that asshole Rodney Dukes.”
She stared at him as if to say, ‘ So what?’
Should he tell her? Let her know exactly what Clark had in mind? Fuck it. She had a right to know. The break-in had made this a whole lot more serious, and if she wasn’t going to let him hang around her place after work hours, he’d have to shift and patrol the grounds every night. With his sense of smell fucked up for whatever reason and his hearing less than stellar, he might not be much good even then. Add on to that a lack of sleep, and she’d be in danger anyway.
“He said if you didn’t want his attentions he was going to force them on you.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Stop doing that shit.”
“What shit?” She rammed her hands on her hips.
Crap, she had that look about her—eyes ablaze, mouth in a tight line, a deep frown growing deeper—that told him she’d mastered going from soft to stubborn in an instant. She was up one minute and down the next, prickly as hell, too. He didn’t need another sparring match with her—God knew they’d had too many to count since he’d started working here—but he couldn’t let this rest.
“Making out like you don’t know what I’m talking about. That shit.” He sighed and decided on a calmer approach. “Listen, honey.” Damn, he’d called her baby and honey earlier and honey again just now. He had to get his brain into gear before he let his mouth give him away. A woman who wasn’t interested didn’t want to hear that crap. “Clark’s a time bomb waiting to go off. He wants you, isn’t going to rest until he has you, and I’m fucked if I can allow him to push into your life like this. You saw what he did in here.” He gestured around the kitchen.
“We don’t even know it was him.” She cocked her head a little and studied him hard, eyes narrowed.
“Oh, come on! Don’t give me that bullshit, woman!”
So much for the calmer approach.
She widened her eyes, looking at him as though he’d seriously overstepped the mark, and perhaps he had, her being his boss and all. But this was more than just a boss/employee situation. This was a man protecting a woman. Fuck, he couldn’t let her go off on a mad mission to have words with Clark. That bastard wouldn’t think twice in showing her up in front of his cronies…although if women were present Sarah might be treated to the nicer side of the man. He was the type to keep his options open, and once he’d had Sarah, he’d move on to the next pretty face and hour-glass figure. No, Clark wouldn’t allow his future lays to see the nasty side of him.
“Where were you planning on going?” he asked, voice even.
She moved as though to turn away, so he grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face him, pressing her back against the wall. She winced at his tight hold and, disgusted with himself for exhibiting force, he loosened his fingers. She’d think him a bully if he didn’t watch himself.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please, if I let you go, will you just hear me out?”
“So long as you take a damn step back and give me breathing space.” She glared up at him, hair almost free from the knot she’d tied it in this morning. “I haven’t got any work done today either, so you need to be quick. I napped, remember? The men are going about their business, but I wanted to sort out the purchase of a new mare for Sholah to get used to. That idea’s out the window until Monday now. Shit!”
“Are you deliberately changing the subject? Trying to take my mind off what we were discussing?” He still hadn’t let go of her wrist—wouldn’t until he was sure she wasn’t going to bolt through that doorway to chat with one of her workers as an excuse not to continue their conversation.
“Are you deliberately accusing me of doing that so I get angrier and you can do what you usually do and tell me I’m proving just how hotheaded I am, which then leads to you being able to say
She stared at him as if to say, ‘ So what?’
Should he tell her? Let her know exactly what Clark had in mind? Fuck it. She had a right to know. The break-in had made this a whole lot more serious, and if she wasn’t going to let him hang around her place after work hours, he’d have to shift and patrol the grounds every night. With his sense of smell fucked up for whatever reason and his hearing less than stellar, he might not be much good even then. Add on to that a lack of sleep, and she’d be in danger anyway.
“He said if you didn’t want his attentions he was going to force them on you.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Stop doing that shit.”
“What shit?” She rammed her hands on her hips.
Crap, she had that look about her—eyes ablaze, mouth in a tight line, a deep frown growing deeper—that told him she’d mastered going from soft to stubborn in an instant. She was up one minute and down the next, prickly as hell, too. He didn’t need another sparring match with her—God knew they’d had too many to count since he’d started working here—but he couldn’t let this rest.
“Making out like you don’t know what I’m talking about. That shit.” He sighed and decided on a calmer approach. “Listen, honey.” Damn, he’d called her baby and honey earlier and honey again just now. He had to get his brain into gear before he let his mouth give him away. A woman who wasn’t interested didn’t want to hear that crap. “Clark’s a time bomb waiting to go off. He wants you, isn’t going to rest until he has you, and I’m fucked if I can allow him to push into your life like this. You saw what he did in here.” He gestured around the kitchen.
“We don’t even know it was him.” She cocked her head a little and studied him hard, eyes narrowed.
“Oh, come on! Don’t give me that bullshit, woman!”
So much for the calmer approach.
She widened her eyes, looking at him as though he’d seriously overstepped the mark, and perhaps he had, her being his boss and all. But this was more than just a boss/employee situation. This was a man protecting a woman. Fuck, he couldn’t let her go off on a mad mission to have words with Clark. That bastard wouldn’t think twice in showing her up in front of his cronies…although if women were present Sarah might be treated to the nicer side of the man. He was the type to keep his options open, and once he’d had Sarah, he’d move on to the next pretty face and hour-glass figure. No, Clark wouldn’t allow his future lays to see the nasty side of him.
“Where were you planning on going?” he asked, voice even.
She moved as though to turn away, so he grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face him, pressing her back against the wall. She winced at his tight hold and, disgusted with himself for exhibiting force, he loosened his fingers. She’d think him a bully if he didn’t watch himself.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please, if I let you go, will you just hear me out?”
“So long as you take a damn step back and give me breathing space.” She glared up at him, hair almost free from the knot she’d tied it in this morning. “I haven’t got any work done today either, so you need to be quick. I napped, remember? The men are going about their business, but I wanted to sort out the purchase of a new mare for Sholah to get used to. That idea’s out the window until Monday now. Shit!”
“Are you deliberately changing the subject? Trying to take my mind off what we were discussing?” He still hadn’t let go of her wrist—wouldn’t until he was sure she wasn’t going to bolt through that doorway to chat with one of her workers as an excuse not to continue their conversation.
“Are you deliberately accusing me of doing that so I get angrier and you can do what you usually do and tell me I’m proving just how hotheaded I am, which then leads to you being able to say
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