Free Masters at Arms by Kallypso Masters Page A

leave her here alone. He’d
take his chances with the authorities, even though he knew what
would happen if they arrested him. Chicanos didn’t assault rich
white men and get away with it.
    He looked down at her again. So defenseless.
She needed him. He didn’t understand what had drawn him to her,
right from the moment he saw her in the restaurant. But he knew he
needed to protect her. She sure as hell didn’t make good choices
when it came to men. Why would anyone subject herself to this kind
of pain and degradation? Was she a call girl? Still, he couldn’t
accept that she was a common puta .
    “ The bitch gets off on
pain . ”
    Wrong again. She hadn’t enjoyed the pain
those men had inflicted on her. So, why had she put herself in such
danger? Safe, sane, and consensual. That was his ex-girlfriend’s
mantra for BDSM scenes, but this one had been none of the
above.
    Savannah needed someone to look after
her.
    Well, she isn’t going to take a second look
at you. Way out of your league, man.
    She moaned and turned her face toward him.
When she wrapped an arm around his waist, Damián felt his dick
harden. She licked her full lips and he fought the urge to bend
over and kiss her.
    Protect her, Damián. No la moleste.
    No, she didn’t need that from him, too. Just
hold her. But if he was going to get rid of his hard-on, he’d
better think about something other than the perfect chica sleeping in his arms. He steered his mind in a different direction.
One thing he knew he could kiss goodbye—his job. Damn. He didn’t
want to be homeless again. But, without this job, he wouldn’t be
able to pay the rent.
    Sometimes rescuing women wasn’t all it was
cracked up to be.
    His social worker had suggested he join the
Marines. They’d feed, clothe, and house him. Might get his fool
head blown off in the bargain. But maybe not. Whatever he was going
to do, he needed to come up with a plan and soon.
    First, he needed to get this woman home
safely. But if home meant taking her back to Jerk-off, then what?
He couldn’t do that.
    Another hour passed. Still no security or
police. What the fuck? Hadn’t the man reported him?
    The woman slept in his arms as if dead. After
she’d turned toward him, she hadn’t moved again. If he didn’t feel
her breath on his chest at the vee in his shirt, he would have
tried to awaken her to be sure she was okay.
    Damián was content to let her sleep. He’d
never again hold something so perfect in his arms. He closed his
eyes, giving in to exhaustion. She wasn’t going anywhere. Neither
was he.
    She moaned and his eyelids opened in an
instant. What time was it? Still dark outside. He pulled back and
looked down at her. She grimaced. Without warning, she began
thrashing against him, one fist slamming into his eye socket.
Damián didn’t try to hold her captive because he didn’t need her
screaming rape. No way did he have the money or power to fight a
charge like that.
    “Savannah, open your eyes.”
    Surprisingly, she did as he ordered, blinking
several times as she stared at him. “Orlando?”
    How did she know his name? His nametag only
gave his first name. When her blue eyes finally focused on him,
they opened wider and she scooted away to the opposite side of the
bed. Her movements were awkward due to the abuse her body had
sustained. She pulled the sheet with her and covered herself.
    “Who are you?”
    “Damián. Do you remember what happened?”
    * * *
    The man looked familiar to Savannah, but she
couldn’t place him. Why had she been sleeping with him? She never
slept with clients. But he certainly didn’t look like any client
she could recall either. And why, if she’d just been asleep, did
she want to curl up and escape into sleep once more?
    The pain slowly registered. Her body burned
from the soles of her feet to her breasts, but she couldn’t
remember why. Savannah looked around the room. Opulent antique
French furniture. Her mother’s influence. Tears stung her