I bark out a laugh. “Yeah, ’cause I wouldn’t want to be involved in the very first sex scandal involving an elected official.”
Her mouth tightens. “Let’s just focus on what I’m here for, okay?”
I probably should, but I don’t want to. “What’s the deal? Am I not your type? Do you not like the big strapping hero type?”
“I just…” She’s obviously not going to finish that sentence, so I press on.
“You had Wolverine on your T-shirt yesterday, and today it’s Iron Man. So you like big strapping heroes, just not me? Is that it?” I’m mostly teasing, but I’m also a little serious. Most women find me fuck-worthy, whether in or out of uniform. Not that I’ve had much chance to explore that part of my life lately, with the cat ruining everything I ever loved.
“I don’t have time for this,” she shoots back. Her voice is firm, but she still won’t make eye contact, and I can tell the conversation has upset her. “I have a kid to take care of. I have a job. I need to focus on being a mom.”
“And moms can’t get laid sometimes?”
At this, she shoots a glance back at the kid, but he’s focused on his game, headphones firmly in place. I wonder how long he’ll stay occupied. Long enough for me to make some progress with his mom? Probably not.
She drags some Band-Aids out of her bag and slaps them onto my shoulders, not nearly as gentle as she was before. “This is not what I came here to talk about.”
Pushing to her feet, she makes it clear she’s done with that part of the conversation. Briskly she brushes her hands together. “Where’s Thor?”
I shove a hand through my hair, frustrated. I don’t really want to stand up at the moment, but it looks like I’m going to have to. “How should I know where the little shithead is hanging out?”
Maddy glances back toward her kid again, her mouth tightening. I guess I’m not supposed to swear when he’s around. He’s still got those headphones on, though, and is really focused on whatever the “owl game” is. His tongue is sticking out of the corner of his mouth, and his forehead is beetled in concentration. It’s kind of adorable.
“I came here to work with him, so I assumed you’d know where he is.”
“I’ve been letting him run around more, like you said. So he’s probably hiding somewhere.”
“Then we’ll have to go find him. I can’t actually do cat therapy without a cat.”
I decide not to point out that she’s told me several times it’s not therapy, and instead make myself get up off the couch. My dick has eased back a little, but not that much, and if she were really paying attention, she’d notice in a heartbeat. She doesn’t seem to, though, so I turn my back on her and lead the way, looking through the house for Thor.
As we poke through the various rooms, calling the cat’s name, I notice she’s looking more and more irritated. Finally she stops, planting her hands on her hips in that cute little way she has.
“Where are the cat toys? Where are the scratching posts? Did you buy treats to reward him for good behavior?”
“It’s on my shopping list. I didn’t have time.” There’s a guilty feeling creeping into my chest, like she’s the principal and I’ve been called into the office to be informed I’ll be serving detention for the rest of my life. Of course my brain twists that into something dirty, since I’m pretty hot for teacher at this point.
There’s a noise in the hall behind us, and I turn, hoping it’s Thor making his presence known. It’s not, though. It’s the kid, who obviously decided since we were walking around the house, we must be doing something interesting without him.
“Kitty?” he asks. I have no idea how he worked that out with those headphones on. They’re around his neck now, and he’s holding the iPad by one corner. “Find kitty?”
Maddy’s attention immediately shifts to Christopher. “Yes, honey, we’re looking for the kitty.”
“Help?” His eyes are big and pleading.
“No, Christopher. Mommy needs to find the kitty. He’s an unhappy kitty.”
Christopher’s mouth curves down in a frown. I’ve never spent much time with kids, but this one is making me understand why people like to have them around. If he’d turned those big eyes on me, I would have had a hard time turning him down.
“Kitty not happy?” Christopher asks.
“No, he’s not happy. And when cats aren’t happy, they can be mean. So you can’t pet the kitty, okay? Let Mommy find it.”
Christopher’s lower lip slides out. I’m ready to pick him up and carry him around so he can help us find Thor, but Maddy holds firm. “It’s Mommy’s job to find the kitty and find out why he’s not happy. When he’s happy, then you can pet him, okay? Now, go on back and play your game.”
Finally Christopher nods. “Pet happy kitty?”
“Yes, honey. You can pet the happy kitty.”
The little boy heads back to his spot, but he doesn’t put his headphones back on. Instead he puts the iPad in his lap and pretends to play, but I can tell he’s watching us.
“He’s a smart one,” I say. I mean it, but the pleased look that drifts across Maddy’s face is gratifying. I’d be happy to keep saying nice things about her kid if it makes her look at me like that.
The approving expression doesn’t last long, though. A second later she’s glaring at me again. “So how about we talk about why the kitty is unhappy. Because somebody”—she rams a finger into the middle of my chest—“didn’t do what I told him to. You need to get the stuff I told you to get. You should have gotten it already.”
“I told you—I haven’t had time. Why are you making such a big deal about everything?”
“Because you say you want me to help you with your cat, but you’re still not doing anything I tell you to. I’m beginning to wonder if there’s some other reason you wanted me over here today.”
“Like what?”
