Free Bound: The Mastered Series by Lorelei James

and defined. She wished she could feel the warmth of his solid muscles beneath her hands.
    “Amery,” he warned. “I’m a little on edge, so tread lightly.”
    “That commanding tone is so sexy.”
    “It’s who I am.” He fastened his mouth to hers. The kiss started out slow but didn’t stay that way for long. His heat, his passion bowled her over. His hot, wet, demanding tongue warred with hers. He gathered her hair in his hand, pulling until she angled her neck exactly how he wanted it.
    Her skin was electrified from his openmouthed kisses. Each nuzzle, below her ear, on the pulse point of her throat, the arc of her shoulder, the underside of her jaw, sent her senses reeling. “Ronin.”
    “Your skin is like a drug.” He planted kisses to the top button on her shirt. He released her hair and ran his hands down the sides of her face and her neck. His fingers circled her wrists and he brushed his mouth across her ear. “Beautiful girl, I’d better get you home before I come up with one hundred more reasons why I shouldn’t take you home.”
    Ronin placed another kiss on her temple and stepped back.
    Amery noticed the bulge in the crotch of his jeans.
    His rough-tipped fingers were under her chin, forcing her focus higher. “Eyes off my asset.”
    After he’d driven her home, he insisted on walking her to the door in the alley she used to reach her loft. “I had an amazing time tonight, Ronin.”
    “Same here.” He kissed her fingertips. “Unfortunately I’ve got things scheduled, so we can’t do it again this weekend.”
    She masked her disappointment and chastised herself for expecting to spend more time with him over the weekend anyway. They’d had one date.
One
. She needed to keep her enthusiasm in check. “I’ve got plans myself.”
    “Doing what?”
    “Catching up on work. Dinner with friends. Hitting the movies. The usual. How about you?”
    “Nothing as enticing as what you’re doing,” he said with a smile. “Would that work have anything to do with designing a new logo for Black Arts?”
    “Could be. A few drafts are almost done and ready for you to look at.”
    “Would Monday work for you to meet with me and a couple instructors to show us what you’ve got?”
    She did a mental check of her schedule next week. “Sure. What time?”
    “Ten. The dojo offices are on the second floor.”
    “Any crazy security measures I need to be aware of?”
    “No.” His mouth landed on hers hard for a quick kiss. “See you Monday.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    “SO, you’re having a nooner with Master Black?” Chaz asked with a straight face.
    “Why are you here bugging me? You never work on Mondays.”
    “Because you didn’t fill me in on what happened over the weekend. I knew if I asked you about it over the phone, and something did happen, you could lie and I wouldn’t know. Face-to-face, I can always tell when you’re lying, so spill the deets,
ma chérie
.”
    Amery refilled her coffee. “We went to a bar after work Friday night, he fixed me dinner at his place, and I came home. No mattress mambo for us, if you’re wondering—but not because the chemistry’s not there. I worked on Saturday until Emmylou dragged me to this truly horrible piece of performance art at some dive bar.” She shuddered.
    Chaz tsk-tsked. “I warned you about that weird shit she’s into. I won’t be surprised the day she comes in here wearing a collar and chains. She’s destined to be somebody’s bitch.”
    “Funny, Emmylou said the same thing about you,” Amery shot back.
    “Please. I own up to being anyone’s bitch, anytime, anyplace. I’m not in denial.” He wandered back to his work area.
    Amery followed him. “What masterpieces are you creating now?”
    “Three actually. This one is for a gay manga collection.” He shuffled through the papers and pulled out a sheet.
    She examined it closely. Yes, it was over-the-top erotic, but the artwork was phenomenal and incredibly detailed. “This is