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He crossed to the , stood with his back to her to hide his body’s response ‘Just take yourself and that damn cat back to bed and shut the door behind you’ And stay there

‘You don’t like animals How sad’

The quiet censure in her tone put him on the defensive ‘I don’t like animals in my apartment’

‘That’s why I’d never live in an apartarden, no fresh air and sky, no pets’

He tried to confine his gaze to his own reflection in the night-darkened glass, but like lightning to e of the woed the cat’s fur To the way her pyja a sharply delineated collarbone—

‘So you’ll be wanting to find yourself so as soon as possible’

The air stirred with a tense silence that echoed around his heart Pulled at him as he heard her say, ‘Naturally,’ and watched her reflection turn and walk away, shoulders sluhtened at his sides Damn it

Why had he taken his hostility towards Kat out on his house-guest? Even if she did rub his off, he followed her ribbon of freshly showered al the hall ‘Didi…’

She halted at her door, hugging her cat to her like a child with a teddy bear But she gave hiht have said ‘Thank you for your generosity this evening, Caht’

The door closed with a tight click, leaving only her fragrance to le with his self-recrimination

He stared at the barrier aaround on the other side and wondering what she was doing When the sound stopped abruptly, he couldn’t help but picture her cli into bed in those oversized pyjamas

A big picture, a bad picture A very bad picture because he didn’t want to think about what those pyjao about finding out once and for all what that mobile mouth of hers tasted like, even if it was just to shut her up for a moment or two

He gulped in a deep breath, heard it whistle out through his teeth Finally he peeled his gaze away froood ti