Perfectly Paired Masters and Mercenaries Read online

  PRAISE FOR LEXI BLAKE AND MASTERS AND MERCENARIES…

  “I can always trust Lexi Blake's Dominants to leave me breathless...and in love. If you want sensual, exciting BDSM wrapped in an awesome love story, then look for a Lexi Blake book.”

  ~Cherise Sinclair USA Today Bestselling author

  “Lexi Blake's MASTERS AND MERCENARIES series is beautifully written and deliciously hot. She's got a real way with both action and sex. I also love the way Blake writes her gorgeous Dom heroes--they make me want to do bad, bad things. Her heroines are intelligent and gutsy ladies whose taste for submission definitely does not make them dish rags. Can't wait for the next book!”

  ~Angela Knight, New York Times bestselling author

  “A Dom is Forever is action packed, both in the bedroom and out. Expect agents, spies, guns, killing and lots of kink as Liam goes after the mysterious Mr. Black and finds his past and his future… The action and espionage keep this story moving along quickly while the sex and kink provides a totally different type of interest. Everything is very well balanced and flows together wonderfully.”

  ~A Night Owl “Top Pick”, Terri, Night Owl Erotica

  “A Dom Is Forever is everything that is good in erotic romance. The story was fast-paced and suspenseful, the characters were flawed but made me root for them every step of the way, and the hotness factor was off the charts mostly due to a bad boy Dom with a penchant for dirty talk.”

  ~Rho, The Romance Reviews

  “A good read that kept me on my toes, guessing until the big reveal, and thinking survival skills should be a must for all men.”

  ~Chris, Night Owl Reviews

  “I can’t get enough of the Masters and Mercenaries Series! Love and Let Die is Lexi Blake at her best! She writes erotic romantic suspense like no other, and I am always extremely excited when she has something new for us! Intense, heart pounding, and erotically fulfilling, I could not put this book down.”

  ~ Shayna Renee, Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads

  “Certain authors and series are on my auto-buy list. Lexi Blake and her Masters & Mercenaries series is at the top of that list... this book offered everything I love about a Masters & Mercenaries book – alpha men, hot sex and sweet loving… As long as Ms. Blake continues to offer such high quality books, I’ll be right there, ready to read.”

  ~ Robin, Sizzling Hot Books

  “I have absolutely fallen in love with this series. Spies, espionage, and intrigue all packaged up in a hot dominant male package. All the men at McKay-Taggart are smoking hot and the women are amazingly strong sexy submissives.”

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  Perfectly Paired

  Masters and Mercenaries~Topped, Book 3

  Lexi Blake

  Perfectly Paired

  Masters and Mercenaries, Topped, Book 3

  Lexi Blake

  Published by DLZ Entertainment LLC at Smashwords

  Copyright 2016 DLZ Entertainment LLC

  Edited by Chloe Vale

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-937608-56-9

  McKay-Taggart logo design by Charity Hendry

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

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  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to my whole team. To my editor and general chief accessory in multiple endeavors, Kim Guidroz. To Stormy Pate, Riane Holt, Kori Smith, and Liz Berry for the feedback. To my husband who manages to hold us all together.

  Top is obviously a product of my imagination but the struggle of wounded veterans coming home from war is very real. Please support business that make a practice of hiring and training our veterans for jobs that will secure their futures—as they secured ours.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Author’s Note

  An excerpt from Master Bits and Mercenary Bites by Lexi Blake and Suzanne M. Johnson

  An excerpt from Satisfaction, Lawless Book 2 by Lexi Blake

  About Lexi Blake

  Other Books by Lexi Blake

  CHAPTER ONE

  Sebastian Lowe watched as his boss, Sean Taggart, settled into the chair behind his desk. Unlike other offices where Sebastian was forced to stuff his big body into some miniscule but suitably expensive chair designed more for fashion than comfort, Taggart offered up a large, masculine seat across from his perch. Too often Sebastian felt like a massive bear attempting to fit on some delicate work of art and fearing he was about to break it. He would end up on the floor and it would take a couple of the line chefs to drag him back up to his artificial feet.

  He hated being vulnerable.

  “Thanks for coming in on your off day,” Taggart said.

  Yes, despite the comfortable seating, he was definitely still vulnerable. He should have taken Chef up on his offer to go with him to New York to meet with the producers of the new show Taggart was hosting. Instead, he’d put it off claiming he had to stay behind to oversee the installation of the new refrigerator in the wine cellar. He’d been unhappy with the reliability of the old one. He should have taken that plane ticket and pretended like he was comfortable with the prospect of being on television. He should have known that a place like Top would grow and likely need a sommelier who would look good on camera.

