Bewitched (11 page)

He thunked the coffee cup down and took two menacing steps toward her. Ted raced past her with a vicious hissing complaint, but since Harry seemed the bigger threat, she didn't dare look away from him. She widened her stance, braced herself and waited.

Through gritted teeth, he said, “You're not to go anywhere near them, Charlie, is that understood?”

She fetched forth her most direct, intimidating look, and must have succeeded, given his stormy expression. “Uh, Harry. You're not trying to give me orders, are you?”

He stepped closer still, until her neck felt like it might cramp from the drastic angle it took to meet his gaze and his breath hit her face with the force of a puffing bull. “Yes,” he said succinctly. “I'm giving you an explicit directive to stay the hell away from anything and anyone that has to do with Ralph and Floyd.”

He was so close, she couldn't resist, and leaned just a scant inch closer to smell him, her nose almost touching his chest.

Harry leaped back as if burned. “What do you think you're doing?”

“You smell so good, Harry. If I could bottle you, I'd make a fortune.”

He flushed, blustered for a moment, then started in frowning again. “You're trying to distract me, damn it.”

Actually, distracting him had never entered her mind. Charlie examined her nails. “They kidnapped me, Harry. They threatened me. You can't expect me to just let them get away with that.”

“I told you I'd take care of them.”

“Terrific. I'll go along to see that you take care of them right. I haven't forgotten you're the one who was too chicken to push Floyd off the truck.”

He looked nearly apoplectic. “You bloodthirsty little…it would have killed him! I do believe I can handle things without resorting to murder.”

Charlie sniffed. “He's too mean to die. He'd probably have just gotten his hard head bruised a little.”

“Charlie.” He clasped her shoulders and shook her lightly. “You don't know what you're playing with.”

She wanted to play with him, but he didn't look overly receptive to the idea at the moment. No, he looked like it took all his restraint not to choke her.

“Forget it, Harry. If you're too much a sissy to go with me, I can go alone. No problem.”

Choking became a distinct possibility.

After several moments where she held her breath, waiting to see which way the chips would fall, Harry finally released her and stepped away. He picked up his coffee.

She eyed it warily. “Careful. I don't want you to drown yourself.”

He drank the rest of the cup in one long swallow, glaring at her over the rim all the while. After he finished the cup, his expression grew crafty. “I have a deal for you, Charlie.”

“I'm listening.”

“Remove yourself from my business with Floyd and Ralph, and I'll tell you what I've discovered concerning your father.”

Her breath left her in a whoosh and she gripped the edge of the table. “You've found out something already?”

He looked down his nose at her. “Quite a few somethings, actually, which is why I didn't get to bed until the early hours of the morning, and why I was just rising when you arrived. Now, do we have a deal or not?”

Charlie weighed her options, decided lying would be the most expedient way to go, and said, “Whatever you say, Harry. Now tell me everything you know.”

H
ARRY STARED AT
her hard, but she didn't so much as flinch. Still, he knew without a shadow of a doubt she had no intention of backing away from Ralph and Floyd, despite her rapid agreement.

With a sound of disgust, he dropped into a chair and bent to pull on his socks. “You're lying through your teeth and you aren't even doing it well.”

“That's absurd!” She pulled out a chair and sprawled into it. “I'm an
excellent
liar!”

He looked nonplussed for a moment, then laughed. “You're something else, you know that, Charlie?”

He sounded…affectionately exasperated. But then what did she know? She'd never heard honest affection from a man before. And she'd certainly never known a man like Harry. “I like watching you dress, Harry.” He glanced up at her, startled, and she smiled. “I think I'd probably like watching you undress, more.”

A shoe dropped from his hand, thumping onto the floor. Harry swallowed, made a strangled sound. Charlie eyed him. “Thank God you're not drinking coffee, huh?”

He stared, then jerked his gaze away from her. Furious, he yanked on the rest of his clothes, including a silk tie, then began pacing the kitchen. Glancing at her, he accused, “You've traumatized my cat.”

“I'm not the one who can't swallow coffee.”

His eyes narrowed. He looked downright harassed, and
he kept checking his watch. The dogs scratched to come in, and again he went through the chore of cleaning their feet. Afterward, the dogs cuddled up to him and got thoroughly petted. He even whispered to them, though she couldn't hear what he said.

Charlie loved watching him with the animals. He was so big, so strong, but so incredibly gentle, too. She remembered the way he'd touched her, how he'd kissed her, and she was instantly jealous of the attention he lavished on his pets.

When Harry stood, Sooner and Grace came over to her for a few pats. Harry watched, his brows down, and he warned, “Don't try to ingratiate yourself with my dogs. I already explained to them how conniving you can be.”

She gave each dog an extra hug. “Yeah, well, since they know you, they've probably realized you're just being unreasonable.” The dogs didn't agree or disagree, they just went off to sleep.

