Chapter 20

Ransom…Mr. Burke…his boss…found a clean goblet and filled it with the last of the contents of the punchbowl, sipped, grimaced, and set it aside.

“You don’t like it?” Parrish asked, surprised because it had been so good. “I’m surprised. It was good.”

“How much of this did you have to drink?”

“It’s just punch.” He shrugged. “Just a glass or two.” Actually, after the second he hadn’t kept track. “May I talk to you for a moment, sir?” He didn’t want to talk. He had the almost overpowering desire to kiss his boss. It was nearly Christmas, goddammit, and what law said he couldn’t kiss his boss as a Christmas gift to himself? Nolaw, so that was just what he was going to do!

Okay, he hadn’t been thinking clearly, but how could he be expected to think at all with his boss standing there looking good enough to eat?