"Good," I said. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that he was still looking at me. Looking the way I'd seen him look at the waitresses. I cursed my luck. Of course he would be interested now, when I was with someone else. Wait, was I with someone else? It felt like it, though Blane hadn't actually said anything concrete. Maybe that's the way it was with someone like Blane, I thought cynically. He didn't have to make it official because it wouldn't be lasting very long.

It wasn't very busy tonight, which was nice after the chaos of Halloween. The time went a bit slowly, which was always the problem when it wasn't busy. I was finishing serving a couple sitting at the bar when Scott came up behind me.

"Hey Kathleen," he said, and I turned toward him. He looked nervous, which was endearing, and I smiled at him, though I thought I knew what was coming. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime."

A sheepish grin curved his mouth. Scott looked good tonight, a lock of his hair fell over his forehead and I reached forward to push it back. But I saw him differently now. If he'd asked me out a couple weeks ago, I would have been ecstatic. But now, he seemed very young. Probably a stupid thing to think since he was my age. I tried not to compare him to Blane.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I'm sort of...with someone." Maybe. "But thank you for the invitation." I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and he smiled ruefully.

"Guess I waited too long," he said. "You'll tell me, right, if you become...uninvolved?" I nodded. That little awkward scene over, I turned back to my side of the bar, glancing around for any new orders or customers that may have sat down.

Blane stood in the shadows, watching me. I smiled in welcome. My heart leapt in my chest as he strode to the bar, sliding onto a stool. He wore jeans and a long-sleeved black Henley with which, as was his habit, he'd pushed the sleeves a few inches up his arms. His hands caught my eye as he sat down and I blushed furiously, remembering what had happened between us this morning. Then my brows furrowed as I noticed his knuckles were raw and sc.r.a.ped.

I made him a Dewars and water, setting it on the bar in front of him. His hand curved around the gla.s.s and I jerked my eyes from looking at his hands to his face. He smiled, as if he knew what I was thinking.

"Who is he?" he asked, gesturing slightly with his head toward Scott, busy at the other end of the bar.

"Scott," I said uneasily. Blane seemed to have a possessive streak that I didn't want to antagonize. "We work together a lot." I hurriedly changed the subject. "You're here early." I didn't get off work for another two hours. His eyes met mine and my breath caught at the look in them.

"I wanted to see you," he said softly. His eyes skimmed over me before he reached up, his fingers resting under my chin as he turned my face slightly away. I squirmed uncomfortably as he inspected my cheek. I had taken a great deal of care, and make-up, to cover up the bruises. Moving backward so his hand fell away, I met his eyes again.

"James won't be bothering you anymore," he said firmly. My stomach clenched.

"Why?" I asked. "What happened?"

"I spoke with him," Blane said evenly, "and was able to convey how...displeased...I would be if there was a repeat of his behavior yesterday."

Okay, so I know I probably should have been mad at his interference. I was a liberated woman and could take care of myself, right? I didn't need some big, burly man to heap violence on those who would hurt me, and I thought I probably knew now why Blane's knuckles were in the shape they were. I should have felt that way, but I didn't. In reality, I was not only grateful for Blane's protection, I was also touched that he cared enough about me to fight for me. And I didn't know any woman, liberated or not, that wouldn't turn to a puddle of mush in the same circ.u.mstances. Then a thought occurred to me and I frowned.

"Won't that make things difficult for you at work?" I asked. James was Mr. Gage's son. He might be able to get Blane fired as easily as he had me.

"No," Blane answered, taking a sip of his drink. "I'm a partner. Since I'm an owner, I actually have more of a say in that business than James does, regardless of his family connection."

"You warned me about him," I said, remembering the scene in Blane's office. "How did you know?"

"I've heard things," he said curtly, and I knew he wasn't going to elaborate. I nodded. Then someone called my name and I had to get back to work.

A little while later, I was able to get back to where Blane sat and saw he'd finished his drink. When I asked him if he'd like another, he declined.

"I've got to do something first and then I'll be back," he said, tossing some money down on the bar. My eyes followed him as he stood. The shirt and jeans hugged him in all the right places and I enjoyed the view. Warmth pooled between my thighs as I thought about taking them off him. My eyes caught his and he cursed softly under his breath. Leaning across the bar, he stroked my ponytail, pulling it over my shoulder and tugging slightly until I leaned toward him.

"Keep looking at me like that and I won't be held responsible for my actions," he said roughly. My tongue darted out to wet my suddenly dry lips and I saw his gaze drop to my mouth. His lips met mine for the briefest of kisses, his tongue brushing gently against mine and sending an electric current through me, before he pulled back.

