Maybe later we could make that idea a reality.
I reached forward, took the small can from him, then turned to lower it behind the dryer. It didn’t take much to entice the cat. The scent of the fish grabbed the animal’s attention immediately, and two orange eyes stared up at me with interest.
“You hungry?” I asked.
I knew I had the cat hooked when I lifted the can and he followed, bounding up on top of the dryer beside me with a soft thump.
“That’s a good sign,” I said quietly so I didn’t startle the cat. “He’s interested in eating, so he’s probably not in much pain.”
I set the can down, and as soon as the cat took its first bite, I did a visual evaluation. The tuxedo cat had his weight evenly distributed between his paws, and when I nudged the can across the top of the washer, he hurried after it. His gait was normal.
Except—
“She’s not favoring one leg over the other,” I said, “so that’s good.”
“She?”
“Yup. This cat’s a female.”
I held out my hand to let her smell me, but she was far more interested in her meal than anything else. I ran a hand along her spine, checking for any signs of trauma, and when she arched into my touch, the tip of her tail wagged happily.
I grinned at Clay as I stroked the cat a second time. “I don’t think she’d be moving her tail if it were broken.”
As if to help reinforce my claim, the animal began to purr, and the rumbling sound grew louder as she opened her mouth to take another bite of fish.
I inspected her fur, which seemed clean and free of fleas. She was skinny, though, and there was a scratch healing on the top of her head as if she’d been in a fight with another animal recently.
“You can bring her by my clinic tomorrow and we can check her for a microchip, but I don’t think she’ll have one. I’m betting she was a stray until she found you.”
“Tomorrow?” Clay’s tone was dubious. “Wait a minute, what—”
I ignored him and gave her some scritches behind her ears. “You’re too pretty and sweet to be homeless, aren’t you?”
He said my name the same way I expected he’d tell me to get serious. “Lilith.”
I gave him a plain look. “This cat risked life and limb to adopt you as her owner.”
Anxiety and confusion tightened his shoulders. “No. I don’t want to own a cat.”
“Why not?” It just fell out of my mouth, loaded with double-meaning. “You don’t like pussy?”
TWO
Surprise at my innuendo made Clay jolt, but the way he recovered in a blink of an eye turned it right back around to me. His gaze slid from mine, down to the thin, wet top I wore and how it molded to my breasts. My pebbled nipples jutted out, and when he zeroed in on them, desire flared in his eyes.
Then he took a deep breath and licked his lips, making heat warm my cheeks and a dull ache throb between my legs.
Oh, yes.
It was silent in the room, but the way he brazenly lusted at me was deafening. It rumbled through my body just as the thunder outside reverberated through his big house.
But his wicked look slowly faded into a serious one. “I like . . . cats just fine. What I meant is, I can’t own a cat.”
“Why? Are you allergic?”
He pressed his lips together for a half-second. “No, but I have to travel for my job.”
“Really?” Confusion tugged my eyebrows together. “Seems like you’re home all the time to me.”
His expression shuttered. He didn’t like the idea I was keeping tabs on him, and his tone turned accusatory. “Oh, am I?”
I shrugged without shame. “You’re hot and mysterious, and I’m curious.”
A statement like that would fluster some guys, but not Clay. He simply blinked behind his glasses. “I’m not mysterious. I’m . . .” He searched for the right word. “Private.”
“Okay.” I stroked the cat. “Private guys can care for cats, you know.”
“So can nosy neighbors,” he fired back. “You work for a veterinarian. Don’t you think that makes you a better fit?”
“This cat didn’t pick me, dude, she picked you. And I think you owe it to her after slamming her tail in the door.” I slid down off the washing machine and was thrilled when he held his ground. It meant we were standing close enough to each other I could pick up the faint hint of his cologne. “Besides, as much as I’d like to, my landlords have a strict no-pets policy.”
He looked dubious. “Don’t you live with your parents?”
“No. I rent from them.”
Yes, I was twenty-six and resided on my parents’ property, but as far as I was concerned, I lived on my own. My parents’ guest house was a complete space, including a full kitchen, two bedrooms, and one-and-a-half baths. I paid my rent and utilities and came and went as I pleased.
But Clay continued to look at me like I was making it all up.
“If I didn’t live there,” I said, “they’d rent my place out to someone else, and they’d be the ones keeping up with the main house.” I pushed a swath of my dark brown hair back over my shoulder. “You know my folks are never home anymore, right? Last year my dad retired, and now they’re doing all the traveling they’ve been wanting to since they had kids.”
“Oh,” he said. “No, I didn’t know. Where are they now?”
“Vietnam.” Wait, was that right? “Or maybe Myanmar? I don’t remember their exact itinerary.” Just that they wouldn’t be home for another month, and they weren’t planning to stay home long. South America was booked for September and October. “Anyway, my dad’s allergic, and my mom’s always been super anti-pet, so me having a cat is a dealbreaker for them.” My mother’s aversion to pets had played a big role in why I worked with animals. “Honestly, I couldn’t afford a place half as nice on my salary, so I’m not about to risk it, even if this cat is adorable.”
I massaged the scruff of her neck, and she purred like a motor.
Clay sighed. “It’s not like I’m heartless. She is . . . kind of cute,” he admitted softly. “Look, I’d take her in if I could, but I’m heading to Florida tomorrow morning, and I’ll be gone the rest of the week. Maybe longer.”
“What is it you do?” I asked. “All my mom told me is you’re in tech.”
He cocked his head in confusion, then a half-smile tilted his lips. “I’m not in tech. Architect,” he corrected. “She must have misheard me.”
“Oh.” Well, the drafting table and blueprints in the study made a bit more sense now. “You’re building something in Florida?”
“We’re in phase two of a new hospital tower in Jacksonville, which, as you can imagine, is a big project. I’ll be back and forth all the time for the next six months.”