Free McDonald_SS_GEN_Nov2014 by Donna McDonald Page B

pulling it from the holster until she could do it with great ease. She left the safety off as she slid it back into the holster the final time.
    When he offered Megan her choice of guns for her work with him, she talked him into dropping two large on the closest thing she could find to her Marine issued M45 desert gun. She said she needed her work version to have the longest sight radius and the most power she could get if he wanted her to hit anything as far away as fifty yards.
    David shook his head. He was going to have to come to terms with her, but in Combat Barbie mode, Megan became a stranger to him. She lowered her voice, spoke in clipped tones, and had every single man who worked for him drooling and obeying her. Hell, married ones too. Not that Megan gave any of them any hope. Somehow she could garner all the male interest she wanted without showing a scrap in return.
    Except when it came to one man who managed to make his baby sister smile just by walking into a room. Nicolas had picked her up from work last evening. She’d skipped out with a grin wearing butt-ugly hunting khakis paired with a dark green t-shirt. His best friend since college had looked at her like she’d been dressed in a negligee.
    He’d been thinking for the last couple of days about his geeky, society smooth best friend who always had clean fingernails trying to hook up with his lanky, foul-mouthed sister who thought social graces were for weenies. His brain couldn’t figure out what they saw in each other. But it must be something strong…and something serious. He could tell Megan was on edge today. His gut told him concern for Nicolas was why.
    “So did you and Nicolas get things straightened out between you last night?”
    Gun secured to her satisfaction under her skirt, Megan dropped the fluffy idiocy of fabric and let it fall down over everything under it.
    “If that’s a dirty joke, or some lame attempt to find out what’s going on with my sex life, I’m going to kick your ass, David.”
    David snorted at the instantly issued threat. Her temper and lack of humor had always cracked him up. “Okay. Let me put this in a way your Nicolas-obsessed mind might actually be able to hear as the concern it genuinely is. Are you good to go with guarding him today?”
    “I’m here and dressed in the slutty outfit you picked out, aren’t I?”
    Megan walked to the dress box and lifted out the Santa hat. Its tail hung so long the white fur ball on the end bounced against her waist. At least it covered one breast. Pulling the hat on until it sat comfortably, she figured it didn’t matter how it looked since no one was going to see it well from the streets anyway.
    She turned and winced, twisting her bad leg a little when a hand clamped onto her shoulder. Her brother was suddenly standing eyeball to eyeball with her. His serious brown eyes stared into hers.
    “Look—I’m not trying to give you grief or make you talk about anything private. I’m just asking if you’re really okay. Try to believe I care about you for a half a second and tell me something to make me be less concerned.”
    “You don’t have to worry. I’m going to be fine,” she said.
    “Good. I’m saving the full brotherly interrogation of my sister’s boyfriend for after the parade. Since I’ve never had to worry about you and any man before, this is a little strange for me. I’m still adjusting to the idea of you and Nicolas.”
    Huffing out a sigh, she nodded and tried to take what David said in the best possible light.
    “Okay. I’m sorry. I am a little edgy today, but it’s under control.”
    “Why are you edgy? Is he lousy in bed? I know Nicolas hasn’t had a lot of practice with women but. . .ouch! Damn it, Megan. You have one hell of a punch. And you have no sense of humor where he’s concerned.”
    “Damn right I don’t,” Megan said, turning to the door when she heard a throat clearing.
    A turquoise-eyed man in most of a Santa suit was grinning