Hawk’s eyes went wide. “What?”
Christina looked to Kelsey, ignoring Hawk’s question. “Can you teach me? Show me how to give him what he needs?”
Kelsey raised her eyebrows, a little stunned, but a lot impressed by this girl. “That’s up to Hawk.”
“Chris, you don’t know what this is, how . . . ugly and brutal it can seem,” Hawk said, but there was a note of hope in his voice.
“Shut up.” Christina stepped in front of Hawk and put her hands on his shoulders, pushing onto her tiptoes to reach, and exerted pressure. Without hesitation he went down to his knees before her. This big brute of a guy falling to a little slip of a girl. Kelsey didn’t think she’d ever seen anything so beautiful. Christina touched Hawk’s stubbled cheek. “I love you, you jerk. No part of you will ever be ugly to me. I don’t care if I don’t know much about this. I’m willing to learn. I’m tougher than you think.”
Hawk, who had never cried in Kelsey’s sessions, no matter how much pain she dished out, teared up. Salty warmth touched Kelsey’s cheek, too. The willingness of this girl to simply accept Hawk, regardless of the complications involved, was humbling. Christina loved him.
And Kelsey realized, as she stood there watching, that this was what love looked like. Not a picture perfect “normal.” Not neat corners and the absence of baggage. But acceptance of it all and a willingness to face it all together. To embrace the ugly.
Kelsey leaned back against the wall, the weight of that realization making her want to slide to the floor.
“I love you, too,” Hawk said, pressing his cheek to Christina’s chest. “Baby, I love you so much. Thank you.”
Christina stroked his hair and smiled down at him. “If I’m being honest, the idea of you tied up and following my directions is past the level of super hot.”
“Really?” he asked, his voice full of wonder.
Christina gripped his hair with surprising strength and yanked his head upward so he could see her face. “But I swear to God, if you keep going to some other woman for what you need, I’m going to string you up by your balls and beat the shit out of you.”
“God, Chris.” Hawk’s eyes glazed over a bit at that, and Kelsey had to hold back a chuckle. The girl had no idea how much she was turning her boyfriend on right now. Hawk looked toward Kelsey. “Would you be willing to train her, Mistress? I know you’re not taking clients any—”
“I’m not taking paying clients anymore,” Kelsey said, pushing off the wall and smiling. “But this I’ll do for free.” She looked to Christina. “As long as your new mistress here is willing to share the room with me for a little while.”
Christina backed away from Hawk and eyed Kelsey. “You never slept with him?”
“He wouldn’t have done that to you, hon. He told me every session how in love with you he was.” Kelsey put her hand to her throat, rubbing the spot where Wyatt had collared her in his tender grip. “And I’m in love with someone else.”
Hawk’s gaze flitted her way, and he gave her the biggest, broadest smile she’d ever seen him wear.
Christina held out her hand to Kelsey. “Then we’ve got a deal. Make me a badass bitch.”
Kelsey laughed and shook her hand. “Oh, Hawk, you’re in trouble.”
He leaned forward and grabbed Christina by the waist, dragging her down to him. “No, I’m in heaven.”
Kelsey smiled for the two of them, keeping her own melancholy off her face. She was glad Hawk was in heaven.
Maybe it was time for her to step out of her own hell.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“I have a bridal emergency.”
Kelsey hit the speaker phone button and set her phone in her car’s cup holder. “Talk to me.”
“Where are you?” Brynn asked.
Kelsey glanced at the mile marker as it whizzed by. “Uh, probably like thirty minutes outside of town. I’m moving back into my apartment this afternoon.”
“Ooh, so I know I’m being a total pain, but would you possibly be willing to put that on hold for tonight? I’m freaking out about the bridesmaid’s dress I chose, and I need you to try another one on for me. They have to be ordered by tomorrow if I’m going to make the switch and have them in time.”
Kelsey rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. Brides. They were their own species. “Anything for you, B. Where do I need to go?”
Brynn gave her directions to the shop, and Kelsey hung up and sagged into her seat. She’d been hoping to go home tonight and get settled in, maybe come up with a way to call Wyatt and thank him for what he did with Howie Miller. But that would have to wait. And perhaps it was for the best. She wasn’t sure if she had the right words for Wyatt yet. What she’d said to him to end it had been the lowest move. To even reference what had happened to him in the past had been cruel and cowardly on her part. She wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t take her call.r: Roni Loren