Joanna Wayne - Stranger, Seducer, Protector

A man would have to be crazy to get involved with this mess. She walked out to the porch with the detective as he was leaving. No sign of Nick’s truck. He was probably staying as far away from her as possible.

Who could blame him?

JACINTH LUGGED THE LAST TWO bags from the car to the kitchen. Considering that Caitlyn and Marcus were in Florida and Jacinth spent most of her waking hours at the university, it was ridiculous how many groceries she’d bought.

She tackled putting away the refrigerator items first, pretty sure just handling the carton of chocolate-fudge ice cream added a few inches to her hips. Had she not been in the frozen-treat aisle when the plumber had returned her call, she could have resisted the fattening splurge.

It would be Monday afternoon before he could get to the busted water pipe so that she could have running water again. That meant she’d have to drive over to the university to wash her hair and shower in the gym facilities.

The yogurt and skim milk were staples, as were her fruit, granola, cheese, salad makings and an assortment of canned and boxed soups. And she’d stocked up on Prissy Whiskers, the only cat food Sin deemed flavor-some enough for her majesty’s taste buds.

The beer was another story. She didn’t drink it. She knew nothing about it. Nonetheless, she’d picked up two six-packs, one imported, one domestic. It took some creative rearranging in her fridge to make room for them.

Not that there was any reason to expect her hunky neighbor would drop by for a visit, although his truck was in the driveway now.

Not that she cared. She wasn’t the least bit infatuated by him.

Kicking out of her shoes at the foot of the stairs, she went upstairs to work on her list for the detective and see why Sin was making such a racket. The pitiful meowing grew louder as Jacinth reached the top step.

“Sin, what are you into now?”

There was no sign of the cat, but the mewing turned to an earsplitting howl now that Sin had an audience. Jacinth searched for her without luck until she realized that the wail was coming from behind the closed door of Marie’s old bedroom.

Jacinth opened the door and Sin instantly grew quiet. The feline sat perfectly still, nailing Jacinth with her menacing yellow-eyed stare as if she were the culprit. Jacinth stooped to pick her up.

“You did this to yourself, Sin, though I can’t imagine how you got the door shut tight. And you’ve made a mess of this room.”

The books and framed pictures that lined the shelves were askance. One book was on the floor. So was a shattered vase that Jacinth would have sworn was too heavy for the cat to budge.

She sniffed as an unfamiliar scent assaulted her nostrils. “Did you spill something, Sin? Naughty cat.”

Jacinth searched but couldn’t find the source of the odor. Yet it persisted. A bit nauseating. Similar to the cheap aftershave one of her students apparently used in lieu of deodorant.

The smell had not been in this room before. Her chest constricted, making it difficult to breathe. Had someone been in the room while she was out?

Taking a deep breath, she carried Sin out of the room and shut the door behind her. Her nerves were shot. She was overreacting. There had been half a dozen CSU professionals in her house this morning. Their scents probably mingled and lingered and only seemed stronger in Marie’s room because it had been shut up.

Her doorbell rang and Jacinth jumped as if she’d been poked with a sharp fork. She wasn’t expecting company. Sin hissed and wiggled from her grasp, jumping from her arms to the floor.

Jacinth hurried down the stairs and peeked through the peephole. It was Nick. She threw open the door and stared for a few seconds, taking him in, right down to the metal toolbox he held in his right hand.

His jeans were worn, frayed at the hem, ripped across his left thigh. His T-shirt was faded, the fit tight across his broad, muscular chest, the short sleeves rolled up.

Totally lacking in sophistication.

Sex appeal out the wazoo.

“Heard you need a plumber,” he said. His smile lit up his face. “Unless you’ve already been serviced.”

Her senses vibrated. “I haven’t been serviced, but can I afford you?”

“I’m sure we can work something out.”

“In that case, when can you start?”

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.