Vengeful in Love

Natalie tossed the headset on the desk. Her cat, Matto, jumped onto the desk and stared at her Diet Coke.

“No!” Natalie said, grabbing the glass.

He meowed plaintively, and she placed him on her lap. Despite his long, lean lines, the Pixie-Bob was heavier and more muscular than most house cats—the legacy of his half-lynx heritage. She’d found him at a pet shop when she’d first moved back to Virginia and fallen in love with the incorrigible kitten. He had the additional advantage of keeping her family away, all of whom were allergic to cats.

Natalie scratched him behind the ears for a while, then rose from her seat, putting him down on the floor. Her hair was already almost dry from the morning shower. Matto followed her into the bedroom. For a male, he seemed awfully interested in her grooming rituals.

The master bedroom was mostly white and green. Crumpled pale yellow sheets covered her canopy bed, setting off an elaborate olive frame made of wrought-iron.

Do him.

Natalie shook her head. She had it bad if the sight of an empty bed made her think of getting hot and naked with Alex. Kerri was right; there was nothing holding her in Virginia. But Natalie didn’t want to give the impression that she was running away because of her breakup with Marcus. What would people think? What would her family say? This year was just too important to cause any stir.

She walked into her closet and stared at the clothes hanging neatly on wooden hangers.

Dress comfortably, Alex had said. Did that mean jeans and a T-shirt? Or something comfortable but semi-dressy?

She put on a tight white baby tee and a pair of faded jeans after a moment of debate. If he’d wanted her to dress up, he would’ve said so.

The vanity was narrow and fit right against the wall between the doors to the living room and the master bathroom. She sat before the tall mirror and put on her makeup. The doorbell rang as she was pulling her hair back.

The clock over the mirror read ten thirty.

She went to the door, securing her ponytail with a pink barrette. Matto trotted in front of her.

She opened the door to find Alex standing in the hallway, smiling. “Watch out,” she said, letting him in. “Matto sometimes pees on people.”

Alex frowned and squatted. The dark fabric of his jeans stretched over his muscular thighs, and he looked even better than the last time she’d seen him. Alex scratched behind the cat’s ears, the muscles in his forearm flexing as his fingers moved. Matto started to purr. “Seems friendly enough to me.”

“Wow. I guess you passed the test.”

“Ready?” Alex said, standing.

“Yeah.” She grabbed a small handbag on the couch and waved at Matto. “Bye-bye, baby.” She locked the door. Matto mewled farewell from the other side.

“I didn’t know you had a cat,” he said. “You don’t seem like a pet person.”

“Matto’s my first.”

They walked down the stairs to the first floor, her casual beige wedge sandals making small tok-tok sounds against the steel and concrete steps. “So where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

The parking lot was mostly empty. With weather this nice, most people were out and about. Green leaves shaded the sidewalk as they walked to the car—a gorgeous bright yellow Lamborghini Murciélago.

Natalie suppressed a smile. She’d seen Alex drive a sedate black Mercedes at work, but for a date, he was going to play his automotive trump card.

Men and their cars and their egos.

He opened the passenger-side door, which swung up like an old mailbox flag rather than out. She levered herself inside and surreptitiously ran her hands over the butter-soft leather. The Italians somehow managed to make cars that were fuel inefficient but never failed to capture the male imagination.

Alex sat in the driver’s seat. The engine came to life and settled into a low, pulsing rumble. He touched the accelerator, and the car shot out from its spot. They dashed along the narrow streets and into the traffic of the Fairfax County Parkway.

“You’re driving way too fast,” she said. “This area is crawling with cops.”

He grinned at her. “What’s the point of having a fast car if you drive like an old lady?”

She laughed, relishing the power and speed, the feeling of being pushed back into her seat. She liked to drive fast but didn’t, again at Louise’s stern warning. A Hall must maintain dignity and uphold the laws. Natalie shook her head, trying to empty her mind of her family. Brian’s birthday was today, and she’d see them soon enough.