“You need sleep, not coffee.”
“But that one guy is here, doing that one thing.” She frowned because she couldn’t remember. “What’s his name?”
“Harris,” the man said from somewhere. “I’ve finished.”
“Already? That was fast.”
“Expediency is our motto.” He handed her a clipboard. “So I’ll just need you to sign off on this and I’ll get it filed.”
Amery held the pen poised at the bottom of the paper, and then the next second the clipboard was gone. She glared up at Master Black, who’d gotten way too close. “Hey, what’re you doing?”
“You’re just signing this without reading it?”
She fought another yawn and the temptation to rest her head on his broad shoulder. She muttered, “I’m exhausted and just want to be done with this.”
“Which is all the more reason for you to wait until you’re coherent to sign a legally binding document.” He shoved the clipboard back at the agent. “You’ve done the preliminary work. She’ll be in touch about finalizing it.”
“She’s already called the window replacement company. We won’t pay the claim without her signature. And most of the companies expect COD in these situations.”
“Amery, which glass company did you call?”
Her fuzzy brain rallied and she said, “Bet Your Glass, on Colfax.”
“I’ve dealt with them. They owe me a favor. They’ll waive the COD fee and I can get them here within the hour.”
More male bickering. Amery closed her eyes and tuned them out.
That wonderful darkness beckoned only to be yanked away when someone poked her shoulder. “What?”
“Chaz is taking me home. I have class in an hour.”
She opened a bleary eye and squinted at Molly. “But I thought you were going to stay until the glass guys were done?”
Molly’s gaze darted to the right. “Master Black said he’d be happy to handle it for you. That’s okay, isn’t it?”
“Of course it’s okay,” Chaz inserted. He squeezed Amery’s shoulder. “She’s exhausted and who better to trust her safety with than her self-defense instructor?”
Ronin flashed Amery a wolfish grin that no one else saw.
“Besides, Emmylou is here and she promised to lock up after the new windows are installed. So we’re heading out, okay, sweets?”
Amery was too tired to argue. She closed her eyes when Chaz kissed her forehead. Her mind blanked out the hushed voices until they faded completely and sleep teased the edges of her consciousness.
Ronin’s deep voice roused her again. “You can’t sleep in the chair.”
Dammit. Why wouldn’t everyone just leave her alone? “Fine. I’ll go sleep in my bed.” She mustered the will to push upright. Her feet seemed to be encased in cement blocks as she trudged to the back door that led to her loft. After nearly tripping, she slapped herself in the face to stay focused. Seeing the twisty metal staircase leading to her living space put an extra spring in her step.
A hard hand landed on her shoulder. “Slow down. Don’t want this pretty face of yours smacking into the concrete.”
She wheeled around. “What are you still doing here?”
“Helping you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Seriously.”
“Seriously. I don’t know.” He encroached on her space, coming chest-to-chest with her. “So will you please cut me a break and let me make sure you fall face-first in your bed and not on the floor?”
Something . . . oddly sweet flickered in his penetrating stare, and her flip comment dried up. “Thank you, Ronin.”
He smoothed her hair from her cheek. “My pleasure.”
Why didn’t it bother her that he touched her with such familiarity? Amery turned away before she did something stupid like face-plant into that amazing chest of his.
He followed her closely up the stairs. That breathing-down-her-neck proximity didn’t change when she cut toward her bedroom. She crawled into the unmade bed and wrapped her arms around the closest pillow with an enormous sigh.
A soft laugh sounded behind her.
Then she felt him unzipping her boots. She wiggled her toes and sighed again.
“Need my help with the rest of your clothes?”
She cracked one eye open and looked at him. “Nice try.”
“I could point out half of what you’re wearing belongs to me and it’s within my rights to demand you return it.”
“Go away, Ronin.”
“I will.” He covered her with her comforter. “But I’ll be back.”
That’s the last thing Amery remembered.
CHAPTER THREE
THE following day Amery felt Ronin Black’s eyes on her before she knew he’d entered her office. No lie, the man had that stealthy approach down. She spun her chair toward him and her belly cartwheeled at the heated way he looked at her.
She continued her phone conversation, but her focus remained on him. “No. That isn’t a problem at all. Absolutely. I can have the changes to you by tomorrow. Thank you.” She hung up. “I assume Molly sent you back?”
Ronin leaned against the doorjamb, looking delectable and dangerous in a short-sleeved black polo, dark jeans, and modified combat boots. “Yes. She said to tell you she was going to lunch.”
“So, Master Black, why are you here?”
“Ronin,” he corrected.
“Okay, Ronin. What brings you by today?”
“I want to hire you.”
She hadn’t been expecting that—and maybe she felt a tiny kernel of disappointment that he wasn’t here because he intended to act on this undeniable attraction between them.
Maybe he’s disappointed that you haven’t acknowledged how much he helped you out yesterday.
Guilt for her oversight caused her to blurt out, “Thank you for sticking around and dealing with the glass installers yesterday morning after I went comatose.”
“You’re welcome. The workers didn’t milk the installation time with me watching them.”
She suspected Master Black’s displeased glare was hot enough to melt glass.
“Besides, it gave me a chance to look at your graphic art work more closely and decide to hire you.”
“Hire me for what?”
“To create a new logo for Black Arts. I’d like to scrap what we’ve got and start from scratch. Is that a project you’d be interested in tackling?”