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Authors: Nancy Scanlon
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door where the policeman had exited. “I don’t even have a place to live right now. I don’t know where he is, or what his next move will be. Don’t you see?” She choked on a sob. “He holds all the cards!”
Aidan hated the stark desolation in her voice. The woman was twisting him in knots, and despite having known her for less than a day, his gut told him she needed protection—but that she wouldn’t readily accept it.
What disturbed him more than having gut feelings about a woman was that he had a deep and primitive need to be the one to protect her.
“He doesn’t hold all the cards,” Aidan replied carefully. “I still need you. Tonight.”
• • •
The blatant sensuality in his words jolted Emma from her dark place. She blinked, then realized Aidan was talking about the auction.
“I don’t think I’m the right person for this,” she faltered. Her brain was on overload—was it really only a couple of hours ago that her boss had fired her? And then her apartment…it was a strange kind of relief that Aidan had been with her when she’d discovered it. He took charge, giving her the space she needed to process the events—without being asked. He ensured her safety, filed the police reports, and made her eat something.
It was a nice feeling to be mother-henned over.
But that couldn’t last. The thought of cleaning up her apartment exhausted her, and angered her—which gave her enough of a reality check to acknowledge that she couldn’t rely on this man’s hospitality, no matter how freely it was offered. She’d done that once before, and look where that had landed her.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Aidan offered. “New contract. Same terms as before, but you get the commission—not the firm. You go to the auction and obtain the relics with me. Then, you stay here until I can have your apartment cleaned up. And change your locks,” he added darkly. “Definitely change your locks…maybe add a couple more.”
“My world is a mess right now,” she said, shaking her head.
“Then join me in mine for a while,” he replied softly.
Emma wasn’t sure why he was so insistent on helping her. Before she could work out another way to refuse his offer, he held up a single finger. He rose from the chair, then reached for his leather satchel. He carefully withdrew a dagger and presented it to her, hilt first.
Her breath caught, and her face lightened. “Oh…this is a medieval dirk! A real one—look at all the nicks on the blade!” She reverentially ran her fingertips over the highly decorative hilt. “It’s so beautiful…” She handed it back to him, and her fingers grazed his hand.
The electricity nearly knocked her over.
With one hand, Aidan gently took the blade from her loose fingers, and with his other hand he very gently cupped her chin and raised her head until her gaze collided with his. He studied her for a moment, then directed his attention to her lips, looking very much as though he wanted to kiss her. She watched, breathless, as he moved a fraction of an inch closer, and his eyes traveled back up her face. He blinked slowly, as though hesitant to miss a second of the moment, and Emma’s heart beat loudly in her chest. Her lips parted, and she involuntarily licked them, drawing his eyes back down. Her breath hitched.
A sudden bolt of nerves jolted through her, and she stepped back quickly, nearly knocking a lamp off the side table next to her.
Embarrassed, she tried to shake off the haze of desire as she stepped out of his reach.
He didn’t move. “I’ll teach you how to use it. Consider it a fringe benefit of working for me.”
Emma quickly scooted farther away from Aidan. “Mr. MacWilliam, not to be rude, but…trust me when I say that you don’t want any part of this. My life is in shambles at the moment.” She stood quickly, searching for her purse and coat. “I have to be going. I’m sorry I can’t help you.”
Aidan closed the distance between them
Aidan hated the stark desolation in her voice. The woman was twisting him in knots, and despite having known her for less than a day, his gut told him she needed protection—but that she wouldn’t readily accept it.
What disturbed him more than having gut feelings about a woman was that he had a deep and primitive need to be the one to protect her.
“He doesn’t hold all the cards,” Aidan replied carefully. “I still need you. Tonight.”
• • •
The blatant sensuality in his words jolted Emma from her dark place. She blinked, then realized Aidan was talking about the auction.
“I don’t think I’m the right person for this,” she faltered. Her brain was on overload—was it really only a couple of hours ago that her boss had fired her? And then her apartment…it was a strange kind of relief that Aidan had been with her when she’d discovered it. He took charge, giving her the space she needed to process the events—without being asked. He ensured her safety, filed the police reports, and made her eat something.
It was a nice feeling to be mother-henned over.
But that couldn’t last. The thought of cleaning up her apartment exhausted her, and angered her—which gave her enough of a reality check to acknowledge that she couldn’t rely on this man’s hospitality, no matter how freely it was offered. She’d done that once before, and look where that had landed her.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Aidan offered. “New contract. Same terms as before, but you get the commission—not the firm. You go to the auction and obtain the relics with me. Then, you stay here until I can have your apartment cleaned up. And change your locks,” he added darkly. “Definitely change your locks…maybe add a couple more.”
“My world is a mess right now,” she said, shaking her head.
“Then join me in mine for a while,” he replied softly.
Emma wasn’t sure why he was so insistent on helping her. Before she could work out another way to refuse his offer, he held up a single finger. He rose from the chair, then reached for his leather satchel. He carefully withdrew a dagger and presented it to her, hilt first.
Her breath caught, and her face lightened. “Oh…this is a medieval dirk! A real one—look at all the nicks on the blade!” She reverentially ran her fingertips over the highly decorative hilt. “It’s so beautiful…” She handed it back to him, and her fingers grazed his hand.
The electricity nearly knocked her over.
With one hand, Aidan gently took the blade from her loose fingers, and with his other hand he very gently cupped her chin and raised her head until her gaze collided with his. He studied her for a moment, then directed his attention to her lips, looking very much as though he wanted to kiss her. She watched, breathless, as he moved a fraction of an inch closer, and his eyes traveled back up her face. He blinked slowly, as though hesitant to miss a second of the moment, and Emma’s heart beat loudly in her chest. Her lips parted, and she involuntarily licked them, drawing his eyes back down. Her breath hitched.
A sudden bolt of nerves jolted through her, and she stepped back quickly, nearly knocking a lamp off the side table next to her.
Embarrassed, she tried to shake off the haze of desire as she stepped out of his reach.
He didn’t move. “I’ll teach you how to use it. Consider it a fringe benefit of working for me.”
Emma quickly scooted farther away from Aidan. “Mr. MacWilliam, not to be rude, but…trust me when I say that you don’t want any part of this. My life is in shambles at the moment.” She stood quickly, searching for her purse and coat. “I have to be going. I’m sorry I can’t help you.”
Aidan closed the distance between them
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