Like Cats and Dogs by Kate McMurray (scary books to read TXT) 📗

“No, she left about twenty minutes ago. Her daughter had a sporting event of some sort. That kid does, like, eight sports, so I don’t remember which one it is tonight. Soccer? Who knows?”

“Yeah, thanks. Damn.”

“What do you need?”

The grimace Lauren made told Caleb all he needed to know about how much esteem she held for him. But she said, “She said she had flyers for the kittens that I could distribute during the adoption event. She said to come pick them up tonight.”

“Yes, I have those.” Caleb pulled a manila envelope from a drawer in the desk. “Olivia doesn’t know you and I are sworn enemies, so she left them for me to give you.”

“You’re not my…” Lauren pressed a hand to her forehead, took a deep breath, and held her hand out for the envelope.

Caleb held the envelope for a moment. “You’re going to take this the wrong way, but I find you incredibly hot when you’re mad at me.”

It was a dumb thing to say. He knew it would offend her. But once the thought popped into his head, he couldn’t stop himself from saying it. Because the truth was, though he didn’t relish arguments, part of him enjoyed riling her up.

“That… That was a terrible thing to say.”

“It’s true.” Might as well lean in, he reasoned. He grinned at her. “You’re standing there glowering at me, and you’ve never looked sexier.”

She frowned. “Isn’t that, like, sexual harassment?”

He felt guilty for a brief moment, thinking maybe he’d crossed a line, but the way her face went crimson indicated maybe she was into it, too. Was he an asshole? Probably. “You don’t work for me. I’m not even propositioning you. I’m just stating a fact.”

She looked flustered, which was gratifying. “You’re an arrogant prick, you know that? You think just because you lay on some bullshit backhanded compliment, I’ll sleep with you again.”

He shrugged. “Will it work?”

“No. Remember how we don’t even like each other? Not two days ago, you came into my place of business and told me how silly it was.”

“Actually, you told me I thought it was silly.”

“You didn’t disagree.”

“It’s not for me to say!” He shot out of his chair. “You know what I think? I think you provoke me on purpose. I think you think I’m pretty sexy when we’re fighting, too. In fact, I think that we’re making a mistake yelling at each other now when we could just be ripping each other’s clothes off.”

Her jaw was loose, her gaze intense. “Give me the flyers.”

He held the envelope behind his back. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

She blew out a breath that made her bangs jump. “Okay. Fine. Maybe I enjoy our sparring matches a little. Gets the adrenaline up. But are you seriously suggesting we fight and then have sex, as if that’s a normal way to conduct a relationship?”

“What relationship? We don’t have to be friends, even. But I think you’re hot, you think I’m hot, as I recall, we were pretty hot together, and so we could do something about that.”

“So what are you proposing? An enemies-with-benefits relationship?”

Caleb laughed. The absurdity of the situation hit him all at once. But then he realized it wasn’t actually a terrible idea. “I mean…yeah.”

Lauren nodded slowly. “Is anyone else here?”

“There are no other humans in the clinic right now, if that’s what you’re asking, but I should warn you Doug is due back any minute. We ran out of coffee this morning and he can’t get through the overnight without it, so he ran to the bodega on the corner. But then I’m off work and, as I recall, you live right upstairs.”

“You make an interesting point.”

Caleb wasn’t sure if he was a jerk for feeling a little smug that he’d persuaded her. He wasn’t even sure she’d been persuaded. And this was nuts. Was he really propositioning a woman he couldn’t seem to get along with?

Yes. Because she got his blood pumping the way no one had in a very long time.

He handed over the envelope. Lauren took it and lifted the flap to look inside, then slid the envelope into her bag. This was where she should have probably thanked him and left, but instead she stood there, staring at him.

“So,” Caleb said.

“Just sex. That’s what we’re doing. No romance, no flowers, no chocolates, none of that.”

“Basically. Only if you’re into it, though. If you’re not, I was joking.”

“But you weren’t joking. You want to have sex with me.”

Caleb walked around the desk and stood in front of Lauren with no furniture between them. “I do. But only if you also want to. I know what I said was inappropriate. I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you or anything. But if you think about it, this could be ideal. Neither of us wants a relationship, but we could probably stand to have some fun.”

“Sexy fun.”

“Of course.”

He couldn’t read her facial expression. She did look great today, though. Her long hair fell around her shoulders, her purple button-down strained a little at her breasts, and her short corduroy skirt showed off her gorgeous legs.

“I’ll pick another fight with you if it makes a difference,” Caleb said. “Cat lady.”

She shot him a wry smile. “Actually, you want to grab some dinner before we do anything else? I skipped lunch today and I’m starving.”

“Sure. That Italian place across the street any good?”

“Yeah. A little pricey, but they make their own pasta and mozzarella in-house.”

Of course they did. Brooklyn was full of places like that. The owners were probably some Italian family from South Brooklyn with a marinara recipe they’d passed down for generations. Caleb salivated thinking about it.

Doug came back in then, carrying a whole sack of groceries.

“You moving in?” Caleb asked him as he unpacked the bag near the coffee maker in the waiting room.

“It’s the overnight shift. I need snacks. This is the city that never sleeps, but the only thing you can get delivered here at two in