Under Her Skin

Lexi wasn’t sure what to do. She really didn’t want to buy an animal. So much for her snooping skills.

“Something soft,” Kathy murmured, looking at her. “Something you can cuddle.” Her eyes brightened as she smiled. “I know. A kitten.”

“I’m not really a cat person.”

“Sure you are. Come on.”

Kathy moved toward the rear of the store. Lexi trailed along. Fine. She would hold the kitten, then politely say no. How hard could that be?

There were three kittens playing together in a big cage. Kathy studied them, then picked out the marmalade- colored one. “Here,” she said, handing it to Lexi. “This is the one.”

Lexi glanced down at her black sweater and sighed. She took the kitten.

It was small and warm, with dark green eyes. The second her hands closed around its small body, she felt the tiny bones, the warm fur and the steady beat of a determined little heart. Not knowing what else to do, she settled the animal against her chest. It curled up in her hands and began to purr.

She could hear the sound as well as feel it. The kitten kneaded her palm, sharp claws lightly digging into her skin. The whole thing should have been annoying, but it wasn’t. It was…nice.

“You’ll need a litter box and litter,” Kathy said. “A water dish, food dish, food and a few toys.”

“I’m not getting the kitten.” Although it was cute.

“It’s a boy,” Kathy said as she began to collect the items. “Get him neutered when he’s six to eight months old. He had his first round of shots. You’ll need to get him the rest.” She added a book on cat care to the growing pile.

“I’m really not in a position to take care of an animal right now.” What on earth would she do with a tiny kitten in Cruz’s big house? “I’m gone all day, working.”

Kathy smiled. “You’ll be home with your babies soon enough.”

Lexi coughed. Babies? “I’m not pregnant.”

“Not yet.”

Meaning she would be soon? She thought about the birth control pills she took every morning. “I don’t think so.”

Kathy ignored her. She put kitten chow next to canned food and added a few toys. Lexi followed her to the cash register.

“This isn’t a good idea,” she said.

Kathy nodded. “I know, but it will be.” She stroked the kitten. “I’ll miss you, but you’re going to be very happy.” The last thing she put on the counter was a small pet carrier. Then she walked to the rear of the store and disappeared.

Lexi turned to the teen at the register. “Okay, this is weird.”

The girl laughed. “I know, but it happens all the time. People come in here and Kathy tells them which pet they need. The thing is, she’s nearly always right. Everyone loves her.”

The kitten had fallen asleep. Lexi knew the smart thing would be to give it back, only she couldn’t seem to do it. Fine. She would take it to work and give it to someone there. Everyone adored kittens. How hard could it be to find this one a home?

“She’s not…” Lexi paused, not sure what to say. Normal? Right?

“She used to be,” the teen said. “At least that’s what I heard. Something happened. It was a long time ago. I’ve been working here a couple of years and she’s always been like she is. But she’s right about the kitten. You’ll see.”

Lexi and the teen had to make two trips to her car to get everything in the trunk. She put the kitten in the carrier and set that next to her in the front seat. Then, feeling really stupid, she pushed the button to disable the passenger seat airbag.

“I’m taking this way too far,” she muttered, but the sleeping kitten didn’t answer. As she drove back to work, she tried to put all the pieces together.

Why would a high-powered guy like Garth own a little store like that? And what had happened to Kathy? What had changed her and how could it possibly have anything to do with Garth or her day spa?

LEXI ARRIVED BACK at Cruz’s house shortly after five. Despite her best intentions, she’d been unable to offer the kitten to anyone, which made her feel incredibly foolish. She didn’t even like cats. Except she seemed to like this one.

She gathered as much as she could carry and made her way into the house, only to come to a stop when she heard Cruz arguing with someone in Spanish.

She followed the sounds of the voices to the entry to his study. He stood behind his desk, a man she didn’t recognize stood in front. They were obviously furious with each other, but she didn’t understand what they were saying.

She went upstairs, taking the kitten with her. After two more trips, she’d brought everything inside and had made a home for the kitten in her temporary office, across the hall from the master suite. Fifteen minutes later, Cruz walked in.

He looked angry and frustrated.

“Sorry about that,” he muttered.

“It’s fine. A business deal gone bad?”

“No.” He frowned at the kitten on her desk. “What’s that?”

“What does it look like?”

“You got a cat?”

“Sort of.”

The kitten strolled over to him and batted at his fingers. Cruz picked it up and rubbed the side of its face. The kitten immediately began to purr.

“I like cats,” he said, surprising her. “What’s its name?”

“It’s a he and his name is C.C.” The name just came to her. When Cruz raised his eyebrows, she grinned. “In honor of your company. Cruz Control.”

“You named the cat after me?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Good one.” C.C. relaxed in Cruz’s arm, slowly rolling onto his back, then falling sleep with his paws in the air. Cruz took a seat by the desk and continued to rub his tummy.

“That was my father,” he said without looking up.

Lexi hadn’t been expecting that. She tried to remember what the other man had looked like, but she’d only seen his back for a second.

“I take it you two don’t get along?”

“Not for years. He was born in this country, so he’s a citizen. My mother came here illegally. She’s naturalized now, but when I was growing up, she was terrified of being deported. My father used to threaten to call immigration whenever he got mad at her. The rest of the time he just beat her until she promised to love him forever.”

Lexi stiffened. She understood the words, but couldn’t absorb their meaning. Juanita had been a kind and gracious woman. Who would ever have wanted to hurt her?

“My dad was the reason I got involved in a gang as early as I did. I needed the money to buy a gun.” Finally he looked at her. His eyes were dark and unreadable. They reminded her of the coldest part of the night.

“I was twelve. I waited for him outside, got behind him and put the gun in his back. I told him if he ever hit her again, I’d kill him. That he had an hour to pack his stuff and get out.”

She swallowed. “What happened?”

“He left. She and I never talked about it. I like to think she was relieved, that I’d saved her. She never dated much after him so for all I know, she’s still in love with him.” He shrugged. “At least she’s safe. That’s what mattered. When I was growing up, all I could think was how much better life would be without him. I was right.”

“And your dad?”

“He started showing up a few years ago. He knew I had money and he wanted some for himself. It’s easier to pay him off, so I do.”