own well-being.
“What if the doc’s not answering when we get there?” he asked as he stuffed himself in her little loaner of a car, which she’d borrowed from a friend who preferred to use their snowmobile this time of the year.
“She lives right next door. Which you well know. She’ll be around.”
“I would have taken myself you know. You didn’t have to threaten me.”
“Someone’s got to take care of you seeing as how you seem incapable of caring for yourself.”
“I’ve been doing fine so far.”
“Says the guy who has nightmares and would prefer to sleep in a closet than with me.”
“That was a low blow.”
“It was. I’m sorry.”
Her apology took him aback. “Did you just say sorry?”
“I’ll have you know I’m capable of admitting when I’m wrong, unlike a certain moosehead I know.”
“I’m not wrong. And tonight proved it in spades. Because of me, you were almost killed. First at my hands, then by a fire set to trap me, and then by gunfire, again, meant to take me out.
“The first isn’t your fault and we can work on it. As for the other two…” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and shot him a mischievous look. “How do you know it’s not my secret admirer lashing out because I dared cheat on him with another man?”
“I thought we’d ascertained Gene was behind those stalking notes.”
“No. You assumed he was. I just agreed he might be. Is it so far-fetched for you to imagine that, in spying on Reid, my shy stalker fell for the lovely and efficient secretary and when he saw you debauching my lovely, nubile body he had a jealous fit?”
Boris snorted. “That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard. You been reading too many romance novels if you ask me.”
“You are such a jerk.”
“What did I do now?” He seemed genuinely puzzled , so she clued him in.
“ Is it so hard to believe that I might have the ability to inspire jealousy? Or are you going to tell me that if the roles were reversed, and you saw me making out with another guy, you’d be fine with it?”
“What other guy?” he growled.
“Doesn’t matter. Would it bother you?”
“No,” he spat through gritted teeth. “Because we are not involved.”
“Wow, you are in utter denial.”
“No, I’m doing what I have to in order to keep you safe. If Gene is after me, then anyone involved with me is in danger.”
“But if you don’t care about me, then why do you give a hoo f if I’m targeted?”
“I never said I didn’t care.”
“Aha, so you do like me.”
“Of course, I do. As a friend.”
Her turn to growl.
“A good friend?”
She slammed a fist down on his injured thigh, and he yelled. Good. Tit for tat. Pain for pain.
“What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to admit what we have is special and stop pretending it isn’t.”
“But I don’t want to.”
She would have hit him again, but he grabbed her fist, wrapping his fingers around it. “Enough. You can’t beat me on this point. Physically or mentally.”
He was right. She couldn’t force him to love her. Besides, what happened to playing aloof and making him chase her? But I thought with our sleeping together that… What? Boris would suddenly turn into an ardent lover and mate? That her love would cure all his problems at once?
She was the idiot, not him.
The rest of the drive passed in silence, and she pulled into the clinic just as lights flickered in the main office window. It seemed someone, probably Reid, had called ahead and warned of their impending arrival.
Boris got out and slammed the door shut . He’d made it a few steps to the clinic before he realized she didn’t follow. He turned, a frown on his face, but Jan ignored it and, with a wave, backed out.
Right now she was too emotionally charged to be in the same room with him. She needed some distance and maybe a second perspective. I also need a new plan of attack.
And some fresh cookies with milk. With Momma in Florida
“What if the doc’s not answering when we get there?” he asked as he stuffed himself in her little loaner of a car, which she’d borrowed from a friend who preferred to use their snowmobile this time of the year.
“She lives right next door. Which you well know. She’ll be around.”
“I would have taken myself you know. You didn’t have to threaten me.”
“Someone’s got to take care of you seeing as how you seem incapable of caring for yourself.”
“I’ve been doing fine so far.”
“Says the guy who has nightmares and would prefer to sleep in a closet than with me.”
“That was a low blow.”
“It was. I’m sorry.”
Her apology took him aback. “Did you just say sorry?”
“I’ll have you know I’m capable of admitting when I’m wrong, unlike a certain moosehead I know.”
“I’m not wrong. And tonight proved it in spades. Because of me, you were almost killed. First at my hands, then by a fire set to trap me, and then by gunfire, again, meant to take me out.
“The first isn’t your fault and we can work on it. As for the other two…” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and shot him a mischievous look. “How do you know it’s not my secret admirer lashing out because I dared cheat on him with another man?”
“I thought we’d ascertained Gene was behind those stalking notes.”
“No. You assumed he was. I just agreed he might be. Is it so far-fetched for you to imagine that, in spying on Reid, my shy stalker fell for the lovely and efficient secretary and when he saw you debauching my lovely, nubile body he had a jealous fit?”
Boris snorted. “That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard. You been reading too many romance novels if you ask me.”
“You are such a jerk.”
“What did I do now?” He seemed genuinely puzzled , so she clued him in.
“ Is it so hard to believe that I might have the ability to inspire jealousy? Or are you going to tell me that if the roles were reversed, and you saw me making out with another guy, you’d be fine with it?”
“What other guy?” he growled.
“Doesn’t matter. Would it bother you?”
“No,” he spat through gritted teeth. “Because we are not involved.”
“Wow, you are in utter denial.”
“No, I’m doing what I have to in order to keep you safe. If Gene is after me, then anyone involved with me is in danger.”
“But if you don’t care about me, then why do you give a hoo f if I’m targeted?”
“I never said I didn’t care.”
“Aha, so you do like me.”
“Of course, I do. As a friend.”
Her turn to growl.
“A good friend?”
She slammed a fist down on his injured thigh, and he yelled. Good. Tit for tat. Pain for pain.
“What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to admit what we have is special and stop pretending it isn’t.”
“But I don’t want to.”
She would have hit him again, but he grabbed her fist, wrapping his fingers around it. “Enough. You can’t beat me on this point. Physically or mentally.”
He was right. She couldn’t force him to love her. Besides, what happened to playing aloof and making him chase her? But I thought with our sleeping together that… What? Boris would suddenly turn into an ardent lover and mate? That her love would cure all his problems at once?
She was the idiot, not him.
The rest of the drive passed in silence, and she pulled into the clinic just as lights flickered in the main office window. It seemed someone, probably Reid, had called ahead and warned of their impending arrival.
Boris got out and slammed the door shut . He’d made it a few steps to the clinic before he realized she didn’t follow. He turned, a frown on his face, but Jan ignored it and, with a wave, backed out.
Right now she was too emotionally charged to be in the same room with him. She needed some distance and maybe a second perspective. I also need a new plan of attack.
And some fresh cookies with milk. With Momma in Florida
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