Never Be Tamed (Impossible Love #6)(9)

So I did the only thing I could think of.





Chapter Eight





Jenna




His name was Christian Cassidy. It was the name of a country singer, or maybe porn star, or would-be dog owner. We'd met at the shelter a week ago and he was interested in Ruby.

Despite his loud entrance, he seemed nice enough and had all the right credentials and the perfect place for a dog, which was more than I could say for my apartment. Yet Ruby didn't really take to him. She was completely standoffish during the entire visit. Oscar and Molly weren't much better.

Of course, they weren't used to visitors, which was most likely the cause for their odd behavior. But I had this niggling feeling that maybe there was another reason.

I was probably being stupid. "We'll try again," I told Christian on his way out. "She might just be tired today."

"Well, I'm willing to do whatever it takes," he said. A perfect answer once again. He looked so hopeful, and I wasn't ready to give up on the possibility for Ruby's sake. Yes, I was being silly thinking that something might be off with Christian. Who was I to judge? I had no idea what constituted as normal, anyway.

And speaking of strange behavior …

When I opened the door to send Christian on his way, Michael was in the hallway, with a bat, taking some kind of imaginary batting practice. What on earth?

We exchanged a quick glance, and his face wore an expression I'd never seen before and I'm not sure I cared for it one bit. It either looked like he wanted to kill me, or bed me. Like I said, I had no idea what constituted as normal. I didn't say anything though until Christian was out the door and out of earshot.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked him.

"Like what?" questioned, holding the bat over his head to stretch his arms. "I'm not looking at you in any particular way, Jenna."

"More importantly, what the heck are you doing out here?"

"Stretching," he replied, as if it was completely normal to be in the hallway, stretching out with a baseball bat. He was hiding something.



       
         
       
        

"Mmmhmm. Are you going to tell me the real reason?" I rubbed my temples; this day was giving me a headache. Either that, or I was hungry. I'd been so busy, I'd hardly eaten all week. So tonight, I was making an Italian feast.

Michael didn't answer my question, so we commenced a staring stand-off in the hallway.

"I heard a struggle in your apartment," Michael finally conceded.

Well, that was something I didn't expect. "And you came out to check on me?"

He nodded.

"Seriously? You were going to save me if I was in trouble?" My heart squeezed a little.

"If I had to, but then I realized you just had a date." He was sheepish with his reply, confusing the crap out of me. He'd been scarce the last week and I thought we were done being-well, whatever we were being. Not exactly friends, but not enemies either. I was under the impression that Tabby must've laid down the law.

"A date?" I couldn't help but laugh, imagining what that date with Christian would've looked like with the dogs running around like lunatics. Geez, did Michael think all that racket was part of my date?

"Yes, you know, a date," he said, his jaw clenched. "Maybe with the guy who just came out of your apartment with a smile on his face?"

"So you thought that noise was us?" My voice was harsher that I intended it to be, but what kind of crap was this? I placed my mask firmly in place-this is why I always carried it with me.

I never knew who would disappoint.

I'm sure that Tabby, and God knows who else, had told him all about my alleged slutiness to warn him off, so I guess it made sense that he thought Christian and I were having kinky monkey sex. Why was I surprised? And more concerning, why did that bother me so much? "I know I have a reputation, but God, Michael." I blinked away the tears that pricked my eyes.

"I didn't mean-" he began before I cut him off.

"Hey, if you're going to get all weird about it," I added, taking a step closer and bringing the ball over to my court, "I'll be sure you're the first to know before I'm about to get freaky, so you don't accidently bash in someone's head over it."

His face flushed and he raked his hands through his hair, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. At. All. I freaked out a little when I heard all the noise. I was really worried about you."

It unnerved me the way he could peel back my armor so easily. He shared his thoughts-what seemed to be his very real thoughts-so easily.

"So if it wasn't a date, who was the guy?" he pressed.

"He's thinking about adopting Ruby," I said, trying this conversation his way. 

