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Chapter Seven
Posted by
jlk
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17 September 2012
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Eve leaned back and watched Brian charm the world. He was as bad as Roarke. Women were falling like leaves in the fall. He managed to mix and serve drinks and flirt without effort. And damn her if he wasn’t almost as handsome as Roarke. She smiled at him when he glanced her way, then frowned as he accidentally let more than friendship show in his eyes. They both looked away, pretending it hadn’t happened. She knew how to do that. Peabody had a rousing crowd going, Eve decided, pushing that last moment away. The poor woman probably was sweating to death inside that cellophane wrapper. She grabbed a cherry fizzie and threaded into the crowd toward Peabody’s stage. She caught her partner’s attention and passed up the tube. And was AMAZED when Peabody went to drinking it while acting like it was the best way to keep a man happy. Choking a little, she turned and felt the bump and tiniest of stings.
Brian was kicking himself for a fool as he served up the drinks handily. He knew Eve would let the moment go. Not only to save him the embarrassment, but because there was no possibility for anyone but Roarke to have her. He’d known it the first time his old friend had brought her in to his bar. She had eyes for no one but the blue eyed bastard. He sighed and gave another wink to a pretty girl. Goddamn lucky bastard. Billions and a beauty like Eve. He glanced her way, saw she was gone, sucked in a certain breath. He’d fucked up.
Brian jumped onto the bar top, saw her fawn colored hair sprawled over the shoulder of a man guiding her toward a back door. With a roar, he jumped into the crowd and bulled his way through.
Eve thought she wished people would stop giving her chemicals. No one could just give her a good punch and knock her out any more. Drugs, drugs, drugs. It had probably started with Roarke. He had always been sneaking soothers and tranqs into her when they’d first met. Pretty much until the start of the second year of their marriage. Either she’d given in or he had, because it had evened off. Maybe both. They’d started to learn how to compromise.
Eve thought on that word. Compromise. It had the word promise in it. Maybe that was why she liked the word. She understood promises. They were simple. I promise to love you. I promise to marry you. I promise not to have sex with someone else until we agree to a divorce. No, no. That hadn’t been part of the wedding vows. Had it? Huh. She couldn’t remember. Oh, well. They had a vid of it at home. She’d have to call it up so she could check out the wording.
She watched with interest as Feeney got ahold of the guy currently trying to stuff her into a van. He was getting soft up there in EDD, she decided as the guy popped him and he went down. Then Calendar was there. Another EDD man down. She giggled at that. Urving actually landed a blow, probably broke his own hand, and the guy just tossed him. Then Brian was there. He got ahold of the guy and gave him a good one two to the jaw. Leave it to Roarke to find the right man for the job. Brian dragged the perp up to his feet, and Peabody arrived, looking hotter than hell in that candy wrapper. She knew just what her partner was saying. “I believe this is my job, Mr. Kelley.” And she reared back and slugged him – unconscious in one.
Eve had the giggles for several hours. After a discussion she had been leaned against a vehicle, her team decided their fearless, albeit giggling, leader would be taken to her home for a recovery period. Since no one seemed to be in the mood to sleep, Eve suggested a pool party. Everyone politely declined. Eve just giggled. Eve was so proud of Urving, he’d just jammed three knuckles not broken his egeek hand, and she gave him a nice long kiss. He fainted. That made her giggle and look around for who else to kiss.
Peabody, who knew her friend’s unnatural ability to make men fall in love with her when she was threatening to injure them severely, thought maybe she had better not let Eve go home with only Roarke’s friend Brian. She didn’t know this Irishman, but any man could get stupid. So Peabody hopped a ride with them back to Dallas and Roarke’s home.
Summerset had obviously been prepared for Brian. Eve found that worthy of more giggles. She even giggled when he gave her an antidote spray. Then she got mad.
“That son of a bitch drugged me, Peabody!”
“Yes, sir!”
“He was supposed to go after you and your tits!”
“Yes, sir!”
“He didn’t go after you because you were too busy looking like a piece of taffy. I think there’s a code about that.” Ever had stopped yelling. She eyed her partner, and then shifted her eyes to Brian. “Saved me, didn’t you.”
“Yes, sir!” he echoed Peabody, hiding his smile.
“I’m supposed to say thank you now, I suppose.”
“Yes, sir!”
Normally, Eve would have given Roarke’s friend a good kiss on the mouth. But since his unbidden look had happened so recently, decided against that. “Would you take a marker from me, Brian Kelley?”
He relaxed. It would blow over then. “Aye, lass.”
“Done. Peabody, give over perverted sexual favors to the man for saving my life. I’m going to take two hours down.” Eve headed up to her room.
In the parlor, Peabody gave the second-to- Roarke most gorgeous Irishman she had seen in her life, a wide eyed look. “Um, I’m cohabbed. But still available,” she added cheerfully as she correctly read his stare following her partner. “You’re not alone,” she added on a gentler note, seeing the misery he quickly hid.
“Huh?” He was still looking at the doorway.
“It’s ok to love her, Mr. Kelley. We all do.” Briskly, Peabody stood, subtly signaling to Summerset as he watched them from a view screen. “Now let’s get you settled in your room. I guess I’ll bunk here, too.”
