Knight's Possession

‘I hope you weren’t implying that I’m fat,’ he said indignantly.

He was a big man, about two hundred pounds, possibly a little less, but he was in no way fat, just pure muscle and sinew and deep copper-tone flesh. ‘Maybe a little,’ she mocked. ‘Maybe you don’t get enough exercise.’

His eyes widened, gold flames in the dark brown depths. ‘I’m hoping to improve that in the near future.’

Laurel couldn’t prevent the blush coming to her cheeks at the intended innuendo. ‘Reece,’ she began warningly, disconcerted by the sudden grin he gave, deep grooves etched beside his mouth and eyes, an endearing dimple appearing in one cheek. ‘What is it?’ she demanded suspiciously.

‘Am I really strong and arrogant?’

She frowned. ‘It’s nothing to feel proud of, arrogance isn’t a virtue.’

‘It is when it’s combined with strength,’ he said with satisfaction.

Laurel was about to argue with him, and then thought better of it; she wanted him to leave tonight, not get into an argument about his virtues—or lack of them. ‘If you say so,’ she conceded abruptly.

He raised dark brows, grimacing. ‘You want me to leave, right?’

‘That is the general idea.’ She stood her ground firmly as she waited at the door.

‘Don’t forget to fasten the lock—all of them!—after I leave.’ His hand gently cupped one side of her face. ‘I don’t like to think of you alone here when someone is known to be burglarising the place.’

‘It’s a wicked world we live in,’ she taunted drily.

His mouth quirked. ‘Just tell me if I’m being too over-protective,’ he mocked.

She knew he was teasing, but she gave him a serious answer. ‘I don’t want, or need, anyone to protect me.’

‘You were going to marry Gilbraith,’ he pointed out reasoningly.

‘It would have been a partnership, not the usual male-dominated marriage,’ she dismissed.

It was to have been much more than just a marriage partnership, she and Giles had been going to be business partners, too; had already started to do so after Giles had questioned her trust in him to help her. A couple of months ago, since they had begun arranging their engagement party, she had agreed to let him handle some of the bills, had even made arrangements at the bank so that he could sign the cheques for those bills. Two days ago she had received another reminder for one of those bills. She hadn’t been concerned at the time, had put the confusion down to the Christmas post. Now she wasn’t so sure.

CHAPTER THREE (#uf6fae254-6f76-5f09-83b0-27c1bad1cf08)

SHE didn’t know how she could have fallen for such a trick. She had grown up around the users her mother seemed to constantly be involved with, had always been amazed when her mother didn’t see through them, most of them staying around for a couple of months, taking what they could, before moving on to another lovely woman in need of friendship and a little love.