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The Wild Rose Press
www.thewildrosepress.com
Copyright ©2007 by Patti Fischer
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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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A Purrfect Love
by
Patti Fischer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
A Purrfect Love
COPYRIGHT © by Patti Fischer
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by Nicola Martinez
The Wild Rose Press
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Champagne Rose Edition, October 2007
Published in the United States of America
Dedication
For my mother.
I know you're watching over me
every day from above with the real Molly at your side.
I love you and miss you, Mom.
If you think you're going to get me, you have another thing coming. As I've often heard people say ... the grass is always greener on the other side!
A ray of sun bounced off a window and I couldn't resist arching into its warmth. Ah, freedom. I haven't felt this free since I was a baby crawling around in a vacant building learning to catch mice with my mama.
"Molly!"
I ignored the voice calling me and eyed the window ahead. Sadly, my freedom would be short-lived if all went as planned.
A bird flew close and I started after it, but stopped. Tempting, but birds were nasty raw. I preferred fresh fish, but a can of Fancy Nibbles would suffice.
"Sweetie, come back here.” The voice rose. “Please."
The brisk morning breeze ruffled my fur and I lifted my head to sniff the smells assailing my senses as I crept a little farther down the ledge. My destination wasn't far.
I glanced over my shoulder as my mistress leaned out the window. No way was she going to stop me.
Come on, Mistress, follow me. Your future beckons...
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"Molly, come back here. Don't jump. Get down from there!"
Marisa reached out and tried to grab a leg, but the black Persian scampered farther away on the fourth-story ledge. She stretched her arm out as far as it would go, but only grasped air. The early morning traffic echoed from below. She dared not look down.
"Please,” she begged once more. “Come back here. Come to mommy, sweetie.” If anger didn't work, maybe a bit of honey would. “Molly, please come here."
Yellow eyes mocked her, looking decidedly perfect for Halloween. Forget scary decorations, all she needed was Molly propped on the couch to greet the trick or treaters. Marisa's fingers brushed Molly's silky tail, only to watch the cat slither away.
Meowwwwwwrrr...
Yeah, right.
Marisa took another deep breath and tried once more. “Just a little this way, Molly. Mommy will give you a whole can of tuna fish, just for you. Pleeeease."
Molly's response was a hiss and another swish of her tail. Guess tuna wasn't the magic word.
"Argh!” Marisa couldn't believe the day she was having. First she overslept because Molly knocked the alarm clock under the bed, then she nicked her leg shaving, and the final straw had been burning her toast.
Molly didn't usually try to escape from the apartment, but today of all days Molly snuck out the second Marisa opened the window. Bad luck all around was today's name of the game. The goblins were out early.
Marisa cast a glance at her black bustier and fishnet stockings which she wore for the office Halloween costume contest. Not exactly the best attire to be wearing when chasing her cat, but there wasn't time to change. Molly needed to be caught. She loved her four-legged, furry baby and she'd do whatever was necessary to protect her.
Sighing, she reluctantly climbed out the window and onto the twelve inch wide ledge. If she couldn't coax her wily cat with pleas and reason, then she'd have to go after her, fear of heights or not.
"Okay, you brat cat, this is your final warning. Either you cooperate or I'm leaving you out there to become a cat pancake."
"Meowwrrr..."
Molly's eyes glowed, as if to say, so what are you going to do about it?
Bracing herself cautiously on the building shelf, Marisa crawled on her hands and knees toward the cat that looked like a devil in disguise. She'd rescued Molly from an animal shelter four years ago, falling in love with the tiny, black fur ball with the soulful eyes at first sight. But the cat proved to be part minx with her wiliness and mind of her own.
The cool breeze hit her in the face and caused her to shiver. Damn, why didn't she think to grab her jacket? Late October in Chicago meant frost on the pumpkin and everything else. Morning temperatures consistently dipped into the thirties. What a day, and it was only seven-thirty in the morning!
"Come on, you kitty food breath fur-ball. I'm going to be late for work and Mr. Havens is going to be very annoyed. He might...” She paused to give full effect to her next words. “...not give us that twelve-pound turkey for Christmas. No turkey leftovers to munch on."
Molly responded by moving farther away. “Damn cat,” Marisa muttered under her breath. Why couldn't she just this once cooperate?
"Rowrrrrrrrr..."
Okay, the cat understood human talk. Marisa braved another look at the street below and a wave of nausea roiled in her stomach. No. No. She needed to fight it.
She closed her eyes and steadied herself against the wall with one hand while the other gripped the window frame. Her heart thumped as she feverishly tried to steady her nerves. Maybe she should call the fire department. Surely they could rescue a cat from four stories up. They would probably think it was a Halloween prank. She could hear the call as it went out. Black cat on ledge needs rescue.
"Meowwww..."
Marisa's eyes popped opened and she turned to her problem child once again. Molly glared at her, as if to say, don't just sit there, come and get me.
