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Carrie’s eyes locked with his as she swallowed.

“Now that I have your attention, let me be perfectly clear. This will never happen again. I don’t care how safe you think you are, you aren’t.”

“If I didn’t know you any better, I would think you were the threat.” Carrie’s voice wavered, but she tried to look bold and defiant.

“Little one, you have no idea how much of a threat I can be when it comes to your safety. Speaking of threats, tell me about the threatening phone call you got.”

Carrie blinked as if she didn’t know what he was talking about. Darci turned to glare at her. “You keep hiding things from me, Carrie. It’s bullshit. If I’d thought you were in real danger, I never would have picked you up tonight.”

Darci turned to Peter. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

Peter reached across the table and picked up her hand. “Forgiven.”

“Phone call, Carrie. Give me all the details.”

“It was odd. He gave me a name. Jared Turner, but there doesn’t seem to be a record of anyone by that name in the AG’s office. I tried the CIA, but of course, that’s a little harder to get access to. I got the number he was calling from, but it doesn’t match the other numbers at the AG or CIA offices.”

Peter’s brow furrowed and his lips turned down in a scowl. “I don’t like it. You need to be careful. I’m going to put private security on you full time. It will eliminate the need for you to stay at work the entire time I do.”

Carrie shook her head vehemently. “No. Absolutely not. It would interfere with my job even more than you already are. I’m sure this won’t last much longer. I can handle it.”

Peter was about to insist when Olivia returned and leaned over the table.

“So, what are your intentions, young man?”

“Excuse me?” Peter stared up at her, confused.

“What are your intentions with Carrie? I have to look out for my girl.” Olivia blew her a kiss. Carrie pretended to catch it and pressed her palm against her cheek.

“I can assure you, I have nothing but honorable intentions.”

Olivia stuck her bottom lip out and straightened. “Well, that’s boring.”

Peter’s eyebrows rose. “You would rather I have dishonorable intentions?”

“I would rather you have plans to fuck her brains out. Maybe let me watch.” Olivia kept a straight face until Peter’s mouth fell open at which point, Carrie and Darci cheered, and Olivia giggled.

“I was wondering how far she would have to go to get a reaction out of you,” Carrie said between fits of laughter.

Peter scowled. “You’re lucky we haven’t come to any agreement, or I would find a dark corner to blister your ass in. Would Olivia and Darci like to watch that you think?”

“Ooh, nowthatsounds fun, I approve.” Olivia winked and sauntered off to help another customer.

Carrie waved her hands. “We were just fucking with you. What were we talking about?”

“Let’s table it for now.” He suspected pushing the idea of security for her would ruin the evening, so he would work on that in the morning. Tonight he would enjoy the company of two beautiful women, one of which he hoped to have in his bed again before the night was over.

“Tell me how you and Darci met.” He picked up his drink and stretched his other arm across the back of the booth.

Darci’s gaze dropped and Carrie picked up her hand.

“Or not. I didn’t mean to step into a tough subject right off the bat.”

When Darci looked up again, there were tears glistening in her eyes.

“It’s OK. We met while Carrie was working on a piece about sexual assault on college campuses.”

Peter held up a hand. “Enough said. You don’t have to tell me anymore than that if you don’t want.”

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