At least, not yet.

"How did you get rid of the leeches?" she asked as the small sidewalk gate was opened by one of the security agents.

Standing back, the two agents watched the area carefully as two moved in before them and two behind them.

"Feed the beasts and they'll go on their way," he grunted.

"Until it's time for them to eat again," she pointed out. "Then they'll be right back."

"In that case, I may have a few meals prepared for their consumption," he stated in satisfaction. "Let's just say we have them taken care of for a bit."

Frowning, she tried to get a good look at the street across from them to get ideas for decorations should the Fairy Carriage use the street as one of its routes. She found her way blocked by a black wall.

"This is ridiculous, Crowe," she muttered.

"Yeah, reporters tend to carry that t.i.tle." He spoke as though he believed they were still on the subject of journalists.

Glowering back at him, Amelia tightened her lips and came to a quick stop.

The agent behind her nearly tripped over her.

Crowe seemed unsurprised. Pausing, he looked down at her, one black brow arching arrogantly over those predatory eyes. "Problem, sweetheart?"

"Make them move," she ordered, her tone completely reasonable and logical, she was certain. "I can't see where I'm going, nor can I get an idea of what's needed if I can't see the street as we walk."

"Perhaps," he agreed. "But neither can anyone get a clear line of sight, either."

Drawing on what little remaining patience she possessed, Amelia shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat and glared up at him from beneath her lashes.

"Move them, Crowe, or I promise you I'll find a way to do what has to be done without you."

His head lowered, his gaze hardening. "I'll take pictures for you. h.e.l.l, I'll have video taken for you, but I will not have them move and risk Wayne or some dumb b.a.s.t.a.r.d he's hired attempting to put a bullet in your head."

Amelia curled her fingers into fists.

She liked to think she wasn't an ignorant person. She didn't get into public confrontations, no matter who the conflict was with. She didn't give others a reason to gossip about her if at all possible.

She had no intentions of starting now.

"I'm ready to return to the house." Turning, she began walking the short distance back. "I'll have Anna bring the entertainers there."

She wasn't going to argue with him. She definitely wasn't going to attempt to knock any sense into him while the agents were watching and listening so curiously.

"Amelia, you don't have to return to the house," he stated reasonably.

"Will you have them get out of my way then?" She didn't bother to glance at him as she continued to walk. She had a feeling she knew his answer.

"I can't do that," he sighed. "But I know you wanted to see a few of the grottoes-"

"Don't worry about it," she suggested briskly, increasing her stride as they neared the iron fence surrounding Wayne's property.

"I won't let you risk yourself like that." His voice was tighter now.

The gate was opened as it had been before. Two security guards moved to each side as the other four surrounded them instead.

Pulling her cell phone from her coat pocket, she quickly texted Anna that she wouldn't be able to come to the meeting, but Anna could bring the entertainers to the house instead.

Really? Anna texted back with a frownie face icon. Suggested this 2 Crowe 2day. He said NO! Archer says Crowe has to call first.

Amelia texted back. Tell Archer you get to take care of this then.

Amelia stopped in the middle of the walk, glaring at the phone before slowly turning her gaze up to Crowe as she ignored the now frantic pinging of the text messages Anna was rapidly sending.

He stared back at her coolly, his gaze implacable as it lifted from the screen of the phone to meet hers.

"Making decisions for me, Crowe?" she asked him softly.

"Protecting you," he amended, his voice low as he gripped her upper arm firmly and began moving toward the house once again.

"Protecting me," she repeated with a bitter little laugh. "Yeah, that's what Wayne said when he locked me in the bas.e.m.e.nt for two days and nights when you returned two years ago. He was just protecting me."

Jerking her arm out of his grip, she stalked up the steps to the door, entering the house and quickly stripping her coat. She hung it neatly in the closet, refusing to look at him. She could feel him staring at her, silently searing her as she ignored him.

"Leave," he ordered the guards, his voice dangerously quiet as Amelia strode from the foyer.

She didn't hear their response. She rather expected they hadn't given him one.

People tended to just obey Crowe without argument.

"Don't f.u.c.king turn your back on me and act as though I don't exist." The harsh growl rasped from his throat as Amelia found herself suddenly swung around to face him.

She simply wasn't in the mood to be pulled around or manhandled. Even gently.

Rising to her tiptoes, getting as close to the glitter of amber in his gaze as possible, she let loose.

"Don't imagine, for even a moment, Crowe Callahan, that I'm one of your employees or one of your d.a.m.ned starstruck flunkies, because I'm not. You may get your orders obeyed, but trust me, it's only because you're stronger, not because I agree with you by any stretch of the imagination." Her finger poked into his chest with a quick, imperious little jab as she snarled the declaration out at him.

