arms as he cried out plaintively once again. “My poor baby. That’s okay. I’ll take care of you now.” She turned back to Luc, ignoring his dark frown. “You have abused my cat. There’s no excuse for that, Luc. I didn’t think you could truly be cruel until now.”
His brows lifted in surprise, his hands going automatically to his hips as he stared back at her incredulously.
“Abuse? The little bastard was doing his best to take a bite out of me. All I did was shoot him a time or two with the water hose. Hell, he barely got wet.”
Mason wailed again as Melina groaned silently. The water hose? Oh hell, Mason detested getting wet.
“He will hate you for life now.” She sighed as she shook her head. This was not going to be a pleasant incarceration.
“This is supposed to bother me?” He arched a brow mockingly.
Melina smiled tightly. “Well, let’s see, I paid your blackmail for him, which means he’s now a resident in your home. Let’s pray there’s no leather furniture, shoes or boots you’re particularly attached to. If so, they’re his the minute he gets his chance.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’ll kill him.”
“Tsk tsk, Luc.” She shook her head with a knowing smile. “You gave your word, remember? I upheld my end, and I didn’t tell you to abuse him, so…” She shrugged. “Unless your word means nothing, I guess you’re just screwed.”
“As long as it’s by you,” he murmured, his voice dropping, deepening to such a sensual pitch that chills chased over her flesh.
Melina swallowed nervously, her grip tightening on the bedraggled Mason as she fought back the panic welling in her chest. God, it was bad enough she ached for Luc; he did not have to make it worse.
“Only in your wildest dreams, cowboy,” she snapped. “Now I need to feed Mason.”
That brow arched again. That was never a good sign.
“Was feeding him part of the deal?” He surveyed the cat thoughtfully. “I don’t remember that part, sweet pea.”
“You’ve got all you’re going to get from me, Jardin,” she warned him quietly. “More than you know. If you want any cooperation from me at all, you’ll let this go.”
Her voice was quiet, her look direct. She could go so far, and only so far. She could see the way his mind was working and she would be damned if she would whore herself to feed her cat. She had, quite literally, had enough. Good looking was all fine and well, sexy as hell was even better, but there came a point when what came out of a man’s mouth just overwhelmed any appeal he might have. Luc Jardin was easing into that shadowed area really fast.
“Hmm.” The rumbled sound skated over her spine with a sensation too close to anticipation to suit her. When combined with the drowsy sensuality in his gaze, it was potent. “Come on. I’ll get you started in the house. Keep that mouse chaser away from my leather or your ass will hurt for it, not his. I’ll outline your duties and we’ll see how appreciative you can be of my generosity.”
“If you had any generosity, I might appreciate it,” she grunted as she turned back toward the house.
She could only imagine what her “duties” would entail. If he thought cleaning that nasty house was going to be much of a chore he was dead wrong. The house was a dream and it was a sin, the shape it was in.
“Careful, sweet pea,” he said as she passed, his voice diabolical in its sexuality. “I just might show you exactly how generous I can be.”
And if she remembered correctly, he had plenty of reason to threaten generosity. The memory of the head of his cock resting on her lips, the small pearl of seed catching on the lower curve, slammed into her. She could almost taste the heady male essence of him once again. And that wasn’t a good thing. He didn’t need more ammunition to use against her.
“As I said,” she shrugged, feigning nonchalance with no small amount of effort, “only in your dreams, cowboy.”
* * * * *
His
His brows lifted in surprise, his hands going automatically to his hips as he stared back at her incredulously.
“Abuse? The little bastard was doing his best to take a bite out of me. All I did was shoot him a time or two with the water hose. Hell, he barely got wet.”
Mason wailed again as Melina groaned silently. The water hose? Oh hell, Mason detested getting wet.
“He will hate you for life now.” She sighed as she shook her head. This was not going to be a pleasant incarceration.
“This is supposed to bother me?” He arched a brow mockingly.
Melina smiled tightly. “Well, let’s see, I paid your blackmail for him, which means he’s now a resident in your home. Let’s pray there’s no leather furniture, shoes or boots you’re particularly attached to. If so, they’re his the minute he gets his chance.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’ll kill him.”
“Tsk tsk, Luc.” She shook her head with a knowing smile. “You gave your word, remember? I upheld my end, and I didn’t tell you to abuse him, so…” She shrugged. “Unless your word means nothing, I guess you’re just screwed.”
“As long as it’s by you,” he murmured, his voice dropping, deepening to such a sensual pitch that chills chased over her flesh.
Melina swallowed nervously, her grip tightening on the bedraggled Mason as she fought back the panic welling in her chest. God, it was bad enough she ached for Luc; he did not have to make it worse.
“Only in your wildest dreams, cowboy,” she snapped. “Now I need to feed Mason.”
That brow arched again. That was never a good sign.
“Was feeding him part of the deal?” He surveyed the cat thoughtfully. “I don’t remember that part, sweet pea.”
“You’ve got all you’re going to get from me, Jardin,” she warned him quietly. “More than you know. If you want any cooperation from me at all, you’ll let this go.”
Her voice was quiet, her look direct. She could go so far, and only so far. She could see the way his mind was working and she would be damned if she would whore herself to feed her cat. She had, quite literally, had enough. Good looking was all fine and well, sexy as hell was even better, but there came a point when what came out of a man’s mouth just overwhelmed any appeal he might have. Luc Jardin was easing into that shadowed area really fast.
“Hmm.” The rumbled sound skated over her spine with a sensation too close to anticipation to suit her. When combined with the drowsy sensuality in his gaze, it was potent. “Come on. I’ll get you started in the house. Keep that mouse chaser away from my leather or your ass will hurt for it, not his. I’ll outline your duties and we’ll see how appreciative you can be of my generosity.”
“If you had any generosity, I might appreciate it,” she grunted as she turned back toward the house.
She could only imagine what her “duties” would entail. If he thought cleaning that nasty house was going to be much of a chore he was dead wrong. The house was a dream and it was a sin, the shape it was in.
“Careful, sweet pea,” he said as she passed, his voice diabolical in its sexuality. “I just might show you exactly how generous I can be.”
And if she remembered correctly, he had plenty of reason to threaten generosity. The memory of the head of his cock resting on her lips, the small pearl of seed catching on the lower curve, slammed into her. She could almost taste the heady male essence of him once again. And that wasn’t a good thing. He didn’t need more ammunition to use against her.
“As I said,” she shrugged, feigning nonchalance with no small amount of effort, “only in your dreams, cowboy.”
* * * * *
His
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