Cat 'N Mouse by Yvonne Harriott Page A

thinking about this and have you nag me about how irresponsible I was. I’m going with or without you.”
    Arguing with her was pointless. She was poised for a fight and he didn’t want to get into it with her. Not in the state she was in. Maybe after he got her to the condo, she would see reason.
    “We’ll talk about it when we get home.”
    “You can talk all you want. I’m going.”
    •  •  •
    Alexandria didn’t want to think about the man in the washroom or what he’d said as she showered, scrubbing her skin with the loofah sponge and washing her hair. She focused on Robyn and the dinner.
    She had washed off at the hotel, but she could still see the pinkish tinge in the water running down the drain of the tub. The hotel manager had wanted her to take full advantage of the hair salon and clothing stores in the hotel but she’d just wanted to go home. She wanted to shower in her own washroom where she would be safe and no one would turn out the lights.
    It had taken over an hour to dry her hair and gel it back into a ponytail her party look. She opted for a black and silver halter-top and black silk pant, silver stilettos and silver clutch purse, her armor.
    She didn’t want Sam feeling sorry for her—she liked it better when they were sniping at each other. When you care about people they leave you. Sam was with her to do a job and when he completed the job he would leave. She didn’t want to care for him. From now on she would keep him at a distance because either way it would cost her emotionally or financially.
    When she exited the bedroom, it was like
déjà vu
, but Sam didn’t rise to her bait as he had the day before. He gave her a once over twisting his lips but let her be. He opened the door.
    Well, we can’t have that now, can we?
    “If you have something to say, say it?” She challenged.
    “I’m only the hired hand, remember?”
    Good. His condescending tone was back. That’s how things should be between them. It was less confusing. At least she knew what to expect.
    There was no conversation during the ride to Robyn’s house. He found a radio station playing R&B and tapped his thumbs to the beat on the steering wheel as he drove. Except for glancing in the rearview mirror a few times, he kept his eyes glued to the road ahead while the muscle in his jaw twitched. Oh yeah, he was simmering in silence. She didn’t care.
    Half an hour later, they pulled up in the driveway of Robyn’s white-bricked, two-story house in Kissimmee. He got out of the SUV and walked around to open the passenger door and took her elbow as he helped her out of the vehicle. His hand brushed her back and she shivered. It had nothing to do with the warm night breeze and she could tell he knew it. That ticked her off.
    Alexandria felt his gaze on her but she ignored it. Instead, she kept her eyes on the cobblestone path leading up to the front door and rang the bell before he did.
    Dennis answered the door wearing jeans and a T-shirt with Woodstock written across the chest. His eyes popped opened twice their regular size when he saw her attire. He pushed the black heavy rimmed glasses with the tip of his thumb up the bridge of his nose looking at Sam.
    “Robyn didn’t say we were going out after dinner.”
    “We’re not,” she snapped. Perhaps she should’ve given her choice of attire further considerations. Her goal when she started out was to annoy Sam. She may have achieved that, but she was the one feeling out of place.
    Alexandria glanced into the living room. Nothing matched. Any other day she would have appreciated the eclectic collection of furnishings, but not today.
    “Where is Robyn?”
    “Kitchen.” Dennis scratched his head looking at Sam again as if to ask what was going on. Sam stood there with his hands in his pocket reveling in her embarrassment. “Why are you—”
    Alexandria headed toward the kitchen leaving Sam to make his own introduction.
    Robyn glanced up from the oven then