“Your usual room is ready, Detective Peabody. Brian, you haven’t seen your room yet, so if you’ll follow me.” Summerset stepped smoothly into the situation, wondering to himself when the young detective had begun growing into such an intuitive and compassionate human being. Still, he’d just be sure that the Lieutenant didn’t spend any unmonitored time with Roarke’s boyhood friend. Most men, Summerset had noticed, couldn’t seem to keep their hands off of Lieutenant Dallas.
Brian was kicking himself for a fool as he served up the drinks handily. He knew Eve would let the moment go. Not only to save him the embarrassment, but because there was no possibility for anyone but Roarke to have her. He’d known it the first time his old friend had brought her in to his bar. She had eyes for no one but the blue eyed bastard. He sighed and gave another wink to a pretty girl. Goddamn lucky bastard. Billions and a beauty like Eve. He glanced her way, saw she was gone, sucked in a certain breath. He’d fucked up.
Brian jumped onto the bar top, saw her fawn colored hair sprawled over the shoulder of a man guiding her toward a back door. With a roar, he jumped into the crowd and bulled his way through.
Eve thought she wished people would stop giving her chemicals. No one could just give her a good punch and knock her out any more. Drugs, drugs, drugs. It had probably started with Roarke. He had always been sneaking soothers and tranqs into her when they’d first met. Pretty much until the start of the second year of their marriage. Either she’d given in or he had, because it had evened off. Maybe both. They’d started to learn how to compromise.
Eve thought on that word. Compromise. It had the word promise in it. Maybe that was why she liked the word. She understood promises. They were simple. I promise to love you. I promise to marry you. I promise not to have sex with someone else until we agree to a divorce. No, no. That hadn’t been part of the wedding vows. Had it? Huh. She couldn’t remember. Oh, well. They had a vid of it at home. She’d have to call it up so she could check out the wording.
She watched with interest as Feeney got ahold of the guy currently trying to stuff her into a van. He was getting soft up there in EDD, she decided as the guy popped him and he went down. Then Calendar was there. Another EDD man down. She giggled at that. Urving actually landed a blow, probably broke his own hand, and the guy just tossed him. Then Brian was there. He got ahold of the guy and gave him a good one two to the jaw. Leave it to Roarke to find the right man for the job. Brian dragged the perp up to his feet, and Peabody arrived, looking hotter than hell in that candy wrapper. She knew just what her partner was saying. “I believe this is my job, Mr. Kelley.” And she reared back and slugged him – unconscious in one.
Eve had the giggles for several hours. After a discussion she had been leaned against a vehicle, her team decided their fearless, albeit giggling, leader would be taken to her home for a recovery period. Since no one seemed to be in the mood to sleep, Eve suggested a pool party. Everyone politely declined. Eve just giggled. Eve was so proud of Urving, he’d just jammed three knuckles not broken his egeek hand, and she gave him a nice long kiss. He fainted. That made her giggle and look around for who else to kiss.
Peabody, who knew her friend’s unnatural ability to make men fall in love with her when she was threatening to injure them severely, thought maybe she had better not let Eve go home with only Roarke’s friend Brian. She didn’t know this Irishman, but any man could get stupid. So Peabody hopped a ride with them back to Dallas and Roarke’s home.
Summerset had obviously been prepared for Brian. Eve found that worthy of more giggles. She even giggled when he gave her an antidote spray. Then she got mad.
“That son of a bitch drugged me, Peabody!”
“Yes, sir!”
“He was supposed to go after you and your tits!”
“Yes, sir!”
“He didn’t go after you because you were too busy looking like a piece of taffy. I think there’s a code about that.” Ever had stopped yelling. She eyed her partner, and then shifted her eyes to Brian. “Saved me, didn’t you.”
“Yes, sir!” he echoed Peabody, hiding his smile.
“I’m supposed to say thank you now, I suppose.”
“Yes, sir!”
Normally, Eve would have given Roarke’s friend a good kiss on the mouth. But since his unbidden look had happened so recently, decided against that. “Would you take a marker from me, Brian Kelley?”
He relaxed. It would blow over then. “Aye, lass.”
“Done. Peabody, give over perverted sexual favors to the man for saving my life. I’m going to take two hours down.” Eve headed up to her room.
In the parlor, Peabody gave the second-to- Roarke most gorgeous Irishman she had seen in her life, a wide eyed look. “Um, I’m cohabbed. But still available,” she added cheerfully as she correctly read his stare following her partner. “You’re not alone,” she added on a gentler note, seeing the misery he quickly hid.
“Huh?” He was still looking at the doorway.
“It’s ok to love her, Mr. Kelley. We all do.” Briskly, Peabody stood, subtly signaling to Summerset as he watched them from a view screen. “Now let’s get you settled in your room. I guess I’ll bunk here, too.”
“Your usual room is ready, Detective Peabody. Brian, you haven’t seen your room yet, so if you’ll follow me.” Summerset stepped smoothly into the situation, wondering to himself when the young detective had begun growing into such an intuitive and compassionate human being. Still, he’d just be sure that the Lieutenant didn’t spend any unmonitored time with Roarke’s boyhood friend. Most men, Summerset had noticed, couldn’t seem to keep their hands off of Lieutenant Dallas.
