Passion's Hope (The Doms of Passion Lake Book 3) by Julie Shelton Page B

them.”
    “They’re—they’re in an embarrassing place.”
    Lucas just smiled. “I’m a doctor. No place on a person’s body is embarrassing to me.”
    She just gnawed on her lip, still hesitating. “Okay,” she finally relented. “But only if they look away.” She nodded her head toward Nik and Jay.
    Lucas’s mouth worked. In reality he was biting his cheek to keep from laughing out loud. Nik and Jay were going to have their hands full with this one. “These men have just saved you from a beating,” Lucas pointed out calmly. “Surely you know what that means.”
    For a long second she just stared at him, then slowly shook her head.
    “You are a submissive, alone in a BDSM club without a Dom. It means that they have publicly proclaimed themselves your protectors. It means that, at least for this time and this place, they are your Doms, responsible for your safety and well-being. That includes being able to assure themselves that you are well and healthy.”
    Still Charlotte hesitated.
    “Please show him, malyutka .” Nik Rostov’s voice was low and gentle. “We aren’t going to hurt you. We would never hurt you.”
    “Nik’s right,” Jay echoed. “We just want to make sure you’re not suffering any ill effects from the beating you took.”
    With all three men looking up at her expectantly, Charlie finally relented. “Okay. But I need to be sitting.”
    Without releasing her, Nik turned and sat back down on the sofa, tugging her after him. With a resigned sigh, she sank down onto his lap and spread her legs. All three men gasped at the mark high up on her inner thigh. Perry Bradford had bitten her. And the mark he’d left behind was badly infected. As Lucas lifted his hand, she gasped and flinched.
    “Don’t worry, sweetie. I’m not going to touch it. It’s obviously painful. But it’s not included in the pictures you took of your injuries. So I’m going to take one now.” He lifted her phone and took a clear close-up of the bite mark. Then he handed the phone back to her. “Are you allergic to any medications?”
    “Not that I know of.”
    He capped the tube and put it back into his bag. He took out a blister pack with bright pink caplets. “This is a five-day Z-pack,” he said. “Take it as directed and your infections should clear up without any complications.” He handed her top back to her.
    She pulled it down over her head and arms, and took the package from him. She had barely gotten herself covered when there was another knock on the door. It opened and in strode Jesse Colter. Jay jumped up from the sofa and stood practically at attention at his entrance. Charlie wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d saluted, that’s how much respect he evidently had for the man.
    Jesse’s grim expression softened as soon as he saw Charlie. “Miss Fielding,” he said, approaching her and extending his hand, “I am Jesse Colter, one of the owners of Club Risqué. I am so sorry you were assaulted on my premises. Perry Bradford is an arrogant prick and I’m pleased to tell you that he will very shortly be enjoying the hospitality of the Marshall County Jail while he awaits arraignment on charges of aggravated assault.”
    “Then I should be going to jail, too, since I hit him back.”
    “Nonsense,” Jay, Nik, and Lucas all said in unison. “He attacked you! You were clearly defending yourself.”
    “Don’t worry, Charlotte, we saw the whole thing,” Lucas added. “And we’ll be happy to testify on your behalf in any court.”
    Jesse took both her hands, hunkering down in front of her, putting his face below hers to keep her from feeling threatened or overwhelmed. He could sense how skittish she was and he didn’t want her to bolt. “Do you know the young woman who was with Mr. Bradford?”
    “No. I’ve never seen her before.”
    “Her name is Karen Lunsford.”
    Charlie shook her head. “Don’t recognize the name. Sorry.”
    “My deputies are talking to her