He studied her with narrowed eyes and then shut the door. A split second later it jerked open and he tossed her thong out.
Through the door she heard the shower door open and the water turn on. She pictured him tugging the T-shirt over his head and stripping out of his shorts, and had to press a hand to her stomach. A strident feline yowl was followed by a low male grunt, and a moment later the door opened just a crack and Rhett was pitched out. The orange tabby landed easily on his feet and stalked away.
Lily chuckled. Poor Ethan.
While he showered, she let Humphrey in, then pulled the towel off Bette’s cage and filled her water dispenser. “Good morning, Bette,” she greeted her cockatoo.
“Life is like a box of chocolates,” the bird squawked.
Lily smiled. “It sure is, sweetie.”
As she went back to the bedroom to look for Scarlett, the bathroom door swung open and Ethan strode out with only a towel wrapped around his waist. It reminded her of last night, except this time he didn’t even have the boxer briefs underneath. His jaw was clean-shaven now and she caught a whiff of some woodsy aftershave.
He stopped short when he saw her, and cleared his throat. “My clothes.” He gestured at the walk-in closet on the opposite wall.
“Of course.” She spied Scarlett with her twitchy nose beside the dresser, scooped her up and headed for the hallway.
Lily cuddled the quivering guinea pig under her chin for a few minutes, then busied herself finding the coffee, filters and mugs, and got a pot going. Within ten minutes Ethan emerged from the bedroom dressed in a sharply pressed uniform complete with an air force tie pin and shiny black shoes.
As he stood before the door adjusting his tie Bette squawked. “Fasten your seat belts.”
He looked over at the bird and scowled. “It talks?”
“She talks. Sometimes. That’s Bette. And she must like you because she doesn’t talk to just anyone. She was telling you to stay safe today.”
Ethan blinked at Lily, his dark look seeming permanent. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your menagerie confined to the bedroom at night,” he said, glancing away. “The black cat tried to sleep on me and the rodent scratched around on the floor all night.”
Lily moved into his line of vision. “Scarlett is not a rodent, she’s a guinea pig. And Ingrid likes you, too. That’s a good sign.”
“Just keep the cats away from the leather, and get something to confine the rodent.”
“Don’t you like animals, Ethan?” Lily stroked Ingrid’s soft black fur.
“Not particularly.”
“Well, no wonder your aura is so dark. Do you have anybody you really love?”
He looked blank. “Love?”
“You know.” Lily moved closer, tilting her head back to look up at him. “People you care about. Who care about you? Who would be there no matter what? Who love you, warts and all?”
Still no response.
“You know. Like a mom. A mom loves you no matter what. You love your mom, right?”
In a heartbeat his expression turned icy and he glanced at his watch again. “I have to go. Your clothes are in the dryer. There’s a spare key in the third cabinet on the right. Lock the door when you leave.”
Before she could say anything more, he was out the door.
Lily stared after him, still caressing Ingrid. Wow. He wouldn’t even talk about his mom. This might be her worst case yet.
Before she left, Lily wandered about the condo, getting a feel for what would help Ethan the most. Sad. Lonely. Cold. She shivered and rubbed her arms. It seemed desperate measures might be in order.
PAIN SHOT THROUGH ETHAN’S neck and back every time he moved. It had been a long day. Like the city it was located near, Nellis Air Force Base was never quiet. After briefing his students on their training sortie, he’d taken them out to the test range, flown four runs and then debriefed back at the office.
Now, after hours of sitting hunched over at his desk, filling out reports, he found himself wishing for Lily’s talented fingers to massage away the kink in his neck. He could imagine her standing behind him kneading the tense muscles of his neck and shoulders, murmuring soothing words in her soft, oh so feminine voice.
Naked.
He swallowed as the memory of how she’d looked this morning invaded his mind. Bent over to reveal she shaved … everywhere. Her white breasts tipped with pale pink nipples. And he’d caught a glimpse of a tiny jewel in her belly button… .
Ethan groaned and shifted in his chair. Even the brief glimpse he’d gotten had burned the image in his brain forever.
Then he remembered she was the reason he hurt.
A bruise the size of an ostrich egg had formed between his shoulder blades where the beam had hit, and trying to sleep on that futon had given him a crick in his neck. Thankfully, he would only have to stay there a couple more nights. Maybe she’d already found another place that would allow pets. He would offer to pay her rent for a month or two until she received her check from the insurance company.
He couldn’t have her staying with him indefinitely. But he was honor-bound to help her out, at least temporarily. He had been the cause of her losing not only her living quarters, but her livelihood, as well.
Guilt wrenched him. In twenty years with the air force, during countless tours of combat duty, he’d done his share of blowing up structures. But those missions had had a purpose. Destroy enemy outposts. Secure an area. Ensure safety for the ground troops. But not this.
All because he’d lost control of his reactions.
“There you are.”
Ethan recognized the voice and winced. Captain Mitch McCabe lounged against the door frame, still wearing his flight suit from this morning’s training session.
“Thought the massage was supposed to help with that kind of thing,” McCabe said as he pushed off the jamb and sauntered in.
Ethan realized he was rubbing the back of his neck, and snatched up some papers from his desk. “Need something?”
“Yes, sir.” McCabe saluted. “I need a SIT REP, sir.”
“A situation report?” Ethan couldn’t think of anything new to report. Well, nothing McCabe needed to know about.
“About last night, sir. Since Jackson won the wager, he asked for a … Well, how’d it go, sir?”
McCabe’s barely contained smirk grated on Ethan’s nerves. “It went.” He directed his attention back to the papers and shuffled them around.
But instead of leaving, McCabe planted his scrawny butt on the desk and folded his arms across his chest. “I heard that things—” he cleared his throat “—heated up fast.”
Ethan’s gaze shot up to the captain, and pain pierced his neck again. “Where’d you hear that?”
He shrugged. “Jackson heard about it on his police scanner. What the hell happened in there?”
Ethan bit back a curse. This crazy situation … “That place broke so many fire codes it was only a matter of time. But the lady will be out of my place by Monday.”
“Whoa, you got that delicious strawberry to go home with you? I prefer to stay at a woman’s place myself, but whatever works for you, man.”
Ethan shot up from his chair. “I am not sleeping with that whack job.”
The