Vet's Desire (26 page)

“So sure of
yourself.”

“Well, we could
just play safe and go to a movie tonight.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. A movie
before we boink our brains out.”

“You are such a
romantic.”

“I know, it’s
all part of my charm.”

Seconds later
she was waving him off and watching his car disappear down the
driveway. Smiling, she went inside and locked the door behind her.
Walking into the lounge, she looked down at Al, who was just
stirring, his little head lifting. At the sight of her, he pushed
up onto his little legs and toddled over towards her, meowing.

Opening the
pen, she lifted him out and rubbed her cheek against his. “Men. You
all want something.”

Al meowed and
purred.

Getting his
bottle ready, Cindy thought over the events of the night. Now she
was alone she had time to think. It was practically mind-boggling.
She was dating Tim Clarke. He’d been on his knees at her feet,
baring his heart to her, sharing his feelings, and then he’d made
love to her in several different positions she hadn’t thought of
sharing with anyone -
ever
- and now she was dating him.

Would wonders
never cease?

Giggling a
little, she watched as Al sucked blissfully on the teat of the
bottle. Life took some strange turns and she wasn’t going to
question it.

Then it hit
her.

Tim had
suggested they go to his place. His house. His sanctuary. The one
place he’d never taken any of the women in his life.

He’d been going
to take her to his sanctuary.

At the
realisation of the magnitude of his suggestion, warmth washed
through her. He’d meant what he’d said, he really did care about
her and wanted to give them a chance at a relationship.

But he had been
quiet when he’d first woken up, and she wondered what that was all
about. In fact, she wondered if that was him normally when he woke
in the morning. Maybe he wasn’t a morning person.

Maybe, she
thought impatiently, she had to stop doubting things and looking
for problems that weren’t there - if they were there at all.

“Seriously,”
she said to Al, “Sex messes with your head.”

He closed his
eyes and continued sucking on his bottle.

After putting
Al back to bed, she did a quick tidy up of the house, which never
really got untidy with just her living in it, and then she went
upstairs to make the bed. Just thinking about what Tim had done to
her in it was enough to make her blush.

Her one and
only previous lover, the Italian man who’d thought her curves so
sexy and taught her to accept them, she hadn’t allowed to do what
Tim had so easily persuaded her into doing the night before, in
fact, she hadn’t needed a whole lot of persuasion. Tim led and
she’d followed.

Hoo boy, had
she ever followed.

The phone rang,
diverting her thoughts, and she picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hey.” Maddy’s
voice came through clearly. “Want to meet me at Curtis’s Coffee
Café for lunch?”

“What’s the
occasion?”

“You tell
me.”

Cindy looked
into the mirror at her image holding the phone. “What’s to
tell?”

“What’s not to
tell?”

“This could be
a long conversation.”

“So let’s have
it over lunch.”

“I don’t know.
Some things should be kept private.”

There was
silence for a few seconds before Maddy said, “I want all the
details.”

Cindy giggled.
“I don’t know if that’s appropriate conversation for a café.”

“Seriously, now
I really want
all
the details.”

“Might make you
jealous.”

“Mike’s my bed
buddy. Nothing could make me jealous. Though maybe there could be
something he might be able to learn from Tim.” There was a low
voice in the background, the sound of a scuffle, and Maddy actually
squealed. “
Mike
!”

“Do you need to
be left alone right now?” Cindy queried.

Maddy was
laughing, but a trifle breathlessly. “No, I-stop it! Mike, I -
ohhhh!
”

The voice on
the phone changed, becoming deeper, a familiar growl. “Mads can’t
talk right now, but she’ll be able to gasp out a few words by
lunchtime.”

“Fair enough,”
Cindy said cheerfully.

“I have to
prove something to her.”

“Understood, Mr
Law Enforcer, Sir.”

“’Bye,
Cindy.”

“’Bye,
Mike.”

Really, the big
lug was besotted with her best friend. Grinning, Cindy hung up the
phone. Maddy would be lucky to walk a straight line without bow
legs by the time Mike had finished proving his love making prowess
to her.

Lucky
woman.

There was some
stiffness in her own muscles from the exertions of the night
before, and she did a few stretching exercises, wincing. Nope,
forget that, she’d go for a walk later.