  A sommelier who didn’t spend half his life merely trying to stay on his feet.

  “Not a problem.” He’d been packing and readying himself for the temporary move to Fort Worth. The exercise had been a bit depressing since it forced him to acknowledge he hadn’t spent much time turning his apartment into a home. It was furnished and bland, with no spark of his own personality and very few comforts. He’d made the decision that when he returned, he would find a better place. He’d been planning on becoming a settled adult and trying to find a condo or a small house to invest in. He’d been ready to give up the vagabond existence he’d found himself in since that terrible day when he’d realized Alicia wanted nothing more from him.

  It looked like he might be moving on from Dallas in a permanent fashion, but one thing was for certain. He wouldn’t be returning to Georgia. There was nothing left now. No restaurant. No family. Not even redemption.

  “I called you in because I need to talk about something that will affect your work situation,” Chef said.

  Fuck. He hadn’t realized until this moment how much he wanted to settle down. He’d worked in some amazing places, but he loved this small restaurant in Dallas. In the restaurant world, Dallas wasn’t much of a blip on the map. It wasn’t even a Michelin-rated town, but Top had something he’d never found before. It had a magic most places didn’t. Family. God, it felt a little like he’d had a family again.

  Even if he was the weird uncle who wore a three-piece suit everywhere and rarely went to parties.

  “Of course,” he began, pleased his voice was so even. He wasn’t going to beg. He didn’t beg for anything. Well, not since the day he’d begged and pleaded with God to take his life instead of Gary’s. He knew it wasn’t really God’s fault. It had been the damn SAM that had taken down the helo they’d been riding in. Fate had taken Gary’s life and left Sebastian with no legs. Modern technology had sort of given them back.

  Chef leaned toward him. “You know how much I appreciate what you’re doing to help with the opening of the new restaurant. I can imagine that being forced to move to Fort Worth for eight weeks is a pain in the ass.”

  “I don’t mind.” Not if it meant he got to keep his job. Not if it meant he wasn’t getting kicked aside for some snotty-ass som who’d never done anything in his damn life but study for his master’s level and get his hair done so he could squawk about the finest Cab on cable TV. “I’ve looked at the apartment. It’s more than suitable.”

  The Fort Worth apartment Taggart was offering to let him stay at was nicer than his place, but then he was only now getting to the point that he had some extra cash to spend on things like an apartment with more than one room. It was time to make a home. It was time to give up on everything he’d left behind.

  How many years had he pursued Alicia Layle? She’d been his perfect female for so very long. Ever since the day he’d met her. He’d been eight years old, but his fascination with her had lasted. Feminine and soft, with gentle manners and a warm
persona. She was gracious and kind. Everyone in their small town adored her.

  And she’d been the one to turn them all against him. Her sweet light had been an illusion.

  Perhaps that’s why his dreams of Alicia had been replaced in the last few months with a mouthy, boozy, slightly insane brat of a blonde with gorgeous tits and a perfectly round ass. Tiffany Hayes worked as a server and was always slightly, fascinatingly unkempt. Oh, she would try for perfection, but there would always be one thing off about her. He’d made it a habit to study her each and every time they worked together so he could find it. Sometimes it was nothing more than a spot on her shirt she’d forgotten to iron. And then there were the times she would show up and still have flecks of paint on her hands and he would wonder what she’d spent her day painting.

  “Grace made me buy the apartment because she didn’t want me driving home late at night,” Chef was saying. “I tried to explain to her that we should find a place in the suburbs between Dallas and Fort Worth to cut down on the commute between restaurants, but she put her foot down. We moved last year when we found out she was pregnant again and she swears we’ll be buried in that house.”

  “How is she doing?” He’d heard the pregnancy and birth had been hard on Grace Taggart.

  Chef took a deep breath and nodded, as though relieved at the answer he was going to give. “She’s good. Much better than I had hoped for, but I still don’t want to leave her or the kids for any real amount of time. It’s why I’m going to ask you to sacrifice for the good of the team.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Chef, and I’m going to tell you why.” What was he doing? His mouth was working without the aid of his inner self. That inner self was crying out for him to have a little fucking dignity, but the words kept coming out. “No one knows your menus like I do. No one knows Eric’s cooking like I do. I understand the network is likely going to want to bring in a sommelier with more flair, but they aren’t going to be as good a fit as I am.”

  Chef sat back, his eyes widening as though he was as surprised as Sebastian. “Really? And why is that?”

  He should stand up and accept his layoff with grace. He should shake the chef’s hand and hope for a good referral. He did stand, meaning to do just that. He was careful because the last thing he wanted was to end up on the floor. He went to put his hand out and he really meant to do all those dignified things he’d settled on.

