Page 97 of Texting Dr. Stalker

“Sorry, you go.” He unclenched his fist and waved politely. “What did you want to say?”

Standing as tall as I could, I forced out. “Do you mind if I keep Peng for another few days? I have a friend popping round to meet him. I…I might be interested in adopting him.”

His smile didn’t change, almost as if he knew this would happen. Had that been his evil plan all along? Was Peng a stray or some carefully planned gift?

Why would my neighbour give me a gift?

Because he knows you. He knows you’re alone. He knows you’re not coping. He’s a doctor, and it’s probably in the Healing Handbook. Isn’t that why people have service dogs?

Shaking my inner thoughts away, I went to say something else, but Zander said quietly, “It means hot or goodlooking, by the way.”

“What does?”

“Peng.” He grinned. “Your new cat’s name. I did a Google search to see if it meant anything. It means attractive or excellent in Chinese. So…he better grow out of the ugly kitten stage and become the most stunning orange cat on the street, or he’s living a false identity.”

“Oh!” I returned his smile. “Jeez, we can’t have that. Lying about one’s identity would alert the neighbourhood watch.”

He flinched but covered it with another smirk. “And of course you can keep him. Keep him however long you want. He isn’t mine.” He leaned a little closer. “If I’m honest, I feel like he used me to get to you.” He tugged off his sunglasses, pinning me with his violently green eyes. “Not that I blame him.”

Once again, a tsunami of goosebumps covered me head to toe like they did yesterday. I hadn’t been able to tell if it was fear or attraction yesterday, but today…I stumbled in shock to find my heart beat a little faster. My skin flushed a little hotter.

How had I never seen just how gorgeous he was?

If Peng meant attractive, well…Zander was peng with a capital P.

Oh my goodness, Lor, do you hear yourself?

How did my libido suddenly springfrom death’s door and now crushed on all the boys? What was I thinking, ogling Zander in that way?

For a quick second, I felt guilty.

What would X think?

But did it matter what he thought? We had no understanding. We weren’t dating. We weren’t even technically friends. And Zander had been in my life for well…all of it.

He didn’t count.

He might not turn you down if you asked him for sex. X said no, remember?

My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Backpedalling, I tripped, managed to somehow stay upright, then practically sprinted to my front door. “Sorry, forgot the oven is on. Byeeeee!”

Diving inside, I slammed the door and rested against it.

Peng came trotting toward me from the kitchen, his little meow curious and almost judgey.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I warned, scooping him up one-handed. My legs trembled a little as I plopped the kitten and the parcel on the dining room table. “Icertainly wasn’t looking at Zander like that.”

Peng sniffed the box while I went to get some scissors.

I rubbed my chest as another wash of prickles infected my heart. I still felt guilty but, at the same time…a little less trapped.

For the first time since Milton beat me, I was able to look at Zander without feeling phantom kicks, punches to my face, or my hair ripped out. I saw him as his own person and not the catalyst for my attempted murder.

And…I was grateful.

I could ignore the part where he unwittingly made my system flare with need and the fact that my sexuality seemed to be waking up. I could also work on not shutting myself off so I could move on from this and be happy again.

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