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Claire replied angrily "I told you I was not a stripper! I work for a party planning company; I do not strip! Why must you continue to harp on that? I think even you’d notice the difference between so clothes and soize for theit would be to see your assistant juentle her hoentlemen’s club, does any of this sound in the least unusual to you Claire?" asked a sarcastic Jason

"You’re not my mother; I don’t have to explain or justify my actions to you!" replied Claire hotly

"Actually, Claire, that’s where you’re wrong; you’re my assistant, and as such you’re a representative of Danvers International as well as of me personally How do you think this would look to our customers if heaven forbid one of the?" continued Jason

"That’s not likely to happen," exclaimed Claire

"You never expected to see ht either did you? That just sho small the world truly is Claire"

"You can’t fireoutside e for direct co a problem"

"If you’d bothered to read your entire contract, you’d find a section about behavior unbeco would indeed fall into that category," Jason replied dryly

For probably the first time in her life, Claire felt she was entirely capable of violence against another Having to sit beside Jason in the tight confines of her car while he labeled her as a stripper once again was enough to make someone as calm and mild mannered as her want to reach across the seats and slap hiht this battle with Jason tonight and win so she settled down further in the seat and closed her eyes pretending to sleep

Luckily, Jason see to let theup his next reference to stripping Claire fearfully wondered what she would possibly do if Jason was correct about her contract, and she doubted very seriously if he was bluffing about that

She was barelyends meet noith both jobs and there was no way she would be able to find another part-tienerous pay that Partiez Plus provided Without the extra income, she would be forced to sell her athered in the corner of her eyes and she prayed that Jason wouldn’t notice

~~~

Jason was powerless to stop the flow of self-righteous coh he see re The shock of realizing that the beautiful, sexy, sultry woman that he was unable to take his eyes off of when she’d popped out of the cake was, in fact, his assistant had just blown hilance at women he considered too obvious, he was completely captivated when Claire had looked at hireen eyes; he knew the curve of her face, and his body seeether before hisaspect had been the protective instinct that had alnition He wanted to run up and drag her behind him until he could cover her up He wanted to punch anyone in the crowd that dared look at her, including his friends

Who would have thought that he would be standing in a bathroo her hair back while she retched? At that moment with her obviously in distress, all he wanted to do was take care of her,in her life disappear She was so sainst his chest while she slept at the rest area This certainly was a night of firsts for hilance at her, he was surprised to see a small hand reach up to her face and quickly hat appeared to be a tear fro so inside his chest clench, Jason vowed to find outWho was the real Claire and as he suddenly so desperate to have that question answered?

~~~

As they finally arrived at Harold and Liz’s Home Claire asked the question that had been on herto say anything to your friends about tonight?"

"No," replied Jason tightly, "I think the less they know the better You go straight up e get in the house, and I’llto pacify them and no one will be the wiser" Greatly relieved, Claire murmured a quiet thank you and followed Jason to the door There was no sign of anyone in the foyer as she made her way up the stairs as quietly and quickly as possible

Claire stepped inside her bedrooht to the bathroo and stepped into the stea shower With afall away She eased into the shower seat and laid her head back able to relax for the first ti her eyes to become heavy and hard to hold open

Suddenly cold air rushed into the shower as the door was jerked open and Claire was again in the bathroo in here?" shrieked a furious Claire

"I aiting in your room to make sure you were ok and when it beca out and there was no noise coht have fallen and hurt yourself Do you kno irresponsible it is to sleep in the bath or, heaven forbid, the shower?"

"Well, add it to the long list of things about me that you find irresponsible! Let’s see, there’sin the shower; is there anything else you want to add to that tonight Jason?" She knew she was starting to get hysterical, so she juet out of the shower and away fro eyes

Too late, Claire felt her feet start to lose purchase on the slick shower floor and flinging her ar to break her fall; she felt pain shoot through her hip as it connected with the seat she’d just been sitting on Strong ar lifted froainst a hard chest

Despite her protests, Jason gently deposited her onto a chair in the bedroom and quickly went back to the bathroorabbed the robe from his outstretched hand and tried to put it on without standing and giving Jason a better view of her naked body With aposition and slid the robe on her arms and belted it around her waist When this was completed to his satisfaction, he pushed her back down into the chair and began drying her hair with the towel