Hot as Hades by Cynthia Rayne Page A

don’t need to be sheltered or defended. “Cowboy, we watch each other’s backs, but you don’t need to guard me.”
    “Looked like it me,” he said coolly.
    “I handled Unlucky just fine.”
    “Unlucky?”
    “The jerk that harassed me tonight. He has shamrock tats, so I call him Unlucky. Anyway, the movie we’re in is Speed , not The Bodyguard. Remember when Keanu’s partner is about to be carted off by the bomber?”
    “Yeah,” he said, with a brisk nod. “He ends up shooting his buddy to keep him from being taken hostage.”
    “Exactly!” she said. “ That is something a partner would do.”
    He cocked a brow. “Are you asking me to shoot you, Wildcat?”
    “Only as a last option.”
    And no, she wasn’t kidding. She meant every word.
    “It won’t ever come to that. I won’t let anything happen to you on my watch,” he said solemnly. “Tonight you had a really close fucking call and there is no telling what other kinds of nasty shit these sick fucks are into.”
    “I can take whatever the bastards dish out.”
    “You could get seriously hurt, Daisy. Letting me help, doesn’t mean you're weak.”
    She snorted and gave Cowboy her patented ‘bitch please’ face. “What does it mean then?
    “It means you are worth defending.” He sighed, spreading his hands. “Look, I get how much you love your sister.”
    “If you did, you wouldn’t be asking me to back off.”
    That seemed to hit home with him. She could finally see some understanding in his eyes.
     “Fine, you and I are partners, I’m not your bodyguard, but if we have another incident like the one today? We’re gonna have another serious discussion about your involvement in this operation. Got it?”
    She stared at him, unwilling to make any promise she couldn’t keep.
    “Got it?” he prompted again.
    “Fine got it,” she bit out. “Whatever.” Then, she turned and attacked the bag again.
    She expected him to go, but Cowboy didn’t leave, just watched her strike the bag. After a bit, he stood up and stripped off his shirt. “Let’s spar. I think you need the tension release.”
    She turned away from him, refused to contemplate his golden chest, having no desire to be knocked out of her fury by an onslaught of annoying lust. Especially lust she couldn’t quench.
     “I’m fine,” she said. “I’ll see you later.”
     “Come on,” he goaded. “You aren’t afraid are you?”
    “As if.” she turned on him and fluttered her eyelashes like a southern belle. “Are you sure, you want to spar with me? I’m a girl, you know. You might hurt me,” she mocked in a high, dainty Scarlett O’Hara voice.
    He laughed without humor and touched his side. “Wildcat, I still got a nasty bruise on my ribs from your elbow.” And sure enough, when she checked, he did have a faint purple splotch on his side. “I think you can hold your own. You up for a match?”
    She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
    He didn’t bother putting on boxing gloves, just taped up his hands and she moved into a fighting stance once more. Hands raised, she protected her face and kept her legs slightly bent. They circled one another.
    She struck at him and he blocked her attack with his arm. Then, she tried one more and he fended her off yet again. She bounced back on her heels and continued to dance around him, lashing out occasionally. While she grew even more heated, he seemed absolutely unfazed. He calmly defended himself, but didn’t strike her in return.
    It only pissed her off.
    She got low, swung her leg out, trying to sideswipe him, knock him on his ass, but the bastard jumped out of the way. This time, he lunged at her, throwing her off balance and she nearly stumbled, but lurched to the bench and caught herself. She turned to glower at him.
    “Why are you so angry tonight?” He searched her face. “Did something else happen?”
    “No!”
    Then, he invaded her space and put her on the offensive, driving her towards the wall. Eventually he