"I'll be back," he said, and headed for the door. I watched him leave, not moving until Scott startled me.

"So that's him, huh," he said from beside me, staring at the door after Blane as well.

"Um, yeah," I said, clearing my throat.

"Where'd you meet him?" he asked, and I hesitated. Telling Scott that I was dating my boss would probably make me look like a total tramp.

I was saved from answering by Tish who needed an order filled. Scott didn't bring it up again after that and I was glad he didn't. I didn't really know what I would have said if he had. Dating your boss was always frowned upon, no matter who you were.

I tried to keep busy and not watch the clock. About thirty minutes before closing, Tish came up to me. "Kathleen," she said, a mischievous grin on her face, "that guy is waiting out back for you." My heart leapt and I grinned happily. I glanced eagerly at Scott who rolled his eyes.

"Fine, go," he said, "but you owe me one." I smiled wider.

"Thanks, Scott," I said, grabbing my purse. It had slowed down even more and I'd already gotten a lot of my prep work done, so didn't feel too badly about sneaking out early.

I made my way through to the back door and stepped outside. It was really cold and I shivered, wishing I hadn't been in too much of a hurry to bother with a coat this afternoon. I looked around, but it seemed deserted.

"Looking for someone?" I spun around and my stomach lurched. Kade was standing a few feet from me, leaning negligently against the wall in the shadows of the building next door. Of course. Tish hadn't seen Blane tonight. She'd just seen me with Kade last night. I cursed my stupidity. If I hadn't been so eager to see Blane, I might've realized Tish's mistake.

I reached for the door but before I could open it, Kade pulled open his leather jacket slightly, revealing the same gun he'd had last night in a holster on his hip. I swallowed.

"Let's take a walk," he said. The feeble light from the streetlamps made his dark hair seem black in the night, his deeply set eyes shadowed. Taking my elbow, he started walking me deeper into the darkness.

The streets were quiet tonight and we seemed to be the only ones out. I walked stiffly beside Kade, his grip tight on my arm.

"Did you bring it?" he finally said. I hesitated. There was no one to back me up, no one who even knew where I'd gone or with whom. No one at the bar knew Kade's name. I felt fear seize me. There was nothing stopping Kade from first taking the hard drive, then killing me. Or the other way around, whichever he preferred.

"How do I know you won't kill me if I give it to you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even. I had nothing to bargain with but thought frantically, trying to buy time.

Kade stopped, pushing me against the nearest wall and stepping into my personal s.p.a.ce. His gun was in his hand now, so quickly I hadn't even seen him pull it, and he pressed it lightly underneath my jaw. One corner of his mouth lifted upward in his version of a humorless smile. His eyes were cold.

"You don't," he said simply.

My lips thinned. It didn't seem like I had a lot of options. I had the small satisfaction of knowing that, if he did kill me, he still didn't have what he wanted since CJ had wiped the drive. Keeping my head as still as possible, I dug in my purse, pulling out the small package and handing it to him.

"Here," I said. Kade didn't look down but just took it, pushing it into his pocket. The gun disappeared and I took a shuddering breath.

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked. I felt my eyes stinging and I angrily blinked back traitorous tears. G.o.d, I hated my habit of crying when I was mad. It made me look weak.

"I thought you were a decent guy," I hissed at him. "Not some gun-for-hire that gets off on threatening women." In a flash, his smile disappeared and he moved closer, his face inches from mine. I sucked in my breath sharply.

"You don't know anything about me," he bit out, his jaw clenching in anger. "And you're involved in something way over your head. Be glad I'm the one that found you and not someone else." His eyes stared intently into mine, and despite myself, I became aware of our bodies pressed tightly together.

"I know what I'm doing," I insisted, trying to be brave in the face of his anger. "What's your part in this?"

His bitter smile reappeared. "Why should I tell you that?" My heart skipped a beat and then pounded double-time when I felt his hands settle on my hips. I bit my lip, hard, and saw Kade's eyes drop to my mouth.

"Let me go," I said with as much calm as I could muster. Kade didn't move and I started to feel desperate. "If you're going to kill me, then do it," I demanded. "Otherwise, let me go." I swallowed hard. "Please."

"You're too pretty to kill," Kade said lightly, "and you've been very helpful." He sighed. "Mostly." His eyes took on a calculating look. "How did a bartender get involved in this anyway?" he asked scornfully. I immediately bristled.

