Page 36 of Falling for You

“And your car? Did you get it figured out?”

“Ugh,” she groans, looking down at her lap. “No. I’m still using that stupid rental. I guess you saw that, huh?”

“I did,” I grin.

“I think I’m going to have to get a new car. I’ve had that adorable little bug for so long and I hate to think it, but she’s toast. Car shopping sucks, doesn’t it? I’ve only bought the one and it was off a neighbor.”

I want to offer to help her buy a new — or at least new to her — car. Be with her when she goes car shopping because she’s right. It does suck. Hell, I have an extra she could use. It was my first big purchase after I received a bonus from completing a big project two months early. It’s nothing fancy, though neither is my pickup. I know she’d freak if I offered it to her. Rightfully so. Little early to be accepting gifts, even if it’s just a loan, of that magnitude.

“I don’t mind car shopping, actually.” I somewhat lie. It does suck, but it’s not the worst thing, either. “I can help, if you want. Research is my thing. I’ll find you a good deal.”

She stares at me then grabs the remote and aims it toward the television hanging from her wall. “You like to research? You’re a strange one, you know that?”

“I’ve been told that a time or two.”

It’s not a no, though, so I’ll take it. She might think I’m weird. But she’s not just flat out turning me down or running for the hills scared that I’m about to chop her up into a bunch of pieces.

Shit. That turned ugly fast.

Malcom lifts his head when I lean over to put my plate on the coffee table, turns his yellow eyes on me and gives me a slow blink, as if I’m really messing with his night.

“See? He’s such an asshole.”

“Aren’t most cats?”

“Well, yeah, but he’s exceptional.”

I rub his head and he begins to purr again, nestling his soft head into my hand.

“Hmm. I don’t know. He seems alright to me,” I croon to him, looking at Chloe out of the corner of my eye.

She laughs, rolling her dark eyes, tucks a beautiful lock of that deep red hair behind her ear. A diamond stud sparkles halfway up the outer shell of her delicate ear. Two piercings in the lobe, though the second hole is empty. I notice a small arrow tattoo on the outside of her forearm.

There’s something about her that calls out to me. Her quiet strength, the smile that she seems to give so freely that also lights up the room, the perseverance and determination to meet her goals.

The thought reminds me of why I reached out to her today in the first place.

Clearing my throat, I wipe my hands with a paper towel and crumble it in my fist, holding on to it.

“So, um, I know that right now you’re just praying that I don’t kill you…”

“Right.” Her quick agreement makes me grin. Always so honest. “Also, I’m eating the last piece,” she says unapologetically. In fact, I’m pretty certain if I tried to take it, she’d bite my hand off. I’ve never seen a woman be able to polish off so many slices of pizza in such little time. It’s impressive. And a bit sexy, too.

Tonight, I planned to tell her I have an idea of how she can get her salon but now that I’m in her cozy home, sitting on her soft dark blue couch and cuddling with her asshole cat who’s already accepted me, I don’t want to do anything to wreck the peace that’s settled between us. Her face is scrubbed clean of any makeup, hair up in a messy bun, feet bare so I can see the bright pink on her toes. We have two bags full of food to munch on the rest of the night and all I want to do is lean back into her cushy couch, pull her close, and watch TV.

“Do you have Netflix?”

“Of course. And Hulu, too. I don’t have cable anymore.”

“Maybe this is overstepping, but I know you’ve had a long day and honestly, I did, too. Worrying that someone is dead takes a lot out of a guy and making people pretty all day without a break has to be exhausting. Want to watch something?” I nod my head toward the TV.

“That actually sounds… amazing.” Her voice takes on a blissful note and I sit up straighter in my seat, feeling pretty proud of myself for figuring out a way to help her relax after a long day. “I’m so tired and I don’t want to think for a while.”

Glad I didn’t ask if she wanted to talk about my idea to help her get the salon.

Chloe’s eyes are still trained on the TV when her soft voice floats through the room. “Now the real question is… what do we want to watch?”

“Oh the true test, huh? I’m currently binging onArrested Developmentbut I’m good with anything. Unless it’sGilmore Girls.Sorry, that’s a hard limit for me.”

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