Here Kitty, Kitty! by Shelly Laurenston Page B

tiny.
    He motioned to the bartender for another scotch, “You ain’t from around here.”
    “And what gave that away?”
    “That accent of yours.”
    She blinked.  Being the darkest one in the room, she simply assumed that would be his problem.
    “Texas.”
    “Good.  I’d hate to think anybody brought a Yankee to my party.”
    Angie laughed and he returned her smile.  “Damn, girl.  That is the prettiest smile…next to hers.”
    She glanced at the woman he seemed completely lost to.  “She doesn’t seem too interested.”
    “She’s a stubborn woman.  Won’t just admit she loves me.  Always has.”
    “I have a friend like that.”
    “So what’s your name, darlin’?”
    “Angelina.”
    “That’s a gorgeous name.  I’m Boris.”
    “Boris, huh?  That’s a very Russian name.”  They shook hands.  “Have you even been to Russia?”
    “What for?  It gets really cold there.  Besides, I’m an American, darlin’.  Born and bred.  Just like my daddy and my granddaddy before him.  Everything I need is right here in the U-S-of-A.”
    He stood right next to her now, but not close enough to have her backing away.  Good.  He understood personal space.  That seemed to be a problem the hillbilly hadn’t quite grasped yet.
    “So, this is your party?”
    “Yup.  It’s the only way I can get money out of these rich snots.”
    “Money for what?”
    “Poor families from where I used to live.  Up in the holler, not far from here.”
    Dear God, I’m near a “holler.”
    “You haven’t always had money?”
    “Oh, heck no.  Lived up in the holler until I turned seventeen.  Then my daddy made me join the army.”
    Based on his age now that meant only one thing.  “Vietnam?”
    “Yup.  Worst nightmare of my life, too.  But it made me a man.  When I got back, I put myself through school and got into computers real early on.”
    “And now you’re here.”
    “Now I’m here.”
    “I like that story.  That’s a good story.”
    He took a sip of his scotch.  “So what exactly is a full-human doing here anyhow?”
    “Got kidnapped by hillbillies.”
    “Did ya now?”
    “Yup.  It’s a long sordid tale that I’m not sure I’m in the mood to discuss right now.”
    “You don’t need me to rescue you or nothing, do ya?”
    Angie smiled and shook her head, “No.  I can handle them fine.”
    “Which ones are they?”
    Angie glanced over her shoulder and nodded in Nik’s direction.  He stood with his two brothers, a throng of gorgeous women surrounding them.  Not that she blamed the females.  All three men were gorgeous, but Nik outshone them all.  He must have personal contacts with all the great designers.  She didn’t know Armani, Gucci, and all the rest made clothes big enough to fit a man his size.  And fit them they did.  He didn’t wear a tux like some of the other men.  Instead he wore black shoes, black slacks, and a black silk Tee.  He threw a black leather mid-length jacket on over that and, if she were the drooling kind…
    “Them.”
    “Ah.  I see.”  His face suddenly went stern.  “They are bein’ nice to you?”
    “They bring me elk and deer.”
    His big grin returned.  He had to be the happiest man she’d ever met.  “The woo-in’!  They must like you.”
    “So it would seem.”
    “Not that I blame ‘em.  You’re a charmin’ girl.”
    “As are you.”
    “Yes, I
am
a charming girl.”
    Angie snorted and went back to her martini.  She liked this hick.  He made her laugh.
    “So, you interested in any of ‘em?”
    “No.”
    “Why not?  Is it cause you think they’re hillbillies?”
    “They are hillbillies.  And I don’t want to talk about it.”
    “Why are you women so difficult?”
    “We’re not difficult.  We just don’t take shit anymore.”
    Boris looked at the current object of his lust.  “She sure don’t.  That’s one of the things I love about her.  She’d rip your throat out as soon as look at