Her gaze fell
on Al sleeping peacefully in his kitten pen. She had to find a
baby-sitter while she had lunch with Maddy. Her friend wouldn’t
mind if Al’s carrier and bottle accompanied them, but the café
would certainly frown upon it.

She rang her
mother.

“Oh, of
course,” Mrs Lawson cooed. “Bring little Al here. I’ll take good
care of him.”

Al was one
spoiled kitten, Cindy realised as she got a bag ready for him.
Honestly, it was like having a human baby. The bag had some clean
rags in it, his formula, bottle and teat, spare bottle and teat, a
spare fleecy sheet, and a couple of small, soft balls for gentle
playing . She transferred him from the kitten pen to the cat
carrier and was ready to go.

Her mother met
them at the top of the staircase, eagerly peeking in the carrier
and cooing over how much Al had grown.

“You only saw
him the other day.” Cindy set the carrier on the floor of the
lounge.

“Babies grow so
fast.” Mrs Lawson checked the bag.

“I’ve packed
everything,” Cindy assured her.

“Not to worry,
I made sure we have some spare stuff here for him.”

Cindy’s eyes
widened. “You bought supplies?”

“In case of an
emergency.” Mrs Lawson made kissy sounds at Al, who meowed back at
her. “Poor baby.” She scooped him out and cuddled him close.
“Granny’s here now, sweetheart.”

Cindy rolled
her eyes.

“I saw that.”
Sitting on the sofa, her mother eyed her. “Anything to tell
me?”

“No.”

“Any
grandchildren in the near future?”

“Foster ones,
maybe. Furry and with a liking for fish and milk.”

“Huh.” Rubbing
her rouged cheeks along Al's furry one, Mrs Lawson raised one
finely plucked brow. “So, Tim Clarke, eh?”

“That Marty’s a
tattle tale.” With a sigh, Cindy sat down.

“He’s got a
beaut shiner. I understand that’s a gift from the Clarke boy.”

“Marty needs to
grow up.”

Mrs Lawson
snorted.

“Yeah, wishful
thinking.” Cindy flopped back in the armchair. “Geez, he
embarrassed me last night. I wanted to flog him myself. I mean, who
the hell does he think he is?”

“Your
brother?”

“He’ll be a
dead one if he keeps sticking his nose in my business.”

“Now, dear, he
means well.”

“Does he mean
well when he’s running around the neighbourhood boinking all the
girls?”

“I don’t want
to hear about that.”

“Charming their
pants off them?”

“Cindy.”

“Leaving them
bow-legged?”

“Cindy!”

“Geez, Mum, you
know what a womaniser he is!”

“He’s my little
boy. I don’t like to think of him like that.” With a sniff, Mrs
Lawson primly flicked a non-existent piece of something off her
powder-blue skirt. Then she spoiled the effect by adding, “He’s
just like your father used to be.”

“Ewww!”

“He charmed my
pants off me.”

“Mum!”

Totally
unrepentant, Mrs Lawson smiled. “I’ll always remember the back seat
of the BMW-”

“I’m not
hearing this.” Sticking her fingers in her ears, Cindy started to
chant, “La-la-la-la.”

“Don’t be
silly, dear, it’s all perfectly natural.”

“One’s parents
don’t have sex, you know that. It’s an unwritten rule.”

“Then you don’t
want to know what your father and I did last night.”

“Oh my
God.”

“And this
morning.”

Cindy leaped to
her feet. “I have to go.”

She collided
with Alex in the doorway.

“What’s the
rush?” he queried.

“Mum’s having
sex with Dad.”

“I didn’t hear
that.”

“All perfectly
natural,” Mrs Lawson cheerfully called out. “I don’t know what the
problem is-”

Cindy didn’t
hear the rest as she and her brother both made for the door.

“Okay,” Alex
said as they exited the house. “Our parents are easy-going, but
there’s such a thing as too easy-going.”

“At least in
front of their kids.” Cindy shuddered. “Ew, and ew, and did I
mention ewwwww?”

“I believe you
did.”

Cindy was still
shaking her head when she drew up in front of Curtis’s Coffee Café.
As usual, it was busy. Maddy hadn’t arrived, so she slid into one
of the high-backed booths and consulted the menu, waving off the
waitress who approached.

It wasn’t long
before Maddy’s car pulled into the parking area and her friend
exited the car. As she got closer, Cindy could see the glow of
happiness on her face. Yep, Mike had well and truly proven
himself.

