her when whatever he was going to say stuck in his throat. "I'm not accusing you. You got a shipment, right? Broken pottery—"
"And old linen. This is insane. You really have been following me, haven't you? Who are you, Mr. Kade? Really?"
His lips quirked like he might smile, but his expression didn't warm and the solemnity never left his eyes. He leaned forward from the waist as if to make sure she understood the weight of his answer. "Someone who really wants you to put the pieces back together."
She'd been about to point out his skill at being vague when she suddenly thought she understood. Oh no. Curiosity and confusion were replaced by a pulse of dull anger. Of course. She should have figured him out before now. She'd been warned this might happen while she trained, but she'd never been approached. Not until tonight.
Well. If he thought she was a sell-out, that it would be this easy to get her to ruin her whole career, he had no idea who he was dealing with.
She bit back a rush of fierce words and ignored the flutter of nerves. She stood and brushed past him to unlock and open the door. "Never mind. This is a mistake. I think it's time for you to go."
One step forward and two steps back. Kade locked his jaw to keep from grinding his teeth. "We just got here."
"Yes." Melanie's chin dipped enough to give a nod toward polite manners. Other than that, she pretty clearly wasn't in the mood to be friendly any more. "You were very kind to walk me back and see me safely home, but as you can tell, I'm fine now." When he didn't move, she opened the door even wider. "Good night, Mr. Kade."
They should have sent someone else. Someone who had an inkling of how to deal with people in general and women in particular. Or just this woman. Kade studied her, the stiffness of her posture and her unflinching stare, and he tried, really tried, to swallow his temper. If she wasn't going to listen, how was he supposed to help?
He didn't work with a partner and he didn't want this case. If only he could convince himself he didn't care what happened to her. He exhaled a breath of laughter. "Suit yourself."
Her lips thinned as if he'd insulted her. Hell, maybe he had, but it wasn't by intent. "I don't see what's so funny." Her chin lifted higher.
"And I don't know what I did wrong." Kade spread his hands like a shrug. "What'd I say that's got your back arched up like a pissed-off cat? You wanted answers."
"I got them," she said crisply. "I should have known before I asked." She straightened her shoulders. He hadn't noticed the slouch or thought she could possibly hold herself tighter. "I'm not interested in selling to you , Mr. Kade. I'm being polite and not calling the police. Take the out you've been offered and go. Please," she added with the hint of a smile that looked like it must hurt.
"Selling?" She'd confused him again. "The artifacts?"
Another nod. "I don't deal in black-market goods. Just talking to a man like you puts my job in jeopardy."
"A man like me."
"A broker." She said the word like she'd tasted rotten eggs.
Now it was Kade's turn to take offense. "I'm not here to buy anything." He could feel the skin between his eyebrows crease again. "What you have isn't for sale. I want them put back together. I represent a lot of people who do, but I'm not a broker and I'm not a thief. If I was that kind of man, I wouldn't have bothered saving your life."
"Wouldn't you? It'd be a good way to get me to trust you."
"So I could screw you over again? I can be an asshole, but I'm not that bad."
"But that's the point. I don't know you. You turn up out of the blue, play hero, and now I'm just supposed to, what? Let you run my life? Do you have references? A business card, at least?"
He laughed without thinking. He ignored the flare of indignation in her eyes. "My reference is the fact I tracked you down before anything happened to you. My business card says I just saved your life. Jesus. Are you this paranoid with
"And old linen. This is insane. You really have been following me, haven't you? Who are you, Mr. Kade? Really?"
His lips quirked like he might smile, but his expression didn't warm and the solemnity never left his eyes. He leaned forward from the waist as if to make sure she understood the weight of his answer. "Someone who really wants you to put the pieces back together."
She'd been about to point out his skill at being vague when she suddenly thought she understood. Oh no. Curiosity and confusion were replaced by a pulse of dull anger. Of course. She should have figured him out before now. She'd been warned this might happen while she trained, but she'd never been approached. Not until tonight.
Well. If he thought she was a sell-out, that it would be this easy to get her to ruin her whole career, he had no idea who he was dealing with.
She bit back a rush of fierce words and ignored the flutter of nerves. She stood and brushed past him to unlock and open the door. "Never mind. This is a mistake. I think it's time for you to go."
One step forward and two steps back. Kade locked his jaw to keep from grinding his teeth. "We just got here."
"Yes." Melanie's chin dipped enough to give a nod toward polite manners. Other than that, she pretty clearly wasn't in the mood to be friendly any more. "You were very kind to walk me back and see me safely home, but as you can tell, I'm fine now." When he didn't move, she opened the door even wider. "Good night, Mr. Kade."
They should have sent someone else. Someone who had an inkling of how to deal with people in general and women in particular. Or just this woman. Kade studied her, the stiffness of her posture and her unflinching stare, and he tried, really tried, to swallow his temper. If she wasn't going to listen, how was he supposed to help?
He didn't work with a partner and he didn't want this case. If only he could convince himself he didn't care what happened to her. He exhaled a breath of laughter. "Suit yourself."
Her lips thinned as if he'd insulted her. Hell, maybe he had, but it wasn't by intent. "I don't see what's so funny." Her chin lifted higher.
"And I don't know what I did wrong." Kade spread his hands like a shrug. "What'd I say that's got your back arched up like a pissed-off cat? You wanted answers."
"I got them," she said crisply. "I should have known before I asked." She straightened her shoulders. He hadn't noticed the slouch or thought she could possibly hold herself tighter. "I'm not interested in selling to you , Mr. Kade. I'm being polite and not calling the police. Take the out you've been offered and go. Please," she added with the hint of a smile that looked like it must hurt.
"Selling?" She'd confused him again. "The artifacts?"
Another nod. "I don't deal in black-market goods. Just talking to a man like you puts my job in jeopardy."
"A man like me."
"A broker." She said the word like she'd tasted rotten eggs.
Now it was Kade's turn to take offense. "I'm not here to buy anything." He could feel the skin between his eyebrows crease again. "What you have isn't for sale. I want them put back together. I represent a lot of people who do, but I'm not a broker and I'm not a thief. If I was that kind of man, I wouldn't have bothered saving your life."
"Wouldn't you? It'd be a good way to get me to trust you."
"So I could screw you over again? I can be an asshole, but I'm not that bad."
"But that's the point. I don't know you. You turn up out of the blue, play hero, and now I'm just supposed to, what? Let you run my life? Do you have references? A business card, at least?"
He laughed without thinking. He ignored the flare of indignation in her eyes. "My reference is the fact I tracked you down before anything happened to you. My business card says I just saved your life. Jesus. Are you this paranoid with
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