Read Online Bowles, Jan - Tamed by the Dom [Guilty Pleasures 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) by Jan Bowles - Free Book Online Page B

of the panels was a photograph of his son. He tried not to look, but he couldn’t help glancing at the fair hair and cute, chubby face. “That’s Josh, he was my boy. My beautiful, beautiful boy.” His voice faltered as he handed it to her.
    Kat’s fingers shook as she took the photo from him. She wiped a teardrop away with the back of her hand. “He’s beautiful.” Her eyes were huge as she blinked back the tears. She sniffed and breathed deeply as she gazed at the horizon. Her lips trembled. “I had a son, too. I had Bobby’s son. He died shortly after I gave birth to him, but at least I got to hold him in my arms first. That’s why I couldn’t come back home—Bobby raped me, and I was pregnant with his baby.” Silent tears ran down her cheeks and splashed onto the blanket. Kat just sat there cross-legged, not making a sound, just staring into the distance. He guessed there was a whole lot more to tell.
    “Oh, Kat, I’m so sorry, baby.” Colt pulled her into his arms and held her tight. He didn’t want her to see the moisture in his own eyes. His lips sought hers, soothing, comforting, and giving. Their kiss felt bittersweet and tinged with sadness. Filled with might-have-beens and silent regrets, with missed opportunities and shattered dreams. He wrapped his legs around her and rolled her on top of him. Her tears quietly dripped onto his face. “Shh, baby. We’ll be fine. We’ve got each other now.”
    He cupped her chin, kissing away her tears. One large tear plopped straight onto his cheek and trickled down his neck. When she eventually focused on him, she looked so sad.
    “I’m so sorry about your little boy, Colt. He looked so beautiful.”
    “He was. I’m sorry about your loss, too. What was his name?”
    “I named him Ethan Tyler Masters. He was beautiful, too. He came about for all the wrong reasons, but I loved him like any mother would love their child. He was just perfect.”
    Colt held her tightly to him, and she buried her head against his chest. His hand shook as he smoothed his fingers down her hair. Their lives may have been worlds apart, but they shared one fundamental thing. Colt gritted his teeth. They both knew what it was like to lose a child.
    He was just about to speak when a long gray snout nudged his neck. Kat shrieked with laughter as both wolfhounds made their presence felt. Curiosity had got the better of them, and they’d come over to see what all the fuss was about.
    Colt laughed, too, as much in relief as sadness. “Hey, boys, get lost, will you?” He looked at Kat and smiled. “I think they’re hungry. Guess we’ll have to make a move soon.”
    She put a hand on his. “Thank you.”
    “What for?”
    “Helping me to trust you. I’d never told anyone before.”

Chapter Ten

One month later

    Saturday night was in full swing at Club Fusion. Occasionally, the steady beat of music would drift through to where Kat worked on reception. There was always something to attend to, coats to collect, and cabs to call. The complimentary business cards were looking a little depleted, and she leaned down to retrieve a fresh batch from the cupboard below her desk.
    Aware that someone had walked up to reception, she called out, “Just a moment, and I’ll be right with you.” When she stood back up, her eyes widened as she came face to face with the law. She felt a little shell-shocked but tried not to let it show. “Sheriff Bunty, it’s been a long time, what can I do for you?” Kat remembered him well. When she’d been a young girl, he’d featured a lot in her life because he’d constantly been sniffing around her mother. She guessed she’d always known, even as a child, that Sheriff Bunty and her mother had been intimately involved. Twenty-five years ago, Sheriff Bunty had a young wife and two children of his own. She’d always had a low opinion of the local lawman.
    His eyes scanned her from head to toe. Kat wore a low cut dress that displayed her breasts to