Long bath, he said, attempting to consider her as coldly as he would any commodity he was interested in buying.
But she wouldnt have it. She glared back at him with an impish ferocity that stunned him.
No. Dont even think about it. This girl spelled trouble. Besides, a woman of any sort was the last thing he needed as a permanent fixture. Especially when he was still so raw from Marcie
I always take long baths, the girl retorted. Not that my habits are any of your business, mind you. She softened this bit of rudeness with the most enchanting blush; she squirmed, too, toes curling into the carpet. Sensing danger, but not about to run from him, her long-lashed, blue eyes flashed. Her mixture of boldness, reticence and obvious discomfiture around him caused a tightness in his chest.
He remembered their fight. Maybe, just maybe, it wasnt totally unreasonable of her to distrust him. Hed forced her to walk and drink coffee until shed collapsed in angry tears and called him a bully. When her mind had cleared, shed thrown everything hed told her about Mexico right back at him.
Why, you raped
I saved your cute little ass, hed thundered. You were tied to bedpostshalf-nakedalonelike some damsel in distress in a porn comic book.
And what do men in those comic books do to such women?
The point is I got you out of Mexico.
Youre determined to paint yourself as a hero and me as a Shed blushed then. You dont know anything.
Hed learned quickly she blushed at nearly everything. Then shed looked stricken and profoundly ashamed. Naturally, shed launched an attack. You almost raped me
Almost being the operative word. You teased me, kissed me. You wouldnt even know about it if I hadnt told you.
Ha! Im surprised you did, shed huffed. Im sure the only reason you did was to put me down. You just love telling me how low and awful you think I am. You called me a
Whore? Hed restrained himself and hadnt said the word out loud again. Your career of choice was all too obvious.
Shed blushed again, bitten her lips. Ha! And are you always right about everything?
Hed laughed. Dont act so coy. You came on to me like a pro. You put your hands on me, remember? You unzipped me, fondled me, begged me for it.
Because I She went stock-still. Her blush was no longer becoming. Her face had deepened to angry purple.
Were those tears glistening behind her eyelids, too? Tears of outrage? She had a misplaced temper, this girl.
If I did those things Her lip quivered. Not that Im at all sure I should believe youII must have thought you were somebody elsesomebody decentalthough how I could have thought such a thing about youeven druggedIm sure I cant imagine.
The indignation and despair in her soft voice jarred him. Still, he defended himself with a burst of temper equal to hers.
That same decent somebody who drugged you and tied you to those bedposts and left you there for anybody to find? he shouted. He never shouted. Not at underlings. Lucky for you I came along and not somebody else.
Lucky? Youre judging mewhen you dont know anything about me. You said yourself you nearly raped me.
Dont be inane, he said in a low, controlled voice. I stopped when you said no.
Then why did you feel guilty enough to confess? Her voice was equally controlled. But she stuck her pretty little nose in the air and faced him with a startling amount of belligerent spirit. You say I fainted. You say youre my hero. How do I know what you really did?
I stopped. He ground his words like meat through a grinder.
You dont look like a man who would stop once he got started.
Her perverse compliment maddened him. The gall of this girl!
I got you the hell out of Mexico. It cost me five hundred dollars cash to bribe the border guard.
You bribed a border guard? Her eyes widened. I wish theyd thrown you in jail. I would have liked seeing you behind barscaged.
Well, they didnt, because like everybody else in this world, especially you, theyre for sale, sweetheart.
You must have a limited and unlikable bunch of acquaintances.
Carrying unconscious young females across international borders is a highly suspicious activity. I had to pay them. They were strangers, not acquaintances.
I dont much like youeven if you are as handsome as Mr. Darcy.
Handsome? She thought him handsome. Who the hell is Mr. Darcy? A client?
Do you read? Never mind. An almost rape? She eyed him skeptically. Bribing a government official? You are a man whos capable of highly suspicious activities.
Then were a matched pair.
No, we arent.
Huffiness. Morality. From the likes of her?
