Jodi Redford - Cat Scratch Fever

“Christ, what’d I do now?”

“You’re not supposed to point out something intensely personal like that.”

He grunted. “You’ve got to be shittin’ me. We’ve seen each other masturbating, and your dander is up because I mentioned you’re in heat?”

She scrunched her nose in a manner he found oddly cute. Not that he’d tell her so. His luck, he’d probably earn her boot in his balls for the compliment.

“Would you like it if I went around pointing out every time you get an erection?”

Like now? This conversation sure as shit wasn’t helping in that department. “Why would it bother me? It’s not my damn problem you can’t keep your eyes off my crotch.”

She hissed. This time it definitely sounded like the kind that preceded bloodshed.

“Keep those claws of yours retracted, baby. Otherwise I just might leave you up there.”

“How very heroic of you.”

“Hell, I’m not stupid.”

“Fine. I’ll let you off the hook. But only this once.”

Taking his chances that she’d keep her word, he gripped her by the waist and tugged her forward. She yelped, her left knee swinging dangerously close to his face. He jerked his chin out of the way just in the nick of time. “Damn it, what are you trying to do, knock my teeth out?”

“You startled me. A warning would have been nice, you know.”

“How’s this for a warning—keep wiggling around like that and we’ll both end up dunked headfirst down in that bank of snow.”

“I’m stopping. Jeez.”

Tightening his hold on her, he pulled her into his arms. His hand automatically curved beneath her butt. He waited for her to smack him and was relieved when she limited her response to a slight narrowing of her eyes. “I’m going to lower you to the ground. It isn’t much of a drop.”

Nibbling the corner of her lip, she nodded. He balanced himself by grasping a nearby branch before swinging Lilly toward the thick snow at the base of the tree. She let go of him and leapt the few feet to safety, landing on her side. Pushing away from the spruce’s trunk, he dropped down beside her. He reached to give her a hand up, but when she started to stand, she winced and hobbled onto one foot.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded.

“My ankle. I must have twisted it.”

Not giving her a chance to protest, he swept her into his arms once more. “I’ll drive you back to your house.”

“Really, that isn’t necessary. I’m sure the pain will ease in a few seconds.”

He gave her a sharp look. “You’re in no shape to walk it. The sooner we get some ice on your ankle, the better.”

“Now who’s the bossy one?” Despite her pissiness, she wrapped her arm around his neck and allowed him to carry her to his idling pickup. He reached for the handle, but she beat him to the punch and wrenched the door open. The hinges gave a rusty whine, and she cocked an eyebrow. “I hear WD-40 works great for that sort of thing.”

“Thanks for the advice.” Jesus. It made absolutely no sense why he was tempted to lean in and kiss the smirk from Lilly’s lush mouth. She was everything he steered clear of in a woman. Sassy, annoying and haughty. If he had half a brain, he’d dump her on her ass in the snow and let her take care of her own damn self. Unfortunately, his brain seemed to be currently concentrated in his dick, and it had a better idea of what it’d like to do with Lilly.

Not that he was gonna let his dick get its way. Not a chance.

He settled Lilly on the bench seat, and she scooted across the leather upholstery so he could shut the door. Leaving her to get situated, he went back to fetch her skis. After stowing them in the bed of the pickup, he crossed to his side of the vehicle and slid behind the wheel. Less than two minutes later, he coasted to a stop behind her SUV. She unlocked her seat belt. “Thank you. I can handle things from here.”

“Like hell you can.”

Moving with lightning speed, he jumped from the vehicle and hightailed it to the passenger door just as she swung it open. She granted him a dark scowl. “I’m fine .”

“No, you’re stubborn.” Tuning out her protests, he scooped her against his chest and tromped through the ankle-deep snow to the cabin’s front porch. “You need to get someone out here to plow your drive.”

“Usually Melanie’s brother takes care of it.”

“I’ll have Shane stop by and do it.”

Her gaze jerked up to meet his, revealing her surprise. Christ. She really knew how to make him feel like a dickhead who went out of his way to do nothing for his neighbors. Okay, in the past he certainly hadn’t offered her or any of the lynchats anything in the way of help. Probably that made him an asshole. Considering who his father was, it was a damn miracle he knew how to be anything else.

Lilly continued staring at him for a long stretch, as if she were waiting for him to announce he’d only been joking. Finally she twitched her nose. “Thank you. That’s very…nice of you to offer.”

He grunted. “It killed you to call me nice, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

They arrived at the cabin entrance, and Lilly twisted the brass knob before nudging the door open with her elbow. He stepped inside the entry and glanced around. The cabin was much smaller than his place, but the décor was infinitely more stylish. He surveyed the pristine white slip-covered couch and imagined Chevy sprawled in the middle of it, slobbering and shedding hair all over the place. “Where do you want me to park you?”

She pointed to the oversized chair adjacent to the couch, and he obediently trekked to it and lowered her onto the cushion. He scooted the matching ottoman closer and propped her injured foot on its edge before heading to the kitchen. A little digging in the freezer produced a bag of Brussels sprouts. Seeing how he couldn’t fathom a person willingly eating Brussels sprouts, he snatched the package and carried it into the living room. Lilly had removed her coat and was reclining in the chair, trying not to look like she was experiencing the slightest bit of discomfort. He knew better.

Hunkering to one knee, he gingerly worked her ski boot and sock off so he could get a better look at her injury. Sure enough, her ankle was beginning to swell. He carefully draped the bag of sprouts in place and sat back on his haunches. It wasn’t until Lilly cleared her throat pointedly that he realized he was still cradling her foot in his palm. He glanced down and noticed the cheery flowers painted on her toenails. His mouth quirked. “Daisies on a Lilly?”

“What can I say? I live for irony.”

Almost unconscious of what he was doing, he smoothed his thumb along her instep. She sucked in a breath. He rested his finger on the pad of her foot. “Sorry, does that hurt?”

“N-no.”

He went back to massaging her lightly.

“Dante?”

He tried to ignore the sexy, husky edge her voice had taken on as she said his name. “Hmm?”

“I—I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be here.”

He met her panicked stare. “Why?”

“Because I’m having…issues…right now.”

There was no need for her to clarify her meaning. The intoxicating, luscious scent wafting from her had intensified a hundredfold in the last couple of seconds. His body reacted as it would to any female in heat in such close proximity. A hot rush of lust surged straight for his cock, making him throb and thicken. His muscles tensed, the fine hairs on his forearms becoming sensitized to her touch as her calf inadvertently brushed against him. Trailing his fingertips along the arch of her foot again, he watched her shiver. His focus became fixated on the outline of her nipples beneath her sweater.