She grinned as
Maddy sat down opposite her. “No bow legs?”

Maddy flushed.
“No.”

“Need any tips
for him?”

“Trust me, Mike
doesn’t need any tips at all.”

“Got the love
bug all sorted out, has he?”

“No love bug.
Love log.”

“Okay, I’m
trying to decide if that’s a wow or an ick.”

“Hey, you’re
the one giving the metaphors, not me.” Maddy consulted the
menu.

The waitress
came over and they gave their orders.

“So,” Cindy
said. “You got Tim to spill his guts.”

“If you mean,
did he need to talk? Yes, he spoke to me.” Maddy fiddled with the
strap of her shoulder bag. “Um…are you mad?”

“Of course
not.” Cindy sighed. “Though it would have been nice if he’d thought
to talk to me.”

Maddy looked up
in surprise. “Tim didn’t speak to you?”

“Well, yes he
did, after he spoke to you. I just meant I wish he’d thought to
come to me first.”

“Honey.” Maddy
smiled gently. “Tim was tied up in knots. You were the cause of
those knots. He needed to speak to someone who wasn’t involved to
sort out those knots. Trust me.”

“You make him
sound like a total basket case.”

“I’ve always
had my doubts about that bloke’s sanity at the best of times, but
he’s not a total basket case.” Maddy grinned a little. “A bit of
one, but not a total one.”

“What a
relief.” Cindy leaned back in the booth. “So, were the rumours
about his mother all true?”

“Pretty
much.”

“Total
bitch?”

“Cold to the
bone marrow.”

“What about his
Dad?”

“Nice man but
weak.” Maddy sighed. “Look, Cindy, Tim should be telling you this,
not me.”

“Tim isn’t
ready to spill his guts right now. Besides, how can I fight his
demons if I don’t know what they are?”

“Who said you
have to fight his demons?”

“Ever met his
mother?”

Maddy’s smile
faded a little. “Yeah, I’ve had that dubious pleasure.”

“Then you get
my drift.” Cindy studied her friend thoughtfully. “This isn’t some
kind of nurse/patient confidentiality crap, is it?”

Maddy accepted
the iced chocolate the waitress handed to her and took a sip.
“Yummy. And yes, it sort of is a nurse/patient confidentiality
crap
thing.”

“Pooh.” Cindy
knew her friend well enough to realise that she wasn’t going to
spill too much of what had been said between her and Tim. “Mind
you, Tim told me he’d spilled his guts to you.”

“That’s twice
you’ve put it like that. A bit crass, actually.”

“Hey, his
words, not mine.”

“Okay, then.”
Maddy waited expectantly.

“He told you
about his mother and father and things.”

“Yep.”

“And then he
told you about me.” Cindy shifted a little.

Maddy’s eyes
softened. “This isn’t really about his parents, is it?”

“Well…”

“I don’t
believe it. You of all people.”

“What?”
Distinctly uncomfortable now, Cindy took a sip of coffee
frappe.

“You’re always
so confident, but you’re not totally sure of Tim, are you?”

Trust Maddy to
know instinctively what was troubling her. Cindy sighed. “Okay, so
maybe I’m a little unsure. A
little
unsure. Who wouldn’t be?
Tim goes out with gorgeous girls, he’s a playboy, and suddenly he’s
fallen for me and wants a relationship. Wouldn’t you be a
little
unsure?”

“You slept with
him,” Maddy stated bluntly. “You don’t go to bed with men you’re
unsure about.”

“Tim’s
different.’

“How so?”

“I don’t know.
He’s a…a…”

“Must be the
t-shirts he wears. You love the weird sayings.”

“They’re
amusing, but no. Mind you, it says a lot about him.” Cindy tapped
the table thoughtfully.

“So what do you
like about Tim?”

“I don’t know.
He’s funny, annoying, kind to animals - that’s a big plus, by the
way. He likes Al - another big plus, because the man you have the
hots for has to love the kids, furry or not.”

A smile quirked
the corners of Maddy’s mouth.

“And,” Cindy
continued, “I don’t know. I feel…really, can I say safe? Because I
don’t think that’s the word I’m looking for.”

“Why not?”

“Mads,
seriously, would you put Tim and the word safe all in the same
sentence?”