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Cody grinned and said, “We’re not dressed for work right now. We’re house painting today.”
“Oh?” She glanced at the card again, noting Cody’s name at the bottom, listed as club and restaurant security.
Heath spoke up. “We recently bought a house in dire need of painting.”
Maizy grinned. “Was it bad?”
Heath nodded and she felt drawn by his hypnotic pale green eyes as he winked and said, “Unspeakable.”
She laughed and then grew quiet as they all stared at her again like they wanted to…eat her or something. But she didn’t get a creepy vibe from them. No, in fact, her inner vixen was doing a happy dance, judging by the damp condition of her panties. She even felt a little swollen down there since Cody’s lips had touched her hand.
Cody glanced at his friends and then said, “This is a little crazy, I know, but I hope you’ll call me. Us.”
“Why? Are you drumming up business?” she asked, looking at the card. “I don’t need any steaks and I’m not in need of having any security work done.”
“This isn’t about business,” Cody murmured. “I hope you call me.” He frowned as though at himself, and then gestured to her car. “Sorry if we made you late.”
Several emotions crowded her thoughts. He hadn’t satisfied her curiosity about why he wanted her to call him and by nature she was too inquisitive to let that go. She was also concerned that she’d given them the impression she was brushing them off, which she should probably do but for some inexplicable reason she couldn’t.
“You haven’t made me late, Cody. I’m just confused. I like for things to be put to me in black and white. This all seems a little mysterious.” She looked at her watch. “I’ve got ten minutes before I have to walk into my classroom to prepare for the day. It takes me four minutes to get to school. We can talk but you’re getting soaked.”
Cody said, “Believe me, Miss Owen—”
“Owen,” Spencer said and then smacked himself on the forehead. “You’re related to Patrick Owen, aren’t you?”
Maizy nodded and smiled. “He’s my brother.” She waited for the comment about her “odd duck” coloring in their fair-haired family.
Spencer’s eyes twinkled. “We know him. I thought there was something familiar about your eyes earlier.” She smiled. That was an astute observation, given that Patrick’s eyes were blue. She and Patrick had inherited the shape and tilt of their eyes from their mother.
Cody said, “Anyway, believe me, Miss Owen, we don’t care about the rain. We’ve been looking for you for months.”
Tension ratcheted back up a notch. They worked in security. What the hell was up? “Why? Where do you know me from?”
“We first saw you on Halloween night last year, at the Dancing Pony.”
Crap! Her heart lurched again, painfully this time.
“That was you, wasn’t it?” Spencer asked earnestly. “There was no mistaking you this morning, with the way you move.” She frowned and he hastily added, “We’re not stalking you, Maizy. Please don’t be upset. We’ve wanted to meet you since that night.”
She bit her lip in uncertainty. Intuition told her they weren’t stalkers and something about their hopeful expressions, in combination with the enormous strength each of them obviously possessed, actually made her feel quite safe.
“I could get into trouble with my employer and the school board if they knew I was belly dancing in public like that. Please don’t tell anyone.” What reason could they possibly have for bringing that night up, unless they thought she was loose or wanted to hold it over her head?
Cody frowned. “We wouldn’t tell anyone. You were—”
“I know what I was, Cody, thank you. I was told repeatedly by my ex-fiancé in no uncertain terms. Belly dancing is a hobby, not my profession.”
Cody’s lips pressed together in a frown and she had the distinct impression he didn’t like being interrupted. For some reason that thought made her want to giggle…and interrupt him again. Her ricocheting emotions were giving her whiplash.
