Withholding Evidence Read Online Free PDF Page B

military history.”
    “You do?” His eyes—slightly glazed—focused on the cleavage she’d crammed herself into a torturous bra to achieve. She regretted that choice now, because instead of his appreciation triggering a jolt of desire, it left her cold.
    She frowned. Be careful what you wish for. “Perry, I’m confused. You’ve been to my office. Where I work for the navy. As an historian.”
    “Well, yeah. But… Don’t take this the wrong way, but I have it on good authority you were a token hire. NHHC needed a woman historian.”
    Wow. Okay, he’d earned one point for using the word woman instead of girl (but it was more a sign of how screwed-up the men in her world were that he actually earned a point for something that shouldn’t even warrant notice). But token hire? Minus ten thousand points. No, a million.
    Dammit. His “good authority” had to be Walt. The sexist jerk probably even believed his own fabrication. She’d worked damn hard to earn her spot at NHHC and was probably a better historian than many of her male counterparts—especially myopic old bastards like Walt.
    Unfortunately, Perry’s attitude was nothing new, but for some stupid reason she hadn’t expected it from him. Perhaps he was guilty of the same thing she’d done, seeing what he wanted to see—and he’d wanted to see a woman who was too dim-witted to realize she was a token hire.
    That so was not her. On so many levels.
    She turned to leave. She was done talking to him.
    He grabbed her arm. “Wait, Trina. Are you mad? I didn’t mean to cause offense. If I did, I’m sorry.”
    “You’re only sorry if you caused offense? Because if my feeble woman’s brain can’t grasp how sexist you are, then you don’t have to feel bad?” She wanted to add for being a pig but refrained. She was classy that way.
    Perry’s grip on her arm was firm. She tried to pull away but couldn’t break the hold. “Hey, I’m sorry if you didn’t know—”
    “Is everything okay, Trina?” Keith asked, stepping up beside her.
    Trina closed her eyes, trying to decide if she was mortified or thankful Keith had witnessed Perry’s douchebaggery. The last thing she needed was to be rescued, but at the same time, Perry did have her arm in his tight fist, and she had no clue how to get him to let go without causing an embarrassing scene. The mermaid’s breasts could only hide so much.
    Plus, if Perry claimed she was a token one more time, she might just slug him.
    “This is between Trina and I,” Perry said. “Go away.”
    “Trina and me,” Keith corrected, then he leaned in close and dropped his voice so only Trina and Perry could hear. “And you need to let go of Trina right now, or it will be between you and me .”
    Perry released her and she rubbed her arm. His grip had slowly tightened, and she wondered if she’d have a bruise tomorrow.
    Perry glared at Keith. “Who are you?”
    “I’m the guy who’s taking her home.” Keith turned to Trina. “Dollface, you ready to go?”
    She’d say yes to almost anything to get away from Perry Carlson, so much that she wasn’t even ticked off by the implication she was going from here to Keith’s bed. “Sure.”
    “He calls you dollface, yet I’m the sexist one?” Perry asked.
    Trina frowned. He had a point, sort of. Both men had been condescending to her at one time or another today. But Keith—he’d apologized. A real apology, taking the onus of his behavior on himself. Whereas Perry’s apology had been conditional—he was only sorry if she’d taken offense.
    Plus, she had a feeling Keith only called her dollface when he was playing the role of cocky SEAL. That wasn’t all there was to Keith. At least she didn’t think so.
    Hell, what did she know? If someone had asked her this morning which man would bore, insult, and offend her, and which one would apologize, rescue, and intrigue her, she’d have guessed wrong.
    She shrugged and took a step toward Keith. Perry caught her by the