couldn’t get Alice out of his mind?
Keep it professional, he told himself, knowing full well he’d crossed that particular line the moment he’d staked out Alice’s condo.
The passenger door opened and Alice emerged, pushing back her hair. Her arm was slender and her skin ghostly pale in the moonlight, exposed by the tiny top she wore. Barely wore, held up only by narrow strings, with a sparkle where it scooped low across her breasts.
Now was the time for Kyle to speak. Let them know he was there. But he couldn’t. His mouth was dry, his tongue thick.
Her shoes clacked across the courtyard. The iron gate of the portico creaked open. Denver slunk through it right behind her, reaching out to catch her by the waist and nuzzle her neck.
She let out a laugh and darted away, arriving beneath the loggia faster than Kyle had expected. He was caught out in plain sight.
Her eyes went round. “Kyle!”
He stepped forward. “Good evening, Miss Potter.”
“What the…” Denver planted his green cowboy boots and stared, his arms crossed in a belligerent posture Kyle recognized. “What’re you doing here?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
Denver sneered. “Like hell you should.”
Alice’s head was on a swivel. “What…?”
Denver jabbed an accusing finger. “His goal in life is to keep me from havin’ a good time.”
Kyle was fighting the adrenaline charging through him. He didn’t dare move a muscle. “It’s good to have goals,” he managed to say through gritted teeth.
“This is my fault,” Alice said. “ I asked him. He was doing me a favor. Just as part of his job…” Her voice trailed off.
Kyle’s eyes went to her. Did she really care enough about Denver to lie to protect his job? Or would she have done the same for any of the employees, just as she’d defended the pastry chefs?
He shook his head. “You don’t have to cover for him.”
“I’m not. I’m—” She cut herself off. “Please, Kyle. Don’t fire him.”
Denver scoffed. “He’s not gonna fire me. He hasn’t got the balls.”
Alice gasped.
Kyle’s muscles bunched. “It’s within my rights.”
“Rights?” Denver laughed. “Yeah, you did it to Daisy, right? Single mother and all.” He turned to Alice. “This guy’s a cold son of a bitch, I tell ya. Blood’s not gonna stop him from doin’ that fancy-ass job of his.”
Suddenly Kyle found himself an inch away from Denver’s face. “Shut your mouth.” He was hoarse.
Denver flicked off his hat, his eyes blue flames. “Fire me.”
Kyle had raised a hand, ready to defend himself. He clenched it, instead, swallowing hard.
“Do it.” Denver breathed heavily, smelling of beer. “Make up your mind, Mr. Jarreau. Hit me or fire me. I don’t care. Just do it.”
Kyle glared. Visceral instincts clawed at his control,demanding action. But he was too aware of Alice in his peripheral vision, watching them, her face white and her arms clutched across her chest.
He dropped his hand. “Get out of here.”
Denver drew back. He swooped up his hat, set it low on his head, hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Kyle’s blood drummed in his ears. His mind whirled, taking him back to arguments at home when he’d been a kid. If he stayed very still, if he made no sound, if he counted to a hundred million, the fighting would be over. He could do his homework in peace and quiet.
Denver shot a two-finger salute at Alice before swaggering toward his car. “See ya, honey.”
Kyle’s head cleared. No. He wasn’t done.
He caught up, grabbing Denver’s shoulder on the other side of the gate. “You will not take her out again. Try it, and I will fire you.”
Denver wrenched away. He kicked the gate closed between them. “I never wanted this damn playacting job in the first place.”
“No, you wanted a handout,” Kyle said, talking so low his throat ached. Maybe he should have taken the easy way out and given Denver the
Keep it professional, he told himself, knowing full well he’d crossed that particular line the moment he’d staked out Alice’s condo.
The passenger door opened and Alice emerged, pushing back her hair. Her arm was slender and her skin ghostly pale in the moonlight, exposed by the tiny top she wore. Barely wore, held up only by narrow strings, with a sparkle where it scooped low across her breasts.
Now was the time for Kyle to speak. Let them know he was there. But he couldn’t. His mouth was dry, his tongue thick.
Her shoes clacked across the courtyard. The iron gate of the portico creaked open. Denver slunk through it right behind her, reaching out to catch her by the waist and nuzzle her neck.
She let out a laugh and darted away, arriving beneath the loggia faster than Kyle had expected. He was caught out in plain sight.
Her eyes went round. “Kyle!”
He stepped forward. “Good evening, Miss Potter.”
“What the…” Denver planted his green cowboy boots and stared, his arms crossed in a belligerent posture Kyle recognized. “What’re you doing here?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
Denver sneered. “Like hell you should.”
Alice’s head was on a swivel. “What…?”
Denver jabbed an accusing finger. “His goal in life is to keep me from havin’ a good time.”
Kyle was fighting the adrenaline charging through him. He didn’t dare move a muscle. “It’s good to have goals,” he managed to say through gritted teeth.
“This is my fault,” Alice said. “ I asked him. He was doing me a favor. Just as part of his job…” Her voice trailed off.
Kyle’s eyes went to her. Did she really care enough about Denver to lie to protect his job? Or would she have done the same for any of the employees, just as she’d defended the pastry chefs?
He shook his head. “You don’t have to cover for him.”
“I’m not. I’m—” She cut herself off. “Please, Kyle. Don’t fire him.”
Denver scoffed. “He’s not gonna fire me. He hasn’t got the balls.”
Alice gasped.
Kyle’s muscles bunched. “It’s within my rights.”
“Rights?” Denver laughed. “Yeah, you did it to Daisy, right? Single mother and all.” He turned to Alice. “This guy’s a cold son of a bitch, I tell ya. Blood’s not gonna stop him from doin’ that fancy-ass job of his.”
Suddenly Kyle found himself an inch away from Denver’s face. “Shut your mouth.” He was hoarse.
Denver flicked off his hat, his eyes blue flames. “Fire me.”
Kyle had raised a hand, ready to defend himself. He clenched it, instead, swallowing hard.
“Do it.” Denver breathed heavily, smelling of beer. “Make up your mind, Mr. Jarreau. Hit me or fire me. I don’t care. Just do it.”
Kyle glared. Visceral instincts clawed at his control,demanding action. But he was too aware of Alice in his peripheral vision, watching them, her face white and her arms clutched across her chest.
He dropped his hand. “Get out of here.”
Denver drew back. He swooped up his hat, set it low on his head, hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Kyle’s blood drummed in his ears. His mind whirled, taking him back to arguments at home when he’d been a kid. If he stayed very still, if he made no sound, if he counted to a hundred million, the fighting would be over. He could do his homework in peace and quiet.
Denver shot a two-finger salute at Alice before swaggering toward his car. “See ya, honey.”
Kyle’s head cleared. No. He wasn’t done.
He caught up, grabbing Denver’s shoulder on the other side of the gate. “You will not take her out again. Try it, and I will fire you.”
Denver wrenched away. He kicked the gate closed between them. “I never wanted this damn playacting job in the first place.”
“No, you wanted a handout,” Kyle said, talking so low his throat ached. Maybe he should have taken the easy way out and given Denver the
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