Beast Behaving Badly
Page 14
Not when you put it that way.
Of course you dont. Thats what Im here for. To ensure your life is not spent in misery and despair. And youre here to ensure that I rock this years championship. Dude, this is a win-win situation.
Dont call me dude. And is it really that hard to rock the derby circuit?
As a matter of fact
Are your shorts not short enough? Do you need a pushup bra?
Im trying to help you here.
Im still not sure I need your help.
Oh, you do. She placed her hand to her upper chest. And because Im a kind, giving person, thats what Im going to do. Help you.
How?
Im working on that. But until I figure you out, we can work on me.
Bo looked at his watch, cringing when he realized hed already lost twenty-eight minutes sitting here talking to her. Blayne, I really dont have time to
Come on. An hour in the mornings? One hour? It isnt like this will be forever, either. Just until the championships.
Bo went over the schedule in his head.
She placed both hands on his forearm and looked up at him. Please?
Christ, how could he turn that face down, complete with big puppy dog eyes? He couldnt. He couldnt turn that face down. One hour. From seven to eight. But thats it.
Yay! Without a running start, Blayne leaped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Thank you! This is great! She hugged him but let go before he could get his arms around her. Dammit!
She wiggled on her skates. I am so excited!
Be on time, Blayne, he told her.
Yeah, sure.
No, no. He caught hold of her arm. Youre still wearing this stupid watch.
Its pretty.
But it doesnt tell the time. How are you going to be on time if you dont have a working watch?
Ill be on time. I promise! She suddenly hugged him again, her arms around his waist. Oh! She leaned back, looking up at him. Speaking of which, what time is it?
Eight thirty.
Shit! Im so fucking late! She skated away from him.
This does not fill me with confidence, Blayne.
Ill be here. Tomorrow at seven. Ill be on time! I promise!
She skated away from him and over to a pile of . . . stuff. She viciously shoved all that stuff into a backpackwithout even a modicum of attempting to organize it firstand pulled the straps onto her shoulders. Thank you . . . uh . ..
You dont know my name?
I know your name! I just dont know what to call you. Do I call you Novikov or Coach or Mr. Novikov or The Marauder?
Bo. Call me Bo.
I like Novikov. And he wondered why shed bothered asking him in the first place. And you can call me Blayne.
Like Ive been doing?
Exactly!
She headed off for the door.
Are you skating to work?
She stopped, looked down at her skates. Oops, she said with a laugh. I guess I am now. She looked back at him and shrugged. If Im late to the office, Gwens gonna have my ass. Oh! And Im not speaking to her today anyway. Ha! Take that, feline who thinks Im too weak for the Babes!
Then she was gone and Bo wondered what the hell hed just gotten himself into.
Dee was heading toward the sports center when Blayne Thorpe suddenly shot out the doors and skated off down the street.
Dees hands turned into fists and she growled, making the full-humans on their way to work skirt away from her.
That girl! That damn girl! She bounced around the world like a jumping bean. Here, there, every damn where! How were Dee and her team supposed to keep a constant eye on the little idiot when she kept bouncing around?
It was bad enough Dee was forced to do this at all. It was bad enough that the Van Holtz men who ran the Group, the organization she currently worked for, insisted that one wolfdog needed this level of protection. It was bad enough that every time Dee came face to face with Blayne Thorpe, the woman yelled out her name like they were on opposite ends of the earth. But for Dee to have to lower herself to protect a female she was positive was simply a teacup poodle in disguise rather than a predator worth stealing was the height of insult.
For the past two months, Dee had been begging Niles Van Holtz to release her from this bullshit duty. To let her off-leash on more important things than the safety and care of one energy-infused idiot. But did he listen? No. At least he didnt listen to her. Instead he listened to that nephew/ cousin/direct bloodlinewhatever the hell he called him, Ulrich Van Holtz. And Ulrich was all sorts of concerned about Blayne Thorpe, Useless Girl.
Normally, Dee would have quit this bitch by now. She didnt need money this badly. But the Group had potential for giving her what she wanted in the long term. Dee was all about big picture thinking, and shed already started moving on her plans to start her own division. But until someoneanyone!snatched Blayne Thorpe merely because she was a hybrid so the Group could catch those full-humans in the act and take them down, Dee was trapped watching after this . . . this . . . poodle!
