with me.”
“Portia…”
“Which is it, big brother? Of course, if you
have a third reason, I’d be more than happy to hear it.”
“Get down off your high horse, would you?
All I wanted was for the two of you to have a meal together, get to
know each other as colleagues. I happen to think you’ll work well
together. But having an affair…It just won’t work out, Portia.
Trust me on this!”
“Are you telling me this as my brother or as
my boss?”
“I’m telling you as someone who’s seen it
happen.” He looked tired. “Having a relationship with a civilian
doesn’t last longer than a few months, if that. Our job is just too
demanding. As for getting involved with a colleague…” His face lost
all expression. “You either wind up at each other’s throats, or one
of you winds up—”
Dead. I was aware of that. In this business,
it was impossible to be anything but aware of it. I went to him and
hugged him.
“Try not to worry about it, all right?” I
decided not to tell him just now that I was seeing Nigel again
tomorrow evening. “Listen, I’m going to fix myself a cup of tea. Do
you want one too?”
“I’ll have Darjeeling. I don’t know how you
can drink Earl Grey.” He followed me into the kitchen and took down
the cups while I set the kettle to boil, and then put the tea
leaves into two separate pots. “About Mann—”
“If you don’t like Nigel, Tony, why did you
practically throw me at his head?”
“It’s not that I don’t like him, Portia.
It’s just…He has that reputation for being cold. I’ve seen some of
the women he’s taken out, and by the end of the night they were
practically covered in frostbite. I’ll be honest with you. I never
expected you to come home looking as if you’d been mauled!”
“Hardly mauled, Anthony.” After all, that
would have implied I hadn’t been a willing participant.
“Well then, necking in the front seat of a
car!”
The kettle began to whistle, and I turned to
it, grateful for the excuse to avoid his gaze. That was exactly
what we had been doing, Nigel and I.
He’d pulled up to the curb in front of the
apartment building. I gathered my purse, and waited for him to turn
off the engine and come around to open the car door for me. I
glanced across at him to find he was staring intently at me. The
next thing I knew, he had shifted the car into park, pulled me into
his arms again, and had his hands buried in my hair, kissing me as
if he were a starving man who had suddenly been offered a banquet.
No one had ever kissed me like that before, not Jason Campbell, not
even Folana Fournaise.
I liked being kissed like that.
I poured the water into the pots and left
them to steep. “I don’t know where he got the reputation for being
cold, Tony.” Perhaps in the same place as I did. Or perhaps his
father was as devious as ours. “I’d like to follow this to its
conclusion, whatever that might be. I’m not a child.”
“No, you’re not. All right, Portia. I’ll
stay out of it. But if he hurts you, I’ll kill him.”
“Thank you. You’re such a good brother.” I
didn’t tell him that he would have to stand in line behind me.
“Here, have your tea. It’s getting late.”
Tony glanced at the clock. “You have to be
at work in five hours. You’re going to be like a dish rag in the
morning.”
“I’ve gone to work on less sleep and managed
to do my job, haven’t I?”
“Yes, you have. You’re a Sebring after
all.”
I gave him a clipped smile. “And I hope
you’ll remember that.”
* * * *
Chapter 4
For some time, the heat of that first
evening wasn’t repeated, even after I moved out of my brother’s
apartment to one a mile down the road. Nigel would see me to my
door, kiss me chastely good night, and then leave once I’d entered
my apartment. I could see the desire in his eyes, however, and so I
bided my time.
Going around in a state of semi-arousal was
intriguing, but eventually it grew tiresome,
“Portia…”
“Which is it, big brother? Of course, if you
have a third reason, I’d be more than happy to hear it.”
“Get down off your high horse, would you?
All I wanted was for the two of you to have a meal together, get to
know each other as colleagues. I happen to think you’ll work well
together. But having an affair…It just won’t work out, Portia.
Trust me on this!”
“Are you telling me this as my brother or as
my boss?”
“I’m telling you as someone who’s seen it
happen.” He looked tired. “Having a relationship with a civilian
doesn’t last longer than a few months, if that. Our job is just too
demanding. As for getting involved with a colleague…” His face lost
all expression. “You either wind up at each other’s throats, or one
of you winds up—”
Dead. I was aware of that. In this business,
it was impossible to be anything but aware of it. I went to him and
hugged him.
“Try not to worry about it, all right?” I
decided not to tell him just now that I was seeing Nigel again
tomorrow evening. “Listen, I’m going to fix myself a cup of tea. Do
you want one too?”
“I’ll have Darjeeling. I don’t know how you
can drink Earl Grey.” He followed me into the kitchen and took down
the cups while I set the kettle to boil, and then put the tea
leaves into two separate pots. “About Mann—”
“If you don’t like Nigel, Tony, why did you
practically throw me at his head?”
“It’s not that I don’t like him, Portia.
It’s just…He has that reputation for being cold. I’ve seen some of
the women he’s taken out, and by the end of the night they were
practically covered in frostbite. I’ll be honest with you. I never
expected you to come home looking as if you’d been mauled!”
“Hardly mauled, Anthony.” After all, that
would have implied I hadn’t been a willing participant.
“Well then, necking in the front seat of a
car!”
The kettle began to whistle, and I turned to
it, grateful for the excuse to avoid his gaze. That was exactly
what we had been doing, Nigel and I.
He’d pulled up to the curb in front of the
apartment building. I gathered my purse, and waited for him to turn
off the engine and come around to open the car door for me. I
glanced across at him to find he was staring intently at me. The
next thing I knew, he had shifted the car into park, pulled me into
his arms again, and had his hands buried in my hair, kissing me as
if he were a starving man who had suddenly been offered a banquet.
No one had ever kissed me like that before, not Jason Campbell, not
even Folana Fournaise.
I liked being kissed like that.
I poured the water into the pots and left
them to steep. “I don’t know where he got the reputation for being
cold, Tony.” Perhaps in the same place as I did. Or perhaps his
father was as devious as ours. “I’d like to follow this to its
conclusion, whatever that might be. I’m not a child.”
“No, you’re not. All right, Portia. I’ll
stay out of it. But if he hurts you, I’ll kill him.”
“Thank you. You’re such a good brother.” I
didn’t tell him that he would have to stand in line behind me.
“Here, have your tea. It’s getting late.”
Tony glanced at the clock. “You have to be
at work in five hours. You’re going to be like a dish rag in the
morning.”
“I’ve gone to work on less sleep and managed
to do my job, haven’t I?”
“Yes, you have. You’re a Sebring after
all.”
I gave him a clipped smile. “And I hope
you’ll remember that.”
* * * *
Chapter 4
For some time, the heat of that first
evening wasn’t repeated, even after I moved out of my brother’s
apartment to one a mile down the road. Nigel would see me to my
door, kiss me chastely good night, and then leave once I’d entered
my apartment. I could see the desire in his eyes, however, and so I
bided my time.
Going around in a state of semi-arousal was
intriguing, but eventually it grew tiresome,
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