"I'm not just a bartender," I protested, though why I cared what he thought, I couldn't say. "That's just my second job."

"Oh really," he said, his eyes narrowing. "What's your real job then, princess?"

"I'm a..." I hesitated. It sounded so ridiculous to say I was a runner, barely a step up from bartender. I decided to stretch the truth. "I work at a law firm." Technically, that was true. Sort of. I'd been fired but then Blane rehired me.

"The same one as Junior?" His pet name for James. I nodded. His forehead creased in a frown and he opened his mouth to say something, but didn't get the chance.

A loud gunshot startled a scream from me as brick shattered close to my head. In an instant, Kade had shoved me to the ground and drawn his gun. Another shot shattered more brick and I covered my head with my arms. My ears rang when Kade fired a couple shots back at our a.s.sailant. Then his iron grip was on my arm again as he dragged me to my feet.

"C'mon," he said, pulling me after him. "I thought I told you to come alone." I stumbled and he jerked me upward.

"I did," I replied, breathing heavily as we rushed down an alley. "I swear."

Another gunshot. This time there was no shattering brick, but a blinding pain in my side. I cried out and fell against Kade who caught me. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he dragged me with him. I clutched at my side, trying desperately to stay on my feet. Kade turned slightly, firing more shots behind us. I heard the sound of an engine and squeal of tires.

"I think they're gone," Kade said, lowering me to the ground. He pulled my hands away from the burning in my side and lifted my shirt. "It's not that bad," he said, "the bullet just grazed you." I bit my tongue to keep from telling him what he could do with his "not that bad" diagnosis. It hurt like h.e.l.l.

"I need to press on it to stop the bleeding," he said.

"Why aren't you just leaving me here?" I asked through gritted teeth, determined not to moan in pain like I wanted. "I thought you were going to kill me anyway."

He grinned and I was momentarily distracted from the pain. It was a real smile that reached his eyes and made a dimple appear next to his mouth.

"It would ruin my reputation," he said. "I wouldn't have missed." Then he was pressing on my side and I bit my lip hard so I wouldn't make any noise. "I need to put a quick bandage on this," he said, and I barely had time to comprehend what he was saying before he'd pulled out a knife and slit the front of my shirt from neck to hem.

"What are you doing?" I squeaked in alarm as he pulled the ruined shirt off my arms. My back made contact with the freezing pavement and I started to shiver. Kade ignored me as he cut off one of the sleeves. Lifting me slightly, he wrapped it around my chest right underneath my bra. It covered the wound in my side and he tied it together so it wouldn't slip, but wasn't uncomfortably tight. Immediately, I crossed my arms over my chest, though I knew he'd already gotten an eyeful.

Kade quickly removed his leather jacket and unb.u.t.toned his long-sleeved shirt. I watched, my eyes getting larger and larger, as he stripped it off and shrugged back into his jacket.

"Can you stand?" he asked, and I did so, grimacing only slightly. The tight makeshift bandage seemed to help. Kade draped the shirt over my shoulders and I pushed my arms into the too long sleeves. It still held the warmth from his body. My eyes were on level with his bare chest peeking through the leather of his jacket and I swallowed. His fingers moved to b.u.t.ton the shirt when I gathered my courage and looked up into his eyes.

The tension between us was suddenly palpable and I felt like I could barely breathe. Our eyes stayed locked and I felt his knuckles brush against my skin as he gradually did up the shirt's b.u.t.tons. When he reached the one between my b.r.e.a.s.t.s he paused, and I felt the merest brush of his fingers in my cleavage.

In a flash of movement, Kade suddenly spun around, drawing his gun and stepping in front of me. My heart leapt into my throat. I hadn't heard anything, but obviously he had. My hands felt like ice as I waited.

"What are you doing here, Kade?" I released my breath in a gust, relief pouring through me. Blane had found me. I peeked out from behind Kade and winced. Blane was standing about twenty feet away, also holding a gun.

"Blane!" I called out, "I'm here." I stepped from behind Kade, but he grabbed my arm tightly.

"You know Blane?" he asked suspiciously. I decided to fudge the truth a little. Okay, more than a little.

"He's my boyfriend," I answered, which was stretching the truth to a ridiculous degree, but I hoped it would deter Kade from keeping hold of me. The effect of those words was instantaneous. Kade looked nearly stricken and seemed to freeze in place. Not understanding, but still wanting to get away, I looked down at his hand on my arm and said, "Let me go."

He jerked as if I'd slapped him and immediately released me. I walked toward Blane, careful to not get in the line of fire between them. When I got close enough, Blane reached out and pulled me to him, wrapping an arm around my waist. I gratefully leaned against his chest.

