“That’s not an income!”
“But I don’t
have to sit and click all day,” he pointed out. “I arm my click-bot and set it
running. In the meantime I can learn other skills, or take other positions.”
“Okay, this
totally sounds like a scam. I’ll have Clay shut it down tomorrow.”
Randy’s voice
rose. “But I’m earning money!”
After the
stink she’d made about him living off of her, she supposed she should be more
sensitive.
“Okay, I’m
sorry, okay. I’ll talk to Clay and find out what the deal is.” She yawned and
slid down under the sheet again. “Let’s just have sex and go to sleep, okay?”
she said, laying one hand on his muscular thigh.
He said
stiffly, “If my efforts to achieve solvency inconvenience you, I humbly beg
pardon.”
“Yeah, yeah.
You’re such a drama queen.” She stroked his thigh. “Sex? Sleep?”
He lay rigid
under her hand.
Oh, jeepers. What now? “Randy?”
“You have no
use for me but one.” He sounded mortified.
“And what a
fabulous use it is,” she said, trying for lightness. He said nothing. “Don’t be
mad.”
“I cannot
batten on you forever, trading favors for bread.”
“Why do you
care? You’re a sex demon. You can’t help yourself.”
“I am trying
to break a habit of centuries.”
She rolled her
eyes. “You say yes to every woman who gets you alone! You make me say yes in my sleep. You love it.”
“I was not
always a sex demon. In bed, yes, I am. But since you freed me from sexual
slavery,” he said with an ironic note that pissed her off, “I am reverting to the
man I was.”
“A lord. A
snotty, bossy, privileged—”
“Just so,” he
said quietly.
Suddenly she
realized that she was being dismissive and impatient, while he was exercising
restraint.
Even his
restraint criticized her.
She took her
hand off his thigh. “Oh, all right.”
Her bad-girl
brain said, I don’t have to put up with
this.
Grumpily she
turned over and put her back to him. She still wanted sex.
But his
message was coming through. He felt exploited and taken for granted. Every night for three solid months. He
was fabulous, magical, powerful, totally swoony and explosive, and she rather
thought she was getting addicted to him. And now, naturally, he expected
something more of her.
In her heart,
she knew he was right. It was time for her to bite the bullet and make an
effort to get used to this... relationship.
Ugh,
that word.
She wondered
how much relationship talk they’d have to do tonight before she could get laid
and roll over.
Okay,
now you’re being insensitive, Heiss. Go to sleep.
o0o
Jewel wanted
to spend Wednesday investigating the link between the tame porn and the poppets
in the pocket zones, but when she called in to Baysdorter Boncil to claim a
sick day, the receptionist transferred her to Sharisse, not Maida.
“Maida’s out
today. When are you coming in?”
Jewel began, “Uh,
I was thinking maybe not—”
“Steven will
be here. You want to get him on harassment for the EEOC, right?” What makes you think I’m with EEOC? Jewel wanted to say. Maida was right. Her navy polyester had done its evil
work.
If she was to
accomplish anything, she’d better do it soon. “We still on for lunch?”
“You bet.”
“Okay.” Jewel
drew a deep breath. “I’ll be there in an hour.” She hung up and told Randy, “I
have to go to BB. Stay out of trouble. Call Clay over to work on your identity.”
“I’m sure he
would prefer to hear that from you.”
Jewel faced
her sex demon squarely. “Look. You two can lock horns on your own time. I can’t
be bothered trying to handle you delicately. Got me?”
He aimed huge
black eyes at her. “When is my own time, Jewel?”
She did a
double take. “What?”
“Clay works
eight-thirty to five with you, except when he is undercover. What is my
workday?”
She opened her
mouth to say that, while she was at work, he could visit the zoo or take up tai
chi, she didn’t give a
“But I don’t
have to sit and click all day,” he pointed out. “I arm my click-bot and set it
running. In the meantime I can learn other skills, or take other positions.”
“Okay, this
totally sounds like a scam. I’ll have Clay shut it down tomorrow.”
Randy’s voice
rose. “But I’m earning money!”
After the
stink she’d made about him living off of her, she supposed she should be more
sensitive.
“Okay, I’m
sorry, okay. I’ll talk to Clay and find out what the deal is.” She yawned and
slid down under the sheet again. “Let’s just have sex and go to sleep, okay?”
she said, laying one hand on his muscular thigh.
He said
stiffly, “If my efforts to achieve solvency inconvenience you, I humbly beg
pardon.”
“Yeah, yeah.
You’re such a drama queen.” She stroked his thigh. “Sex? Sleep?”
He lay rigid
under her hand.
Oh, jeepers. What now? “Randy?”
“You have no
use for me but one.” He sounded mortified.
“And what a
fabulous use it is,” she said, trying for lightness. He said nothing. “Don’t be
mad.”
“I cannot
batten on you forever, trading favors for bread.”
“Why do you
care? You’re a sex demon. You can’t help yourself.”
“I am trying
to break a habit of centuries.”
She rolled her
eyes. “You say yes to every woman who gets you alone! You make me say yes in my sleep. You love it.”
“I was not
always a sex demon. In bed, yes, I am. But since you freed me from sexual
slavery,” he said with an ironic note that pissed her off, “I am reverting to the
man I was.”
“A lord. A
snotty, bossy, privileged—”
“Just so,” he
said quietly.
Suddenly she
realized that she was being dismissive and impatient, while he was exercising
restraint.
Even his
restraint criticized her.
She took her
hand off his thigh. “Oh, all right.”
Her bad-girl
brain said, I don’t have to put up with
this.
Grumpily she
turned over and put her back to him. She still wanted sex.
But his
message was coming through. He felt exploited and taken for granted. Every night for three solid months. He
was fabulous, magical, powerful, totally swoony and explosive, and she rather
thought she was getting addicted to him. And now, naturally, he expected
something more of her.
In her heart,
she knew he was right. It was time for her to bite the bullet and make an
effort to get used to this... relationship.
Ugh,
that word.
She wondered
how much relationship talk they’d have to do tonight before she could get laid
and roll over.
Okay,
now you’re being insensitive, Heiss. Go to sleep.
o0o
Jewel wanted
to spend Wednesday investigating the link between the tame porn and the poppets
in the pocket zones, but when she called in to Baysdorter Boncil to claim a
sick day, the receptionist transferred her to Sharisse, not Maida.
“Maida’s out
today. When are you coming in?”
Jewel began, “Uh,
I was thinking maybe not—”
“Steven will
be here. You want to get him on harassment for the EEOC, right?” What makes you think I’m with EEOC? Jewel wanted to say. Maida was right. Her navy polyester had done its evil
work.
If she was to
accomplish anything, she’d better do it soon. “We still on for lunch?”
“You bet.”
“Okay.” Jewel
drew a deep breath. “I’ll be there in an hour.” She hung up and told Randy, “I
have to go to BB. Stay out of trouble. Call Clay over to work on your identity.”
“I’m sure he
would prefer to hear that from you.”
Jewel faced
her sex demon squarely. “Look. You two can lock horns on your own time. I can’t
be bothered trying to handle you delicately. Got me?”
He aimed huge
black eyes at her. “When is my own time, Jewel?”
She did a
double take. “What?”
“Clay works
eight-thirty to five with you, except when he is undercover. What is my
workday?”
She opened her
mouth to say that, while she was at work, he could visit the zoo or take up tai
chi, she didn’t give a
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