“I guess,” she said and scratched her head. “Is there somewhere small and cozy we can put her? I think she might freak out if I let her loose in here. It’s a huge room and being in another strange place and her being so stressed…”
“We can put her upstairs in the smallest loft room if you like.”
“And maybe put some old blankets or something out? Your carpets are so nice and clean, I have a horrible feeling she may be tempted to do something unspeakable to them.”
“You mean like—”
“She’s capable of anything and everything after the day she’s had.” Not unlike her new owner.
“Follow me,” he said, picking the carrier up gently and making a soothing noise as he did. “We’ll get her fixed up.”
Piper sat tensely in a large armchair in the loft room guarding the cat who had been released from her prison and was currently cowering in a corner of the room, looking deadly. They were doing their best in the circumstances, having fashioned a bed nest out of towels and blankets, but it wasn’t as if the cat knew how hard they were trying.
Piper glanced around in the soft light from a lamp in the corner and thought how much the place looked like a show house. There were strategically placed interior bits and pieces, and there was a cozy feel to the place, but it was all far too tasteful and uncluttered to be anyone’s home. It was a shame. It would be amazing to live so close to nature in the mountains, and yet enjoy such domestic luxury.
“Hi,” Matt whispered as he inched around the door carrying a breakfast tray under his arm. “I remembered that cats crap and pee just like we do, so I’ve rigged up a litter box for our little princess.”
“Good thinking.” She smiled as he set the tray down on the floor and poured wood chips into it. “And innovative of you.”
“Thanks. Do you think she’ll use it?”
She rustled her fingertips over the surface of the chips to make a sound like scratching. “She’s giving it a good look, so let’s hope so, but if she doesn’t, I promise to clean up any mess.”
“Pets, I don’t know why people put themselves through it. She hasn’t even had the operation yet. Will you be able to handle it?”
Piper shrugged. “I don’t have much choice now. She’s officially registered as mine and I wouldn’t abandon her anyway. I couldn’t do that. If she was in a rescue center for more than a few weeks, they’d euthanize her.”
“Euthanize her?” He made a low whistling noise through his teeth.
“Terrible, isn’t it?”
He nodded and pulled the ring on a can of Albacore tuna, opening it. “Let’s get some of this served up for the mom down there.”
“Heck, give her too much stuff like that and she won’t want to leave. Talk about luxury accommodation.” She smiled as the cat stretched, almost as if she was pretending she hadn’t caught a tantalizing whiff of the fish and was far, far above showing any interest. Yet, within a few moments of him forking it onto a dish, she was there, wolfing down the contents as if there was no tomorrow.
Matt poured some bottled water into a bowl. “Should we leave her to settle in now?”
“I think so,” she said and pushed herself up from the armchair. “I was getting close to nodding off there myself.”
Matt closed the loft room door behind them and they made their way quietly down the wooden stairs. “You’re still soaked,” he said and gestured for her to take off her shoes.
“So are you. It’s no big deal.”
“There are some spare clothes tucked away around the place. I’ll dig them out and then we can get yours washed and dried.”
Piper had to admit she was damp and uncomfortable. “No, it’s too much trouble, they’ll dry on me soon.”
“I won’t take no for an answer. There’s a good utility room here, specifically geared for lots of washing and drying due to the amount of snow sport fanatics we have visit us.”
“I’ve troubled you enough already, really I—”
“Look at you, I can see from here that you’re soaking wet from your coat to your boots.”
She frowned and shucked off her snow boots. “Okay, you win. Can I shower?”
“Can I join you?” She glared at him silently and he smiled. “I guess that would be a no.”
“You’re a bright boy,” she shot back. “A definite no.”
He shrugged and kept right on grinning. “In that case, we need to turn around and head back up the stairs.” He nodded in the direction of the landing. “Ladies first.”
She could almost feel the burn of his eyes on her damp butt and decided to make it sway from side to side just to show him that his fancy house didn’t intimidate her.
“We might as well have a quick tour on the way,” he said, and once on the landing, he pushed open the door opposite the stairwell. “You’ve seen the smallest loft room, so this is the master bedroom.”
It was an enormous space with dark wooden polished floors, neutral walls, and a massive bed draped with a bright and multicolored patchwork quilt. A slipper bath sat in the corner opposite a large, antique-looking mirror.
“Very nice,” she murmured, trying not to imagine what he’d look like reclining in the cast iron tub, glistening with bath oil…
“I could run you a bath if you’d prefer it to a shower?” She could hear the teasing in the tone of his voice—she didn’t need to look at him for that. A bath in the master bedroom? Now that would be going too far, however tempting the idea.
“A shower will be just fine.” She turned to escape, but to her surprise, he didn’t move an inch to let her pass, his wide torso effectively filling the doorway as he leaned one shoulder against the doorjamb. She could feel the heat radiating from him and noticed that his white shirt was as damp as hers, the black shadow of a tattoo showing through where the material clung to his skin. “So if you could show me where I can find the shower?”
He eased back and away onto the landing to let her pass and then stepped back into the master bedroom. “I’ll just get you some dry clothes.” Her stomach flipped. She’d assumed he was going to make a pass at her, but was actually just trying to get to the dresser drawer, and then she felt annoyed with herself for wishing that he had leaned down and kissed her…
He quickly opened a few more doors to let her see all the rooms, which he told her all had french doors leading out onto the upstairs balcony, but were currently covered with draft-excluding drapes. “The storm should be over by morning and you can get a good view of the mountains and river out back.”