Page 84 of Contention

His grin is like the cat that caught the canary. Dietrich’s eyeteeth are sharp, well defined, giving him a wolf-like edge. “A girl after my own heart.”

Does a man like you even have a heart?

Feeling strangely humiliated, Kara glowers at him, at his mocking expression. “Why am I here, Dieter? So, you can pick me apart with words? Demean me?”

He says nothing, eyes looking at her with a certain amount of expectation. A look that says,don’t play stupid with me.

“I never agreed to work for you. I’mnotjoining your account. This is a one-time, twisted experiment and you are clearly a loose cannon when it comes to abiding the law. I don’t want to work for a man like you.”

Dietrich sits up, stretching once more in a manner that tells Kara he’s showing her his physique, wants her to drool over his body, wants her to wonder what’s beneath his waistband. Bastard. “Is that so? A man like me? You’ve already been telling pretty white lies to the law for me. You’ve been helping Gale with my documents all morning.” His smile is positively delighted as he breathes out on his exhale, “You’re practically mine already.”

Kara feels her heart drop into her stomach as she stares at him, feeling horror suffuse her body. “But I haven’tagreedto anything.”

“You will. Otherwise, I’ll have it on record that you purposely lied on a statement to an official of the law, along with anything else I want to come up with. I can come up withanything.”

Gale had warned her that he’s a schemer. But the question is stillwhy?

“You’re a snake,” Kara hisses, seeing red, lunging to shove him off his chair.

She expects resistance. Instead, he easily lets her push him onto his back. Kara is practically straddling him as she loses balance, her hands catching on his chest. He’s looking up at her with serious, liquid green eyes that seem to know every feeling, every dark feeling Kara doesn’t want to admit as they flit through her body. And, like a hypnotist, he has her frozen in place, unable to look away from his gaze. Unbelievably, his muscles relax under her, his body completely submitting.

Kara feels like panicking and she doesn’t know why. Steeling herself, she tries to hold on to anger, nice and prickly. Breathing heavily, she says, “I don’t like being threatened. Threatening my career will get you nowhere.”

She feels him sigh underneath her, feels the shift in his muscles. Staring up at her, unmoving, Dietrich says thickly, “You’ve made your point. Let me up.” His voice drops. “Please?”

The feeling that hits Kara makes her sit away from him like he’s an open flame. Slowly, he pushes himself back up into a sitting position, cracking his neck idly as he eyeballs her with a shadowed expression. He moves with a certain animal grace that makes Kara uncomfortable in so many ways.

“I’m going back down by Gale, now,” Kara says shakily. “You’re not being nice. I’m not interested in being a ‘chew toy.’”

“You want to play hard to get?” He asks her waspishly, eyes darkening. “That’s your prerogative.”

He’s clearly appalled, this spoiled man-child. Pissed off. She didn’t fall for his animal magnetism like everyone else. Kara knows he’s got a temper not unlike her own; the dark look in his eyes can’t be faked. She didn’t play along the way he’d wanted.

She wants to tell him to get used to disappointment where she’s concerned.

Huffing, Kara pulls on her blouse, grabbing her water bottle as she goes to head down the ladder. His irritated voice stops her. “You should know. I’m the type of friend peopleneed, not the one theywant. Remember that next time you’re in need of a favor.”

Shuddering, Kara doesn’t turn, doesn’t want to see his eyes picking her apart with surgical precision.

Leaving him to return to Gale’s side, Kara struggles to keep her unease off her face. Gale looks at her, distinctly worried. Kara goes to her side quickly and sits down, whispering to her, “It’s alright, he didn’t do anything to me. Just words.”

Gale’s lips purse, unreadable. She whispers, “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I didn’t think he’d take to you, the way he has.”

Kara doesn’t understand what he’s after, but she knows he’s not interested in her in the ‘typical’ way. He’s interested in anoutcome; she just doesn’t know what that outcome is.

Shortly after, they dock. As everyone deboards, saying their goodbyes, Kara slips away after hugging Gale. She doesn’t want to be around when Dietrich gets down from his ‘tower’.

As Kara walks away from the marina, she hears Gale speaking with him.

“Are you staying down here tonight?”

“Yeah, with Walter,” he replies casually. Goatee Man Walter.

Kara stubs her toe on the cement, her mind pausing on his words; he’s going out and that means…Nick is likely going to be with him. She doesn’t understand why it bothers her. Then, her chest stings as she realizes why Dietrich had been asking about the exclusivity.

He wanted to know where she stands with Nick, knowing he’s going out with him later. The devious bastard!

It makes her feel miserable.

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