Love's Tender Bond [Bonding Camp 6] (Siren Publishing Menage and More) by Christelle Mirin Page B

asked the question in a soft voice, not really sure if it was a sore spot with him or how far she could go with her inquiry. She had never seen him take offense at being called only by his last name, but the look on his face a few minutes ago had piqued her curiosity.
    Sam shrugged and snapped the kit shut then placed both hands on the tabletop. “I don’t really know. It could be a guy thing. A lot of guys call each other by their last names.”
    Missy took a chance and slid her hand across the table, touching her fingertips to his. He didn’t pull back. “That would explain why Justice and Morgan do it, maybe, but even the women here call you Rodgers.” She shook her head. “Now that I think about it, the ‘guy thing’ explanation doesn’t fit either. All the men here are on a first-name basis.” It was true. Everyone who worked for the law firm Cane, White and Moss were very close. The firm owned the compound here in upstate New York and used it to conduct what they liked to call bonding camps, an exercise to connect with partners and employees. But the ties they made with each other were deep, exposing the attendees’ every desire. Most times, bonding camp included a lot of bondage also. The firm, including all of the associates and staff, were very, very close indeed.
    Sam cocked his head. “Why does this interest you so much?”
    Missy swallowed. “Because I care about you.”
    Sam blinked, then chuckled. “We’ve worked together for quite a while. We’ve become close because of it.” He walked across the kitchen and put away the first-aid kit.
    Missy tapped a fingernail on the tabletop, making a “click-click” sound. It was obvious to her that her statement about caring for him had surprised him and possibly even struck a chord inside him. Too bad he hadn’t opened up to her right then and there. Instead, he had slammed a wall up between them and tried to shrug it off with a chuckle. But she had glimpsed a side of him she hadn’t seen before, a vulnerability he kept hidden from view. If Missy could crack the shell Sam kept himself in, she might be able to touch his heart.
    “Well, if you’re okay, I’m heading back outside to work,” Sam said, turning toward her and breaking into her thoughts.
    She met his gaze. His eyes held a calm, knowing look. Did he realize just how much she cared for him? He had a small smile playing over his lips. Missy could almost swear he could read her mind and knew how much she wanted to get to know him better. And not only that, she wanted to love him in ways he’d never known. What they did during bonding camps, the sexual sharing between them, wasn’t love. It was intimacy and bonding. She wanted so much more from him. Missy had been watching Sam for a long time and had learned about his honesty and integrity along with his sensuality. What was it going to take to get him to notice her in the same way?
    After a moment, she smiled. “I’m fine. It was just a sliver.” She held her now-bandaged finger up. “It’s not even thumping anymore.”
    Sam placed his hands on his hips and nodded. “Good. Well, I’m off.” He turned and reached for the doorknob.
    “Be careful, Sam. I’d hate to see you strain your back or something.”
    He glanced over his shoulder. “Well, if I do, I know someone who can give me an awesome back rub, don’t I?”

Chapter Two
     
    Sam looked into Missy’s warm, brown eyes. Accented by the freckles that were sprinkled across her nose, her eyes were large and held an inviting gaze. What he really wanted to do right now was snatch her up and place both hands on her cheeks so he could look deeply into that warmth and bathe in it. He shook the feeling off, even though the vibe he got from Missy gave him the idea she’d be very open to his advances. They worked together, and having a relationship with someone you worked with could become not only dangerous but complicated. Sam could handle that, but he wasn’t sure Missy could.