particularly when the client has an obvious lack of respect for authority. I’ve found it helps clear up any misunderstanding in regard to who is actually in charge.”
“That would be me, Mr. Hollander,” Kate said coldly. She didn’t need Frau Steinbreaker today. She was mad enough to pull it off entirely on her own. “
I
am in charge. And at no time, during any of our conversations did the subject of handcuffs ever come up.”
“Excuse me,” Jericho called from the back. “Can I get these goddamn things off now?”
Hollander ignored him. “If you’ll look at our agreement, you’ll see that you granted me the authority to—”
“Do you have the key?” Kate interrupted.
“Of course—”
“Give it to me.”
Hollander dug into his pocket. “I’ll unlock him.”
“Oh, good idea. Send Bobby on in here, Kate.” Jericho’s voice was tight. “Please. I’m looking forward to kicking the shit out of him. Or wait. I know—maybe I’ll wrap this goddamn chain around his neck.”
Kate blocked Hollander’s way, holding out her hand. “I’ll do it. You better wait outside.”
Hollander didn’t blink. “I can handle him.”
She stood her ground. “I don’t want you to handle him.”
The ex-marine shrugged and dropped the key into her palm.
Kate heard the screen door screech open and closed as she went back to Jericho.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed again, breathing hard as if he had just run a race. “He doesn’t think he did anything wrong, does he? The son of a bitch.
Son
of a bitch!”
She sat down next to him, aching for him. “I don’t think he does, no.”
Jericho was holding onto the chain so tightly his knuckles were white. “I’m not going to kill him. As much as I want to, I’m not going to. This isn’t good. This doesn’t help me.”
He was trying to control his anger. As Kate watched, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.
She reached for him, putting her hands over his, tugging his fingers free from the chain. “It’s okay for you to be angry, Jericho. But it’s not okay for you to kick the shit out of Bob Hollander.”
He looked up at that. “So how else do you suggest I release all this hostility?” He glanced down at their hands, still tightly clasped, and when he looked back at her, the entire room seemed to tilt. This wasn’t just a room, it was a bedroom. And not even five minutes ago, this man had been sitting here completely naked.
Kate could see a reflection of her own sudden hyperawareness in his eyes. Hyperawareness—and attraction.
She was sitting on Jericho Beaumont’s bed, holding his hands. And despite the fact that he’d been trying his best to make her life as difficult as possible over the past week, there was a light in his eyes that told her he would not be adverse to fanning this spark between them into flames. Searing, consuming, white-hot flames.
Or maybe that light was just a reflection of her own attraction. God, she’d practically had to wipe the drool from her chin when she’d first come in and found him here.
Kate pulled her hands away, feeling her cheeks heatwith embarrassment. She fumbled for the key, and dropped it once before getting it into the lock. The cuffs sprang open, and he was free.
“Jericho, I’m so sorry about this,” she said again.
His wrists looked red and sore, but he didn’t seem to notice. He just stood up and went right into the bathroom. Kate didn’t move, well aware that there was no door. No privacy. She heard him relieve himself, heard the toilet flush, then the sound of water running in the sink. And then … She heard the metallic shriek of the opening screen door.
She dropped the handcuffs, and they hit the wall with a rattle as she ran for the door.
Sure enough, as she stepped out of the trailer, Jericho was heading directly for Bob Hollander.
She caught up, and he glanced at her. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill him.”
“That’s not what I’m worried
“That would be me, Mr. Hollander,” Kate said coldly. She didn’t need Frau Steinbreaker today. She was mad enough to pull it off entirely on her own. “
I
am in charge. And at no time, during any of our conversations did the subject of handcuffs ever come up.”
“Excuse me,” Jericho called from the back. “Can I get these goddamn things off now?”
Hollander ignored him. “If you’ll look at our agreement, you’ll see that you granted me the authority to—”
“Do you have the key?” Kate interrupted.
“Of course—”
“Give it to me.”
Hollander dug into his pocket. “I’ll unlock him.”
“Oh, good idea. Send Bobby on in here, Kate.” Jericho’s voice was tight. “Please. I’m looking forward to kicking the shit out of him. Or wait. I know—maybe I’ll wrap this goddamn chain around his neck.”
Kate blocked Hollander’s way, holding out her hand. “I’ll do it. You better wait outside.”
Hollander didn’t blink. “I can handle him.”
She stood her ground. “I don’t want you to handle him.”
The ex-marine shrugged and dropped the key into her palm.
Kate heard the screen door screech open and closed as she went back to Jericho.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed again, breathing hard as if he had just run a race. “He doesn’t think he did anything wrong, does he? The son of a bitch.
Son
of a bitch!”
She sat down next to him, aching for him. “I don’t think he does, no.”
Jericho was holding onto the chain so tightly his knuckles were white. “I’m not going to kill him. As much as I want to, I’m not going to. This isn’t good. This doesn’t help me.”
He was trying to control his anger. As Kate watched, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.
She reached for him, putting her hands over his, tugging his fingers free from the chain. “It’s okay for you to be angry, Jericho. But it’s not okay for you to kick the shit out of Bob Hollander.”
He looked up at that. “So how else do you suggest I release all this hostility?” He glanced down at their hands, still tightly clasped, and when he looked back at her, the entire room seemed to tilt. This wasn’t just a room, it was a bedroom. And not even five minutes ago, this man had been sitting here completely naked.
Kate could see a reflection of her own sudden hyperawareness in his eyes. Hyperawareness—and attraction.
She was sitting on Jericho Beaumont’s bed, holding his hands. And despite the fact that he’d been trying his best to make her life as difficult as possible over the past week, there was a light in his eyes that told her he would not be adverse to fanning this spark between them into flames. Searing, consuming, white-hot flames.
Or maybe that light was just a reflection of her own attraction. God, she’d practically had to wipe the drool from her chin when she’d first come in and found him here.
Kate pulled her hands away, feeling her cheeks heatwith embarrassment. She fumbled for the key, and dropped it once before getting it into the lock. The cuffs sprang open, and he was free.
“Jericho, I’m so sorry about this,” she said again.
His wrists looked red and sore, but he didn’t seem to notice. He just stood up and went right into the bathroom. Kate didn’t move, well aware that there was no door. No privacy. She heard him relieve himself, heard the toilet flush, then the sound of water running in the sink. And then … She heard the metallic shriek of the opening screen door.
She dropped the handcuffs, and they hit the wall with a rattle as she ran for the door.
Sure enough, as she stepped out of the trailer, Jericho was heading directly for Bob Hollander.
She caught up, and he glanced at her. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill him.”
“That’s not what I’m worried
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