"Come on, Molly, let me get a hold of you so we can go back inside. Please, cooperate for once."
Molly just sat there, apparently contemplating Marisa's words. Perhaps if Marisa made a sudden grab, she'd have Molly in her arms before the cat realized it.
A honk from the street startled her and she watched as Molly looked down. Oh, god, please don't jump. Marisa took a deep breath. It's now or never, she told herself. “Sorry, sweetie, but you're teetering on the edge."
Marisa lunged at the cat. Molly screeched and scampered down the ledge and through the neighbor's open window.
"Damn you, Molly.” Her hellcat seemed bent on defying her today.
The Persian was all but forgotten as Marisa felt herself losing her footing.
"Omigod,” she cried, frantically reaching out to grab onto something.
Her eyes registered the open window where Molly had disappeared. Vacant until a month ago, Marisa hadn't me
t the new tenants yet.
Well, she hoped her neighbors were friendly, because she was about to meet them. She grasped the window sill just as her foot slid off the ledge. Marisa screamed in reaction. Dear God, no way would she be able to hold on.
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Ben froze when he heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the next room. He entered the living room and quickly scoped the room. On his sofa sat a strange black cat with an ugly, flat-nosed face quietly cleaning itself. Where the heck did the cat come from?
"Getting an early start on Halloween?"
Looking for the source of the scream, Ben's gaze flickered to the open window and then back to the cat. Now he knew to keep it shuttered or he would soon have every cat in the neighborhood in his place.
But that didn't explain the scream. Cats didn't scream, they screeched.
Then he heard it. A snuffling sound, like someone alternately whimpering and crying. What the heck? He glanced around. Where on earth was it coming from?
The window shuddered and creaked, once again drawing his attention. Ben's heart jerked at the sound of another faint cry. Frowning, he hurried over to the window and peered down.
He froze at the sight of a scantily clad woman hanging precariously to his window edge as she twisted her torso and kicked her leg in an attempt to grab a foothold on the ledge.
"What the hell? Are you all right?"
Her eyes popped opened and she yanked her head up to stare at him, first in relief, then anger. “Do I look like I spend my days hanging off the side of buildings?"
"Uh, well...” What could he say? He had no idea who she was or why she was out there. She had pretty green eyes though, which at the moment were flashing angry sparks.
"Don't just stand there. Help me up."
"Omigod!” Her words spurred him into action as he mentally kicked himself for staring instead of helping. She gripped the window a little tighter to emphasize her predicament.
The fingers on her left hand lost their grip.
Ben lunged for her.
"Grab my hands!” He braced his body and gripped her wrists, not wanting to lose her. He faintly registered that her skin felt soft and he caught a whiff of flowers. She smelled like an early morning meadow.
Grasping her arms, he pulled her up and straight into his arms. “I don't usually find ladies hanging outside my window like Spiderman,” he said as their bodies collided.
"Harrumph, do I look like Spiderman?” she retorted. But he detected a hint of a smile in her voice.
Ben couldn't help but notice the full breasts straining against the fabric of her tight bodice. “More like a black widow."
Despite the outfit she wore, Ben swore every inch of her skin touched his. Her breasts rose furiously and his hands palmed her ass through the thin fabric. His body thrummed from the close contact and he suddenly had the urge to kiss her.
Her body trembled against him, jerking Ben out of his inappropriate thoughts.
"Are you okay?” he asked. “Cold?” He knew the temperatures had dipped down to near freezing last night and despite the morning sunshine, it still wasn't very warm out.
She lifted her head and her eyes collided with his, their mouths a mere inch apart. She started to say something, but nothing came out. He stared at her, as thoughts of kissing her wouldn't go away.
She shook her head and started to move away, but he held her in place. Reluctantly, Ben shifted his hands off her nicely rounded ass and visually checked to see if she had injuries. The black outfit molded to her body, emphasizing her curves. Ben liked his women with substance. He wanted to linger over each and every rounded curve of her body. Other than being in a state of semi-shock, she appeared no worse for the experience.
Then he glanced down at her feet and his lips twitched. “Cute slippers."
She followed his gaze. On her feet was a pair of pink bunny slippers. Definitely out of place on the sexy outfit she wore.
"Oh, I ... wore these because the heels—” Her head jerked up. “Did you think I'd wear high heels out there?"
"I don't know what to think. What were you were doing out there? You could've been killed. Are you crazy?"
She stepped away from Ben, not answering him. She braced herself against the window frame and gave a deep breath, as if gathering her strength.
Ben could only stare as he waited for her to speak. Her chest heaved, causing the top of her breasts to fight gravity within the bustier. He figured she stood about five inches shorter than his five-foot-ten frame. Then he glanced at her feet again and suspected that her current foot attire probably wasn't the best choice for a walk out on the ledge, either.