"What are you doing out here with him?" Blane asked quietly, his voice like ice.

"I thought it was you," I tried to explain. "He...surprised me." Glancing down at me, he frowned.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I got shot," I said, "sort of. Just a graze, I guess." I could tell Blane was suddenly and dangerously furious.

"You shot her?" He bit out at Kade, and I began to seriously worry that Blane might shoot him. Kade's eyes narrowed and the tension in the alley notched upward.

"No, no!" I said quickly. "Someone else was following us. Kade didn't shoot me. He helped me." Blane didn't say anything to that. He and Kade caught up in a staring match. I tugged on his arm. It was like trying to move granite.

"Please, let's just go," I said, glancing uneasily at Kade who also hadn't lowered his gun.

Finally, Blane walked us backward until we could round the corner of the building. Kade did not follow. Blane lowered his gun and took my arm. A couple minutes later, we were in his car. I leaned back against the heated seat and closed my eyes, sighing with relief.

"Tell me what happened," Blane demanded and I obeyed, sticking just to the highlights of Kade taking the drive and someone shooting at us. I didn't really want to go into details and tell him about what Kade and I had talked about, or how he'd bandaged me.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"No, it's not that bad," I said. Now that the initial shock had pa.s.sed, the pain was manageable.

A few minutes later, we were pulling up to his house. Mona had left a light burning downstairs for Blane.

"Why are we here?" I asked. "You should have taken me back to my apartment."

"I'll feel better with you here," he answered as he got out of the car. I wasn't sure what that meant, but got out when he opened the door.

"Can you make it to your room by yourself?" Blane asked, and I nodded. "I'll be up in a while. I have a phone call to make."

I went silently up the stairs to what was apparently "my" room. I wasn't sure what to think of that. On one hand, it established a level of comfort and suggested something more than temporary. On the other hand, he hadn't invited me to his room. Which, of course, I didn't want him to do. Right.

The tub in the bathroom looked particularly inviting and I ran the water while I stripped. For some reason I couldn't just toss Kade's shirt on the floor with my pants, and instead found myself folding it carefully.

The bandage Kade had made for me stuck to the dried blood and I gritted my teeth in pain as I took it off. I sank gratefully into the hot water and sighed in relief as it enveloped me.

I washed, taking special care with my side and the healing cuts on my thighs, and didn't bother with my hair. Leaning my head back on the tub, I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew I opened my eyes to see Blane leaning against the sink, watching me. I sat up with a gasp.

Blane's eyes dropped to my exposed chest and I quickly sank back down in the water, my cheeks flaming.

"I want to see your injury," he said roughly, "and how your cuts are healing." Grabbing a towel, he stepped forward and held it open for me.

I felt my face heat as I pulled the plug and stood. Wrapping the towel around me, Blane lifted me out onto the bathroom floor, but he didn't remove his hands from my waist. His eyes drifted downward.

"I wonder how far down the blush goes," he said quietly, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. I blushed even more at this and he gave a soft laugh. Scooping me up in his arms, he carried me in to the bed and laid me on it, sitting down beside me.

"Let's take a look," he said. His hands moved to part the edges of the towel, and in a blind panic, I grabbed them. My hands felt small and inadequate trying to hold onto his though he did humor me and pause.

"Shy tonight, Kat?" he teased lightly. "I don't recall you being shy last night." I groaned at the memory, my hands flying up to cover my face, unable to look him in the eye.

"A gentleman doesn't remind a lady of her embarra.s.sing behavior," I said reproachfully through my fingers.

"Ah yes," he said softly, and I felt his touch trace my skin under the towel, "but I'm not a gentleman, am I." Cold air hit my body as I felt him pull the towel away. Embarra.s.sed as I was, I decided to act like an adult and put my arms down by my sides. My elbow brushed the raw skin and I flinched.

Blane frowned and pushed my arm up above my head, turning me slightly so he could see the wound. I tried not to notice how his touch made me shiver. Grabbing a small box by the bed, he squeezed some ointment on the angry red skin and rubbed lightly. My breath hissed between my teeth. The closest thing I could compare it to was a really bad skinned knee. The skin had been torn away but it wasn't very deep. Blane placed a bandage over the area and gently laid my arm back down at my side.

His hand drifted lightly across my rib cage and my breath caught. He was looking at his hand on me and the expression on his face was difficult to decipher. If it were anyone else, I would say he looked guilty. But it was Blane and that didn't make sense.