Page 34 of Claws and Feathers

She crossed her arms over her chest with a perplexed frown. “Why the hell was there a cat in my closet?”

Abby started laughing, prompting his own laughter to break through the haze of inappropriate thoughts that were beginning to flare.

Cooper decided he liked the sound of her laughter.

In fact, it might have become his new favorite thing.

Chapter ten

Cooper awoke to the alarming sensation of a throw pillow being chucked at his face.

He jumped up from the couch in a daze. “What the hell?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Daphne stood before him with one hand on her hip, and the other hand clutching her weapon.

“Seriously? You just hit me in the face with a pillow?”

“Um, yeah. There’s an intruder in my house and I’m defending myself.” Daphne quirked an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side, as if to sayobviously.

“I’m a goddamn police officer, Daphne. I’m watching out for your friend,” he said, rubbing away the sting on his cheek.

She let out a laugh that told him she was anything but amused. “I have a perfectly nice driveway you can sit in. It’s served you well so far.”

“I wanted to keep a closer eye on her.”

“Then why don’t you go in the bedroom and have sex with her like a normal guy?”

“Jesus Christ,” Cooper muttered under his breath. He dug through his pockets for his keys and secured his gun holster around his waist, reaching for his vest. He made sure to shoot Daphne a death glare as he did so.

“What if I’d brought a guy home? How would I explain you on my couch?” Daphne persisted.

“Exactly what I just told you,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, right. Like he would believe that. You really need to get back in the dating scene, McAllister.”

“Goodbye, Daphne. Always a pleasure.”

Cooper spared a final glance down the hallway as he stormed over to the foyer. Abby was sound asleep with her back to him, her golden hair splayed out across the pillow. It gave him pause. It made him smile. He continued his trek to the front door, noticing the sun was barely peeking out over the horizon.

As he made his way out, he couldn’t help but laugh when Daphne’s high-pitched voice echoed throughout the house: “Why is there a cat on top of my refrigerator?!”

Game night.

She could do game night. She was basically a pro at Monopoly, and hey, Pictionary might as well have been her calling in life. And Yahtzee? Her dice-throwing skills could not be beat.

It was that other thing that had Abby nervously gnawing on her freshly painted nails and longing for a strong cocktail to chug the butterflies away. That other thing, obviously, being Cooper McAllister.

Specifically, spending time with Cooper McAllister in a social setting. With adult beverages. And the smoldering buzz of a Saturday night in the summertime.Oy.

Not to mention the gray-green button down shirt he was wearing that made his eyes sparkle even more. And holy hell, what cologne was he wearing? Abby matched his smile as she stood on Kate’s doorstep that evening as the raucous laughter from inside trickled out through the screen.

Two days had passed since their late-night rendezvous. She had introduced Cooper to The Office, which he’d enjoyed immensely – which, in turn, endeared him to her even more. They had chatted about mundane topics, such as Cooper’s day in the life as a police officer, Abby’s college years, and what she should name her new cat. They hadn’t decided on a name. She had wandered off to bed sometime after midnight, encouraging Cooper to crash on the couch. She was secretly encouraging him to join her in the bedroom, but Hell might just freeze over before she had the guts to request something so bold. Her cheeks flushed at the thought.

“You made it.”

Cooper looked delighted by this development, prompting the flush to spread from her face to her collarbone. Abby feigned nonchalance, but not very well, and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t usually say no to anything competitive, and Ineversay no to cupcakes.”

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