"My what?" Incredulity filled his tone.

"You heard me. Don't make me repeat myself." Turning on her heel, she headed for the desk on the far side of the room. "You can leave now to do whatever skulking around it is that you do and leave me the h.e.l.l alone. As far as I'm concerned, I'm finished with you for the moment."

Finished with him.

She was finished with him?

"Oh baby, I thought you knew me better than that," he drawled, allowing his lashes to drift partially over his gaze to hide the full effect of his intentions.

"I know you as well as I need to know you." She tossed her head like a feisty little mare.

Well h.e.l.l, that was okay, because he was just the stud for her.

He smiled. A slow, easy curve of his lips as he turned and walked back to the wide double doors leading to the foyer.

And closed them before deliberately sliding the lock in place.

"Ya know, sugar elf," he breathed out with deliberate relish as he turned back to her. "You're getting ready to know me a whole lot better."

Wariness had filled her gaze, darkening the turquoise color and giving it a faintly green cast. Like the ocean just before dusk.

"I'm not in the mood for this."

Oh yeah, he was just that easy to turn off-or not.

Amelia cursed her own unruly tongue and her untamed body.

Son of a b.i.t.c.h, she knew better than to dare him.

It was common knowledge: Don't dare a Callahan, you'll regret it.

But what had she done? She'd gone and dared the most stubborn, most determined, and definitely the most darkly s.e.xual Callahan known to draw a breath.

"Crowe, trust me, this isn't the time." She narrowed her eyes on him and hardened her tone.

As though that was going to work, she thought with a spurt of sarcasm.

"Oh baby, trust me, when it comes to you, it's always the time."

He paused several feet from her and pulled off the leather jacket he wore before tossing it over the back of a couch.

Her eyes widened at the shoulder holster and lethal handgun he wore. The same one he unclipped and laid over the jacket a moment later.

"You're falling behind, sugar elf," he warned her, taking a seat on the large wingback chair next to the couch and unlacing his boots.

"In what way? Undressing?" she snorted. "It's the middle of the day, and I'm sure Anna will be here any moment..."

He shook his head as he spoke. "No, she won't be."

"Why not?" He seemed entirely too confident. That wasn't good.

"Archer texted. Told me to send a message if he needed to bring Anna over here. I didn't text him back."

Great, they were conspiring together. Just what she needed, her best friend's lover conspiring with her own. That simply wasn't fair.

"I'll be certain to tell Anna the two of you have your own little codes," she suggested sweetly.

She acknowledged she could possibly be in just a bit of trouble here. Trouble she had been counting on Anna to bail her out from with a speedy little arrival and several social entertainers.

It appeared that wasn't going to happen.

"I'm sure Anna's already figured that one out, darlin'," he promised her. "And now, you're really behind."

His boots were off and lying carelessly beneath the chair as she watched him with an edge of caution.

Rising to his feet, he stared back at her with that knowing little smile that was guaranteed to spell trouble.

"I'm not having s.e.x with you." Sometimes, that worked, to just take a stand with him immediately and let him know how it was going to be.

In this case, that dark chuckle that left his lips definitely spelled trouble.

"Works for me," he informed her with a s.e.xy smile. "I'll just have s.e.x with you. All you have to do is lie there, sugar elf."

Her mouth almost dropped open in incredulity. "You are so not serious."

"I am so very d.a.m.ned serious," he informed her, all amus.e.m.e.nt easing from his expression. "Done with me, are you, baby? Let me show you just how done with you I am not."

CHAPTER 11.

"Crowe, this is not the best idea you've had in a while," she informed him nervously as he took a step toward her. "Actually, it's going to end up being one of your worst."

"Really?" His expression appeared curious; his gaze told another story. "In what way, sweetheart?"

In what way?

"Son of a b.i.t.c.h," she muttered, irritation getting the best of her. "Is that all you can do-question every d.a.m.ned thing?"

"Isn't that the only way to get answers?" he asked with a smug smile. "So, are you in the mood yet, baby, or do I get to have fun with that pretty little body of yours all by myself?"

"It's my body, too, Crowe." She tried for that no-nonsense voice she had heard her mother use.

"Hmm, before I'm finished, that inquisitive little brain of yours is going to realize just who commands it."

Before Amelia could blink in outrage he'd moved. Pulling her into his arms and lifting her against his body just enough that only the tips of her toes brushed against the hardwood floor.

"Crowe. No." The surprised gasp came as he gripped the band of her skirt, his fingers tightening on it.

His gaze narrowed further on her.

"I don't have that many clothes, Crowe." Admitting to that sent humiliation sweeping through her. "You have to stop destroying what I do have."