Hardheaded Brunette Read Free

and lowered her voice. "No, he's just trying to make you incriminate yourself."
    "Aww, and you think I'm innocent of all charges." Kane patted her hand. "That's so cute."
    She grimaced. "You know he's itching to snap those handcuffs on you for no reason." What woman wouldn't want to cuff a man like Kane?
    As if he read her mind, Kane flashed a sly smile. "And right when I'm about to give him a good reason to, love, here you are protecting me."
    Yes, she was. "What was I thinking?"
    Kane chuckled. "You were probably thinking about putting those cuffs on me yourself."
    Gilda's face burned. She forced her gaze toward the lake, away from Kane's bare, broad chest and damp hair.
    "Hand me your sword." Fabio cleared his throat and broke into the conversation. He set aside the stick and took the katana. "I'll give it a try."
    Kane picked up the stick and blocked Fabio's swing without much obvious effort. "So, how are things? Last I heard, you got shot, mate. Mick said you made a solid recovery though."
    "Mick's lousy at keeping secrets." Fabio took another swing.
    Kane blocked again, glancing at Gilda with a sly grin. "Especially about women."
    Gilda gritted her teeth and glared. Suddenly she itched to take a swipe at him with the training sword, dull or not.
    Marion leaped to her feet and pushed her way between Kane and Gilda. "You leave her alone. She's Mick's girlfriend, and you don't stand a chance." She tossed her hair. "On the other hand, I'm single."
    While Marion seemed smitten, Gilda's gut churned. She already had mixed emotions about Kane. Handsome and built like a bodybuilder, he seemed to make himself a little too comfortable—particularly as he draped his arm across her tanned shoulders to lead them all to Phoenix Martial Arts.
    Before they'd walked up the beach five feet, a lean woman dressed in black yoga pants and a short purple tank top stormed toward them. Her long chestnut hair glistened with golden stripes and fluttered around her face in the breeze coming off Lake Erie.
    "Uh-oh." Kane sidled over until Gilda was in front of him.
    The woman stopped in front of them and folded her arms, enhancing the already impressive cleavage that threatened to spill out of her low-cut top. Her dark pink lips jutted out in a dramatic pout. "Kane, what on earth did you do this time?"
    Thayer came to an abrupt halt. His mouth dropped open as he stared and stammered. "I…we…this guy…"
    Kane leaned down until his face was near Gilda's and he peered over her shoulder. "Aww, crap. Protect me from this one, will ya, mates? This is the rare Tasmanian She-devil."
    The woman huffed. "Is that what you're calling me these days?"
    Gilda tried to shrug Kane off. "Are you crazy?"
    "Well, I don't have the market cornered on crazy," Kane said. "I'm just an innocent by-product, although I am doing everything I can to perpetuate the myth. If you can get me away from her, I'll be indebted to you forever, love."
    Gilda inched away. "You are crazy."
    Kane sighed. "You would be too if you'd lived my life, love, especially with that she-devil."
    "Police?" A smile bloomed on the tall woman's face like a summer rose and her sky blue eyes lit up. She toyed with her hair and batted her fake lashes. "Did you get in trouble again, Kane? I can't leave you alone for a moment, can I?"
    Kane's face reddened as he scowled. "No, but it would be nice if you would."
    "I should let them lock you up." She laughed.
    "That would get me away from you for sure then." Kane held out his wrist to Fabio. "Take me. I'm yours. I'll even invent a charge for you to slap on me."
    "Excuse me. How do you know this man?" Thayer puffed out his chest and brushed back his short, blond hair, assuming what Gilda not so affectionately called his peacock pose. "He was caught wielding a dangerous weapon on a public beach. I could charge him with several misdemeanor offences related to the sword alone."
    The woman seemed amused. "Trust me, his weapon isn't lethal. Neither is the