Read Online Testing The Limits by Harper Cole - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Harper Cole
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nothing.
"Are you ready to eat?" he asked, and his eyes were kind and sympathetic.
"Sure."
* * * *
"These flavors are amazing." I had to be honest; the food was worth enduring any amount of awkwardness for. The pork just melted in my mouth.
"Thank you. People think, oh, curry, it is all heat and spice. They are wrong."
I waved my fork at him. "No, this is great. You shouldn't be Andrew's driver, you ought to be his cook."
Amjad's face stiffened somehow. He looked down at this plate, and it was the first time his smile had faltered.
"Sorry. Do you enjoy being a driver?"
"I am proud and pleased to have a responsible job. But it is as I said to you before. Mr. Walker-Wilkinson is a good man, but he is not yet a real man."
That made me bristle. What did he know? "Look, I'm enjoying this meal and all, but our relationship is kinda private, you know?"
"I apologize. It is simply that you are a lovely woman who needs a strong man she can trust. I have worked for Mr. Walker-Wilkinson for many years. And that is how I know you cannot trust him."
He knew nothing. My flare of anger was immediate and intense, and smothered my tiny doubt. "If you have proof, then give it to me. Otherwise, you have no right to comment."
Amjad sat up straighter. He was tall, and he was broad, too. He had seemed fleshy to me, but as he tensed, I realized he carried plenty of bulky muscle. "It is a man's role to be protector to his woman. Indeed, to all women. Now, Mr. Walker-Wilkinson, he thinks he is doing that. But his very presence in your life brought danger to you. He is without honor, Miss Turner. He will tell you what to do and you will do it, but he orders you for his pleasure, as a game, as a toy, this is all."
I rose to my feet, leaving my meal half-finished. No way was I going to sit here and listen to this. Amjad was a crazy man, that much was plain.
"You were very kind to make this meal for me, Amjad. I don't want to argue with you. I'm going to go, now."
I scraped my chair back, the wooden legs loud across the tiled floor of the dining area. He stood up, too, and shook his head.
"No. You ask for proof, so stay here, I say, until I have found it."
"Oh, no, I don't think so." I walked backward to the door, determined to keep him in my sight. I didn't know where he'd put my coat but I didn't care. My purse was with my coat. Shit. My money, my cellphone, my cards.
Whatever. Leave it. I just wanted to get out.
"No, you will stay." He didn't move toward me. Did he think that I would simply obey him? I felt the door handle and did an awkward half-turn, wrenching it open, and then ran quickly down the corridor to the street door.
It was locked. Shit, shit, shit. It wasn't a nice, sensible sort of lock, one that you could open from inside. Nope. It was an old-fashioned key-in-the-hole thing.
And guess which bastard had the key?
I turned, my back against the door, thinking hard. I'd break the window in the living room. The vase of artificial flowers - yes. I took one step forward and there he was, appearing in the corridor, moving toward me slowly, but effectively blocking me from reaching the living room door.
"Please," he said, calmly. "You will come and finish your meal. I have things to tell you."
Chapter Eleven - Andrew
Something dragged at my mind. I felt quite odd when I walked out of Jasmine's place that night. She had slept like a baby and I'd watched for her a little while, feeling warm and protective and powerful. I should have left earlier than I did, but I didn't want to be the sort of cad who sneaked out when his woman was sleeping. She'd wake up alone and that was unforgiveable of me.
So I waited until she woke, and hugged her, and then left.
I thought that was the right thing to do.
But something nagged at me. She'd looked lost and bereft when I went, exactly the sort of reaction I was trying to avoid. I admired her strength. Had my domination of her made her into a weaker person? Had I
"Are you ready to eat?" he asked, and his eyes were kind and sympathetic.
"Sure."
* * * *
"These flavors are amazing." I had to be honest; the food was worth enduring any amount of awkwardness for. The pork just melted in my mouth.
"Thank you. People think, oh, curry, it is all heat and spice. They are wrong."
I waved my fork at him. "No, this is great. You shouldn't be Andrew's driver, you ought to be his cook."
Amjad's face stiffened somehow. He looked down at this plate, and it was the first time his smile had faltered.
"Sorry. Do you enjoy being a driver?"
"I am proud and pleased to have a responsible job. But it is as I said to you before. Mr. Walker-Wilkinson is a good man, but he is not yet a real man."
That made me bristle. What did he know? "Look, I'm enjoying this meal and all, but our relationship is kinda private, you know?"
"I apologize. It is simply that you are a lovely woman who needs a strong man she can trust. I have worked for Mr. Walker-Wilkinson for many years. And that is how I know you cannot trust him."
He knew nothing. My flare of anger was immediate and intense, and smothered my tiny doubt. "If you have proof, then give it to me. Otherwise, you have no right to comment."
Amjad sat up straighter. He was tall, and he was broad, too. He had seemed fleshy to me, but as he tensed, I realized he carried plenty of bulky muscle. "It is a man's role to be protector to his woman. Indeed, to all women. Now, Mr. Walker-Wilkinson, he thinks he is doing that. But his very presence in your life brought danger to you. He is without honor, Miss Turner. He will tell you what to do and you will do it, but he orders you for his pleasure, as a game, as a toy, this is all."
I rose to my feet, leaving my meal half-finished. No way was I going to sit here and listen to this. Amjad was a crazy man, that much was plain.
"You were very kind to make this meal for me, Amjad. I don't want to argue with you. I'm going to go, now."
I scraped my chair back, the wooden legs loud across the tiled floor of the dining area. He stood up, too, and shook his head.
"No. You ask for proof, so stay here, I say, until I have found it."
"Oh, no, I don't think so." I walked backward to the door, determined to keep him in my sight. I didn't know where he'd put my coat but I didn't care. My purse was with my coat. Shit. My money, my cellphone, my cards.
Whatever. Leave it. I just wanted to get out.
"No, you will stay." He didn't move toward me. Did he think that I would simply obey him? I felt the door handle and did an awkward half-turn, wrenching it open, and then ran quickly down the corridor to the street door.
It was locked. Shit, shit, shit. It wasn't a nice, sensible sort of lock, one that you could open from inside. Nope. It was an old-fashioned key-in-the-hole thing.
And guess which bastard had the key?
I turned, my back against the door, thinking hard. I'd break the window in the living room. The vase of artificial flowers - yes. I took one step forward and there he was, appearing in the corridor, moving toward me slowly, but effectively blocking me from reaching the living room door.
"Please," he said, calmly. "You will come and finish your meal. I have things to tell you."
Chapter Eleven - Andrew
Something dragged at my mind. I felt quite odd when I walked out of Jasmine's place that night. She had slept like a baby and I'd watched for her a little while, feeling warm and protective and powerful. I should have left earlier than I did, but I didn't want to be the sort of cad who sneaked out when his woman was sleeping. She'd wake up alone and that was unforgiveable of me.
So I waited until she woke, and hugged her, and then left.
I thought that was the right thing to do.
But something nagged at me. She'd looked lost and bereft when I went, exactly the sort of reaction I was trying to avoid. I admired her strength. Had my domination of her made her into a weaker person? Had I
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