Charlie crossed her legs and waited. He had news to tell her, but she did her best to look indifferent despite the churning in her belly and her anxiety. She couldn't give him the upper hand.

“Okay, are you interested in knowing what I've discovered or not?”

“What a dumb question! Of course I'm interested.” Then in the coolest tone she could manage, she asked, “Do you think he has any money? Will he be able to pay what he owes?”

Charlie watched, fascinated, as Harry's lean jaw hardened, as his muscles bunched and flexed. For a second there she thought his eyes turned red, but then he stepped around her and headed out of the kitchen.

“We'll have to discuss this in transit. I'm late already.”

Charlie hustled after him. “Late for what?”

The look he gave her wasn't promising. “I was intending to tail Floyd and Ralph.”

Grinning, she skipped to keep up with his long-legged stride. “Then you already knew—”

He held her jean jacket while she slipped it back on, causing her thoughts to jumble. It was a first for her, that small courtesy, and it amused her that even while he was so obviously irritated with her, his unrelenting manners came through.

She leaned back against him as he settled the coat over her shoulders, and he jumped away, grumbling, cautioning her “Charlie…”.

“Hmm?”

He frowned, blinked at her, then shook his head. “Come on, let's get going.”

Charlie had to hide a smile. He fought her, but he was tempted. Maybe she'd be able to work on that.

Looking decidedly perturbed, Harry pulled on a suit coat, then his raincoat. The dogs stirred themselves enough to look up as Harry said goodbye to them, then they went back to sleeping peacefully. He led her out the door, locking it behind him.

“So, Harry, you did know about the visit Ralph and Floyd have planned?”

“Of course I knew. I'm the P.I., if you'll recall.”

“Well, I only found out late last night from a regular. When I went in to close the bar, I overheard two guys talking and I recognized part of what they said. I asked a few questions and found out Ralph and Floyd have been trying to drum up some assistance.”

Harry led her to his car and opened her door. “You shouldn't be asking questions, Charlie. What if it gets back to Ralph or Floyd and they figure out where you live? Is that what you want?”

“Of course not. I'm not an idiot, I know what to say and not say. I was careful.”

“You don't know the meaning of the word
careful.
” He
looked at her long and hard, then touched her cheek. “I don't want to have to worry about you.”

Contentment bubbled up inside her. “I don't want to worry about you either, Harry. That's why I thought it'd be nice if we did this together. I mean, considering you're so squeamish about actually hurting anyone.” And it'd give her a good excuse to spend more time alone with him.

He dropped his hand and sighed. “Get in the car, Charlie.”

“I brought my own transportation. Will you drive me back here?” She'd almost taken the bus today, then realized leaving her truck behind would provide a good excuse to return to his apartment. Her plans weren't exactly orthodox, but then, neither was she.

Her life had never been easy, and she'd learned to be hard and brazen and forceful by necessity, to take care of her mother, to protect her sister. Now, for the first time that she could ever remember, she really wanted a man. She didn't know how to deal with that except to give it her best shot.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, cursed softly, then asked, “I don't suppose you'll go on home and let me take care of things?”

“Ha! Don't be stupid, Harry.”

“No, I didn't think so. All right, yes. I'll bring you back here. But Charlie, promise me you'll do as I tell you. I don't want to drag you along only so you can act recklessly again and end up hurt.”

She slid into the stupendous car with the butter-soft leather seats and the smell of money. “I'm never reckless. Quit worrying. You're starting to sound like Jill.”

He slammed her car door.

They were five minutes on the road before Charlie said, “All right. Are you waiting for me to beg or what?”

He glanced at her, clearly distracted.

“Harry, what did you find out about my father?”

“Oh, sorry. My mind wandered.”

“Where did it wander to?”

He stared hard at the road. “Never mind. Besides, you seemed so disinterested, I wasn't sure you even cared.”

She scooted closer to him. “Didn't you sleep well, Harry? You're awfully snide today.”

“I slept fine for the short time I had in bed.”

Very casually, she touched his thigh. It was hard and warm and the muscles flinched under her palm. She smiled. “Now who's lying?”

He growled, gripped the wheel, then blurted, “By all accounts, your father didn't abandon you.”

That was
not
what she'd been expecting to hear. She was so surprised, she sat back on her own side of the seat, releasing Harry. The old resentment rose to the surface, and her tone was sharper than she intended when she said, “No? He had amnesia and forgot he had children? He was taken prisoner in a foreign country and only just got free? It's been eighteen years since I've seen him or heard from him, Harry. I'd pretty much call that abandoned.”

Harry sighed, then incredibly, reached for her hand. “Honey, he tried to find you. He really did.”

He called her
honey.
She felt all warm and mushy inside again. Clearing her throat, she asked, “How do you know that?”

“He's worked at that same jewelry store for some time now, so a lot of the other proprietors are familiar with him. Many of them told me he's spent years looking for his daughters, that even now he hasn't given up hope of finding you.”

