Page 1 of Ruined By the Hunk

Chapter 1

Alice

Lookingout across my new home’s backyard I try to see the neon yellow of my cat’s reflective collar. He wears a neon yellow collar for occasions just like this one. I love Splat, the calico I adopted when he was a tiny kitten, but he’s a bit of a troublemaker. His recent trick is getting out of our new house when I know all the windows and doors are shut tight.

Usually, I find him in the backyard lounging in the shade, but it’s three in the morning and he’s nowhere to be found. I know he’s out of the housebecause I couldn’t sleep and got up for a glass of water. Splat always sleeps on the pillow beside mine and isn’t there. As I searched the house that sinking feeling came over me. He’s somewhere out here and I have to find him.

“Splat,” I whisper yell. “Treat time.” I hope he’s close enough to hear. This is a quiet neighborhood and I don’t want to bother any of my neighbors with my cat’s late-night walkabout.

I see a glimmer over my next-door neighbor's fence. I rush over and rise up on my tiptoes, trying to see over the tall post.

“Splat!” This time, I raise my voice a little bit more than I should.

A light flips on in the house next door and I fall into a crouching position.

“Shit.” I do not want this to be how I meet my new neighbor. I’ve seen him come and go through my window and he’s hot —underwear billboard model hot.

I hear his door open and know that I’m busted. “Hello?”

“Hi,” I answer back from my crouch. “I’m sorry for waking you. Nothing’s wrong, go back to bed.”

His voice moves closer, “How do I know nothing is wrong? How do I know you aren’t a thief who just wants me to believe everything is okay?”

I stand up and face the fence. “I promise I’m not a thief. My cat is loose, and I think he’s in your yard. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

He doesn’t say anything in reply and it takes all my restraint not to walk back to the fence, go back up on my toes, and look to see if he’s still standing there. I wouldn’t have found anything though, because at that moment my gate opened, and through it walked my neighbor —shirtless— holding my wayward cat.

Hunter

Damn, she’s beautiful.

I whisper to the cat, “You wouldn’t catch me running away from her over and over.”

“Meow,” he answers with a full-body stretch.

My new neighbor runs over, I think she’s forgotten she’s wearing an oversized T-shirt and little else and grabs her cat.

“Bad cat, Splat,” she says as she hugs and kisses the feline. “I need to figure out how you’re getting out.”

“Cats can wiggle their way out of the smallest spaces. I bet there’s a place that you would never think of that he’s discovered.”

“I’ve looked everywhere,” she says defensively.

“I’m sure you have. I can ask my brother if he can think of a place where Splat might be getting out.”

“Your brother?” she asks, confused.

“I guess I should introduce myself.” I hold out my hand. “I’m Hunter St. James.”

“I’m Alice Hayes.” She puts her hand out to shake mine. The moment we touch sparks shoot through my whole body. Alice must feel it too. I watch a soft blush spread across her cheeks and she quickly pulls away. “Wait, St. James?”

“Yes.”

“You’re related to Harper and Miles?”

“Miles is one of my brothers and Harper is, obviously, my sister-in-law. I bet Miles knows of a few secret places you could look for a cat escape. He rebuilt this house for Harper, so I know he has every inch memorized.”

Miles may have wanted Harper to never live in her house again after they became a couple, but he would have made sure her house was perfect just in case.

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