Page 6 of Operation K-9 Brothers
“Nichole?”Jack said.“Is everything okay?”
“I have an offer for you.”Trevor lifted his chin toward the phone at her ear.“When you finish your call, we’ll talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Finish your call, Nichole.”
“Go to hell.”She turned her back to him.
“Nichole?”Jack said again.
“Gotta go, Jack.See you tonight.”She disconnected before he could ask what was going on.Her hands were shaking as she shoved the phone into the back pocket of her jeans.How dare Trevor the Bastard come here, much less want to make her an offer.There was nothing he could say that would make her want to be anywhere near him or connected to him.
Rambo yipped, and she glanced over to see he was bouncing around Trevor’s feet.“Rambo, no!”She snatched him up.“We don’t speak to him.Ever.”
“Ah, come on, Nichole.It was just business, and you should be thanking me.I taught you a valuable lesson.I do feel a tad sorry that you lost the contract, so to make it up to you, I’m offering you five thousand to work with me on getting the commission finished on time.”He smiled.
For a very short time she’d thought his smile was boyishly cute.She’d even been a little in awe that such a talented potter was interested in her.Wanting him to see her as a peer had prompted her to brag about the commission she’d been offered.A big mistake that.
Now she wanted to slap that stupid smile right off his face.He was a good-looking man, his appearance artsy with his black hair a little too long and scraggly, dark eyelashes that she envied, and hazel eyes that had fascinating gold rings around them.His style of dress was grunge, and he embraced it with enthusiasm with his oversize shirts, torn jeans, and scuffed combat boots, the very picture of a serious artist...or so she was sure he believed.
She called bull on his idea of her helping him being a favor he was offering from the goodness of his thieving heart.More like he either realized he couldn’t duplicate her design or that he couldn’t meet the deadline he’d given.Maybe both, and that thought pleased her to no end.“You can take your offer and stick it where the sun don’t shine.”
His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned.“Classy.”He glanced away, and when his gaze returned to her, the pinched look on his face was gone and the smile was back.“Look, I scratch your back, you scratch mine.Win, win.”He held his hands out, palms up.“I’ll even let you put your name on the back of the plates under mine.”
The nerve!She strode to him, getting in his space.“The only thing I’m going to scratch are your eyes out if you don’t go away.”Rambo whined, apparently picking up on the tension.Either that or she was about to squeeze him to death.She eased her grip on him.
“We’ll talk after you calm down.”He walked farther into the mall.
Calm down?Calm down?She planted her feet to keep from chasing him and tackling him to the floor so she could beat the crap out of him.It disturbed her that she had these hateful feelings.She was not a violent person, and she detested Trevor for bringing out something inside her that she’d never known existed.
“You’re getting heavy, kiddo.”She set Rambo on the floor and shook a finger at him.“You are not to cozy up to him, you hear?He’s the enemy.”Rambo licked her face.
It was interesting that Trevor hadn’t said a word about her calling him in the middle of the night.She’d been sure that he’d have something to say about that.
In an attempt to get her mind back to a peaceful state, she grabbed the soft cloth she used to dust her pottery.Pottery—making it, touching it, even dusting it—made her happy.She dusted her heart out.It was working, the tension easing as she shined each plate, bowl, saucer, mug, and decorative item.She particularly loved the collection of fairies that were popular with customers.
“Are you calm enough to talk now?”
At hearing Trevor’s voice, she took a deep breath and counted to ten before turning to face him.She’d thought he’d left.“I’ll never be calm enough to talk to you.”
He shook his head as if she were a naughty child.“Nichole, get over your sulk.I’m making you a great offer here.”
“Seriously?You jackass, you’re offering me a sliver of my own commission back?”She headed for him, fully intending to follow through on her threat to scratch his eyes out.
“There a problem here?”
The deep voice speaking behind her had her spinning her head like a possessed person who needed an exorcist.“Jack?Where did you come from?”
