AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Levi’s right. This woman has me hooked—and I’ve got to rip out the hook before it sinks in deeper.
She nods. “Yeah, I’ve got some work to do. Oh, who am I kidding. I’m going to go sit with Monticello for hours watching Netflix and being thankful he’s back.”
I smile. “Sounds like fun.”
I walk to the door, hands in my pockets. I turn as she stares. She’s biting her lip, her gaze studying me. She opens her mouth as if she’s going to ask something but then apparently changes her mind. I wonder if she was going to ask me to stay. I wonder if I would’ve said yes.
“Thanks again, Cash. It was good seeing you.”
“You too. See you at the shelter?”
“See you next Sunday, yep. Oh, and I almost forgot. Your reward.”
I perk up, wondering if she’s changed her mind, wondering if my cologne is working its magic.
“Just let me get my purse,” she says as she turns.
I sigh. Money. She means the money.
“Hey, no way. Don’t worry about it. Besides, I didn’t find him anyway.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“I’ll just donate the reward to the shelter,” she says.
I nod, thinking about how Reed would kill me right now for not asking for a bag.
As I open the door and step out of her condo, though, I’m really not thinking about rewards or bags. I’m thinking about how much I want her to ask me to stay—and how much that scares me. I turn and see her standing in the doorway. From where I’m standing, I can smell her floral perfume. It smells amazing, sensuous. Now I’m biting my lip.
“Bye,” she says, and even that one word rustles through me. She smiles and clicks the door shut. For a moment I stand, staring at the door, exhaling. I spin on my heel and head off, grabbing my cell phone from my pocket.
I dial Levi. “Hey, you and Jodie busy tonight? Wondering if you want to go out.”
“It’s Sunday night.”
“And? Are you a grandpa or something? Having pot roast with the kids? Come on. What better way to start the week?”
“Not all of us are party animals lately. Don’t you ever just want a quiet night at home?”
I think about it. “Not tonight I don’t. Come on.”
“Is that Cash?” I hear a bubbly voice yell from the background. “Does he want to go out?”
“See, even Jodie knows I’m good for a good time.”
Levi sighs. “All right. But just one drink.”
“That’s what they all say,” I murmur as I click the phone, feeling better about getting out, getting back to my comfort zone.
