deft motion. Without pause, he flung her filthy things over the railing. Down they sailed. Clarice clasped the balcony railing and peered over the edge. He took a peek himself to see her garments sinking in the pool.
“Do you know how long those took me to break in?” she snapped.
“I’ll have them dry cleaned and returned later. Now, why don’t you go shower? You stink.” He pinched his nose and held himself taut for the punch she aimed his way. Wow, she could pack a wallop. So, of course the side of him that apparently enjoyed abuse had to say, “Didn’t hurt.”
“I hate you.”
“You know what they say about hate.”
“I don’t want to have sex with you.”
“Who said anything about sex this time?”
With a growl, she whirled on her heel and stalked off. He grinned at her retreating back. “There’s a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door for when you’re done,” he mentioned as he followed.
She answered him with a flipped finger as she stalked past his mother , who watched with a calculating look. He whistled as he strolled to the phone and ordered enough food for a small army, then he headed into his bedroom as the shower turned on. Grabbing a t-shirt and track pants, he dressed quickly and exited to find his mother also attired once again, her outfit not the one she’d arrived in judging by the shredded remains of silk on the floor. He didn’t bother to wonder where it came from. Given his mother’s temper, he figured she had clothes stashed everywhere she went.
As he padded into the kitchen to get some coffee going, she followed. He was ready, more or less, for the interrogation he knew he couldn’t avoid.
“Who is she?”
“A coworker.” No, he wasn’t going to make it easy on his mother, not after the way she behaved. Goaded or not, she should have shown a little more control.
“A coworker who spent the night in your condo in her underwear!”
“Well , yeah. We got in late and she didn’t have any jammies. Would you have preferred to encounter her naked?” He certainly would have.
“You’re being deliberately obtuse.”
“How? I’ve answered your questions,” he replied with a sly smirk.
His m other’s lip tightened into a thin line. “I am going to ask once again, and you better answer me straight this time, Nolan. Who is she and what is she doing here?”
“I’d say that was obvious. She’s ASS and she was taking care of my body.” At the sour expression on his mom’s face, he couldn’t help laughing. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Mother. She’s ASS, as in Avian Soaring Security. Kloe assigned her as my bodyguard. We had some security concerns over those escaped patients so Clarice was asked to stay with me until another agent comes available.”
Instantly, his mother’s irritation switched to concern. “Are you in danger?”
He shrugged. “The agency seems to think so.”
“ Because he is.” Clarice answered as she emerged from the steam-filled bathroom wearing his robe, which looked way too big on her slender frame. It made her appear cuddly, feminine, soft… Seeing her wear it, knowing it bore his scent, that the fabric had touched his skin, roused something primitive in him. A sense of possessiveness flooded him, a new feeling he’d never felt before for a woman, or at least never until Clarice. Mine. He swallowed hard and hoped the sensation would pass because despite his attraction to the falcon, getting involved would just invite trouble. Loads of it.
“ I can’t have my only male heir threatened. You will pack a bag and move in with the pride until the danger passes.” His mother stated it as a done deal, however, Nolan wasn’t about to let himself get sucked into his mother’s clutches. No way. If he allowed that, he’d wake one morning to find himself wedded and bedded to who knew how many felines as part of his mother’s political machinations.
“No, I’m not. I’m staying right here.”
“Oh no you’re
“Do you know how long those took me to break in?” she snapped.
“I’ll have them dry cleaned and returned later. Now, why don’t you go shower? You stink.” He pinched his nose and held himself taut for the punch she aimed his way. Wow, she could pack a wallop. So, of course the side of him that apparently enjoyed abuse had to say, “Didn’t hurt.”
“I hate you.”
“You know what they say about hate.”
“I don’t want to have sex with you.”
“Who said anything about sex this time?”
With a growl, she whirled on her heel and stalked off. He grinned at her retreating back. “There’s a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door for when you’re done,” he mentioned as he followed.
She answered him with a flipped finger as she stalked past his mother , who watched with a calculating look. He whistled as he strolled to the phone and ordered enough food for a small army, then he headed into his bedroom as the shower turned on. Grabbing a t-shirt and track pants, he dressed quickly and exited to find his mother also attired once again, her outfit not the one she’d arrived in judging by the shredded remains of silk on the floor. He didn’t bother to wonder where it came from. Given his mother’s temper, he figured she had clothes stashed everywhere she went.
As he padded into the kitchen to get some coffee going, she followed. He was ready, more or less, for the interrogation he knew he couldn’t avoid.
“Who is she?”
“A coworker.” No, he wasn’t going to make it easy on his mother, not after the way she behaved. Goaded or not, she should have shown a little more control.
“A coworker who spent the night in your condo in her underwear!”
“Well , yeah. We got in late and she didn’t have any jammies. Would you have preferred to encounter her naked?” He certainly would have.
“You’re being deliberately obtuse.”
“How? I’ve answered your questions,” he replied with a sly smirk.
His m other’s lip tightened into a thin line. “I am going to ask once again, and you better answer me straight this time, Nolan. Who is she and what is she doing here?”
“I’d say that was obvious. She’s ASS and she was taking care of my body.” At the sour expression on his mom’s face, he couldn’t help laughing. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Mother. She’s ASS, as in Avian Soaring Security. Kloe assigned her as my bodyguard. We had some security concerns over those escaped patients so Clarice was asked to stay with me until another agent comes available.”
Instantly, his mother’s irritation switched to concern. “Are you in danger?”
He shrugged. “The agency seems to think so.”
“ Because he is.” Clarice answered as she emerged from the steam-filled bathroom wearing his robe, which looked way too big on her slender frame. It made her appear cuddly, feminine, soft… Seeing her wear it, knowing it bore his scent, that the fabric had touched his skin, roused something primitive in him. A sense of possessiveness flooded him, a new feeling he’d never felt before for a woman, or at least never until Clarice. Mine. He swallowed hard and hoped the sensation would pass because despite his attraction to the falcon, getting involved would just invite trouble. Loads of it.
“ I can’t have my only male heir threatened. You will pack a bag and move in with the pride until the danger passes.” His mother stated it as a done deal, however, Nolan wasn’t about to let himself get sucked into his mother’s clutches. No way. If he allowed that, he’d wake one morning to find himself wedded and bedded to who knew how many felines as part of his mother’s political machinations.
“No, I’m not. I’m staying right here.”
“Oh no you’re
Similar Books
