“Everything okay?” Jeff asked.
“Depends on your definition of okay.” William jerked his chin at Lucy. “Your mom shot at us. We caught a cat.”
“Warnin’ shot,” Dixie chimed in. “If I’da meant to hit ’em, I woulda.”
“Mom, we’ve discussed this. No warning shots.” Jeff glanced up to the starless sky. “No shots at all.”
“Protectin’ the place is my job. Is that Mitzy?” Dixie asked. “Thought she up ’n died, too.”
Lucy held the cat tight against her.
Mitzy rewarded her with a crazy cat smile.
“Can I keep her?” Lucy asked Dixie.
William said “no” at the same time Dixie said “yes.”
Dixie scowled. “I s’pose you ken keep the cat.”
Jeff rested a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Let’s get you home, Mom.”
“Where’s your clothes?” Dixie jerked her chin at William before she shot an accusing glance at Lucy.
At least the present conversation had killed the punch of lust he experienced earlier. “I was sleeping.”
Dixie pointed at his crotch. “Syphilis is a reality. You’d best remember that.”
Jeff coughed again. William rolled his eyes to heaven.
The awkward moment lingered until Dixie harrumphed, turned on her heel, and marched back into the darkness. Jeff followed.
The mangy fur ball purred louder as William walked Lucy silently to the porch.
Her cheeks burned red in the porch light as she opened the door. “Need something?”
“Enjoy your cat.” He reached to pet Mitzy, but she nipped at his outstretched fingers. He jerked his hand back.
Lucy held her hand on the doorknob. “I will.”
“Good night, then.” He stepped backward and cleared his throat.
The door closed only inches from his nose, and the lock clicked into place.
He trudged into his own apartment, climbed into bed, and tunneled his face into a pillow. When he closed his eyes, visions of Lucy in that ridiculous shirt swam in the darkness. He was hyperaware of her presence just next door.
Yeah, he definitely knew she existed. Certain areas of his body reminded him constantly. But on paper, Lucy Campbell didn’t show up anywhere. William dug up stories better than most of his colleagues, and he still couldn’t find anything on her.
He needed to convince his body what his head already knew. The insane desire he experienced around Lucy was a simple case of lust.
He grumbled to himself, rolled over, and willed sleep to find him.
Chapter Six
Ten minutes late for her first assignment meeting. Great.
“Thanks,” Lucy said to Parker when he held the door to the conference room for her.
The pit of self-doubt she carried with her weighed heavier as she entered the small, crowded space. The conference room had a long rectangular table with mismatched black leather chairs haphazardly placed around it, one door, and no windows. Confidence. She needed a bucket load.
