Cat 'N Mouse by Yvonne Harriott Page A

his watch. “Almost 11:30.”
    “I’m tired.” She closed her eyes again.
    “I know, but I’m going to need you awake and on your feet. Come on, Princess.” Sam took her hands pulling her up and she stumbled against him. He held her to steady her, his hand on her back.
    She looked up at him with soft brown eyes through long thick lashes and he was lost. His gaze shifted to her mouth as her tongue darted out to moisten her lips.
    Soft instrumental jazz music played in the background, coupled with the smell of musk, wrapped itself around them. She leaned into him and his arms circled around her waist, their lips inches apart.
    “Call me when…” Robyn stopped in mid sentence when she came through the kitchen door and saw them together, “…you get home.”
    •  •  •
    He watched them leave. O’Malley had his arm around Alexandria’s waist as if she belonged to him. With the moonlight shining on her face, she looked up at him, glowing. Throwing the half smoked cigarette to the concrete, he grounded it out with the heel of his boot, pretending it was O’Malley’s head and got into the truck, slamming the door.
    She was leaning against
him
. It was wrong. She told him that he was nice and thanked him for helping her with her groceries. She’d even offered him coffee one morning after he had delivered her paper.
    “What would I do without you,” she had said and smiled at him. He knew that it was her way of saying she loved him.
    That’s not how it’s supposed to be. Anger bubbled up inside him as he watched O’Malley help her into the SUV and caressed her face. When she was with O’Malley, she didn’t see him. He had to make her see him again. He had to make her love him.
    No one could love her the way he could.
    He had to make her see it, see him.
    •  •  •
    “Dennis and Robyn were not at all what I expected.”
    “Huh?” Alexandria turned her head on the headrest to look at Sam. She liked the way the street lights casted shadows across his face as he drove. Dennis was right. She couldn’t keep her eyes off him. Would he make her toes curl? She would bet money on it.
    They had left Robyn’s almost fifteen minutes ago. He’d told her, or rather, ordered her not to fall asleep after her first yawn, but it was proving next to impossible. She should have stopped at the third glass of wine when she had her buzz on.
    She’d ignored most of the dinner conversation until she found out Sam lost his virginity to his prom date.
    Alexandria didn’t care for Robyn telling Sam about her work at Robyn’s Nest. She assumed Robyn had mentioned it to Sam while they were alone in the kitchen. What she did with her life was nobody’s business but her own. She didn’t owe anyone an explanation, but Robyn felt she did. When Sam woke her and said it was time to leave, she was ready to go home.
    “I said Dennis and Robyn are not what I’d expected.”
    “Oh.”
    She turned her head toward the window yawning, thinking about her and Sam and toes curling. He would’ve kissed her if Robyn hadn’t walked in on them or rather she would’ve kissed him. She still wanted him to, craved it.
    “I need you awake, Princess.” They stopped at a traffic light and Sam reached over and ran a finger along her cheek. She felt the same intense heat as she did when they were in Robyn’s living room. “Talk to me. Tell me about yourself.”
    His finger left a hot trail along the path from her jaw to her chin and she moaned. The wine coupled with the hypnotic purring of the engine caused her inhibitions to fly out the window. She stared at him. His lips were full, jaw strong. His hands were big and strong as he shifted gears. She wondered what it would feel like to be kissed by those lips or feel his hands all over her body.
    “What do you want to know? I would think Matt would have given you a file on me already.”
    “I got a file but it pales in comparison to the lady.” Sam smiled and she went all warm, tingly