only got the weekend to seduce her. I’m just trying to hurry things along.”
“But for what? It’s just a weekend of shagging,” he growled, not knowing why the thought disturbed him.
Agnes sighed. “You still believe that?”
Declan ignored her cryptic comment. Instead, he girded himself to ask the question that had kept him awake. “So, she really has no man in her life?”
“Nope. It’s just her and me.”
“But why? There’s nothing wrong with her—other than her rotten temper, and the fact she has to be in charge. The men around here must be fools. There must be at least one who wants to be led around by his cock.”
“She hasn’t found The One . She’s a romantic. Not that she’d admit it to anyone. But she wants to be swept away. Dominated, even. The men around here want business partners.”
“Bloody fools. She has so much more than a healthy bank account.” Like gold dust freckles across a cute, tip-tilted nose and nipples softer than velvet.
“Perhaps she’s alone because she doesn’t know what she wants. I think she needs a little help discovering what makes her happy.”
“You’re not thinking I can help her with that, are you?” She expected him to prepare Priss for another man? “I haven’t a clue how to show a woman what she wants.”
“But you’ve traveled. Seen a lot, I’m sure. You could help her see that there’s more to life than work. Then maybe she’d be willing to take a chance and spread her wings a bit.”
“That’s not part of the bargain. I’m not the man to show her what she’s made of. I’m just the weekend shagger,” he said, bitterness creeping into his voice. He headed to the door.
“If that’s what you think, then I guess I had you figured wrong.”
He paused, angry with himself that he cared to know what she thought. “What did you think?”
“That maybe you might want something more from this weekend. That maybe you might want to help someone other than yourself.”
“You had me figured wrong. I’m only looking out for me and my crew. You get them released, and I’ll take care of my end of the bargain.” He continued toward the doorway, but rather than shoving it open, his hand spread out on the surface. “Besides, I’m the last person you should want Priss to pattern herself after. I’m no great example.”
“You’re right.” Agnes agreed too quickly, which only raised his suspicions that she was up to something. “Forget I said anything.”
“Agnes?”
“Yes, smuggler?”
“I can’t keep her in bed all weekend long.”
“Why not? No stamina?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my libido,” he said, while imagining clenching his fingers around her scrawny neck. “What else might she enjoy doing?”
“Why don’t you ask her?”
“You mean, talk to her?” Inwardly he cringed. Conversing with women about personal issues and long-term plans was one of his least developed skills.
“What would it cost you? She’s not always so—strident. Just when she wants something really bad.”
That was an interesting observation.
“Priss likes to rise early.”
He looked out the window, past the brick wall that divided Priss’s lawn from the next-door neighbor’s property. The edge of the horizon glowed yellow-orange. “It’s almost morning.”
“Yup. If you’re going to call your friend, you better do it quick.”
He didn’t question how she knew about Reiver. “He’s not expecting a call any sooner than Sunday.”
“Better tell him a security guard is sniffing around the garage. He might want to try 2233 Briarwood. The owners are on vacation for the next month.”
“I’ll tell him.” Agnes was amazing. He bet nothing happened in this neighborhood that she didn’t have a pulse on. “I’ll need my comm pack. It was in my duster.”
“Look on the lower shelf of the pantry.”
Declan nodded. Maybe she wasn’t such a bad old bat.
“I still think you look really hot in pink, smuggler.”
He
“But for what? It’s just a weekend of shagging,” he growled, not knowing why the thought disturbed him.
Agnes sighed. “You still believe that?”
Declan ignored her cryptic comment. Instead, he girded himself to ask the question that had kept him awake. “So, she really has no man in her life?”
“Nope. It’s just her and me.”
“But why? There’s nothing wrong with her—other than her rotten temper, and the fact she has to be in charge. The men around here must be fools. There must be at least one who wants to be led around by his cock.”
“She hasn’t found The One . She’s a romantic. Not that she’d admit it to anyone. But she wants to be swept away. Dominated, even. The men around here want business partners.”
“Bloody fools. She has so much more than a healthy bank account.” Like gold dust freckles across a cute, tip-tilted nose and nipples softer than velvet.
“Perhaps she’s alone because she doesn’t know what she wants. I think she needs a little help discovering what makes her happy.”
“You’re not thinking I can help her with that, are you?” She expected him to prepare Priss for another man? “I haven’t a clue how to show a woman what she wants.”
“But you’ve traveled. Seen a lot, I’m sure. You could help her see that there’s more to life than work. Then maybe she’d be willing to take a chance and spread her wings a bit.”
“That’s not part of the bargain. I’m not the man to show her what she’s made of. I’m just the weekend shagger,” he said, bitterness creeping into his voice. He headed to the door.
“If that’s what you think, then I guess I had you figured wrong.”
He paused, angry with himself that he cared to know what she thought. “What did you think?”
“That maybe you might want something more from this weekend. That maybe you might want to help someone other than yourself.”
“You had me figured wrong. I’m only looking out for me and my crew. You get them released, and I’ll take care of my end of the bargain.” He continued toward the doorway, but rather than shoving it open, his hand spread out on the surface. “Besides, I’m the last person you should want Priss to pattern herself after. I’m no great example.”
“You’re right.” Agnes agreed too quickly, which only raised his suspicions that she was up to something. “Forget I said anything.”
“Agnes?”
“Yes, smuggler?”
“I can’t keep her in bed all weekend long.”
“Why not? No stamina?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my libido,” he said, while imagining clenching his fingers around her scrawny neck. “What else might she enjoy doing?”
“Why don’t you ask her?”
“You mean, talk to her?” Inwardly he cringed. Conversing with women about personal issues and long-term plans was one of his least developed skills.
“What would it cost you? She’s not always so—strident. Just when she wants something really bad.”
That was an interesting observation.
“Priss likes to rise early.”
He looked out the window, past the brick wall that divided Priss’s lawn from the next-door neighbor’s property. The edge of the horizon glowed yellow-orange. “It’s almost morning.”
“Yup. If you’re going to call your friend, you better do it quick.”
He didn’t question how she knew about Reiver. “He’s not expecting a call any sooner than Sunday.”
“Better tell him a security guard is sniffing around the garage. He might want to try 2233 Briarwood. The owners are on vacation for the next month.”
“I’ll tell him.” Agnes was amazing. He bet nothing happened in this neighborhood that she didn’t have a pulse on. “I’ll need my comm pack. It was in my duster.”
“Look on the lower shelf of the pantry.”
Declan nodded. Maybe she wasn’t such a bad old bat.
“I still think you look really hot in pink, smuggler.”
He
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