She had pondered many disguises for this night, disguises ranging anywhere from that of a frumpy homeless lady, to a streetwalker. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine herself making a convincing hooker. She was slight of build and her body had never quite…bloomed, as she’d always hoped for. She did, however, think she made an adequate transient.
She cleared her throat. Stiffening her spine, which already felt close to snapping, she said again, “I can’t go with you”
“Your little trio of drunks didn’t scare you enough?”
“No. They didn’t. And It’s not like I come here all the time. I just wanted to….”
His brows lifted. “You wanted to?”
Bonnie stared at him for a while and decided that she couldn’t discuss her feelings and activities with a total stranger. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter” she said. “But I can’t go with you. My father can’t just tell you to bring me home. I am an adult and I sure as hell can do whatever I want to do.”
He closed his eyes, his mouth twisting in an ironic smirk. “And this is your disguise? God, lady, do you have any idea how easy it was to spot you?” He took a step closer, reaching out his hand to flip a piece of her hair. “I don’t know who you thought you’d fool, but you walk like money, talk like money…hell, you even smell like money. What is it? The thrill of going slumming that has you traipsing around here dressed in that getup?”
Bonnie sucked in her breath at his vulgar question and felt her temper rise. “You claim to be a private investigator. The least you can do is behave in a civilized, polite manner.”
“Wrong.” He stepped even closer, the dark, sweat-damp hair on the exposed part of his chest nearly brushing against the tip of her nose. He had to bend low to look her in the eyes, but he managed. “The least I can do is steer your fancy little tail back where you belong. Let me take you back home, little girl. Get your thrills somewhere else, somewhere where it’s safe.”
Suffused with heat at both his nearness and his derisive attitude, it was all Bonnie could do to keep from cowering. She clicked her teeth together, then swallowed hard. “Don’t call me little, that’s your opinion. I have been out here on my own for almost two weeks…almost three and I have been fine ever since.”
Then, turning to make a grand exit, certain she’d made her point and determined to stand her ground, she said over her shoulder, “Please tell my father not to do this again, and stay the hell away from me. Goodbye, Mr Stewart.”
There was a split second of stunned silence, then an explosive curse, and Bonnie decided good breeding could take second place to caution. She reached for the door and almost had it open, when his large hand landed on the wood with a loud crack, slamming it shut again. His warm, hard chest pressed to her back, pinning her to the door. She could barely move; she could barely breathe. Then his lips touched her ear, whisper-soft, and he said, “You’re not going anywhere, sweetheart.”
Bonnie felt light headed, but she summoned a cool smile. He was deliberately trying to frighten her-she didn’t know how she knew that, but she was certain of it.
Slowly turning in what little space he allowed her, Bonnie faced him, her chin held high. “Would you mind giving me a little breathing room, please?” she asked.
“I might.” Came his reply.
Might mind, or might move? Bonnie wondered and shook her head. “You have a rather nasty habit of looming over me, Mr Stewart….”
For a moment, he remained still and silent, then thankfully, he took two steps back. He looked at her as if she might not be entirely sane.
Bonnie stuck out her hand. “Look, we probably didn’t start off right. You already know a lot about me since my father sent you to spy on me, and I’m sorry I wasn’t really appreciative about you helping me before, but you have to listen to me.”
His gaze dropped to her hand, then with a resigned look of disgust, he enfolded her small hand in his much larger one, pumping it twice before abruptly releasing her. He stared at the ceiling. “I’m not a spy”
“That’s good to know, Mr. Ste-”
“David will do.” He shook his head, and his gaze came back to her face. “Look, princess, you can’t just come to this part of town. You’ll get yourself dragged into a dark alley and mugged, possibly raped. Or worse.”
Bonnie wondered what exactly could be worse than being mugged and raped in a dark alley, but she didn’t bother asking him. She felt certain he’d come up with some dire consequence to frighten her.
He was watching her closely, and she tried to decide if it was actual concern she saw on his face. She liked to think so. Things still didn’t fit. He didn’t seem any more suited to this part of town than she did, regardless of his crude manners and bossy disposition.
But now that he’d backed up and given her some room, she was able to think again. “I made certain to stay in front of the stores and in plain sight at all times. If mischief had started, someone surely would have offered assistance.” Her eyebrows lifted and she smiled. “For example, you did.”
He muttered under his breath, and pointed an accusing finger at her. “You’re a menace.”
Glaring at him wouldn’t get her anywhere, she decided. He had found her already, and obviously he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. She cleared her throat. “I realize I don’t entirely understand how things should be done. Although I’m a bit familiar with the neighborhood, since I decided to work in the soup kitchen twice a week. I started this week and it’s not so bad…” She hesitated, then added, “I bought this coat from one of the ladies who comes in there regularly. I thought it looked authentic enough. I even bought the bag from her too-”
“Miss Rimmer…” He said her name in a long, drawn-out sigh.
Bonnie cleared her throat again, laced her fingers together, then continued like he hadn’t spoken. “Anyway, while I know the area, at least during the day, I’m still trying to find my way around and I want to get used to a normal life without all that royalty and princess stuff. That’s why, as I said, I don’t want to go home. Please just let me be and tell my father to stop worrying about me. I’m fine as you can see”