Chapter 7 #2
That bastard had snuck up and taken down my wind chimes while I was busy at work.
I set down the knife and headed out the back door.
This was war.
JESSE
I heard her coming. She was talking to herself, muttering under her breath as she stomped across the backyard. I tipped back in my chair to watch her approach. Her little fists were clenched, and she was furious, her color high and her lips pulled into a frown.
I was sure she thought she looked tough, but she looked sort of…adorable.
She saw me sitting by the fire pit and veered my way.
“Give them back,” she demanded, trying to sound fierce.
“Give what back?”
“My wind chimes. Give them back now.”
“Or?” I asked, wondering what she had planned.
“I’ll report you.”
“To whom?”
“I have no idea. The landlord association. Your boss. Someone.”
“One, my boss won’t care if—and that’s a big if—I took your wind chimes. Second, according to the tenant act, you need my approval to hang ornaments outside, and since you didn’t have my approval, I have the right to remove said ornament.” I paused. “Not that I did.”
“Liar.”
“Maybe a passerby saw your pretty wind chimes and took them.”
“You took them last night. I watched you.”
“Ah, wrong again. Those wind chimes were on my side of the property, and since possession is nine-tenths of the law, they were mine. I was tired of their noise, so I took them down.”
“My God, you make me feel stabby, Thorne.”
“Stabby?” I repeated. I lifted my eyebrows, trying not to grin at her empty threats. I failed.
Big mistake.
When Casey got angry, she had some outstanding tells.
The dark pink on her neck and cheeks, for one.
Her voice dropped to a sexy growl. It was a total turn-on for me, but I didn’t think this was the right time to mention that little fact.
She curled her hands into fists as if she were trying to stop herself from going berserk and hurling herself at me.
Recalling how she felt against me, I wouldn’t mind it, except I would need to brace myself for her attack. Launch some counteractions.
Maybe kissing her would distract her. It would certainly distract me.
I blinked when I realized she was talking. Or yelling, more like it.
“…are mine. I want them back.”
“What was that?” I asked.
She leaned over, gripping the back of the chair so hard, her knuckles were white. “You are a bastard. You think you won, Thorne? I can beat you at this game with one hand tied behind my back.”
She was fucking gorgeous, her wrath on display, eyes flashing, death to the thieving landlord of wind chimes written across her face. She made me want to laugh.
But I resisted since that might actually send her over the edge.
“Do your worst, Katharine Casey.”
She straightened, her eyes flashing. “First off, I’m going home and eating my roast beef sandwich.
You know, the one you loved so much from the other night?
Later, I’ll make dinner and use the rest of the gravy.
I had planned on sharing, but I changed my mind.
I think I’ll bake some cookies and take them to Cal to say thanks for his efforts.
I’ll probably cook another big dinner tomorrow, but this time, I’ll eat it all while I plan my revenge. ”
I took a drink. “Does that include the stabby thing?”
She spun on her heel and headed back to her side of the house.
I frowned as I drained my water. The digs about her food were unnecessarily cruel. Especially the gravy. And Cal didn’t deserve cookies. I wondered what she would make tomorrow and if I could wrangle my way back into her good graces by then.
I could give her back the damn wind chimes, but that defeated the purpose.
Besides, I was rather enjoying our tussle.
I’d figure out something else. I was sure of it.
I woke up the next morning, stretching. My last day off.
Tomorrow, I started my three-day shift, but I had arranged to go in later.
The only good thing about it was the probie wasn’t on this rotation, so Miller could come with me.
I was sure, despite our little wind chimes war, Casey would look after Miller for me, but I really didn’t want to ask.
I had to admit she was epically sexy when angry.
It made me want to stab her—but in a totally different way than she thought.
I chuckled at my own joke.
Whatever she had cooked the night before had smelled so enticing, I’d practically drooled the entire evening.
How she managed to get the smell into my house, I had no idea, but it was everywhere, making my mouth water.
Later, I smelled the aroma of cookies, and I could only gnash my teeth, knowing she was making good on her threat to make cookies for Cal.
It was the worst torture.
The pizza I ate and normally enjoyed tasted like sawdust.
Twice, I almost broke down and returned her damn wind chimes, hoping she would share. But I stuck it out, and now I could hide for a few days at the station, still victorious.
I made coffee, sitting at the table and sipping the hot liquid. I leaned my head back, enjoying the quiet. Casey’s SUV wasn’t in the driveway, so I assumed she was out on errands. She seemed to do a lot of those, but as I recalled, when I’d first moved in, so did I.
As I poured my second cup, I heard her vehicle return, but I didn’t go check. She might still be feeling stabby. That made me chuckle.
