temper was in full swing, and there was no stopping it until it had
blown itself out.
"That man was the idiot," she shot back. "I was just doing my job."
"Doing your job damn near got you raped. The son of a bitch had his hand
under your skirt."
She could still feel it, the way it had groped at her. Nausea bubbled up
to her throat and was ruthlessly swallowed down. "I'm aware of that.
Things like that don't happen at Shiney's."
"It just did happen at Shiney's."
"It doesn't draw that kind of clientele usually. He wasn't local. He
was--"
"He was there." Ethan swung into her drive, hit the brakes, then shut
the engine off with a hard flick of the wrist. "And so were you. Mopping
up some bar in the middle of the goddamn night, by yourself. And what
were you going to do when you were done? Walk almost two damn miles?"
"I could have gotten a ride, except--"
"Except you're too stiff-necked to ask for one," he finished. "You'd
rather limp home in those mile-high heels than ask a favor."
She had sneakers in her bag, but decided it wouldn't help to mention it.
Her bag, she remembered, which was back at the unlocked pub. Now she
would have to go back first thing in the morning, get her things, and
lock up before the boss checked.
"Well, thank you very much for your opinion of my failings, and the
lecture. And the damn ride home." She shoved at the door, only to have
Ethan grab her arm and yank her back.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"I'm going home. I'm going to soak my stiff-neck and my idiot-brain and
go to bed."
"I haven't finished."
"I've finished." She jerked free and jumped out. If it hadn't been for
the blasted heels, she might have made it. But he was out the opposite
door and blocking her way before she'd taken three strides. "I have
nothing more to say." Her voice was cold and dismissive. Her chin was
high.
"Good. You can just listen. If you won't quit at the pub--which is just
what you should do--you're going to take some basic precautions.
Reliable transportation comes first."
"Don't you tell me what I have to do."
"Shut up."
She did, but only because she was stunned speechless. She'd never, in
all the years she'd known him, seen Ethan like this. In the moonlight
she could see that the fury in his eyes hadn't dimmed a bit. His face
was like stone, the shadows flittering over it making it seem harsh,
even dangerous.
"We'll see that you get a car you can trust," he continued, in that same
edgy tone. "And you won't be closing on your own again. When you finish
your shift, I want somebody walking you out to your car and waiting
until you lock it and drive off."
"That's just ridiculous."
He stepped forward. Though he didn't touch her, didn't lift a hand, she