house.
He glanced quickly at Kathleen Hudson. She was still sitting regally on her stool. Her eyes portrayed amusement and tolerance. She didn’t intend on doing any skinny-dipping herself—such things would be beneath the queen—but she didn’t seem at all alarmed.
You little idiot! he thought. These guys aren’t vicious, but they’ll come after you in the spirit of the thing, and you’ll be bare in that water before you get the chance to tell them you just aren’t in that spirit. I should let them.
“Get Kent!” Connie was shouting. “Someone get that hunk out here!”
“And Katie. Get that sexy blond!” came a male shout.
She was laughing. “No, thanks. It’s too cold for swimming.”
Kent shook his head with disbelief. Half the crowd was returning for them.
He didn’t hesitate another second. He tucked down a shoulder as if he had the ball, rammed it lightly to her waistline, and lifted her over that shoulder, clutching her legs.
She was taken so completely by surprise that he was halfway across the room before she could draw breath to shout at him.
“What are you doing, you idiot? Put me down! Kent Hart, put me down. I don’t want to go anywhere with you. Stop it—you’re acting like a lunatic.” She was trying reason. “I mean it. You’re behaving like a gorilla.” Reason didn’t cause a falter in his step. She pounded furiously against his back. “Dammit! Put me—”
He opened the front door and slammed it behind him. Her fists were pounding against his back with such a vengeance that he groaned.
“Am I hurting you?” she grated out in a fury as he started walking down the drive. “I hope so, because I mean to! You let me down. What the hell is the matter with you? My opinion of you hasn’t been the highest, but now—Oh!” She stormed as his quickened pace sent her nose flying into his backbone. “Dammit—you let me down this instant or else I’ll tear you to pieces!”
She was tearing him to pieces. Now she was trying to claw through his sweater to rip into his back. Kent grated his teeth, and suddenly his temper flew. All he could remember was the child who had scratched him years ago.
Ah, hell!
He heard shouts and laughter as the crowd came out the door after them. And she was hindering his speed.
“Son of a bitch!” he suddenly exploded. She was trying her old tactics. He could feel the scrape of her nails trying to take hold through his shirt and sweater.
That did it. He slammed his open-palmed hand with a strength born of fury against her rump, delivering what he knew to be a stinging blow.
She let out a little scream, then she was at it again—but verbally, not physically.
“I’ll kill you!” she garbled out unreasonably. “I’ll strangle you … I’ll tear you to pieces—”
“Fine. Just do it once we’re out of here!” Kent snapped back.
The footsteps behind them were coming closer. But he was a runner, even with added weight, and hers wasn’t that much.
He reached his car, opened the driver’s door, and shoved her in with little grace. She was immediately trying to get out the other side, but he was quicker than she. The key was in the ignition as he slammed his door and hit the automatic locks. She was still swearing away a mile a minute and working feverishly at her door as he wheeled his car around and sped down the driveway.
CHAPTER THREE
S HE WAS CAPABLE OF going on and on—and on, Kent realized. Katie Hudson continued her verbal attack, her voice rising as her oaths surpassed those of the most seasoned player on the field. How had Hudson raised such a shrew? he wondered.
He was on the highway, going a good sixty miles an hour, and she was still playing with the damned door handle. A headache was growing inside his skull, pounding with a force that matched her venomous words.
He lifted a hand from the wheel. “Stop!” he ordered, his voice sounding something like an aggravated roar. It apparently had some effect on her, because
He glanced quickly at Kathleen Hudson. She was still sitting regally on her stool. Her eyes portrayed amusement and tolerance. She didn’t intend on doing any skinny-dipping herself—such things would be beneath the queen—but she didn’t seem at all alarmed.
You little idiot! he thought. These guys aren’t vicious, but they’ll come after you in the spirit of the thing, and you’ll be bare in that water before you get the chance to tell them you just aren’t in that spirit. I should let them.
“Get Kent!” Connie was shouting. “Someone get that hunk out here!”
“And Katie. Get that sexy blond!” came a male shout.
She was laughing. “No, thanks. It’s too cold for swimming.”
Kent shook his head with disbelief. Half the crowd was returning for them.
He didn’t hesitate another second. He tucked down a shoulder as if he had the ball, rammed it lightly to her waistline, and lifted her over that shoulder, clutching her legs.
She was taken so completely by surprise that he was halfway across the room before she could draw breath to shout at him.
“What are you doing, you idiot? Put me down! Kent Hart, put me down. I don’t want to go anywhere with you. Stop it—you’re acting like a lunatic.” She was trying reason. “I mean it. You’re behaving like a gorilla.” Reason didn’t cause a falter in his step. She pounded furiously against his back. “Dammit! Put me—”
He opened the front door and slammed it behind him. Her fists were pounding against his back with such a vengeance that he groaned.
“Am I hurting you?” she grated out in a fury as he started walking down the drive. “I hope so, because I mean to! You let me down. What the hell is the matter with you? My opinion of you hasn’t been the highest, but now—Oh!” She stormed as his quickened pace sent her nose flying into his backbone. “Dammit—you let me down this instant or else I’ll tear you to pieces!”
She was tearing him to pieces. Now she was trying to claw through his sweater to rip into his back. Kent grated his teeth, and suddenly his temper flew. All he could remember was the child who had scratched him years ago.
Ah, hell!
He heard shouts and laughter as the crowd came out the door after them. And she was hindering his speed.
“Son of a bitch!” he suddenly exploded. She was trying her old tactics. He could feel the scrape of her nails trying to take hold through his shirt and sweater.
That did it. He slammed his open-palmed hand with a strength born of fury against her rump, delivering what he knew to be a stinging blow.
She let out a little scream, then she was at it again—but verbally, not physically.
“I’ll kill you!” she garbled out unreasonably. “I’ll strangle you … I’ll tear you to pieces—”
“Fine. Just do it once we’re out of here!” Kent snapped back.
The footsteps behind them were coming closer. But he was a runner, even with added weight, and hers wasn’t that much.
He reached his car, opened the driver’s door, and shoved her in with little grace. She was immediately trying to get out the other side, but he was quicker than she. The key was in the ignition as he slammed his door and hit the automatic locks. She was still swearing away a mile a minute and working feverishly at her door as he wheeled his car around and sped down the driveway.
CHAPTER THREE
S HE WAS CAPABLE OF going on and on—and on, Kent realized. Katie Hudson continued her verbal attack, her voice rising as her oaths surpassed those of the most seasoned player on the field. How had Hudson raised such a shrew? he wondered.
He was on the highway, going a good sixty miles an hour, and she was still playing with the damned door handle. A headache was growing inside his skull, pounding with a force that matched her venomous words.
He lifted a hand from the wheel. “Stop!” he ordered, his voice sounding something like an aggravated roar. It apparently had some effect on her, because
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