Finally, she lifted her gaze, her eyes blazing. Dark, auburn hair fell across her now pink cheeks. “Thanks for rescuing me, but you could've been a little more Johnny on the Spot. My hands were slipping. Another minute and I would've been a goner.” She crossed her arms over her chest, once again drawing Ben's attention.
That sexy outfit caused his body to pulse as he imagined her lying across the white sheets of his bed, soft and naked as they made love. He should be angry with her for doing something foolish as going out on a ledge, but his whole being throbbed from her touch. He willed his body to not react and held out his hand in a conciliatory gesture.
"I'm sorry about not being quicker, but seeing you outside my window is the last thing I expected. It caught me by surprise.” He chuckled. “Just how did you end up out there? You aren't a burglar, I take it?"
Trying not to smile, her mouth quirked as her anger disappeared. “No, I'm not here to rob you.” She waved a hand at the wall. “I live next door. Molly was being a royal pain.” She looked around the room. “I followed her out on the ledge and then—"
"Molly?” He straightened and his adrenaline surged at the thought of a child still out there. Surely—
"Yes, she's my—” Her eyes drifted past his shoulder and she heaved a sigh. “Oh, there you are!"
He followed her gaze. The black cat watched them in disdain, as though to say, shut up, can't you see I'm trying to clean myself. The cat's yellow eyes glowed at them, glittering in contrast to the black fur. Ben suspected Molly was a handful.
"The cat is yours?” he asked, then realized it was a stupid question. Okay, where was his usual glib self? He needed more coffee.
The lady turned back to him. “Yeah, she's mine. I usually keep my windows locked, but since I uh ... burnt the toast this morning, I opened the window to air out the room. I thought Molly was fast asleep in the bedroom closet. When I went to close the window, I realized she'd escaped onto the ledge.” His neighbor glared at her cat. “And she wouldn't obey mommy by coming back in."
"Mommy?"
A pink blush spread across her cheeks. “Sorry, I think of her as my child.” She flicked a glance at Molly once more and added, “My problem child."
Ben laughed, shaking his head. “She does sound like an imp.” But he stopped at the seriousness of the consequences. Despite it turning out okay, she'd put herself in danger. “You could've fallen. If I hadn't been here—"
"Oh, I know.” Her lashes lowered for a moment before she gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry if I got annoyed with you.” She shuddered and placed her hand on his arm. “As I was hanging there, I saw myself splattered four stories below on the sidewalk."
He glanced at her fingers as they gripped his arm. An electrical charge seared his skin at her touch. He noted she wore no wedding ring, or any hint of one. Good.
But first things first. “I'm Ben Singer."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Marisa Hamilton.” She nodded toward the cat, now curled up and sleeping, as though bored with their chatter. “I'll just grab Molly and be going.” She turned away.
"You don't have to leave. Maybe ... uh ... Molly wants to sleep?” A lame excuse, but Ben wanted her to stay so he could get to know her better.
Her mouthed dropped opened as she stared at him. “I ... um ... you want to let Molly stay here?"
Ben winced, no doubt he sounded like an idiot, but if letting the cat get her hair all over his sofa meant keeping Molly's mistress here, so what?
"Sure, why not? Join me for a cup of coffee and let Molly catch a few more winks before you take her home."
Marisa hesitated as she pondered his invitation and glanced at her watch. “I'm already late for work."
"Dressed like that?” he exclaimed, then kicked himself since he didn't have a clue what she did for a living. She could be an exotic dancer for all he knew.
"Oh.” She blushed as she glanced down. “It's Halloween,” she said, as if Ben didn't know. “And there's this contest at work...” She let the words trail off and looked around. “Do you have something I can ... uh ... cover up with?"
Ben leisurely appraised her body's curves. On second thought, he liked her dressed like this. “Hmm..."
Apparently realizing he was getting an eyeful, she scooted away and snatched up one of the towels leftover from his unpacking. To Ben's dismay, she wrapped it tightly around her.
"Look, if it's a hassle making coffee, I can just leave..."
He jerked his gaze back to hers. He needed to get his mind off wanting to make love to her. “It's not a problem. How do you take yours?"
She inched toward the sofa where Molly lay. “Black is fine."
He nodded, then a thought occurred. “Since you left through the window how will you get into your apartment?” The way the outfit molded to her body, he couldn't see where there'd be pockets.
Her eyes widened in dismay. “Oh. I hadn't thought about that."
"Maybe the manager has an extra set of keys?"
She nodded and blew out a sigh of relief. “Yes, she does. But the office doesn't open until nine."
He felt his heartbeat kick up a notch. She could stick around longer so they could get better acquainted. “Good then. You'll have to stay here until the office opens."
She contemplated his words for a moment. “I suppose you're right. But I do need to call my office to let them I'm going to be late."
"Great!” He nodded toward the desk. “My telephone is right over there. I'll go grab the coffee."
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