could go and confront him without me. Because seriously, why would he want to see a warlock who just happens to be your boyfriend? I’m thinking that’s a recipe for disaster.”
“You’re not just any run-of-the-mill boyfriend, Oliver. Technically you could be considered his nephew.”
“I think your definition of technically needs to be redefined. I’m not his nephew since I am not Alexander Redgrave’s son, and thank goodness for that, because if I was, we wouldn’t be able to do what we did all last night.”
She frowned at him. “Why do you always have to point out the obvious? Why not just go along with it. I mean you are my Aunt Angie’s son, and my father loved her more than he loves me, so he’ll be pleased to see you.”
“Or, he’ll want to kill me—either way, what do you intend to do?”
She looked away from him. “First of all, my father couldn’t best you in any sort of a duel. He’s not a warlock.”
“I’m not going to hex your father if that’s what you think.”
“Not even if I asked you to?” she asked hopefully, causing him to erupt in laughter.
“Not even.” He smiled at her. “Maybe we should go pick up some breakfast and then head on to your house.”
“We can’t. You just blew up my bike.”
“I did, and I had my car drive itself here while you were fuming about your father.”
“Your car? You mean the one that was parked at my house? You do know my father is no one’s fool, right?” She looked wildly around her. “I have to get dressed, because if I know him the way I think I know him, he’s going to be knocking on that door in no time flat.” As if her words were sheer prophecy, loud rapping sounded at the door. Her father was going to keep pounding on that door until he bashed it in.
“Wow, your father does move fast when he’s got a fire under his ass,” Oliver mused.
“Look at me. I’m not even dressed and you’re still naked under those sheets.”
“What a clever deduction, darling,” he said. “You’ll have to get that door before he barges his way in.”
She shuffled haltingly out into the living room and moved to the front door. As her hands settled on the doorknob her robe morphed into in a sexy, clingy scarlet-colored dress that formed to her body like a second skin. Oliver had one hell of a twisted sense of humor. “Oliver, I’m going to kill you,” she muttered just as she opened the door and came face-to-face with her glowering father and brother.
“You are coming with me, little girl,” he said, his voice stern, his face mottled with fury. He looked as if he’d had one wild night. His hair was askew, his eyes bloodshot and he literally shook with fury.
Her brother, on the other hand, looked pretty much as she remembered him. Easy-going, fun-loving Adrian. His brown eyes sparkled and his hair was cropped shorter than she remembered him wearing it.
She tried closing the door in her father’s face. He stopped her by using his foot to block her from doing so.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she retorted. “And besides, you are no longer the boss of me.”
“As long as I draw breath I will make sure you stay as far away as possible from that man you have hiding in the bedroom. You will obey me, Dallas.”
“I’ll do no such thing. Like I said, you lost any power you had over me when you left me behind to gallivant around the bloody known galaxies. I don’t care what you think of Oliver. I’m in love with him, and that’s that.”
Her father looked as if he’d been slapped in the face. “I sped home when I heard those bastards almost took you. I am not about to leave you at his mercy now. Can’t you see you’re being used?”
She shook her head and crossed her arms defensively over her chest. She could sense Oliver standing directly behind her. She just prayed he’d put on some clothing. She didn’t need him standing there buck-naked in front of her father. That would only feed the fire burning inside him.
“Oliver saved me from those bastards. If it weren’t from him, I’d be dead—or worse. You never cared about my well-being before, so why start now? I wish you’d just disappear. Why don’t you go back to Redgrave House and sleep off that hangover?”
As if her wish had been granted her father disappeared