“Like maybe you just want to yank my chain. You keep coming on to me, and I know damn well you have no intentions of following through.” She’s heading for the one room we haven’t gone into yet—my bedroom. The one place I’d most like to have her, in spite of her comment.
I’m about to pull her into my arms to prove her wrong. “How in the world would you know that?”
“Oh, give me a break. You’re—” She makes strange, helpless gestures toward me, as if she can’t come up with any way to accurately describe me. “And I’m—”
“A hot, single woman.” Maddy blushes as I open my bedroom door.
Behind us, in the hallway, I hear little feet, and I suspect Christopher is following us again. “I’m not stringing you along, hon. I have a genuine cat problem. I also have a genuine—”
I stop. Because I just found the unhappy cat. In my closet. Squatting over my brand-new pair of running shoes.
There’s a distinct liquid sound, and the sharp smell of fresh cat piss hits the air. I jump toward the closet.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Get the fuck off my goddamn shoes!”
“Fuck!” That’s a little voice from the door, and I know Christopher has followed us.
She grabs her kid and covers his ears with her hands. “Don’t talk like that in front of Christopher.”
I lunge toward the cat, who hisses at me and runs like a gray streak out of the room. I could swear I hear him laughing at me.
“Piece of shit!” I yell after him, which gets me another harsh look from Maddy. “Sorry.”
“Shit!” says Christopher and giggles. Maddy’s hands must not be very soundproof.
“Go back to the living room,” she tells her son.
He does, still laughing, alternating his giggles with repetitions of, “Fuck! Shit!” It’d be hilarious if I weren’t so goddamn mad.
I take a deep breath. “I’m sorry about losing it in front of your kid.”
Maddy closes her eyes and takes a long, slow breath, as if she’s trying to gather her patience. Finally she lifts a finger and says calml
y, “The vet didn’t find anything wrong with Thor, right?”
“The doctor said he’s perfectly healthy.”
Maddy opens her eyes. “Okay. Then he’s not secure about his territory or his place in your house. You need to spend time with Thor so he knows he has a safe home here.”
This is ridiculous. “He’s insecure? You have got to be fucking kidding me. If he’s insecure he should be trying to get on my good side, not pissing in my hundred-dollar running shoes.”
“If he felt safe with you, he wouldn’t be hostile.”
I fling up my hands. “How can you be insecure when you’re just a straight-up asshole?”
“Well, you ought to know,” she shoots back. “In fact, I can’t understand why the two of you don’t get on like gangbusters. You’re both jerks.”
“I’m the good guy, damn it.”
“Oh, really? Then why am I here working for you just so I can pay for the door you broke down? The door you said you’d fix. And now I’m trying to help your cat, but you refuse to do the work. You’re wasting my time. This is pointless, and I have way better things to do.”
She storms out of the bedroom and grabs her bag off the couch.
“Stop.” I follow her out and get between her and the front door. She can’t really make a huge, dramatic exit, because she has to sort out her kid. “Don’t leave.”
Grabbing Christopher’s hand, she squares off in front of me. “Give me one good reason why.”
“I don’t want you to.” Something flickers in her eyes, like it’s the right answer.
“Then you call me again when you’re ready to actually do the work I give you. Otherwise just don’t bother. I don’t need this kind of drama in my life.”
With that, she flings the door open and swings little Christopher up into her arms. He grins at me and says, quite clearly, “Fuck!”
“Argh!” says Maddy and shoves through the front door, slamming it so hard behind her that the house rattles.
After the second knock on Maddy’s door doesn’t get an immediate answer, I wonder if maybe this was a Very Bad Idea. I also feel like the door I just hauled up three flights is about to break my back in half.
I should have called ahead, or texted. But I was afraid she wouldn’t answer, and then I’d be right back to showing up at her door unannounced, anyway.
Speaking of her door, looking at it sends a twisty spear of guilt right through my chest. It’s closed, and it’s not like there’s a big, gaping hole in the middle of it or anything, but it doesn’t look all that secure even though I can tell the dead bolt’s locked. You let a mom and her kid live in an apartment behind that door for way, way too long.
I’m about to knock again when I finally hear some movement from inside. “Just a minute!” It’s Maddy’s voice, sounding impatient. Of course. I’m interrupting her day. I definitely should have called first.
She flings open the door. She’s wearing a loose cotton shirt and yoga pants that cling to her hourglass figure, and her reddish hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail. Damn, she is the companion image under the entry for breathtaking beauty. She is unbelievably hot, and I can’t believe someone would leave her high and dry. The way her pants hug her ass like a second skin makes my mouth dry.
Another man’s loss is my gain.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Her eyes shoot flames at me.
A better man would mumble an apology, turn around, and leave. He’d hear the tone in her voice and take a hint. Fuck that. If I have a snowball’s chance in hell with her, I’m going to take it. “To help a damsel in distress.”
Then she stops, and I can tell she’s actually looking at me now instead of just reacting. She must have been really focused on figuring out how to rip me a new one, because it’s pretty damn obvious I’m carrying a door. It’s not like you can stick one of those in your back pocket next to your cell phone.
“You actually brought a door,” she says.
