Clint gave him a warning look. It was one thing to try to put her at ease, another to damn well flirt with her.
The tension in her shoulders dissipated, but to his surprise and delight, she turned to him before she spoke. He gave her a reassuring smile.
“Hi,” she said shyly. “I’m Charlie.”
“Charlie, that was a delicious meal,” Kent said warmly. Clint sent him a questioning stare. He thought his brother was against keeping her. “Have you done a lot of cooking before?”
“I did most of the cooking growing up,” she told him. She flicked her gaze over to him.
Damn, she pleased him.
“So, your mother taught you?” Kent pressed.
“No.” There was nothing more. Clint frowned slightly at the abrupt reply.
Kent’s gaze narrowed but he didn’t push her any further. “Well, we appreciate you cooking for us tonight.”
She stiffened. “I didn’t pass the trial? Did you call me out here to tell me to leave?”
“You’re not leaving,” he bit out.
She flicked her gaze over to him then to Kent, looking surprised.
“Clint.” His brother sent him another look. Yeah, he got it. This is why he normally let Kent deal with all the people stuff. Because he totally sucked at it. But he was glad Kent had been in a meeting when Charlotte arrived. He didn’t like to think how things might have gone if Kent met her first.
“Charlie, things work a bit differently here on Sanctuary,” Kent told her. “Normally, we wouldn’t hire someone from an agency. We have a different set of criteria that we’re searching for when we employee someone. But we were kind of desperate.”
“What kind of criteria? Do you mean the fact that I don’t have a dick?”
“That’s enough crude language from you, little girl,” he growled.
Kent gave him an exasperated look. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Clint?”
“Nope.” He settled back into his chair and stared at them both.
“Crude language? Really? All I said was dick.”
“And I said I don’t want to hear you using crude language or swearing,” Clint told her sternly. “Last warning.”
“Dear Lord, Clint,” Kent said with a sigh.
“Really?” She arched a brow. Getting braver, wasn’t she? Maybe she felt safe with Kent here. She shouldn’t, he had no qualms about taking her over his knee with his brother watching. However, he needed her agreement first.
And if she doesn’t give it? What are you going to do then?
He wasn’t sure. But he did know she wasn’t leaving.
“That’s a rule that everyone on the ranch follows?” she asked him.
“It’s a rule you’ll follow.”
She watched him. “So, it’s one rule for me and a different one for everyone else? How is that fair?”
“Like I said, my ranch, my rules. And you’re not everyone else.”
Kent cleared his throat. “Perhaps I could explain?”
Clint gave a sharp nod, feeling impatient. He wanted to get on with it.