  “You know why, Chef? Because I am Top. I am everything you want in this place. I’m Southern. Born and raised on the kinds of food you serve. They’re not a theory to me. They’re not something quaint and rustic to serve on an off night. This food is my soul as much as the wine I pair with it. I speak your language in a way no other som is going to. I’ll be honest. I don’t like the idea of going on the television show. I’m a private person. I do, however, understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. You don’t need a more experienced som. You need one with the right experience.”

  “There are only four master sommeliers in the state,” Chef pointed out. “My list of applicants would be very limited.”

  “And I’m the only one of them who speaks your language. I know I’m the youngest in that group, but I’m also the best. How many of them served? Not a one. You hire vets. I speak that language, too. I might not shout it the way some do, but I understand what men like Eric and Macon and Linc did for this country and how they need to be treated now.” He set his hands on the desk, unwilling to even risk the possibility that he could lose his balance. This was too important. He didn’t realize how much he wanted to stay. A vision of Tiffany floated across his brain. He couldn’t forget that night when he’d taken her home and she’d pressed her body to his, her mouth roaming across his. And she’d been drunk so he’d tucked her into bed despite her protests. “You know those sommeliers likely won’t want to work the bar when Linc has an episode. They take their skills seriously.”

  “I take your skills seriously,” Chef said, a mysterious smile on his face.

  “Then you should think twice about replacing me.” He was well aware that his boss was probably shocked at how he was behaving. He was the always-in-control-and-never-flustered employee. He attempted to never show a moment’s weakness, but he was fighting for his life. Well, not his life, but definitely his job and his passion. “I don’t want to move anywhere. I don’t need to work for a distributor or at some restaurant conglomerate. I believe in the idea behind Top. I believe in employing and training veterans. This isn’t a job. This is a calling.”

  Chef sat back, his hands going behind his head. “This is a side of you I’ve never seen.”

  It was a side very few people saw. He’d learned at a young age to maintain control in all things. He took a step back and straightened out his suit. It wouldn’t do to continue on. He’d said what he had to say. “I don’t like to make a scene, but I believe in what I’m saying.”

  “Why, exactly, do you think I’m firing you?” It sounded like an academic question and not the be-all, end-all of Sebastian’s life.

  He thought about lying, but decided not to. He did owe Taggart, even if this was the end. “I know you had a meeting with Dan Jenkins. I know the network filmed it. I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but I think it’s a mistake.”

  Taggart had recently agreed to allow the Food Network to do a limited-run show about Top and its unique hiring practices. The chef had also agreed to do several personal appearances across the network.

  Dan Jenkins was a few years older and miles more attractive. He also had all his limbs. He didn’t have a problem with looking good on television. He would be slick on camera.

  Chef sat back up. “I did meet with him. I’ve been asked to cook for a charity dinner benefitting the children’s hospital and Dan is representing the distributor for the wine pairings. I’m not planning on changing soms. I have one who fits in quite nicely and it’s good to know he has no plans to leave any time soon.”

  He felt his skin flush. “You’re not firing me.”

  “Not even close, buddy. It wasn’t a thought in my brain. You’re perfect for Top and I hope you stay around for a very long time.”

  He wasn’t being fired. Thank god. “I thought you might want someone with more on-screen experience.”

  There was a knock on the door and Chef sighed. “Come on in.” He shot Sebastian a pointed stare. “I have my master som and don’t think for a second that I don’t understand how cheap I got you in the beginning. You took a chance on this place. I value that. I’m not of any mind to hire someone like Dan. Oh, I know he’s considered the brightest star by the Court of Master Sommeliers, but here and with my partner, there’s another meaning entirely to the word Master.”

  “Did you talk to him?” A massive slab of muscle strode in looking like he was ready to murder someone. Ian Taggart, Chef’s older brother and not so silent partner in Top. He was wearing a dark blue swath of fabric across his chest that very likely contained his infant son. As far as Sebastian had heard, Charlotte Taggart had given birth to their son a few weeks before and that apparently meant the big guy became a marsupial with a child in his pouch at most functions. “Because I got real problems. I don’t need to worry about the damn training program. It’s not like I’m getting any right now. Have you ever tried to top a woman who recently had a baby you put up in her? Charlie’s not having any of it. And Seth and I here are still outnumbered because someone neutered Bud and now the dog doesn’t have a dick either. Or balls. Yeah. I think he’s got a dick, but no balls. Isn’t that right, Sean? It’s the same thing. You kept your dick, but they cut off your balls. Dude, I don’t know how you survived. It made the dog cranky so he ate one of my shoes. That made me cranky. God, I’m tired.”