I found you tied to bedposts, he thundered.
You keep saying that! If thats so, youve made the most of it ever since!
You were drugged.
She glared at him. I dont take drugs and I dont like being insulted.
Do you like being alive and in one piece on this side of the border?
I do, she admitted. Thank you. But I dont much like sharing aa cage with a beast like you.
Im not a beast.
Her lack of gratitude, her refusal to admit her own shortcomings, her ability to see the worst in himeverything about her maddened him. But what really set him on edge was her standing there in the bathroom doorway in that robe, looking sexy as hell as she stared daggers through him.
Come out for Gods sakes. I wont bite.
Shyly, she took a trembling step. I have to go home.
Not till Im sure youre okaysafe.
You dont care about my safety, she said in that soft, knowing tone. I know why you wont let me go. What sort of games do you play, Mr. McKade, with your women?
His pulse accelerated. I worked my ass off to sober you up. I fed you supperbreakfast.
You made me eat eggs. I dont like eggs.
How was I supposed to know that?
I told you.
For Gods sakes, Im not running a short-order grill. I ordered eggs. I ate them myself.
But you like eggs.
You have the most illogical mind.
Dont say that.
As if she were remembering the other battles theyd fought, she stared past him, to the closet, to the skeleton key in the closet door. You deliberately scared me.
Relax. Forget that, he growled, ashamed of that little episode.
You threatened to lock me in there.
You ran out.
Because youre a big bully.
Only sometimeswhen pushed.
All the time, I bet.
I couldnt let you run off drugged
Quit saying I was drugged.
When you quit calling me a bully. His heart darkened with a bitter memory. There was ice and yet pain, too, in his deep voice. Where I come fromit was bullyor be bullied. Why had he said that? Why had he betrayed himself to the likes of her?
She lifted her chin, studied him. I bet you were the biggest, baddest bully of all.
He glared. She chewed on her bottom lip, considering him with one of those intense glances that unsettled him and made him wonder what she might do next.
They were in Little Reds hotel suite. The room key had been in his brothers wallet. Luke had brought her here on the thin chance his brother would show upaliveand he could, thus, kill two birds with one stone.
His brothers suite had seemed as good a place as any to sober her up. Once, after pouring countless cup-fuls of coffee down her, when hed been forcing her to pace the room with him, shed panicked and broken out of the suite. Hed caught her in the hall, shoved her back inside, and pushed her into the closet. Shed pounded wildly on the door. Hed opened it and told her to be quiet, threatening to tie her up the way Baines had or gag her and lock her in the closet if she didnt behave.
She stared at the skeleton key in the lock of the closet door and went still.
My aunt used to lock me upin the dark, she said. And tonight Her eyes filled with terror.
Difficult aunt.
Oh, she was. She was a lot like you. She believed all people were for sale, too, especially women. She even saw marriage in that light. She was always saying, Its just as easy to marry a rich man as a poor man.
Every woman I know thinks like that.
Not me. I believe in love, in chemistry, in magicin excitement. She snapped her fingers. Or I used to. Till Brand. Her voice dropped. Till you. Again her eyes held fear although she strove to talk about something else. My aunt and I drove each other to distraction. But she taught me to read and to appreciate the fine arts. On the whole, she was a lot nicer than you. She tried to smile. And at least she was very well educated and way more honest about what she was up to than you areMcKade.
Call me Luke.
Im not sure yet if I want to know you that well.
Youre rude.
Me, rude? Thats rich.
Ungrateful too, he accused.
She seemed to make an effort to concentrate on what he was saying instead of on what she was so afraid of.
My aunt used to say I was a brat. And maybe I wassometimes. I used to follow her when she didnt know it. I was too curious about what went on.There were the most fascinating rumors about her, you see. And I was way too lively just to accept what she said as gospel. She was silent. As if anything she could say would be gospel. Her voice changed. I am a brat by dayand bravebut by nightIm afraid of the dark.
You chose an odd line of work, considering that fear.
Ha! You dont listen any better than
And youre afraid of me.
