“You ever pay the bill like that again, I’m spanking yourass.”
She said nothing.
Until she did.
And it was…
“Cute.”
Chapter Six
Butch and Sundance
Dutch
Dutch lay on his back on his couch with a book in hishand and a cat on his chest.
The only reason he was there and not out on the streetslooking for Carlyle was because they’d spent the afternoon searching forCarlyle.
They’d checked everywhere they’d known to check, and beingon the kids beat, Georgie knew even more spots than Dutch did.
They’d also put bugs in as many ears as they could talkinto, including Vance Crowe.
And Georgie had phoned her two street kids-not-kids to askthem to keep on the lookout and do that with a purpose.
These dudes called themselves “Banga” and “Kraken,” and justthat made Dutch’s stomach tighten at the thought she was associating withwhatever lunatics these guys were.
Because seriously…
Kraken?
He listened over her speakerphone as they assured her theywere on it.
And then it started to get late, and Georgie had pitched afit about Dutch continuing to look while she was on her date-not-date because,“Who’s going to keep Murtagh company?”
He was in love with her cat, but he wanted to find Carlylemore.
Georgie impressed upon him he couldn’t run himself ragged orthey’d never find Carlyle.
She then told him they had to let the folks they’d roped into help have time to do something about it, adding something about a watchedkettle never boiling.
She ended all this on what really did it.
That if Murtagh did not have time to get used to his housebefore she got there, no way she could spend the night with him, because if shebrought Murtagh over, he would be disoriented in a new space and she wouldn’tbe able to concentrate on Dutch.
Obviously, on that, he gave in.
It was when Dutch was hanging at her pad while she got readyfor her date-not-date, already having taken all of Murtagh’s shit and Georgie’sovernight bag down to his truck, that things got iffy.
Because she came out looking shit-hot in a little blackdress that was way off the shoulder, had long bell sleeves, the hem hit herjust above the knees, it was skintight, and the capper was the pair of sexyblack stiletto sandals on her feet.
He had, he thought, justifiably lost his mind and told herto go change.
She had, he thought, totally insanely lost hers and told himhe couldn’t tell her to change her clothes or tell her to do, say,anything.
“You’rewearin’ that to get infofrom this guy?And you walk outto mewearin’that dress and I know you’rewearin’ it and up tothat?Are you serious with this shit?”he demanded to know.
“No, dummy,” she retorted.“I’m wearing itfor you.I mean, who am I going home to at the end of the night?”