I heard her door open and shut, and I wondered if she’d delivered her cookies to Cal. Then I heard her back door open. Miller’s ears perked up and he headed to the door, but the squeaking sound of the garage door opening made me shake my head. “No visit with your buddy today, Miller. Sorry.”
I stood and peered out the window, and I wondered if she was trying to get a tote off the shelf. I hoped she wasn’t so stubborn she’d risk getting hurt to prove a point.
But she came out of the garage carrying a hammer and went inside. I recalled the pictures I had seen. She must be planning on hanging them.
I certainly knew better than to offer to help. I headed upstairs, intent on a long, hot shower, knowing the next few days I would only get short ones.
When I got out, I dried off quickly and pulled on my sweats. I was towel-drying my hair when I heard it.
The distinctive sound of wind chimes.
I tossed my towel on the bed and headed downstairs. I opened the front door, looking around. I didn’t see anything. No twigs or shells, no pieces of glass or bells.
But I heard it.
I jumped off the porch, looking everywhere. There was nothing on the porch. Nothing by her back deck.
But the damn bells kept tinkling.
I circled the house, finally looking up.
Dangling from the eavestrough were wind chimes.
Right outside her bedroom window. And standing in the window, looking down at me, was Casey.
She leaned out. “I didn’t attach anything, and you said no wind chimes on the porch.
” She spoke in a triumphant voice, obviously thinking she had beaten me.
“I can hear it in my house,” I snarled.
“It’s breezy today.”
“Take it down.” Then a thought occurred to me. “How the hell did you get it up there?”
“I borrowed Trevor’s ladder. From next door.”
“You climbed up all that way? You could have fallen!” I yelled.
“Trevor spotted me.”
“Trevor is a sixty-year-old man with a heart condition.” I glared at her. “It’s coming down, Katharine Casey.”
“No it’s not, Thorne. And for God’s sake, put on some clothes. There are children on this street. They don’t need to be seeing that !”
I glanced down, realizing I had no shirt on. And for some reason, my cock had decided he liked Casey’s smart mouth and had also decided to make his presence known.
“Why don’t you come down and make me?” I taunted. “Or better yet, I’ll come up there. Help you out with your obvious problem.”
“My problem?”
I crossed my arms. “I heard the buzzing the last couple of nights, Casey. I could help you really relieve your tension since your silicone friend isn’t working.” I winked at her. “I’d consider it a fair trade. No wind chimes, but you get the wind taken out of your sails.”
For a moment, she was silent. Shocked.
Then she blushed. Like a teenager.
She leaned out farther. “That is my electric toothbrush, you idiot . We share a bathroom wall, not a bedroom one,” she hissed.
I frowned. That made sense, but frankly, I liked my idea better—the thought of her alone, working herself into a frenzy. Maybe thinking of me.
My fucking cock liked the idea far too much, pressing on the material of my sweats.
I met her eyes. “Offer is still open.”
“Go home, Thorne. You’ve obviously inhaled too much smoke over the years. You’re delusional.”
She slammed the window, making the wind chimes dance in the air movement.
I gritted my teeth as I raced to my place. It was chilly outside, and I was bare-chested and had no shoes on my feet.
Plus, I was turned on. Dammit, how did arguing with that woman make me so horny?
And now, I needed to figure out how to get those wind chimes down.
Pronto.
I waited until just before I left for the station.
I quietly went into the garage and grabbed the extension pole I’d used to put up Christmas lights for Lou over the past few years.
I stood by the side of the house and carefully snagged the hook the wind chimes were on that she’d hung from the eavestrough.
It was a stretch without using the ladder, but I got them.
I eased the pole back down and wrapped the purloined chimes inside my jacket.
I slid the pole back into its spot and slipped into my house using the trees that surrounded the property as cover.
The same way I had snuck in, in case Casey was watching.
And yes, I knew I was acting like a coward.
Calling Miller, I waited until he climbed into the truck. I backed up and started driving just as Casey burst out her front door, waving her arms and looking fierce.
I sped up, leaving her behind, watching her in the rearview mirror. I couldn’t hear what she was yelling, but I knew some curse words were thrown in and that, once again, she was feeling stabby.
Chuckling, I looked at the pile of wind chimes on the floor of the passenger seat.
I wouldn’t put it past her to break in while I was gone and search for her wind chimes, so I took them with me.
I was glad I had gotten my key back from her.
I doubted she would resort to actual B&E, but in case, I didn’t want it to be too easy for her.
She was furious. I knew that. I should be ashamed of myself, but I couldn’t recall the last time I’d had this much fun with someone. Casey made me feel…playful.
Not a word I would normally associate with myself. But there it was.
I was looking forward to her next move.
Game on, indeed.