Touch of Evil by C. T. Adams, Cathy Clamp

laughed, because it was the same reaction that both Connie and Chuck had given me. Apartments in converted lofts are exclusive and 99.9% of them in LoDo are therefore expensive. The only reason mine aren't is that I just can't justify charging it. It's all that Catholic guilt in my system, I guess. I named my price, and smiled as his jaw
    dropped and the pent-up air exhaled in a rush. I'm well aware it's about half what the other lofts are getting. "I pay the utilities, unless they get out of hand. It's cheaper for me to have a single meter into the building for water, gas and electricity. You get a parking space in the garage with the apartment, but since you said you don't need it, I might park my motorcycle there. The security deposit is one month's rent, and you get it back when you leave. I keep it in a separate account and don't use it for anything, even damages. We'll handle that
    separately if it happens. If you find anything that needs fixing, please tell me before you call someone, if there's time. I'd rather try to do the work myself to save money. If I have to pay too much for outside help, I can't afford to keep the rents where they are. Of course, if I'm out of town, do what you need to so it doesn't get worse."
    "For this place? The place I checked a block over was half this size and wanted more than twice that! Jeez Louise, get me a lease before you come to your senses and change your mind!"
    I laughed, because he was the first person I'd ever met who used that antiquated expression. 'Jeez Louise' is something Mom used to say almost daily. I picked up on it when I was a toddler. It drove my dad insane listening to me walk around the house, screaming it over and over at the top of my lungs.
    "So it's in your budget? I don't want you to have to choose between your bed and food every
    month. I've done that. It sucks."
    "Hell yes! That's right square in the middle of my budget. I can probably even pick up the stuff I had to hock to get the deposit for the other place!" He raised his eyebrows and gave me a wicked grin.
    "There's even enough left in my pocket to treat my new landlady to an early dinner, if she's willing." I felt my mouth go dry and my heart rate speed up. I hadn't been out with a man other than my brother since Dylan and I ended. "Uhm—I don't know, Tom." I couldn't think of a way to refuse gracefully without him thinking it was because he was a lycanthrope. Plus, I really did like him and I was starved. "Where could we go with you looking all gorgeous and me looking like—" I held out my hands and looked down at my painted arm and clothing. I could see some wisps of red hair from the corner of my eye that were a lovely shade of warm ivory. "—well, this?" He laughed, so apparently I hadn't offended him.
    "Hardly gorgeous. But for saving me almost five hundred bucks each and every month, and letting me get my beloved microwave out of pawn, I could probably wait a few minutes for you to shower and change. I'll just bet that you'll end up stunning. You're already damned gorgeous, even with paint all over you." He stared at me with a look that seemed to burn right through my clothes. It gave me goosebumps on my goose-bumps.
    Eek! What does a girl say to that? "Okay, then. Well—uhm," I managed to stammer, "Do you want to do it here or come up to my place?" He fought not to smile, and I blushed furiously and put my hands over my face. "Oh God! That came out so wrong!" I peeked through my fingers. Fortunately, he was keeping a straight face. "Do you want to wait down here?"
    His dark eyes twinkled merrily. "Sure. I can figure out where to put the furniture, if I can borrow the measuring tape on the table downstairs." The blush was growing the longer I looked at him. Please God, let this not be the way dinner would go, too. "No problem. My place is upstairs. I'll shower and change and be back down in a few minutes."
    His smile was warm and inviting. "I'd say 'take your time', but I