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“Don’t ever tell me what I can or cannot do, Baxter. It just pisses me off.”
“I’m sorry if you feel that way, but my job is to keep you safe.”
“You can station one guy outside the French doors and one guy on this side of the door into the bedroom, but if Fletch doesn’t get back before I go to bed, he can bloody well stay on this side of the locked door.”
Baxter brought his cell phone out and hit a few numbers with his thumb. “Boss? Your girl may be one hell of a cook, but she is also a major pain in the ass.” He listened to whatever Fletch was saying and then handed the phone to her. “He would like to speak with you.”
“Keep your phone. You can put it on speaker if you like.”
“Claire, quit being difficult,” said Fletch, the sound of his voice making her tingle all over. “Bax is only doing what I asked of him. I’ve been delayed here in London. I need to know you’re safe.”
“We were safe all day. Most of your guys were out in the rain and for what? Did anybody see a bad guy? No, they did not. So, if you think I’m going to sleep out here in the great room on the couch or in the chair when there is a perfectly comfortable bed available, you’d best think again. You’re the only one I’m letting join me in there. Otherwise, they can take up positions outside my bedroom. Don’t like that? Then get your ass back here.”
“That’s enough, Claire.”
“Is it? I don’t think so. Are you coming back to the cottage tonight?”
“No. I’ve gotten held up in London. Someone is trying to throw a monkey wrench into the deal I had negotiated to keep you and Mia out of jail. I’ve got a late-night meeting with everyone tonight. I’m trying to ensure that the deal remains in place. You and Mia need to stay out of trouble. Bax?”
“Yeah, boss?”
“Keep an eye on them. Claire, sweetheart,” he said in a tone of voice she recognized as him trying to hold his temper, “please play nice.”
“I’m not inclined to play with anyone but you.”
“Good to know,” he teased.
She really wasn’t in a mood to be placated or jollied out of her mood which was rapidly deteriorating.
“As I told you and your man here, I’m sleeping in my bed. I’ll lock all the doors and they can take up positions outside them. I’ve had a really long day. Your men can fend for themselves for dinner. I’m going to grab a sandwich and turn in. I’ll take a nice hot shower, curl up in bed and not give you or any of the rest of this bullshit another thought.”
“Claire,” Fletch growled. Good, he was starting to lose his temper.
“Good night, Fletch. Good night, Mia, Bax. I’ll see you all in the morning.”
She walked into the kitchen and made a lovely roast beef sandwich with caramelized onions and white cheddar cheese, toasting the whole thing under the broiler. She walked toward the bedroom and Baxter stepped between her and the door. She narrowed her eyes. She really was in the mood to kick some guy’s balls up around his teeth. But as it was one of Fletch’s men, and she was pretty sure Fletch would object to that, she might have to rethink her options.
“Claire, you heard Fletch,” started Baxter.
“All I heard was blah, blah, blah. Get out of my way, I’m going to bed.”
“We’ll get you and Mia some nice blankets and pillows…”
Before he could finish what he was going to say, Claire stomped on his instep, catching him by surprise.
“Thank your lucky stars I think Fletch would have been pissed; otherwise, that would have been your nuts.”
She pushed past him, barely making it into the bedroom to slam and lock the door behind her.
“Damn it, Claire,” she heard Fletch shout through the phone.
She double-checked the French doors and then pulled all of the shades, darkening the entire room. Claire just wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone. She was peopled out for the day.
Claire took a bite of her sandwich and set it down by the bed. She pulled her clothes off and walked naked into the bathroom, where she pinned up her hair and started the shower. She stepped in. It wasn’t the luxurious steam shower she had at the mill house, but the water pressure was good, and the water was hot.
She had upgraded the shower after Poppi’s death, adding a rainfall showerhead, which she moved to stand directly beneath. The hot water cascaded over her, and she moaned, closing her eyes. God that felt good. Fantasies of Fletch standing in the shower with her, fucking her in here before they bathed each other with the natural sea sponge, seemed to swirl all around her. She missed him. She missed his soothing presence and the way he made her feel safe and vulnerable and beautiful all at the same time. She could use that steadying influence right now. She couldn’t help but feel she needed him—not so much as to make decisions for her, but for her to have more confidence in the decisions she made.
Turning her back, she turned on the body spray so that it pulsed water against her back. She let it pelt down along her spine, loosening the big muscles and giving her some relief. It wasn’t Fletch or Fletch’s hands, but it was something. When had he become so necessary to her happiness? When had being with him become integral to her peace of mind? More importantly, what would she do without him?
