try and ambush me.” She tsked . “And at an airport of all places. Where are your
manners?”
Jarod tucked her hand into the crook of his
elbow and led her toward her car, putting himself firmly between her and Louis.
She appreciated the gesture, but the adrenaline flooding her system kept her
wary and watchful. The two men at the car didn't move, but she could almost
feel the weight of their gazes.
Louis cut around to block their path and he
reached out, catching her face in his cold hands and pressed a pair of even
cooler kisses to her cheeks. At her right cheek, he murmured, “Lose the
boyfriend, or I'll remove him for you.”
Before she could respond, Jarod hauled Louis
off of her and had his hand in a thumb lock. The Frenchman staggered, his face a twisted mask of pain. “Allow me to remind you, Viscount duMonde , that one doesn't touch a
lady unless she's invited it.”
The two men at the car started in their
direction. “Jarod.” Kit put a hand to his shoulder,
but a glint of light bouncing off metal in one of the goons' hands and she
swallowed her next words.
“You stay right there, gentlemen. I've
already contacted airport security.” The rasp of metal being locked and loaded
echoed through the hanger. She didn't dare take her eyes off Louis' men. Jarod
glanced from the men to the co-pilot to Louis. Fury simmered in the Viscount's
face.
“You have this?”
“Yes, sir. If you
would like to go ahead and escort Lady Hardwicke, we'll take care of this.” The
Captain answered. He'd exited on the other side of the plane and walked around
her, a handgun in his hand, now trained on Louis.
“Excellent.” Jarod gave Louis a little shove
as he released him. The Frenchman didn't fall, but he did stumble back a few
feet. He held out a hand to Kit and she took it. Relief swamped her, but didn't
take the edge off her worry. “Shall we?”
“Absolutely.” She
found the word, surprised that it didn't tremble. He led her over to the car,
giving the others a wide berth. So focused on them, she barely noticed it when
Jarod tucked her into the passenger seat, set their bags in the backseat and
circled around to slide behind the wheel. Kit never looked away from Louis.
This wasn't the first time she'd crossed
him.
But the hatred on his face promised her it
would be the last.
Jarod
backed the car up and pulled out of the hanger ahead of the flashing security
lights driving up. He reached over and put his hand on her leg. “You okay?”
She shuddered, fumbling for a way to fill
the silence. “I think I just messed up your meeting.”
“Eh.” He shrugged and she caught a brief
glimpse of his smile in the illumination from the dashboard. “I don't like to
do business with assholes anyway.”
She laughed.
“And now I think we're three and one, don't
you?” At his broader grin, she laughed harder.
“Touché.”
Chapter Four
S he fell asleep, head tipped back and turned toward the
window. Jarod sighed and rested his wrist against the steering wheel. They
headed north and west away from Los Angeles County. She said Malibu, initially,
but the barest of hitch in her words after their encounter suggested to him
Malibu was the first thing that came to mind.
Like a cat, she didn't let little tumbles
upset her. Landing on her proverbial feet, she rallied to his invasion of her
plane, to the misguided belief that her father sent him, and their flirtation. But duMonde ?
He
scared the hell out of her. He wasn't sure if they were in some type of
collusion when he boarded the plane to New York from London, but thirty minutes
into that first meeting and he couldn't see how this self-possessed firecracker
with her independent spirit and playful nature could work with a narcissistic
psychopath.
manners?”
Jarod tucked her hand into the crook of his
elbow and led her toward her car, putting himself firmly between her and Louis.
She appreciated the gesture, but the adrenaline flooding her system kept her
wary and watchful. The two men at the car didn't move, but she could almost
feel the weight of their gazes.
Louis cut around to block their path and he
reached out, catching her face in his cold hands and pressed a pair of even
cooler kisses to her cheeks. At her right cheek, he murmured, “Lose the
boyfriend, or I'll remove him for you.”
Before she could respond, Jarod hauled Louis
off of her and had his hand in a thumb lock. The Frenchman staggered, his face a twisted mask of pain. “Allow me to remind you, Viscount duMonde , that one doesn't touch a
lady unless she's invited it.”
The two men at the car started in their
direction. “Jarod.” Kit put a hand to his shoulder,
but a glint of light bouncing off metal in one of the goons' hands and she
swallowed her next words.
“You stay right there, gentlemen. I've
already contacted airport security.” The rasp of metal being locked and loaded
echoed through the hanger. She didn't dare take her eyes off Louis' men. Jarod
glanced from the men to the co-pilot to Louis. Fury simmered in the Viscount's
face.
“You have this?”
“Yes, sir. If you
would like to go ahead and escort Lady Hardwicke, we'll take care of this.” The
Captain answered. He'd exited on the other side of the plane and walked around
her, a handgun in his hand, now trained on Louis.
“Excellent.” Jarod gave Louis a little shove
as he released him. The Frenchman didn't fall, but he did stumble back a few
feet. He held out a hand to Kit and she took it. Relief swamped her, but didn't
take the edge off her worry. “Shall we?”
“Absolutely.” She
found the word, surprised that it didn't tremble. He led her over to the car,
giving the others a wide berth. So focused on them, she barely noticed it when
Jarod tucked her into the passenger seat, set their bags in the backseat and
circled around to slide behind the wheel. Kit never looked away from Louis.
This wasn't the first time she'd crossed
him.
But the hatred on his face promised her it
would be the last.
Jarod
backed the car up and pulled out of the hanger ahead of the flashing security
lights driving up. He reached over and put his hand on her leg. “You okay?”
She shuddered, fumbling for a way to fill
the silence. “I think I just messed up your meeting.”
“Eh.” He shrugged and she caught a brief
glimpse of his smile in the illumination from the dashboard. “I don't like to
do business with assholes anyway.”
She laughed.
“And now I think we're three and one, don't
you?” At his broader grin, she laughed harder.
“Touché.”
Chapter Four
S he fell asleep, head tipped back and turned toward the
window. Jarod sighed and rested his wrist against the steering wheel. They
headed north and west away from Los Angeles County. She said Malibu, initially,
but the barest of hitch in her words after their encounter suggested to him
Malibu was the first thing that came to mind.
Like a cat, she didn't let little tumbles
upset her. Landing on her proverbial feet, she rallied to his invasion of her
plane, to the misguided belief that her father sent him, and their flirtation. But duMonde ?
He
scared the hell out of her. He wasn't sure if they were in some type of
collusion when he boarded the plane to New York from London, but thirty minutes
into that first meeting and he couldn't see how this self-possessed firecracker
with her independent spirit and playful nature could work with a narcissistic
psychopath.
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