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Authors: Nancy Holder
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is competent.
“Good.” Anatoly disconnected. He clicked a button on his laptop computer and sent the money to the proper account. Done.
He took the incoming call from Svetlana.
“If we don’t untie her legs, she may lose them. There is no circulation,” Svetlana said. “She may die.”
They both already knew she was going to die. It was just a matter of timing. “Okay. Our business may take a while. Untie her, but watch her.”
“She’s harmless. But of course I will.”
You’d better.
Anatoly would breathe easier once that stupid little idiot was dead. Stupid people were more unpredictable than smart ones. Anyone who tried to double-cross him was pretty stupid. And no one was harmless.
No one.
CHAPTER TEN
JT groaned and turned over. He nudged Tess with his elbow.
“You know the rule,” he mumbled. “You wake her, you walk her.”
Princess Mochi yipped in agreement. Without opening his eyes, JT grimaced. Mochi understood a few words, and one of them was W-A-L-K. You were supposed to spell it or say something like “that thing she likes to do” or else there would be no peace in New York City until one of her human minions got up, got her leash, and got going.
“Well, you woke her up.” Tess was barely coherent. She sure was sleeping a lot. When they’d gone to bed last night, she’d looked really tired.
“I didn’t wake her up,” JT said. “You’re the one who used the bathroom.” She sure was going a lot. Maybe she was sick.
Tess grunted. “You got up after that to drink some orange juice. I heard you. It was like five minutes ago.”
Whoops. He hadn’t realized she’d been awake. But wait, she’d gone again right after that. “Yeah, but then—”
“Yip, yip, yip!” Mochi demanded.
They both sat up and slung their legs over opposite sides of the bed. Both of them had on T-shirts and underwear. It was easier that way, so they could slide on more clothes and take Her Royal Highness outside at a moment’s notice.
This was a stupid argument. He was not going to bicker with Tess over who had to walk a three-pound dog.
“I’ll do it,” he said. “You need your beauty rest.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tess snapped.
He raised his brows. Why was she taking offense when he was letting her off the hook? She didn’t want to get up, he didn’t want to get up. Jeez, cranky . Had she contracted rabies or something?
“It means nothing. It means that I’m trying to be nice to you.” Her face shifted, but not in a good way. He tried again. “You just looked tired when we went to bed.”
Without having sex , he added silently. Tess had declared she just couldn’t do it in front of their miniscule houseguest. So did that mean he was cut off for a week?
Glowering, Tess stood and lifted her sneakers off the nightstand. She had moved all her shoes up so high a mastiff couldn’t have reached them. She said, “I can’t go back to sleep. I’ll take her out.”
JT zipped up his jeans. “Here’s a thought. Why don’t we both take her? And do something together like we used to?”
Tess shrugged. “Okay.”
Her lack of enthusiasm wounded him. While she put on her sneakers, he crouched over the wriggling pup and attached her leash to her collar. For his trouble, Mochi tried to bite him. He gently held her muzzle.
“Grrr, grrr, grrr,” Mochi said, obviously dog-speak for “thank you.” So very not.
“I’m ready,” Tess grumped.
We just started taking care of Princess Mochi. How are we going to last a week? God, what if Vincent and Cat have a kid and ask us to babysit? We’d probably kill each other.
JT’s blood ran cold.
* * *
“Wow,” Cat murmured. “It’s so big.”
“Enormous,” Vincent agreed.
The Sea Majesty had been billed as “fifteen decks of aloha, elegance, and fun.” It would carry nearly two thousand passengers. Back in New York, Cat had studied all the images in the downloads about their cruise, but until they’d actually
“Good.” Anatoly disconnected. He clicked a button on his laptop computer and sent the money to the proper account. Done.
He took the incoming call from Svetlana.
“If we don’t untie her legs, she may lose them. There is no circulation,” Svetlana said. “She may die.”
They both already knew she was going to die. It was just a matter of timing. “Okay. Our business may take a while. Untie her, but watch her.”
“She’s harmless. But of course I will.”
You’d better.
Anatoly would breathe easier once that stupid little idiot was dead. Stupid people were more unpredictable than smart ones. Anyone who tried to double-cross him was pretty stupid. And no one was harmless.
No one.
CHAPTER TEN
JT groaned and turned over. He nudged Tess with his elbow.
“You know the rule,” he mumbled. “You wake her, you walk her.”
Princess Mochi yipped in agreement. Without opening his eyes, JT grimaced. Mochi understood a few words, and one of them was W-A-L-K. You were supposed to spell it or say something like “that thing she likes to do” or else there would be no peace in New York City until one of her human minions got up, got her leash, and got going.
“Well, you woke her up.” Tess was barely coherent. She sure was sleeping a lot. When they’d gone to bed last night, she’d looked really tired.
“I didn’t wake her up,” JT said. “You’re the one who used the bathroom.” She sure was going a lot. Maybe she was sick.
Tess grunted. “You got up after that to drink some orange juice. I heard you. It was like five minutes ago.”
Whoops. He hadn’t realized she’d been awake. But wait, she’d gone again right after that. “Yeah, but then—”
“Yip, yip, yip!” Mochi demanded.
They both sat up and slung their legs over opposite sides of the bed. Both of them had on T-shirts and underwear. It was easier that way, so they could slide on more clothes and take Her Royal Highness outside at a moment’s notice.
This was a stupid argument. He was not going to bicker with Tess over who had to walk a three-pound dog.
“I’ll do it,” he said. “You need your beauty rest.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tess snapped.
He raised his brows. Why was she taking offense when he was letting her off the hook? She didn’t want to get up, he didn’t want to get up. Jeez, cranky . Had she contracted rabies or something?
“It means nothing. It means that I’m trying to be nice to you.” Her face shifted, but not in a good way. He tried again. “You just looked tired when we went to bed.”
Without having sex , he added silently. Tess had declared she just couldn’t do it in front of their miniscule houseguest. So did that mean he was cut off for a week?
Glowering, Tess stood and lifted her sneakers off the nightstand. She had moved all her shoes up so high a mastiff couldn’t have reached them. She said, “I can’t go back to sleep. I’ll take her out.”
JT zipped up his jeans. “Here’s a thought. Why don’t we both take her? And do something together like we used to?”
Tess shrugged. “Okay.”
Her lack of enthusiasm wounded him. While she put on her sneakers, he crouched over the wriggling pup and attached her leash to her collar. For his trouble, Mochi tried to bite him. He gently held her muzzle.
“Grrr, grrr, grrr,” Mochi said, obviously dog-speak for “thank you.” So very not.
“I’m ready,” Tess grumped.
We just started taking care of Princess Mochi. How are we going to last a week? God, what if Vincent and Cat have a kid and ask us to babysit? We’d probably kill each other.
JT’s blood ran cold.
* * *
“Wow,” Cat murmured. “It’s so big.”
“Enormous,” Vincent agreed.
The Sea Majesty had been billed as “fifteen decks of aloha, elegance, and fun.” It would carry nearly two thousand passengers. Back in New York, Cat had studied all the images in the downloads about their cruise, but until they’d actually
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