***

The rest of my shift went well.  I didn’t see Scott again which was a blessing; I needed some time to get my shit together before I saw him again.

“You did good tonight, girl,” Amy smiled at me as she gave me a compliment.

“Thanks, Amy, that means a lot.”

“You coming back for some more tonight?”

“I’m not sure when Scott wants me to work again but I hope so because I need the money.”

“Well, we’re down staff so I reckon you’ll be called in for tonight.”

“Great.”  I followed her and our security guy outside.  There was a rule that he was to escort all the staff to their cars at the end of their shift.  Amy took off to her car and I headed towards mine.  I was stunned to see Scott leaning against it, arms crossed over his chest, and one foot casually crossed over the other.  He nodded at the security guy who then left us alone.  I just stood rooted to the spot, not sure what to do or say.

He slowly pushed off from the car and uncrossed his arms.  “You’re right.  I’ve never had nice,” he said gruffly.

I was still slightly annoyed at him.  “Well, I can highly recommend it, and I’m sure I could suggest some places to go looking for it.”

“Don’t push me, Harlow.  I’m trying to apologise here,” he warned me in that low, gravelly voice that threatened to melt my panties.  Damn.

“You say that like I should be thankful for your apology; like I should worship at your feet for it.”  I knew I was perhaps being a little snarky but, bloody hell, I’d had enough of men who thought I owed them something just for them being nice to me.  From now on, I would be an equal in a relationship or I wouldn’t be in the relationship at all.

He grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me to him.  “I don’t apologise to people.  Ever.”

“Well, bully for you,” I said and pushed against his chest to try and put some space between us but he held on to me, keeping me close.

“Fuck, woman.  Are you always this much work?”

I stopped trying to get away from him and glared at him.  “I may have told you that I wanted one night with you but I didn’t mean I would be an easy lay.  You’d have to work for it because I have high standards these days.”

“I can deal with high standards, babe, but I need some give and take.  When I’m trying to fix something I’ve said or done wrong, I need you to work with me rather than stay in your pissy mood and prolong the whole fucking thing.”

“You really have a way of making something you’ve said sound wrong when actually it was the right thing to say, don’t you?”

“I just say it like it is.  People can take it or leave it; I don’t give a fuck.”

God, he was exasperating and hot all at the same time.  It was seriously doing my head in.  “And what would you say if I said I wanted to leave it?”

“I’d tell you to stop fucking around.”

“So, in other words, you do give a fuck where I’m concerned.”  I was starting to enjoy this conversation.

He scowled.  “Don’t twist my words.”

I smiled innocently at him.  “I’m not really twisting them, but it is fun to point out the obvious to you.”

He blew out a breath and then muttered, “Just get in the car.”  He wasn’t pointing at my car though; he was pointing at the Charger parked next to mine.

“That’s not my car.”

“I know, babe.  It’s mine.”

“Why would I be getting in your car?”

“Because I’m driving you home in it.”  He’d unlocked and opened my door and was gesturing for me to get in.

Oh, good Lord!  “I’m quite capable of driving myself home, Scott.”

“Yeah, well I’m driving you home so just get in the damn car.”  He looked shitty with me again.

My natural reaction was to continue to argue with him but I quickly assessed the situation and decided it’d just be easier if I got in the car and let him drive me home.  “Fine, but what about my car?  Will it be safe here?”

He nodded and put his hand out.  “Give me your keys.  Griff’s gonna drive your car to your house and then I’ll bring him back here.”

“You’re not kidding are you?”  It seemed like a lot of effort to go to.

“I don’t kid,” he said and looked towards Griff who was walking our way.

I shook my head, reached in my bag for my keys and handed them over.  Then, I got in his car and shut up.  I thought it really was the only thing to do at that point.

Chapter 12

Scott

“I told you I don’t trust that motherfucker.”

Griff held up his hand to stop me.  “All I told you was that they were Blade’s boys.  We don’t know if he’s sent them or if they came on their own.”

“Don’t give me that shit, Griff.  Of course he fuckin’ sent them.  And now Harlow’s in the middle of all this.”

“We’ll keep her out of it.”

“Bullshit.  You saw them watching her last night.”

“Maybe they were just checking her out rather than watching her for Blade.”

I scoffed.  “No, they’d been sent to trail her.  What I want to know is, why?”