She shook her head. Not of you
She didnt fool him. If she wasnt afraid, why did she keep glancing from him to the bed? Why was she pressing herself against the wall?
He advanced upon her, to prove his point. Feel better after your bath? he asked silkily.
But she didnt back away as hed expected. My brain still feelsweird.Like the thoughts are driftingnot connecting.
Why dont you get some sleep then, he suggested.
What will you do?
Watch over you.
Just watch?
Disappointed? he inquired softly.
She blushed. Do you ever stop with the sex talk?
That might be hardwith you around. I cant seem to forget I found you higher than a kite tied to a bed. He picked up the red polka-dotted dress. This little number was shrink-wrapped to your body. He wadded it up and threw it at her. What kind of girl wears black mesh hose and a dress like this two sizes too small?
Unfolding the suggestive garment, her eyes rounded. She jiggled the dress and made the flounces bounce. Oh, my!
Not much dress. Lots of girl, he said.
It isnt mine! She threw it at him and stalked toward the bed away from him.
You were quitefetching in it, he taunted darkly.
Another blush. She sank into a chair.
You want me to be some idiot you can fool with your fake blushes and little-girl smiles and sly glances.
I know about you, too. You brought me herebecause you thought I was that kind of girl. Thats why you wont let me go. I wonderIf I did what you wanted, would you let me go then?
He stared at her, scared to the quick and yet darkly thrilled, too, by her tantalizing suggestion.
She shut her eyes. Its all so extraordinarylike a bad dream. Her hollow, fearful tone floated to him. Brand said hed marry me. At least I think he did. But
She rubbed her forehead, her eyelids and strained to think. Onlyonlymaybe he did ask me to put that awful rag on. I thought he took me to Mexico to get married.
Some wedding dress.
She stared about the room as if seeing ghosts, seeming to hear and see him only vaguely. He gave meOh, dearNoHe couldnt have drugged Frowning, she stared at the dress hed dropped on the floor.
What?
Was I really wearing that?
He nodded.
Brand loved me.
A low moan rose in her throat. Her hand went to her belly. Then her face changed as if shed come to a decision. Big blue eyes widening on his strong face, she looked up at Luke. There was something so proud, so desperate and so responsible in her gaze. He felt a fierce, insane need to protect her.
Whats wrong? he demanded, feeling ridiculous.
If Brand did that She rubbed her temples. He wouldnt listen. He wouldnt even listen. He wont stop now, either.Hes very determined. Hes rich, powerful.
So am I.
She stared at him. Her eyes lit up, as hed known they would at the mention of his fortune.
You have to help me. I have to get out of Laredo away from Brandtonight.
No way.
I cant let him find me. For an instant she looked on the verge of panic.
He remembered his old friend, the pregnant law student whod felt she had to run away from Baines.
As this girl studied him, she seemed to regain a bit of control. After a while, she even forced a slow, sexy smile. What ifif I was the kind of woman you think I amand you want me to bethe girl of your most lurid comic book dreams?
He sucked in a breath. Here we go.
Were alone. In your hotel room. Her gaze drifted suggestively to the bed. What if Id do anything? Absolutely anything? Would you help me?
Anything. Pictures of women playing in provocative love games flipped in his mind. The pictures changed. Every face, every lewd position was of her.
Heat spiraled inside him. One minute you play a whore, the next a virgin. Dont tempt me unless you mean it.
Or the big tough, rich guy will grab me? She trembled, hugging herself. Her blue eyes grew even more enormous. Then she licked her mouth with her tongue. Anything, she purred.
The imaginary pictures of her flipped again. He had a fleeting sensation of shame. She was in some sort of trouble. What kind of heel took advantage of a desperate woman, even a whore, who needed his help?
A man who came from the gutter. A man who used every opportunity for his own gain. A saint would have been tempted by her, and he was no saint.
She was so damn pretty she made every male sense knife sharp. His bones melted. His weaker nature won. Down in hell his name on that list blazed brighter. Anything?