Stolen Kiss With The Hollywood Starlet. Lauri Robinson

caught the full understanding of that. Blondie didn’t listen to anyone. “All right,” he said, walking toward the table where she sat.

      Blondie shot to her feet. “No, it ain’t all right. I ain’t got noth—” She drew in a deep breath and huffed it out. “I don’t have anything to say to you.” She pointed at him and then herself. “We don’t have anything to talk about.”

      It took effort to keep a grin at bay at how she corrected her speech. He waited as Julia and Greta cleared the dishes from the table and walked into the kitchen. “We don’t?”

      She crossed her arms, but bowed her head slightly. “Well, it was nice of you to keep us from getting arrested, so thank you.”

      He was a bit taken aback by her statement. Should be, because she was full of surprises. “I’m glad you appreciated that, Miss Burnette.” He set his satchel on the table. “I believe it will behoove you to listen to what I have to say about that.”

      “Be what me?”

      “It would be appropriate and to your benefit to listen to me.” He pulled out a chair. “Please sit down.”

      “No, I don’t need to sit down. I don’t have time to see how many big words you can throw at me. I have a job I have to get back to.”

      Walter opened his satchel and chose his words carefully. “That’s why I’m here. In your best interest, Miss Burnette. To assist you and the other girls in being released from your contract with Cartwright’s.”

      Her lips were pursed, her eyes glaring straight at him, and once again, he found it difficult not to smile. She was a good-looking dame. Her short blond hair was a mass of curls this morning, and the flashy red dress, with layers of fringes from her shoulders to her knees, looked more fetching here than it had back at the speakeasy. Last night, while looking into those big blue eyes, while feeling the softness of her skin with his palms, he’d considered hauling her home, locking her up inside his house. That was also when he’d considered kissing her. Alice had gotten shoved up against him then, and it knocked some sense into him. Blondie’s comment about cattle, a stampede, confirmed his initial thoughts—that she only knew enough about life off the farm to get hurt.