He moved a little closer, lowering his voice. “I think your underwear was designed to share.”

She moved in closer, as well, glaring defiantly into his slate-gray eyes. “Not with an insufferable bastard like you.”

His mild tone belied the mocking glint in his eyes. “But, Julia. Since your friends have never met me, they won’t know I’m an insufferable bastard, will they?”

Even though logic told her to back off, there was something about his smug smile that begged her to retaliate. “I’ll know.”

“Guess I’ll just have to live with your low opinion,” he said, clearly unperturbed by the insult. “Give Darla the list. I promise she’ll convince your friends you’re having the time of your life.”

She kept her mouth firmly shut.

His expression unexpectedly softened. “We can end all this right now, Julia. Just tell me why you’re here.”

“I’m doing a human-interest story for Equine Earth Magazine.”

“On me.”

“Yes.”

“Yet, you didn’t recognize me at the jail. Didn’t look at a picture before you broke in?”

Julia scrambled for an explanation. “You look different in real life.”

Harrison laughed at that one. “You’re really the best they could find?”

They? “Who?”

His cell phone buzzed, and he shook his head as he pulled it out. “Never mind.”

“One moment,” he said into the phone, then he snapped his fingers. A young woman instantly responded to the summons, reminding Julia that Harrison was king here, and his word was law.

“Leila will show you to your room,” he said. “She’ll provide you with clothing, food and anything else you need.” His nod was curt as he turned away to deal with the phone call.

The young woman smiled shyly at Julia, and suddenly the prospect of clean clothes and something to eat overruled everything, even the need to bring überrich Harrison down a peg or two.