only removed them when I saw you in front of me.”
“I told you to wait for me. I thought we’d come to an understanding yesterday about who was in charge.”
He couldn’t have hurt her more if he had used his fist to hit her. How could she be so blind? Nothing had changed between them. He used her attraction to him as leverage to keep her in line. “I agreed to return to the States with you, but I wasn’t aware that I was under arrest. I thought I had some rights, one of which was to go out on my own.”
“What was so important that it couldn’t wait?”
“None of your business.” She clutched her purse tightly against her body. She didn’t want him to know just how stupid she’d been.
“I think it is. I’d like to know what it is that you would rather die for than do without.” He grabbed the purse and wrenched it out of her hands.
“Don’t you dare,” she warned coldly.
He stepped out of her reach and opened the leather purse, removing the paper bag inside. “Let’s see.” He held up a souvenir doll she had purchased impulsively for her younger sister. “Oh, a doll. How important! Toothpaste. I can see where it might embarrass you if I purchased that.”
He tossed them on the floor and continued rooting through the feminine hygiene products she had purchased, oblivious to the humiliation he caused her. Every time she reached for the bag, he turned away, refusing to stop. She wiped away a solitary tear and drew strength from the passionate fury Jack was so apt at inspiring in her.
He removed a box of condoms from the bag and stared at it in stunned disbelief. “What’s this?”
She squared her shoulders and sent him the coldest glare she could raise. “I assume you took sex-education in high school.”
He drew his brows together in confusion. “What is it for?”
“I planned to fill them with water and throw them off the top of the building.” She dropped to her knees and gathered the items he’d tossed so indifferently on the floor. He tried to help her up, but she swatted away his hand.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, looking only slightly less foolish than she felt. He held the box out to her. “Here.”
“Keep it. I suddenly find I don’t need it anymore.” She hiked up the bottom of her caftan and ran up the stairs.
On the second floor landing, she paused for a breath and shot a quick glance towards Jack. He stood perfectly still, staring at the box of condoms like he couldn’t quite figure it out.
Hanan, apparently worried about them, hovered at the door when she reached the fourth floor. “Is everything all right?”
“Peachy,” Lilly sniped and then felt guilty. “I’m sorry. He may be like a brother to you, but to me he’s nothing more than a hemorrhoid. An irritating pain in the rear.”
Hanan patted her back, leading her into the living room. “You don’t mean that.”
“Yes I do.”
“I know he has a temper, but that’s only because he was worried. He cares about you.”
Lilly shook her head. Someone who cared wouldn’t humiliate the object of his affection. If he had asked instead of accusing, she would have explained it to him.
Four more days! She only had to survive four more days of his insufferable company and her ordeal would be over. Unless they hit another roadblock. Then it could be longer. The thought made her ill.
She sat down as the front door opened. Seeing Jack, she changed her mind.
“Excuse me,” she said to Hanan and bolted from the chair.
Jack took a step into the room. “Lilly. Please wait.”
She held her head high and turned back. “Is that an order, Special Agent Murphy?” She wouldn’t allow herself to acknowledge his look of remorse. He faked his emotions at will when he wanted something.
“It’s a request.”
“Request denied.” She continued into the bedroom and shut the door. In case he tried to follow, she took the small chair from the vanity and jammed it under the handle.
* * *
“I told you to wait for me. I thought we’d come to an understanding yesterday about who was in charge.”
He couldn’t have hurt her more if he had used his fist to hit her. How could she be so blind? Nothing had changed between them. He used her attraction to him as leverage to keep her in line. “I agreed to return to the States with you, but I wasn’t aware that I was under arrest. I thought I had some rights, one of which was to go out on my own.”
“What was so important that it couldn’t wait?”
“None of your business.” She clutched her purse tightly against her body. She didn’t want him to know just how stupid she’d been.
“I think it is. I’d like to know what it is that you would rather die for than do without.” He grabbed the purse and wrenched it out of her hands.
“Don’t you dare,” she warned coldly.
He stepped out of her reach and opened the leather purse, removing the paper bag inside. “Let’s see.” He held up a souvenir doll she had purchased impulsively for her younger sister. “Oh, a doll. How important! Toothpaste. I can see where it might embarrass you if I purchased that.”
He tossed them on the floor and continued rooting through the feminine hygiene products she had purchased, oblivious to the humiliation he caused her. Every time she reached for the bag, he turned away, refusing to stop. She wiped away a solitary tear and drew strength from the passionate fury Jack was so apt at inspiring in her.
He removed a box of condoms from the bag and stared at it in stunned disbelief. “What’s this?”
She squared her shoulders and sent him the coldest glare she could raise. “I assume you took sex-education in high school.”
He drew his brows together in confusion. “What is it for?”
“I planned to fill them with water and throw them off the top of the building.” She dropped to her knees and gathered the items he’d tossed so indifferently on the floor. He tried to help her up, but she swatted away his hand.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, looking only slightly less foolish than she felt. He held the box out to her. “Here.”
“Keep it. I suddenly find I don’t need it anymore.” She hiked up the bottom of her caftan and ran up the stairs.
On the second floor landing, she paused for a breath and shot a quick glance towards Jack. He stood perfectly still, staring at the box of condoms like he couldn’t quite figure it out.
Hanan, apparently worried about them, hovered at the door when she reached the fourth floor. “Is everything all right?”
“Peachy,” Lilly sniped and then felt guilty. “I’m sorry. He may be like a brother to you, but to me he’s nothing more than a hemorrhoid. An irritating pain in the rear.”
Hanan patted her back, leading her into the living room. “You don’t mean that.”
“Yes I do.”
“I know he has a temper, but that’s only because he was worried. He cares about you.”
Lilly shook her head. Someone who cared wouldn’t humiliate the object of his affection. If he had asked instead of accusing, she would have explained it to him.
Four more days! She only had to survive four more days of his insufferable company and her ordeal would be over. Unless they hit another roadblock. Then it could be longer. The thought made her ill.
She sat down as the front door opened. Seeing Jack, she changed her mind.
“Excuse me,” she said to Hanan and bolted from the chair.
Jack took a step into the room. “Lilly. Please wait.”
She held her head high and turned back. “Is that an order, Special Agent Murphy?” She wouldn’t allow herself to acknowledge his look of remorse. He faked his emotions at will when he wanted something.
“It’s a request.”
“Request denied.” She continued into the bedroom and shut the door. In case he tried to follow, she took the small chair from the vanity and jammed it under the handle.
* * *
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