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squeeze.
    She didn't shrug him off.
"Little? I think he peed more when he saw the dog than an elephant does in
an entire day," Misha giggled.
    Alex nodded, secretly
wishing that he had been the one sending the bully running away from Misha with
his tail tucked between his legs. He reluctantly admitted to himself that, when
compared to Kena, even a man of Alex's size and stature looked dwarfed.
    It took them less than two
hours for Misha to load the full extent of her personal belongings into her
truck. Alex shook his head, remaining silent about how sparsely the woman
lived, and wondered if he was paying his employees enough to not only survive,
but to get ahead in life. Personally, he preferred the simpler way of living.
If not for Carla, he would never have bought the huge colonial and twenty-five
acres of adjacent property in Deer Springs. The twelve years he'd spent in the
elite forces had been good ones, and he missed camping, sleeping in a tent, and
living off the land. He knew how much Misha loved working in the field. Would she like to take a camping trip
sometime?
    Alex was amazed when Misha
requested that he drive the truck back to his house, and astonished that she
did not scold him for helping her into the seat and buckling her in. Several
times, he caught her trying to hide the fact that she had been studying his
hardened, chiseled features in the dimming light of early evening. He glanced
at her, feeling her eyes on him, and winked. Misha blushed brightly and whipped
around to pretend to watch the road, grunting as Alex chuckled.
    "I have to confess,
that was kind of fun," he said, to break the silence. "Did you see
how he squeezed himself into that little car?"
    "It's even funnier
watching him trying to get out," Misha snickered. "Thanks for coming
with me and for letting me borrow the puppy dog. She's such a good girl."
Misha kissed the dog's nose as Kena nuzzled her shoulder from behind the front
seat.
    "If it's okay with you,
I'll make some calls tomorrow and see what we can do about making him return
all your money. It's the least he can do after breaking into your home and
harassing you."
    "Do
you think I could get some of it back? He has two grand of my
deposit—"
    "He
pissed me off, Mish. It is your call, but I would love to have my attorney sue
him for every penny you spent. My guy is the best and works on retainer, so it
won't cost you a cent. Well?"
    "Ordinarily
I would refuse, but this jerk deserves to pay. Go for it, and thank you. I can
use it to go towards buying my own ranch."
    After pulling into the
estate grounds and settling Kena in her room with her litter, Alex announced
that it was time for Misha to select which room she wanted. Lifting her chin,
she chose the tiny maid's room located farthest away from the master suites, and
closest to the kitchen. Alex protested loudly, insisting that she deserved a
real room, and demanded that she choose another.
    Misha crossed her arms to
glare at him. "I will not be taking charity, Mr. Hodges. This room meets
my needs just fine. If you have changed your mind regarding my stay, say so
now."
    "You are kind of stuck
here, you know. You were evicted, remember?" he answered her, solidly
meeting her glare. "Are you going to try to pick a fight with me every
time you get a chance? There is no need to be so obstinate. Whether you pick
the grand suite or the mud room, it will still cost you dog food and cleaning
up her mess."
    She lifted her eyebrow and
crossed her arms. Without breaking eye contact, Misha impatiently began to tap
her right foot on the tile. The staring contest lasted three full minutes
before Alex finally threw his arms into the air.
    "I'm too tired to fight
tonight. Very well, it's yours. If you change your mind, you're free to move
into another room. I just thought you would enjoy something larger, for when
Rodin gets bigger and will want to den with you."
    "Thank you, but I'm
satisfied with this one. Be serious now. How much for rent?"
    "We