cultivated—”
“But Reese is also big.” Dropping her hand, she smiled off at
nothing in particular. “And incredibly handsome. And he’s...” Her voice faded.
“He’s sooo... ”
Curiosity got the better of him. “What?”
She licked her lips and inhaled a deep breath, only to let it
out in a long sigh.
Put off, Rowdy scowled at her. “If you start purring, I’m outta
here.”
A blush warmed her cheeks. She straightened her shoulders and
refocused on him. “My point is that you and Reese might have similarities, but
you also have differences. Like that giant chip on your shoulder and that cocky
swagger—”
“I do not swagger.” Did he?
“—that proclaims you a rebel.” With a mere glance, she shared
her sympathy. “You like butting heads with the law, walking that narrow path
between saint and sinner, and we both know it. I think you enjoy it.”
The sinner part he could attest to, but where the hell had she
gotten the saint angle? “Sorry, doll, you don’t really know me at all. What I do
or don’t enjoy. Who I enjoy it with.” He warmed to his subject, ready to wrest
the upper hand from her velvet grip. “In fact—”
Suddenly Alice stiffened, lifted her head as if she heard
something.
“What is it?”
She put a finger to her lips as if in warning, then shook her
head.
Cash watched her with the same confusion Rowdy felt.
As she rose silently from the couch, her gaze on the front
door, she said, “So you saw your sister today? How is Detective Riske
feeling?”
What the hell was she up to? She made not a single sound as she
inched toward her door. “He’s grouchy.” Fascinated, Rowdy watched as she stopped
to study the door a moment. “I don’t think he likes being pampered any more than
I would.”
She gestured for him to continue. He obliged, but in case
trouble intruded, he also stood. “Pepper isn’t the typical mother hen. Far from
it. Her efforts at coddling are as likely to drive Logan nuts as anything
else.”
As he spoke, Alice went on tiptoe to look out the door’s
peephole. Apprehension dropped her back to her heels.
With a huff, she jerked the door open. “You scared me.”
There stood Reese, and it was obvious he’d been eavesdropping.
It took him only a second to find his aplomb. “Sorry. I was about to knock.”
She snorted.
That particular sound coming from that particular woman might
have amused Rowdy. But under the circumstances, it didn’t penetrate past his
annoyance. “Damn it.” He hadn’t heard a thing, hadn’t even realized that Alice
had left the door unsecured. “I’m slipping.”
“No, you’re fine.” Alice waved off his disgruntlement. “It’s
just that I’m familiar with the sounds in my apartment.”
“He wasn’t in your apartment,” Rowdy pointed out. “He was
lurking around the hallway.”
“Lurking?” Reese asked with a raised brow, but he couldn’t very
well deny it.
“I’m familiar with those sounds, as well.”
Chagrined, Reese looked at Alice, gave her a half smile and
then zeroed in on Rowdy.
Well, hell. He had hoped to be long gone before Reese realized
he’d come to call, but too late for subterfuge now. Rowdy lifted his hands in
surrender. “Busted.”
Carrying a stuffed overnight bag and some clothes over his arm,
Reese strode in, all the while letting Rowdy feel his discontent. “Care to tell
me what you’re doing here?”
“I’m just visiting.” Rowdy nodded at Reese’s load. “But it
looks like you’re moving in.”
As if someone had goosed her, Alice jumped. “What? No.”
Dismissing that reaction, Rowdy whistled low. “Fast work,
Reese. I had no idea.”
Alice started to speak again, but Reese cut her off. “So, now
you know. Make note of it, okay?”
Alice subsided with a wide-eyed look of surprise.
So, it was like that, huh? Rowdy saluted him. Sure, there was
no denying Alice’s interest in Reese. Hell, she’d spelled it out, all the while
going moony-eyed. Granted,
“But Reese is also big.” Dropping her hand, she smiled off at
nothing in particular. “And incredibly handsome. And he’s...” Her voice faded.
“He’s sooo... ”
Curiosity got the better of him. “What?”
She licked her lips and inhaled a deep breath, only to let it
out in a long sigh.
Put off, Rowdy scowled at her. “If you start purring, I’m outta
here.”
A blush warmed her cheeks. She straightened her shoulders and
refocused on him. “My point is that you and Reese might have similarities, but
you also have differences. Like that giant chip on your shoulder and that cocky
swagger—”
“I do not swagger.” Did he?
“—that proclaims you a rebel.” With a mere glance, she shared
her sympathy. “You like butting heads with the law, walking that narrow path
between saint and sinner, and we both know it. I think you enjoy it.”
The sinner part he could attest to, but where the hell had she
gotten the saint angle? “Sorry, doll, you don’t really know me at all. What I do
or don’t enjoy. Who I enjoy it with.” He warmed to his subject, ready to wrest
the upper hand from her velvet grip. “In fact—”
Suddenly Alice stiffened, lifted her head as if she heard
something.
“What is it?”
She put a finger to her lips as if in warning, then shook her
head.
Cash watched her with the same confusion Rowdy felt.
As she rose silently from the couch, her gaze on the front
door, she said, “So you saw your sister today? How is Detective Riske
feeling?”
What the hell was she up to? She made not a single sound as she
inched toward her door. “He’s grouchy.” Fascinated, Rowdy watched as she stopped
to study the door a moment. “I don’t think he likes being pampered any more than
I would.”
She gestured for him to continue. He obliged, but in case
trouble intruded, he also stood. “Pepper isn’t the typical mother hen. Far from
it. Her efforts at coddling are as likely to drive Logan nuts as anything
else.”
As he spoke, Alice went on tiptoe to look out the door’s
peephole. Apprehension dropped her back to her heels.
With a huff, she jerked the door open. “You scared me.”
There stood Reese, and it was obvious he’d been eavesdropping.
It took him only a second to find his aplomb. “Sorry. I was about to knock.”
She snorted.
That particular sound coming from that particular woman might
have amused Rowdy. But under the circumstances, it didn’t penetrate past his
annoyance. “Damn it.” He hadn’t heard a thing, hadn’t even realized that Alice
had left the door unsecured. “I’m slipping.”
“No, you’re fine.” Alice waved off his disgruntlement. “It’s
just that I’m familiar with the sounds in my apartment.”
“He wasn’t in your apartment,” Rowdy pointed out. “He was
lurking around the hallway.”
“Lurking?” Reese asked with a raised brow, but he couldn’t very
well deny it.
“I’m familiar with those sounds, as well.”
Chagrined, Reese looked at Alice, gave her a half smile and
then zeroed in on Rowdy.
Well, hell. He had hoped to be long gone before Reese realized
he’d come to call, but too late for subterfuge now. Rowdy lifted his hands in
surrender. “Busted.”
Carrying a stuffed overnight bag and some clothes over his arm,
Reese strode in, all the while letting Rowdy feel his discontent. “Care to tell
me what you’re doing here?”
“I’m just visiting.” Rowdy nodded at Reese’s load. “But it
looks like you’re moving in.”
As if someone had goosed her, Alice jumped. “What? No.”
Dismissing that reaction, Rowdy whistled low. “Fast work,
Reese. I had no idea.”
Alice started to speak again, but Reese cut her off. “So, now
you know. Make note of it, okay?”
Alice subsided with a wide-eyed look of surprise.
So, it was like that, huh? Rowdy saluted him. Sure, there was
no denying Alice’s interest in Reese. Hell, she’d spelled it out, all the while
going moony-eyed. Granted,
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