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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 193 из 338They won't arrest him, Merry, you know that."
"No, Missouri doesn't have stalker laws yet." I had an amusing idea. If I could get Jenkins to follow me out to California, the laws are different. There are very strict stalker laws in L. A. county. If Jenkins made too big a pest of himself, maybe I'd see if he'd follow me somewhere where he could get jail time for what he'd just done. He'd forced a kiss on me in public—or so I could claim — in front of impartial witnesses. Under the right set of laws, that made him a very bad boy.
The elevator doors opened. Great, now that I didn't need the rescue. The elevator doors closed, leaving us alone in a mirrored box. We all watched our own reflections, but Galen spoke. "Jenkins never learns. You'd think after what you did to him, he'd be afraid of you."
I watched my reflection show surprise, eyes widening. By the time I recovered, it was too late. "That was a guess," I said.
"But a good one," Galen said.
"What did you do to him, Meredith?" Barinthus said. "You know the rules."
"I know the rules," I said.
I started to step into the hallway, but Galen stopped me, a hand on my shoulder. "We're the bodyguards. Let one of us go first."
"Sorry, I've gotten out of the habit," I said.
Barinthus said, "Get back into the habit, quickly. I don't want you hurt because you didn't hide behind us. It's our job to take the risks and keep you safe." He pressed the "hold door open" button.
"I know that, Barinthus."
"And yet you would have stepped into the hall," he said.
Galen very cautiously peeked out of the elevator, then stepped into the hallway. "Clear." He swept a low bow. The small braid spilled over his shoulder to touch the floor. I remembered when his hair spilled like a green waterfall to pool onto the floor. There was a part of me that thought that was what a man's hair should look like. Long enough to drag the floor. Long enough to cover my body in a silken sheet when we made love. I'd mourned when he cut it, but it hadn't been any of my business.
"Get up, Galen." I started walking down the hallway, key in hand.
He stood and half ran, half danced down the hallway to get ahead of me. "Oh, no, my lady. I must needs open the lock."
"Stop it, Galen. I mean it."
Barinthus just followed us quietly, suitcase in hand, like a father watching grown children misbehave. No, no, he was ignoring us the way he'd ignored Jenkins, almost. I glanced back at him and could read nothing on that pale face. He was self-contained, unreadable.
"No, Missouri doesn't have stalker laws yet." I had an amusing idea. If I could get Jenkins to follow me out to California, the laws are different. There are very strict stalker laws in L. A. county. If Jenkins made too big a pest of himself, maybe I'd see if he'd follow me somewhere where he could get jail time for what he'd just done. He'd forced a kiss on me in public—or so I could claim — in front of impartial witnesses. Under the right set of laws, that made him a very bad boy.
The elevator doors opened. Great, now that I didn't need the rescue. The elevator doors closed, leaving us alone in a mirrored box. We all watched our own reflections, but Galen spoke. "Jenkins never learns. You'd think after what you did to him, he'd be afraid of you."
I watched my reflection show surprise, eyes widening. By the time I recovered, it was too late. "That was a guess," I said.
"But a good one," Galen said.
"What did you do to him, Meredith?" Barinthus said. "You know the rules."
"I know the rules," I said.
I started to step into the hallway, but Galen stopped me, a hand on my shoulder. "We're the bodyguards. Let one of us go first."
"Sorry, I've gotten out of the habit," I said.
Barinthus said, "Get back into the habit, quickly. I don't want you hurt because you didn't hide behind us. It's our job to take the risks and keep you safe." He pressed the "hold door open" button.
"I know that, Barinthus."
"And yet you would have stepped into the hall," he said.
Galen very cautiously peeked out of the elevator, then stepped into the hallway. "Clear." He swept a low bow. The small braid spilled over his shoulder to touch the floor. I remembered when his hair spilled like a green waterfall to pool onto the floor. There was a part of me that thought that was what a man's hair should look like. Long enough to drag the floor. Long enough to cover my body in a silken sheet when we made love. I'd mourned when he cut it, but it hadn't been any of my business.
"Get up, Galen." I started walking down the hallway, key in hand.
He stood and half ran, half danced down the hallway to get ahead of me. "Oh, no, my lady. I must needs open the lock."
"Stop it, Galen. I mean it."
Barinthus just followed us quietly, suitcase in hand, like a father watching grown children misbehave. No, no, he was ignoring us the way he'd ignored Jenkins, almost. I glanced back at him and could read nothing on that pale face. He was self-contained, unreadable.