Will turned back to the skillet lifting another meatball from the skillet. This one he placed on a plate. He continued transferring meatballs as he spoke. “I was going to give Sebastian the meatball. Then, I thought about Clint going in and out of the house as many times as he pleased without Sebastian even objecting. The man probably gave him some meat-based treat. If I gave him a meatball, I’d just be compounding the problem. He’s start assuming that strange men give him treats.”
Ah, Will liked her dog. Didn’t say it exactly, but that’s what she heard. “You’re not so strange.”
“Ha, shows how much you know.” He moved the skillet from the hot burner to one that wasn’t on. “A few of my client’s husbands referred to me as the devil. That was one of the nicer names.”
“Yeah, but you know how people are when they’re mad. Say things they don’t mean.”
Will snorted as he picked up the large pot and filled it with water and put it on the stove. Tilting the salt shaker over the water, he gave it a few shakes and used a slotted spoon to stir it. “They meant it. Besides, I don’t want Sebastian taking treats from strangers. So far, Clint has only given him non-toxic treats. What happens when he drugs the meat.”
Her gaze fell on her overweight canine who kept watch on Will’s cooking activities. “I don’t think Clint would do that.”
The slotted spoon in Will’s hand tumbled to the floor. “You don’t think he would do something like that?” His voice grew louder with each word. A quick flick of his wrist turned off the stove. He pulled out a kitchen chair and straddled it.
Tonya waited, knowing he had something to say. Couldn’t claim to be expert enough on men to pen a book, but she knew when the stage had been set for an important announcement. “Yes.”
His large hand rubbed over his face a couple of times. “Okay. Did you think he would try to get you fired from your job?”
“No, of course, I never thought that. If I had, I wouldn’t have done the photos.” Everyone has a few things she regretted, but man, when she did stupid stuff; it bit her in the butt big time.
His folded arms rested on the back of the chair with his chin resting on his hands. Only his lips moved as he spoke softly while the rest of face stayed icily immobile. “Did you expect him to break into your house, vandalize your car, and make some type of voodoo doll in your image?”
“That’s a silly question.” Ah, she could see where he was going with this. No wonder he terrified his client’s soon–to-be ex spouses with snapping turtle tenacity and laser eyes that peeled the away public façades. Stupidity, lust and a whole lot of liquor got her involved with Clint; add a dash of loneliness too. “Okay.” She surged to her feet knocking her laptop askew, but Will righted it before it tumbled. Great, another thing he did for her.
“I didn’t know he was unstable. Crazy warning labels aren’t tattooed on the people I need to avoid.” Her voice grew shriller with her agitation, causing Sebastian’s abrupt departure. His tail whipped around the corner as he sought a safe haven from mercurial humans. Her hands were in the air as if she were testifying in a Pentecostal revival. Of course, her witness would be about her horrible luck with men.
Will stood slowly as if wary of her. Would he leave now? Decide he had enough of helping the whacked out damsel in distress. She didn’t want to be that woman. The one who needed a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on. So tired of all of this. Her foot landed hard on the floor expressing her frustration, but, unfortunately, her barefooted state didn’t serve her well. “Ouch!”
Will opened his arms wide as she half hopped and stumbled into them. He wrapped them tight around her pulling their bodies flush with one another. His lips landed lightly on her head. The kiss made her smile, a big goofy grin that he couldn’t see. Thank goodness.
“So, you think you’re the only one who stubbed their toe in the name of love. I almost hacked off entire limbs trying to get out of messy entanglements.”
Hard to imagine Will being as foolish as she’d been, but it did improve her mood some. “Tell me.” Her low-voiced request went unanswered. Stiffening her fingers, she poked him in the ribs. “Tell me.”
“Aw, you know it will just make me look bad and you’ll throw me over.”
Tonya laughed into his shirt. “Yeah, right. Like I’d throw over the man who just made my home safer than Fort Knox. C mon tell me.”
Will pressed another kiss to her hair. “It makes me look stupid.”
“As if I come out as a shining pillar of feminine wisdom for getting involved with a lunatic PI.”
His arms tighten around her as he murmured. “I’ll give you that.”
“”Hey!” Her fingers ran up and down his ribcage searching for a ticklish spot. Under his arm, deep into his pit, she’d found it. Knew she’d hit pay dirt when he pinned his arm to his side to prevent her wandering fingers from getting any farther.
“Stop that,” He managed between chuckles. “That’s so unfair.”
“Maybe,” she readily agreed. “I’ll stop when you tell. It will help me from feeling like such a doofus depending on how bad your story is.”
