Page 27 of Immortal By Morning
Abril glanced up to see Crispin approaching withnothing but a towel around his waist. She could actually feel her blood heating and racing madly through her body to several points that included her face as she took him in. But when she felt a different liquid pooling low in her belly and running downward, she forced herself to tear her eyes off Crispin and look to Lilith instead.
She nodded, cleared her throat and said, “I’m afraid so. She’s okay, though. Aren’t you girl?”
Abril was very deliberately concentrating completely on Lilith to avoid gaping at Crispin. She had just been teasing when she’d mentioned the towel, but since she hadn’t taken him any joggers, she supposed he hadn’t had a choice.
Come to think of it, Abril thought as her eyes slid sideways for another quick peek at him, her joggers probably wouldn’t have fit him anyway. They would’ve been like a second skin, emphasizing every lump and bump, and would’ve been about as decent as if she’d painted his naked flesh.
Distracted from her thoughts by Lilith constantly pawing at her arm, Abril peered at her in question. “What is it?”
Lilith responded to the question by turning and running through the living room to the front door. There she paused, and turned to look back at Abril.
“Right,” she said with resignation as she straightened to follow the Lab. “Potty time.”
“I shall take her,” Crispin offered.
She didn’t have to look over her shoulder to know he was following her. Abril could sense it.
“You don’t have any clothes on, Crispin,” she pointedout. “And you are not standing out there in my boss’s front yard in nothing but a towel.”
“I have a suit jacket here I could wear with the towel. It is not wet. And it is wool. It would keep me warm.”
“No,” Abril said firmly as she headed into the kitchen to get Lilith’s leash. She nodded at Roberts as she walked past where he sat at the island, and then glanced back to Crispin as she said, “You are not standing out in the front yard in your suit jacket and a towel either. The neighbors would go crazy, and Gina would kill me.”
Crispin was definitely sounding disgruntled when he said, “Well, you shouldn’t be out there by yourself with her. Someone has dropped who knows how many bodies in the garden here. And that someone could be out there even now trying to figure out if it is safe to approach the tent.”
Abril swung around from collecting the leash from the closet to glare at Crispin. An expression that started to slip as her gaze slid over him in the towel. He had a beautiful chest. Giving her head a shake, she started walking toward him and then moved around him as she headed for the door muttering, “Thanks. Now I’m going to be a nervous wreck out there with Lilith.”
“I can—” Roberts began, but Abril did not allow him to finish.
“Thank you, but no, Detective Roberts,” she said firmly. “Lilith is my responsibility. We will be right out front. You’ll be able to watch us on the camera.” Pausing in the doorway between the kitchen and entry, she glanced back and asked a little anxiously, “Youwillbe watching, yeah?”
“Yes,” he assured her gently.
Nodding, Abril continued out of the room.
Gina kept a flashlight by the sliding doors in the kitchen for Lilith’s nighttime potties. Sadly, Abril hadn’t thought to grab that. But she also didn’t want to go back into the kitchen and risk one of the men insisting on taking Lilith out for her. Roberts taking her out would’ve left Abril feeling guilty. Crispin taking her out would’ve left her horrified as she imagined all the foofaraw that would cause.
Sighing with resignation, Abril snapped the leash onto Lilith’s collar, unlocked and opened the door, and led her outside.
For one minute after closing the door, at least until her eyes adjusted, Abril really couldn’t see much. Lilith didn’t appear to have the same problem and immediately dragged her down the steps and off onto the grass.
Not being able to see much didn’t keep Abril from looking around a little worriedly. She could make out some darker shadows surrounding her in the inky night. But mostly it was just too ill lit to see much of anything. Except Lilith.
As pale in color as the Lab’s fur was, Abril could actually see her lighter blur moving around. She wasn’t sure, but suspected Lilith was sniffing out a spot to relieve herself, and simply let the pup lead her around as Abril continued to keep her eye open for any movement.
They said that animals could sense your mood and Lilith seemed to prove that true. She hardly looked around at all before settling on a spot, relieving herself, and then turning to lead the way quickly back toward the house.
Abril would never admit it to Roberts and Crispin, but she felt a distinct sense of relief when she closed the door behind them and locked it.
Praising Lilith for being a good girl and promising a treat, Abril unhooked the leash, set it on the table next to the doors, and then led the dog into the kitchen to get her the promised biscuit.
“Did you see anything out there?” Crispin asked as she gave the treat to Lilith.
“No,” she responded, and then eyed him sharply. “Did you put your clothes in the dryer or the washer?”
“The washer,” he said at once. “I hope you do not mind, but I thought—”
“No, it’s good and of course I don’t mind,” she assured him. “I was asking because while your pants may already be ruined, they might not be. But if they aren’t, it’s better to wash them first to get the chlorine out before drying them.”