“I’m a man of my word.” I smile as she buries her rage and moves aside to let me in. I maneuver the big, flat bulk of the door inside, tipping it one way and then the other to navigate the narrow entryway. It’s a good, heavy door, and I can feel the strain in my biceps. I lean it up against the wall just inside and drop my tool belt on the floor beside it, then shake my shoulders out.
She glances back toward the rest of the apartment. “How loud will it be?”
“Probably not very. Not much hammering—just screws.”
“Okay.” Her expression shifts. There’s an apology in it, but it’s still nearly smothered by the anxiety. “Christopher’s asleep. It took forever for me to get him down for his nap.”
I nod and smile, trying to reassure her. “I’ll be as quiet as I can.”
Can’t promise I will when I finally get you naked.
Thank God, she doesn’t see the filthy suggestion in my eyes. I sort through the tool belt, finding my big screwdriver, and start to take the door off the hinges.
“So…” She crosses her arms over her chest. I force myself not to look at the mounds of her tits rising behind her forearms. It looks like she might not be wearing a bra, but it’s hard to tell. “You decided to just drop by and fix my door?”
“I told you I would, right?”
She nods sagely. “No thought about maybe calling first?”
“I didn’t know if you would pick up.”
“I see.” Her posture is still less than welcoming.
“Look.” I turn away from the doorjamb to face her. “I just started feeling like a fucking asshole knowing you were stuck with fixing the door along with everything else you have to juggle.”
The tension in her body seems to ease a little as I detach the other set of hinges and ease the broken door back into the hallway. It’s not a difficult job, replacing the door, although switching out the lock is a little fiddly. She alternates between standing and watching me the whole time, and sitting on her couch, biting her lip.
Finally I get the door adjusted just right so the dead bolt slides in and out smoothly. “There,” I announce. “That should hold you for a good long time.”
She tests it herself and nods. “Great. It’s perfect. Thanks. Now you should go.”
The abruptness of it takes me aback. It’s not like I was thinking I’d stay for lunch or coffee or a quick fuck or anything—although any of those would have been nice. But this feels like she’s just tossing me out on my ear.
“Maybe we could schedule our next training session before I leave.” It’s as good a reason as any to stick around a little longer.
“I’m not working with your cat anymore. I told you that.”
“You said you’d help me out with the cat if I fixed the door. I fixed the door.” I knock on it a couple of times to remind her it is, indeed, a real door that has been completely fixed. That fact seems to be eluding her.
“And I did everything I can about your cat.”
“In only two sessions? I don’t think that’s long enough to judge the results.”
She plants her hands on her hips, as is her habit when I’ve pissed her off. I love the way she doesn’t put up with my shit, even when I’m not entirely sure what I’ve done to get her riled up. “It’s long enough to show that you’re not willing to put in the work. You haven’t done anything I’ve asked you to. If you can’t make time for that, then how can you make time to play with Thor and help him feel more welcome in your house?”
I shove a hand through my hair. She has a point. “I’ll make time. I promise.”
“You keep saying that.” The irritation has faded a little, and now she looks more tired than angry. She crosses her arms over her chest. “I just don’t understand, Jesse. You obviously don’t like Thor, so why do you keep pushing me to help you? Why don’t you just find him another home? Somewhere he’ll be welcome? You and the cat would both be happier for it.”
“No. I can’t. I have to take care of him.”
“But if—”
For a moment I’m sure she’s going to tell me no, but then she nods. “Sure.”
She takes me to the kitchen, and we sit at the table. Without asking, she gets us each a glass of water, then joins me.
I take a drink of the cold water, steeling myself. It’s time to tell her the truth, if only so she’ll agree to keep working with Thor.
“When I said I inherited the cat, I meant it. Thor’s my sister’s cat. Or he was. She passed away a couple months ago.” It’s hard to say the words. I’m still having a hard time getting my head around the fact she’s gone, even though we all knew it was coming. And by the time the end came, she was more than ready.
One of Maddy’s hands rises to cover her mouth. “Oh my God, Jesse, I’m so sorry.”
I make a motion with one hand, not really waving off her comment, but acknowledging it. At the same time, it seems so weird to have people say they’re sorry. They had nothing to do with what happened to Lacey, and the illness that killed her will never feel any remorse. People can say they’re sorry, but it won’t bring her back. And the only thing I have left… “She loved that cat. It was like her baby. I ended up with it because I’m her only sibling, and my parents already have four cats and a dog.”
I trail off. Maddy is still just staring at me, her eyes wide. “So all this time you’re dealing with that, and with the cat, and how the cat reminds you of your sister…” I can almost see the wheels spinning behind her eyes, the pieces falling into place. It irritates me. She’s analyzing me and coming to all kinds of conclusions, I can tell. I can also tell most of them aren’t right. Or too right, and that also bothers me.
“Yeah, let’s not make a big huge deal out of it, okay? I just want to be able to live with the cat. We don’t have to be best friends. Tolerable roommates is about all I’m expecting, here. He was always kind of a dick, even before Lacey died.”
Maddy blinks a few times. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice is thready. “I didn’t know.”
Hot as Sin (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 28
