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She made a growling sound under her breath and slid out of bed. “This is the catch,” she said. “I was wondering when it would show up.”
“What do you mean? What catch?”
“You,” she said. “You’re all sweet and charming all night long, and then in the morning, the truth comes out. You’re actually an asshole. I don’t know why I’m surprised. Just stupid, I guess.”
Here it came. Better sooner than later. “I just wanted to make you come again,” I said. “You’re just angry because you liked it. Get over it.”
“Fuck you, Masters.” She stalked into the bathroom, set the shower running.
I got my clothes, the shirt, suit, and tie. Had to look the part for the lunch with Senator Brickell. I grabbed socks and shoes, and took them to the next bathroom down the hall to shower. The least I could do was to give her some privacy.
I got ready, swiftly and methodically. Shower. Shave. Clothes. Thinking of when I broke it to her that she was going nowhere today made me tense. I’d lied about that. Which was bad. Betraying her trust was a deeply shitty thing to do.
But it might keep her alive for another day, so I was unrepentantly doing it.
Angela had prepared an extensive breakfast buffet. Grilled sausage links, fresh eggs Benedict, lemon walnut blueberry muffins right out of the oven, fresh squeezed orange juice. Despite my funk, I was hungry, and I did full justice to it. Mick walked in, a file in his hand. “I did that background check you asked for yesterday,” he said.
“Let me see it,” I held out my hand.
He slapped the file into it.
“Did anyone come to her home, or to the martial arts school over the night?”
“Not that we could see, but they might have gotten there before we did, or opted for electronic surveillance,” Mick said. “She never showed, so why expose themselves? I wouldn’t. I’d stick a camera in a tree. They know she’s with you. They won’t make it easy for us. I bet they’ll move in a hurry if she comes back, though.”
I frowned. “Jesus, Mick. I hope you’re not suggesting I use an innocent young woman as bait.”
Mick laughed under his breath. “A woman who fights like that? How innocent can she be?”
I thought about last night, in bed. The pure flame she burned with in my arms. Innocent as the dawn. Like nothing I’d ever felt.
But that was none of Mick’s damn business. “Keep digging,” I said.
Mick’s gaze slid to the door. I looked behind me, and saw Kat in the doorway. Her wet hair was combed back, her color high, lips a gorgeous hot pink, eyes blazing.
Fuck, she was beautiful. Mick was dumbstruck. There were a few silent seconds.
“Good morning,” I offered. “Want some breakfast? Angela outdid herself.”
Kat’s gaze snapped onto the file in his hand. “Is that about me? Let me see it.”
“This doesn’t concern you,” I said. “Coffee?”
“No, I do not want your fucking coffee.”
Mick gave me a nervous look. “Should I, uh, go?”
“No,” I said. “Stay right here. I have to take off in a few minutes if I want to get to that press conference.
“Good. I’ll go get my coat and bag,” Kat said.
“Not you,” I said. “You’re not going anywhere. Just get some breakfast.”
She sucked in air, eyes widening with outrage. “What? You asshole! All that stuff you said last night was bullshit?”
“Only the part about you leaving today,” I told her. “The rest of it was as non-bullshit as I have ever been in my entire life.”
“You can’t keep me here!”