Of course you dont. Thats what Im here for. To ensure your life is not spent in misery and despair. And youre here to ensure that I rock this years championship. Dude, this is a win-win situation.
Dont call me dude. And is it really that hard to rock the derby circuit?
As a matter of fact
Are your shorts not short enough? Do you need a pushup bra?
Im trying to help you here.
Im still not sure I need your help.
Oh, you do. She placed her hand to her upper chest. And because Im a kind, giving person, thats what Im going to do. Help you.
How?
Im working on that. But until I figure you out, we can work on me.
Bo looked at his watch, cringing when he realized hed already lost twenty-eight minutes sitting here talking to her. Blayne, I really dont have time to
Come on. An hour in the mornings? One hour? It isnt like this will be forever, either. Just until the championships.
Bo went over the schedule in his head.
She placed both hands on his forearm and looked up at him. Please?
Christ, how could he turn that face down, complete with big puppy dog eyes? He couldnt. He couldnt turn that face down. One hour. From seven to eight. But thats it.
Yay! Without a running start, Blayne leaped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Thank you! This is great! She hugged him but let go before he could get his arms around her. Dammit!
She wiggled on her skates. I am so excited!
Be on time, Blayne, he told her.
Yeah, sure.
No, no. He caught hold of her arm. Youre still wearing this stupid watch.
Its pretty.
But it doesnt tell the time. How are you going to be on time if you dont have a working watch?
Ill be on time. I promise! She suddenly hugged him again, her arms around his waist. Oh! She leaned back, looking up at him. Speaking of which, what time is it?
Eight thirty.
Shit! Im so fucking late! She skated away from him.
This does not fill me with confidence, Blayne.
Ill be here. Tomorrow at seven. Ill be on time! I promise!
She skated away from him and over to a pile of . . . stuff. She viciously shoved all that stuff into a backpackwithout even a modicum of attempting to organize it firstand pulled the straps onto her shoulders. Thank you . . . uh . ..
You dont know my name?
I know your name! I just dont know what to call you. Do I call you Novikov or Coach or Mr. Novikov or The Marauder?
Bo. Call me Bo.
I like Novikov. And he wondered why shed bothered asking him in the first place. And you can call me Blayne.
Like Ive been doing?
Exactly!
She headed off for the door.
Are you skating to work?
She stopped, looked down at her skates. Oops, she said with a laugh. I guess I am now. She looked back at him and shrugged. If Im late to the office, Gwens gonna have my ass. Oh! And Im not speaking to her today anyway. Ha! Take that, feline who thinks Im too weak for the Babes!
Then she was gone and Bo wondered what the hell hed just gotten himself into.
Dee was heading toward the sports center when Blayne Thorpe suddenly shot out the doors and skated off down the street.
Dees hands turned into fists and she growled, making the full-humans on their way to work skirt away from her.
That girl! That damn girl! She bounced around the world like a jumping bean. Here, there, every damn where! How were Dee and her team supposed to keep a constant eye on the little idiot when she kept bouncing around?
It was bad enough Dee was forced to do this at all. It was bad enough that the Van Holtz men who ran the Group, the organization she currently worked for, insisted that one wolfdog needed this level of protection. It was bad enough that every time Dee came face to face with Blayne Thorpe, the woman yelled out her name like they were on opposite ends of the earth. But for Dee to have to lower herself to protect a female she was positive was simply a teacup poodle in disguise rather than a predator worth stealing was the height of insult.
For the past two months, Dee had been begging Niles Van Holtz to release her from this bullshit duty. To let her off-leash on more important things than the safety and care of one energy-infused idiot. But did he listen? No. At least he didnt listen to her. Instead he listened to that nephew/ cousin/direct bloodlinewhatever the hell he called him, Ulrich Van Holtz. And Ulrich was all sorts of concerned about Blayne Thorpe, Useless Girl.
Normally, Dee would have quit this bitch by now. She didnt need money this badly. But the Group had potential for giving her what she wanted in the long term. Dee was all about big picture thinking, and shed already started moving on her plans to start her own division. But until someoneanyone!snatched Blayne Thorpe merely because she was a hybrid so the Group could catch those full-humans in the act and take them down, Dee was trapped watching after this . . . this . . . poodle!