She tried to pull her hand away, but he held her tight. “Charlie, he cares about you and Jill.”

Charlie swallowed down the unfamiliar lump of emotion in her throat. Even if what he said was true, it didn't matter. “Concern and caring from a father back when I…I had to work two jobs and my mother was so sick and Jill got cheated out
of Christmas twice would have been real nice. But I don't care anymore about that. All I want from him now is enough money to get Jill through college. Does he have money, Harry?”

Harry sighed, and she snapped, “Oh, stop that! You're forever sighing, like you're so put-upon whenever we're together.”

He fought a smile. “I'm sorry. I suppose it's just that I expected that answer from you, and I'll admit I'm disappointed. Charlie, your father can't help it if your mother took off and he couldn't find you.”

She snorted. “How hard did he try? True, we moved around a lot. I remember that, mostly because it made it so damn difficult for me to get Jill settled. But even so, a single woman with two children should be easy enough to track down. The school records alone—”

“Did you go to public schools?”

“Yeah, well…come to think of it, we almost always settled in real small towns.”

“How small?”

She forced a casual shrug. “Almost nonexistent. The schools were independently run by the townsfolk, since there usually wasn't more than a handful of kids attending.” She felt a twinge of doubt, but ruthlessly shoved it aside. She would not be suckered that easily. Dalton Jones had a lot to account for. “We chose small towns because the housing was generally cheaper, not because it was a good way to hide!” She hated her own feelings of defensiveness, and added, “It made finding an after-school job almost impossible. At least, until I got older.”

His large thumb brushed over her knuckles, gently, soothing. “Where did you work, Charlie?”

She stared at their linked hands and marvelled that such a simple touch could make her feel so funny. Funny in a very
nice
way. “When I was twelve, I got a job helping out at a market stand. It was seasonal, but I loved it. Being outside,
meeting so many people. And I didn't have to dress up. In one town, my mom got me a job helping this old lady out at her boutique. I hated it. She expected me to wear dresses.”

Harry laughed. “You're not into female frippery?”

“Can you imagine me in a dress, Harry? It's ridiculous.” She stupidly blushed just thinking about it. But whenever she talked about that time of her life, she felt vulnerable. She'd been out of her element, and it had been the first time she'd realized just how different she was, and what a disappointment she was to her mother.

He sobered, then pulled up to a red light. “I think you'd look very nice in a dress, but no more so than you do in those snug jeans.”

Her heartbeat tripped. “You…uh, like my jeans?”

He kept his gaze deliberately on the road. “You're very attractive, Charlie, regardless of what you're wearing. Surely men tell you that often?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I work in a bar, Harry. Men tell me a lot of things, but I don't pay much attention to slurred words and suggestive innuendo.”

“Will you pay attention to me?”

She felt flushed and drew a slow deep breath. “Since you haven't been drinking all day, and your words are coherent, then sure. I suppose so.”

He looked undecided for a moment, then turned to face her. “You're beautiful.” Their gazes locked, and Charlie felt drawn in, surrounded by his attention. His hand released hers, but then lifted to her cheek. He smoothed the back of his knuckles over her cheekbone in a very tender gesture, tucked a curl behind her ear. She could get very used to being touched so tenderly. “You don't need any frills to turn a man on, Charlie.”

“Really?”

He continued to touch her, small touches that elicited so
many feelings. “I think you're one of the sexiest women I've ever met.”

“Then…”

“But I'm not going to get involved with you. It has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me. Okay?”

“No.”

“Charlie—”

She laughed, because he looked so frustrated. She decided a dose of honesty couldn't hurt. “I want you, Harry. That's pretty unique for me, so I can't just forget about it. Besides, I'm used to fighting for what I want.” When his eyes nearly crossed, she said, “Go ahead and sigh if you really need to, but it won't change anything. Consider yourself forewarned.”

A horn blared, prompting Harry to drive now that the light was green. He shook his head, then chuckled as he stepped on the gas. “Only you, Charlie, could make a seduction sound like a threat.”

She lifted her nose and tried for a seductive look. He didn't laugh, so she considered herself more successful than not. “I prefer to think of it as a promise, Harry.”

 

H
ARRY FELT
strung too tight. It was absolute torture, sitting next to Charlie while knowing she was smugly plotting his salacious downfall. He could tell by the way her dark blue eyes slanted in his direction every so often, or the way she looked him over, as if sizing him up for a meal. It was possibly the most erotic thing that had ever happened to him.

And he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

He shouldn't have shored up her confidence by admitting he found her sexy. But he couldn't help himself. The second she started speaking of her past, she'd looked…uncertain, not her normal indomitable self. Her eyes, usually so forthright, had filled with reserve and he'd wanted nothing more than to reassure her.

Now she knew he was susceptible to her, and he could almost hear the wheels turning in her head.