"I laughed too, but only because she missed. She had no idea the FBI was negotiating her release and had decided to take action for herself."
Kitty shivered. Goose bumps broke out across her skin, miles of pretty, tantalizing skin, from her chin down to her... Dylan jerked his gaze upward. "You need a sweater," he said. "A jacket, something." Anything to cover up all that fine-pored flesh.
She shook her head. "I'm not cold. I'm just thinking ... have you often exchanged yourself for a hostage?"
"The FBI, in principle, doesn't negotiate. But Honor's father, Warren, has more influence in Washington than ten powerful men put together. And then, of course, there's the little matter of the ambassadorship he's in line for. All that added up to a radical rescue attempt." He met Kitty's gaze. "Bottom line, money changes everything."
At that, she set her coffee cup down. "That's exactly what I've been thinking, as a matter of fact," she said. "I've been thinking about our little problem too."
Dylan froze. Whoa. He thought he'd been warming her up with the small talk, slowly working her around to the issue, and she was suddenly throwing it onto the table? "Yes," he said, wary again. "There is our little problem."
Her blue eyes were all guileless innocence. "That's why we're here, right?"
"Right." He drained his coffee, suspecting he might need to be as alert as possible. "Shall I get Pearl to refill us?" Without waiting for Kitty's answer, he looked around for the cafe's owner and spotted her leading a quartet of attractive female tourists toward an adjacent booth.
He saw the moment the foursome spied him. Their eyes widened, and one of the ladies actually cleared the floor by a couple of inches. Damn. Resigned to their interruption, he steeled himself to be gracious through the kind of conversation strangers had forced on him lately, thanks to the excessive press attention surrounding his recent cases.
But instead of approaching him, the women whispered frantically in Pearl's ear. Donning a the-customer-might-be-nuts-but-they're-always-right expression, Pearl about-faced, directing the group to a table in the opposite corner of the restaurant.
At a loss, Dylan transferred his attention to Kitty, who also was focused on the women. Then her gaze whipped back to his, her eyes shining with suspicious innocence. A tiny, satisfied smile curved her half-pucker mouth.
"Our marriage?" she reminded him, oozing artlessness. "Are you ready to talk about it?"
"Sure," he said, still on guard. "Talk."
"Okay." She tapped the table with both hands. "Let's get right down to it."
"By 'it,'" he said, just to be on the safe side, "I take it you mean our divorce or annulment or whatever the hell it is we have to do."
"Of course," she answered, as if shocked he suspected she meant anything but. "I completely understand that you want to take care of it."
Dylan pinned her with a stare. "No, Kitty. I want you to take care of it."
"Um." Her pink tongue snaked out to lick her bottom lip. "Yes. Well. Of course I will." She scooted forward on her seat and leaned toward him, causing her champagne-glass breasts to rest on the tabletop. "I think you're going to like this."
His gaze on the sweet sight across the table, he let out a soft groan.
"What's the matter?"
Closing his eyes, he ignored the question. "Tell me, Kitty. Tell me so I can get on my bike and get out of here."
"Well, I've been thinking. I believe the easiest way to break off our ... our ... association is for me to apply for a divorce on Heritage Day."
He opened his eyes. "Huh?"
She smiled. "I must know a little Hot Water trivia that you don't. Sure, we have that cute little wedding tradition - "
"'Cute little wedding tradition'?" he murmured. "Tell that to someone who isn't actually married, thanks to the outdated thing."
Her nose tilted a half-inch higher in the air, though she pretended not to hear him. "But on Heritage Day, I can also divorce you just like this." She snapped her fingers.
"Is that supposed to be a threat?" he asked.
She huffed out a sigh. "You're not listening. It's the law, Dylan. Hot Water marriages can become Hot Water divorces on Heritage Day, just another safeguard for those Eastern women who agreed to take on Gold Rush husbands, practically sight unseen."
"Is that true? I don't remember hearing that."
Kitty waved a hand. "Check it out for yourself. The town doesn't publicize any of the potential legalities, yon know that. They don't suit