Read Bare Witness for Free Online Page A
Authors: Katherine Garbera
That’s what I was saying. At first, I thought you were just in it for the money, but now…”
“Now?”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Good.”
“You like saying that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“I have the feeling not many men get the better of you, Justine.”
“You didn’t get the better of me,” she said, her feisty spirit sparking again.
Nigel leaned forward on his desk, resting his elbows on the blotter. “I got the very best of you, Justine.”
“How do you figure?”
Her spark and her spirit turned him on like nothing else could. Each new thing he learned about this woman showed him that she was as multifaceted as a diamond, and just as rare. There was so much more to Justine O’Neill than just bodyguard.
“By your own words. You don’t kiss your clients, yet you did kiss me.”
She shook her head and licked her lips. Those tempting lips that he’d kissed once and longed to have under his again.
“You are impossible.”
But he’d heard that before. His tenacity often pissed off people in the business world, and though his board was happy with his results, he knew there were times when a lot of people wished he’d just back down.
“Not really. I just go after what I want.”
She leaned forward, coming closer to him than she had since the moment their embrace had ended.
“You don’t want me, Nigel.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
She shook her head. “I’m not what you think I am.”
“I think you’re a virago.”
Justine leaned forward on his desk. “That word has two meanings.”
“I know. I don’t use words if I’m unclear on what they mean.”
“I don’t find either offensive,” she said.
Nigel wanted to laugh. Most women would be bothered by having it implied that she or her behavior was violent. But he’d meant that she was strong and brave. She might well be the bravest woman he knew.
And it wasn’t just because she handled weapons with the same ease most women applied their lipstick. Or the fact that he knew that physically, she could and would defend him and his daughter. Or even the quick wit that showed him she was more than just a killer with a gun who’d been hired to do a job.
Her braveness came from the fact that he’d shaken her when he’d kissed her, and she was still sitting across from him. In his experience, most women didn’t have staying power when faced with something that wasn’t comfortable for them.
His own mother had left, rather than stay and raise a boy who’d grown taller than she was. She turned into a stranger, and as he looked at the pixie-featured bodyguard, he realized he wanted her as a woman because she wasn’t one to run away.
Chapter Four
J ustine spent the rest of the flight on the BlackBerry, communicating with Sam and the team and pretending that Nigel hadn’t shaken everything she’d believed about herself and men. She knew it wasn’t every man who could affect her this way. Just Nigel, and that was what bothered her. She didn’t want him to be different from other men.
She wanted to continue distrusting him the way she did all men. Even Sam didn’t get her total trust. But Nigel was different. And she couldn’t help glancing over at him when she thought he wasn’t watching.
“Do you like my dad?”
Justine glanced to the aisle where Piper was standing, watching her with those too-old eyes of hers. Justine shrugged. “My job is to protect you and your dad, not like you.”
“Why are you watching him?”
“He’s not like most men I’ve met.”
Piper smiled. “He’s better, right?”
Justine had to smile at the little girl. There was such pride in her voice and such…hero worship when she looked at her dad. Piper thought her father was Superman. And Justine was glad for that. Little girls should have daddies who were better than superheroes.
“You think?”
“Yes. And you do, too.”
“I do?”
“Yes, you do.”
Those wise eyes narrowed on her, and Justine
“Now?”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Good.”
“You like saying that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“I have the feeling not many men get the better of you, Justine.”
“You didn’t get the better of me,” she said, her feisty spirit sparking again.
Nigel leaned forward on his desk, resting his elbows on the blotter. “I got the very best of you, Justine.”
“How do you figure?”
Her spark and her spirit turned him on like nothing else could. Each new thing he learned about this woman showed him that she was as multifaceted as a diamond, and just as rare. There was so much more to Justine O’Neill than just bodyguard.
“By your own words. You don’t kiss your clients, yet you did kiss me.”
She shook her head and licked her lips. Those tempting lips that he’d kissed once and longed to have under his again.
“You are impossible.”
But he’d heard that before. His tenacity often pissed off people in the business world, and though his board was happy with his results, he knew there were times when a lot of people wished he’d just back down.
“Not really. I just go after what I want.”
She leaned forward, coming closer to him than she had since the moment their embrace had ended.
“You don’t want me, Nigel.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
She shook her head. “I’m not what you think I am.”
“I think you’re a virago.”
Justine leaned forward on his desk. “That word has two meanings.”
“I know. I don’t use words if I’m unclear on what they mean.”
“I don’t find either offensive,” she said.
Nigel wanted to laugh. Most women would be bothered by having it implied that she or her behavior was violent. But he’d meant that she was strong and brave. She might well be the bravest woman he knew.
And it wasn’t just because she handled weapons with the same ease most women applied their lipstick. Or the fact that he knew that physically, she could and would defend him and his daughter. Or even the quick wit that showed him she was more than just a killer with a gun who’d been hired to do a job.
Her braveness came from the fact that he’d shaken her when he’d kissed her, and she was still sitting across from him. In his experience, most women didn’t have staying power when faced with something that wasn’t comfortable for them.
His own mother had left, rather than stay and raise a boy who’d grown taller than she was. She turned into a stranger, and as he looked at the pixie-featured bodyguard, he realized he wanted her as a woman because she wasn’t one to run away.
Chapter Four
J ustine spent the rest of the flight on the BlackBerry, communicating with Sam and the team and pretending that Nigel hadn’t shaken everything she’d believed about herself and men. She knew it wasn’t every man who could affect her this way. Just Nigel, and that was what bothered her. She didn’t want him to be different from other men.
She wanted to continue distrusting him the way she did all men. Even Sam didn’t get her total trust. But Nigel was different. And she couldn’t help glancing over at him when she thought he wasn’t watching.
“Do you like my dad?”
Justine glanced to the aisle where Piper was standing, watching her with those too-old eyes of hers. Justine shrugged. “My job is to protect you and your dad, not like you.”
“Why are you watching him?”
“He’s not like most men I’ve met.”
Piper smiled. “He’s better, right?”
Justine had to smile at the little girl. There was such pride in her voice and such…hero worship when she looked at her dad. Piper thought her father was Superman. And Justine was glad for that. Little girls should have daddies who were better than superheroes.
“You think?”
“Yes. And you do, too.”
“I do?”
“Yes, you do.”
Those wise eyes narrowed on her, and Justine