black had been at all times last night. She’d felt the weight of his gaze on her—even from the Crow’s Nest.

            “I’d have to disagree with that statement.”

            Amery spun around. Holy shit. Master Black lingered just inside the main doorway. A very hot looking Master Black, casually outfitted in jeans and a long-sleeved white T-shirt that set off his coloring to perfection. The ends of his untamed hair brushed his shoulders, giving the impression of wildness lurking beneath his controlled demeanor.

            Faced with the devastatingly powerful and sexy whole of him, she was having difficulty breathing. Not only hadn’t she ever experienced such a visceral reaction to a man, she couldn’t look away from him. But she had the oddest feeling she should drop her gaze, so she did.

            After she’d broken the intense eye-fuck, he sauntered forward and offered his hand to Emmylou. “Seems my reputation has preceded me once again, Ms. . . . ?”

            “Simmons. But, darlin’, you can call me Emmylou. I’m pleased to meet you, Master Black. I have several clients who train at your facility, and they can’t speak highly enough of your training programs.”

            “Your clients?”

            Emmylou pointed to the door to her massage studio. “I’m a masseuse. With my background in sports medicine I deal mostly with professional athletes. That’s how Amery and I met.”

            “I’m sure Master Black isn’t interested in how we met.” Amery gave him a cool once-over, trying to gain some equilibrium. “What do you want?”

            He moved with alarming speed, stopping directly in front of her. “You forgot your jeans at my place last night.”

            He’d phrased that so intimately her cheeks burned.

            “Then you left so abruptly after . . . well, afterward.”

            Making it sound as if they’d had a fuck-and-run encounter. He seemed to enjoy flustering her.

            He turned and pointed to the plywood. “Did that have something to do with your rapid departure?”

            “Yeah, I tend to drop everything when the cops call and tell me about a break-in.”

            His eyes narrowed. “Has this happened before?”

            “No. We weren’t robbed either. It seems to be just a random act of vandalism. But it’s shaken us all up, as you can imagine.”

            Chaz sashayed over and offered his hand. “Chaz Graylind. Nice to meet you, Master Black.”

            He shook Chaz’s hand. “Please call me Ronin.”

            Ronin. The sexy, mysterious name fit him perfectly.

            Then he returned that laser focus to her again.

            Amery was acutely aware how awful she looked. She fought the urge to smooth the wrinkles from her shirt, the same one she’d worn to class last night. In fact, she still wore the black pants he’d forced her to change into.

            “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.

            “Not unless you own a glass company and can have this fixed in the next hour.”

            “I can make some calls, if you like. See if I can speed up the process.”

            “Why would you do that?”

            “Because you’re a beautiful woman in distress and it’s in the samurai code of honor that I help you.”

            Her friends scattered. Traitors. But they probably assumed given the sparks flying between her and Master Black that she wanted to be alone with him.