"I love you, too."
Amanda dropped his hand. "Oh, that's it," she said. "I was just trying to comfort you. God forbid, you should let anyone actually be nice to you."
Irritated, she met Tate's surprised gaze. "Can you just saw his arm off while we're here and get me loose?"
Tate snorted. "I could do that, but he needs his more. I'd cut yours off before I did his."
"Oh, great, what are you, his Igor?"
"Wrong movie," Tate corrected. "Igor was Frankenstein's flunky. Renfield is the one you're thinking of, and no, I'm not Renfield. Name's Tate Bennett. Parish coroner."
"I'd already guessed the coroner part. Rather obvious since we're in a cold lab full of dead people."
Tate arched a brow at her. "And you call him sarcastic."
Hunter jerked as Tate pulled too hard on the sutures. "Sorry," Amanda said. "I won't distract him anymore."
"I would appreciate it."
Once Tate finished, Hunter put his shirt and coat back on. He slid off the stretcher with only the slightest hiss to reveal his side was sore.
Tate's pager went off. "I'll be back in a few minutes. You kids need anything?"
"I'm fine," Hunter said. "But she probably needs breakfast and a phone." Amanda quirked a brow at his words. Why would he let her have a phone now?
Tate quickly cleaned up the mess. "The phone is against the far wall, just dial nine to get out. I'll grab something in the cafeteria and be back as soon as I can. Stay in here and keep the door locked."
As soon as they were alone, Hunter moved so that she could sit on the small stool by the phone. Blinking, Hunter rubbed his hand over his eyes as if they were sensitive to the fluorescent lights. "We need to make plans," he said quietly. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone in this city who might have a way to break handcuffs made by a Greek god?"
Getting used to his sarcasm, she smiled. "Actually, I think I do."
His face instantly lightened. Gracious, the man was gorgeous when not scowling or barking. "One of your sisters?"
"One of their friends."
He nodded. "Good. We need to do that, preferably before sunset, or at least not long after it. You also have to call Tabitha and tell her to lie low for a few days."
"You know, for the record, I hate to take orders. But!" Amanda said interrupting him before he could pull rank. "I realize I'm in over my head. You have no idea how much I hate all this supernatural garbage. So I'm willing to listen to you, but you better start acting like I'm a person and not some mindless blow-up doll."
She pulled his ring out of her pocket and returned it to him. "And another thing, I really have to go to the bathroom." Hunter laughed out loud.
"It's not funny," she snapped at him as he put the ring back on his finger."Any idea how we can do this without my dying of embarrassment?"
"More than that, any idea on how to do that without my getting arrested for being in the ladies' room?" She cut a sharp glare at him. "If you think I'm going into the men's room, forget it."
"Then I hope you can hold it."
"I am not going into the men's room!"
Five minutes later, she was in the men's room and cursing Hunter under her breath. "You really get off on being a bully, don't you?"
"It's what I live for," he said in a bored voice as he stood with his back to her. He had his arm bent behind his back to allow her more latitude with the handcuffs. Amanda glared at him. Her bladder felt as if were going to burst, but she was having a very difficult time going with him sandwiched between her and the stall door. And all because Tabitha couldn't remember to let her damn dog out! If she ever got out of this, she was going to kill her sister. Dead. Dismantled!
"What's taking so long?" he asked in an aggravated tone. "I can't go with you standing there."
"Would you just go?"
"Just you wait! Sooner or later, it'll be your turn and I'm going to enjoy watching you squirm." He went rigidly still at her words. "Baby, you could never make me squirm."
The coldness in his voice scared her.
It took her a few minutes, but she finally finished and her face was hotter than a summer afternoon at the equator. She washed her hands, all the while trying not to look at Hunter. "You have toilet paper on your shoe," he said, glancing down at her foot.
"Oh, of course," she said."Anything to make this more embarrassing for me. Could you get any more personal?"
A devilish gleam entered his eyes. Then that dark, penetrating stare dropped to her lips. She swore she could feel his hunger, feel his inner need to touch her. Before she knew what he was doing, he cupped her head with his free hand, brushed her bottom lip with his thumb, and bent his head down to capture her lips with his.