His brows knitted together in question at the mention of Ruby. Oh, right, they hadn't been formally introduced. "One of the lab pups," I offered.

"I thought she was yours."

"Nope. Just Oscar. I'm fostering the other two until I find homes for them. I don't think our landlord would appreciate three dogs in the building."

"I didn't think he'd allow one." He smirked and I could tell Michael was the sort of guy to have read the entire policies and procedures of the building. A rule follower, this one. I supposed that's why he was drawn to the police force.

"Oh, Oscar's a therapy dog," I lied. I wasn't ready to trust him with that important piece of info. I could handle pretty much anything, except losing Oscar.

"Really?" Michael drew out the word.

Busted.

"You're something else, Jenna," he said, but I could tell there was no hidden meaning to his words. I also knew he wouldn't turn us in.

But then concern washed over his face. "Do you do that often?"

"What?"

"Give your address out at the shelter?" he asked with authority. Oh yeah, he was going to make a good cop. A hot cop. I tried not to picture him in his uniform.

Crap, too late.

"This was a special situation," I assured him, fanning my face with my hand. Was it warm in here?

"It's not safe, you know that, right?"

"That's what I thought at first," I agreed. "But you know, people can surprise you. I'm trying to have faith in that for a change."

I didn't mean to say that last bit aloud. Thankfully, I didn't have to expound on it, because I was saved by the bell. In this case, a beeping oven. "Okay, if there's nothing else then, I'm going to grab my lasagna out of the oven."

As if on command, Michael's stomach growled.

It gave me the perfect opportunity.



***

Michael

The casual way Jenna knocked herself down had my stomach in knots. Somehow I had the feeling there was more to her so-called reputation-meaning maybe there wasn't one. Hell, even if there was some truth to it, who cares? She had as much right as the next person to-how did she put it?- get freaky whenever the hell she wanted.

The thought of that had me clearing my throat, well before my stomach started going off at the mention of lasagna. I was a hot mess, but lasagna was one of my weak spots. Getting freaky was another.

"Well, come on in then," Jenna said, shaking her head as she opened the door to her place.

"What?" I asked, trying to hold in another stomach growl.

"Playing coy, are we?" She looked at me expectedly. Her mask was nowhere to be found.

"I don't do coy," I told her. It was true, I was always direct, straight to the point.

"Okay, do you need your invitation engraved?"

Smartass.

"You're inviting me in?"

"I can't just leave you out here wasting away when I have enough food to feed the neighborhood, can I?" She tugged my arm, pulling me across the threshold.

And just like that, she was sweet again-The Dr. Jekyll version of Jenna. She had these two shades I was coming to know well, and hell, maybe even appreciate. She was definitely a mystery. I never knew who was going to show up.

Still, it didn't feel right to go inside. What would Tabby say?

"It's just a meal, Michael," Jenna said softly, seeming to understand the battle going on in my brain.

She was right. It was just noodles. And sauce. And some cheese. That's all. Going in there and having my fill of those three items wasn't a betrayal, was it?



       
         
       
        

My body must've decided for me, because a minute later, I was in her place. It was nicer than mine. New appliances, and paint, and maybe floors, too. Didn't surprise me; it was pretty obvious that Jenna had our landlord under her little thumb.

It was cozy, with all the girly touches that guys never could get quite right. The things that made a place a home. My mom had been great at that, too. Tabby's, however, was challenged in that way. Our place in Illinois had all the charm of a stuffy office building.

"Have a seat," Jenna said, motioning to the table. "I'll grab another place setting."

I did as she asked while Ruby and Molly came over to sit at my feet. Oscar came in for a quick pet, but then just as abruptly, he turned around and found a corner and began licking his balls.

It didn't ruin my appetite in the least.

Jenna served salad and bread and pasta that made my mouth water. I don't think I talked for the first ten minutes of our dinner. Jenna didn't seem to mind-that girl could shovel it in with the best of 'em.