don’t. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Look, I get it. All I want is some assurance I won’t switch on the news some morning and see that you’ve been lynched by a load of drunk locals. Or that you’ve pled guilty, and know it’s because somebody threatened you or your loved ones. Because I know you’re innocent.”
“I don’t have any loved ones,” he said stiffly.
“Your cat, then—whatever. Or, who knows? To hear you’ve been shot or something. Or trapped in your burning motel room. I wouldn’t put anything past the people who offed Tremblay in his cell. Or my own neighbors, come to that.”
“If they were smart,” Duncan said, crossing his arms over his chest, “they’d fake an overdose.”
A chill washed through her. “That’s not funny.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
“Just . . . just
stay
with me.”
“You’re trying very hard to avoid saying please, aren’t you?”
She sighed, exasperated. “Fine.
Please.
”
“Please what?”
Christ Almighty, he knew how to tease. “
Please
come stay with me. Just pretend it’s a really shitty-ass bed-and-breakfast. Even that has to beat this dump.”
He shook his head.
She huffed. “You made me plead, and the answer’s still no?”
He smiled and she wanted to slap him. Handily, she had an even lower blow to deal.
“I’ll tell people about your OCD.”
The smile faded.
“That you’re crazy, and that you’ve come into Benji’s on multiple occasions to drink on top of your medication. Think that’ll help your case, Duncan? Think I’d make a good character witness?”
His eyes narrowed. “You were trying to help me a moment ago.”
“I want you safe. But I’d prefer you professionally ruined and alive to stubborn and dead.”
“I think you’re being sensationalist.”
“And I think you’re being naive. Come stay with me or I tell everyone you’re a fucking nutcase.”
After a pause, “Like a bed-and-breakfast, you say?”
She held her breath, nodding.
He was clearly pissed but forcing self-control. It was pretty hot.
“I’d have to pay you by the night, then,” he said tightly.
She shrugged. “Like I’d try to stop you.”
Duncan took a deep breath, glancing around as though taking an inventory.
“Deal?”
“This isn’t a deal. This is me, submitting in the face of your threats. Thanks very much for not scrawling them across my car.”
“So, deal?”
“Deal,” he finally muttered, but didn’t offer his hand. And with that, he strode to the closet and returned with a suitcase.
She made a face. “Wow. That was slightly easier than I’d expected.”
A mirthless little huff. “Easy? You extorted me.”
“I twisted your arm.”
“Semantics, Ms. Harper.” He unlatched the case and propped it open on the bed. “You ought to consider a career in law.”
“Just a bit of persistence. That’s how I got Vince and Miah and those guys to let me hang out with them when we were kids.”
Leaving Duncan to pack his perfect designer clothes into his perfect designer suitcase, she headed to the bathroom to gather his fancy toiletries, putting them in the leather shaving bag she found on the counter. She was probably organizing them all wrong. Maybe he’d have to take everything out and do it over. No matter. Just like Duncan, she only wanted to be doing, just now.
She stole a sniff of his cologne, wishing she could dab it between her breasts and smell him there all day. Silly impulse. Anyway, she’d have the real thing sleeping in the next room, soon enough. And if there was one tried-and-true antidote to attraction, it was cohabitation. She’d get this man back in perspective in no time. She had zero doubt that he’d make an infuriating houseguest.
“Why did you
want
to hang out with them so badly?” Duncan asked when she left the bathroom. “The Desert Dogs or whatever you called yourselves.”
She shrugged. “They were always covered in dirt, and shouting. And laughing. Always getting
“Look, I get it. All I want is some assurance I won’t switch on the news some morning and see that you’ve been lynched by a load of drunk locals. Or that you’ve pled guilty, and know it’s because somebody threatened you or your loved ones. Because I know you’re innocent.”
“I don’t have any loved ones,” he said stiffly.
“Your cat, then—whatever. Or, who knows? To hear you’ve been shot or something. Or trapped in your burning motel room. I wouldn’t put anything past the people who offed Tremblay in his cell. Or my own neighbors, come to that.”
“If they were smart,” Duncan said, crossing his arms over his chest, “they’d fake an overdose.”
A chill washed through her. “That’s not funny.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
“Just . . . just
stay
with me.”
“You’re trying very hard to avoid saying please, aren’t you?”
She sighed, exasperated. “Fine.
Please.
”
“Please what?”
Christ Almighty, he knew how to tease. “
Please
come stay with me. Just pretend it’s a really shitty-ass bed-and-breakfast. Even that has to beat this dump.”
He shook his head.
She huffed. “You made me plead, and the answer’s still no?”
He smiled and she wanted to slap him. Handily, she had an even lower blow to deal.
“I’ll tell people about your OCD.”
The smile faded.
“That you’re crazy, and that you’ve come into Benji’s on multiple occasions to drink on top of your medication. Think that’ll help your case, Duncan? Think I’d make a good character witness?”
His eyes narrowed. “You were trying to help me a moment ago.”
“I want you safe. But I’d prefer you professionally ruined and alive to stubborn and dead.”
“I think you’re being sensationalist.”
“And I think you’re being naive. Come stay with me or I tell everyone you’re a fucking nutcase.”
After a pause, “Like a bed-and-breakfast, you say?”
She held her breath, nodding.
He was clearly pissed but forcing self-control. It was pretty hot.
“I’d have to pay you by the night, then,” he said tightly.
She shrugged. “Like I’d try to stop you.”
Duncan took a deep breath, glancing around as though taking an inventory.
“Deal?”
“This isn’t a deal. This is me, submitting in the face of your threats. Thanks very much for not scrawling them across my car.”
“So, deal?”
“Deal,” he finally muttered, but didn’t offer his hand. And with that, he strode to the closet and returned with a suitcase.
She made a face. “Wow. That was slightly easier than I’d expected.”
A mirthless little huff. “Easy? You extorted me.”
“I twisted your arm.”
“Semantics, Ms. Harper.” He unlatched the case and propped it open on the bed. “You ought to consider a career in law.”
“Just a bit of persistence. That’s how I got Vince and Miah and those guys to let me hang out with them when we were kids.”
Leaving Duncan to pack his perfect designer clothes into his perfect designer suitcase, she headed to the bathroom to gather his fancy toiletries, putting them in the leather shaving bag she found on the counter. She was probably organizing them all wrong. Maybe he’d have to take everything out and do it over. No matter. Just like Duncan, she only wanted to be doing, just now.
She stole a sniff of his cologne, wishing she could dab it between her breasts and smell him there all day. Silly impulse. Anyway, she’d have the real thing sleeping in the next room, soon enough. And if there was one tried-and-true antidote to attraction, it was cohabitation. She’d get this man back in perspective in no time. She had zero doubt that he’d make an infuriating houseguest.
“Why did you
want
to hang out with them so badly?” Duncan asked when she left the bathroom. “The Desert Dogs or whatever you called yourselves.”
She shrugged. “They were always covered in dirt, and shouting. And laughing. Always getting
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