His chuckles ceased and his somber expression returned, making her wish she hadn’t pushed him. An apology formed in her mind, something about it not mattering and forgetting she even mentioned it, but before she could utter it, Will spoke.
Ah, Will liked her dog. Didn’t say it exactly, but that’s what she heard. “You’re not so strange.”
“Ha, shows how much you know.” He moved the skillet from the hot burner to one that wasn’t on. “A few of my client’s husbands referred to me as the devil. That was one of the nicer names.”
“Yeah, but you know how people are when they’re mad. Say things they don’t mean.”
Will snorted as he picked up the large pot and filled it with water and put it on the stove. Tilting the salt shaker over the water, he gave it a few shakes and used a slotted spoon to stir it. “They meant it. Besides, I don’t want Sebastian taking treats from strangers. So far, Clint has only given him non-toxic treats. What happens when he drugs the meat.”
Her gaze fell on her overweight canine who kept watch on Will’s cooking activities. “I don’t think Clint would do that.”
The slotted spoon in Will’s hand tumbled to the floor. “You don’t think he would do something like that?” His voice grew louder with each word. A quick flick of his wrist turned off the stove. He pulled out a kitchen chair and straddled it.
Tonya waited, knowing he had something to say. Couldn’t claim to be expert enough on men to pen a book, but she knew when the stage had been set for an important announcement. “Yes.”
His large hand rubbed over his face a couple of times. “Okay. Did you think he would try to get you fired from your job?”
“No, of course, I never thought that. If I had, I wouldn’t have done the photos.” Everyone has a few things she regretted, but man, when she did stupid stuff; it bit her in the butt big time.
His folded arms rested on the back of the chair with his chin resting on his hands. Only his lips moved as he spoke softly while the rest of face stayed icily immobile. “Did you expect him to break into your house, vandalize your car, and make some type of voodoo doll in your image?”
“That’s a silly question.” Ah, she could see where he was going with this. No wonder he terrified his client’s soon–to-be ex spouses with snapping turtle tenacity and laser eyes that peeled the away public façades. Stupidity, lust and a whole lot of liquor got her involved with Clint; add a dash of loneliness too. “Okay.” She surged to her feet knocking her laptop askew, but Will righted it before it tumbled. Great, another thing he did for her.
“I didn’t know he was unstable. Crazy warning labels aren’t tattooed on the people I need to avoid.” Her voice grew shriller with her agitation, causing Sebastian’s abrupt departure. His tail whipped around the corner as he sought a safe haven from mercurial humans. Her hands were in the air as if she were testifying in a Pentecostal revival. Of course, her witness would be about her horrible luck with men.
Will stood slowly as if wary of her. Would he leave now? Decide he had enough of helping the whacked out damsel in distress. She didn’t want to be that woman. The one who needed a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on. So tired of all of this. Her foot landed hard on the floor expressing her frustration, but, unfortunately, her barefooted state didn’t serve her well. “Ouch!”
Will opened his arms wide as she half hopped and stumbled into them. He wrapped them tight around her pulling their bodies flush with one another. His lips landed lightly on her head. The kiss made her smile, a big goofy grin that he couldn’t see. Thank goodness.
“So, you think you’re the only one who stubbed their toe in the name of love. I almost hacked off entire limbs trying to get out of messy entanglements.”
Hard to imagine Will being as foolish as she’d been, but it did improve her mood some. “Tell me.” Her low-voiced request went unanswered. Stiffening her fingers, she poked him in the ribs. “Tell me.”
“Aw, you know it will just make me look bad and you’ll throw me over.”
Tonya laughed into his shirt. “Yeah, right. Like I’d throw over the man who just made my home safer than Fort Knox. C mon tell me.”
Will pressed another kiss to her hair. “It makes me look stupid.”
“As if I come out as a shining pillar of feminine wisdom for getting involved with a lunatic PI.”
His arms tighten around her as he murmured. “I’ll give you that.”
“”Hey!” Her fingers ran up and down his ribcage searching for a ticklish spot. Under his arm, deep into his pit, she’d found it. Knew she’d hit pay dirt when he pinned his arm to his side to prevent her wandering fingers from getting any farther.
“Stop that,” He managed between chuckles. “That’s so unfair.”
“Maybe,” she readily agreed. “I’ll stop when you tell. It will help me from feeling like such a doofus depending on how bad your story is.”
His chuckles ceased and his somber expression returned, making her wish she hadn’t pushed him. An apology formed in her mind, something about it not mattering and forgetting she even mentioned it, but before she could utter it, Will spoke.
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