Page 20 of Falling for the Enemy

Soren sighed as he gave up and let her fall back onto the porch.

“Hey!”

He dug through her purse. “Where are your keys?”

“There’s one under the plant, but don’t bother. S’unlocked.”

“Smart. Sensory lights and a security system with an unlocked door.”

“I’s gonna lock it.”

“No, you weren’t.” He opened the door, setting off her Chihuahua alarm. Cordelia attacked his ankles with the vigor and gusto of a rabid badger. “What the fuck?”

“There’s my baby,” she cooed, but the dog only wanted to kill Soren.

“Your baby’s an asshole! Joce, do something!”

“All right, all right. Don’t have a hissy fit, your Royal High Maintenance. Help me up.”

Soren pulled her up by her arms. Unfortunately, Jocelyn’s boneless body slipped out of her coat sleeves and gravity won.

“I’m goin’ down!” She stumbled back.

“Shit!” He caught her before she toppled off the porch step. “That’s it.” He hauled her over his shoulder like a limp noodle and she grunted when his shoulder wedged under her ribs. Then she burped and laughed.

Even now, Jocelyn found it funny. Mostly because Soren hated any female behavior that lacked class, and she loved getting under his skin.

Cordelia’s attack continued, as he hauled Jocelyn into the foyer like a sack of potatoes.

“Call your rodent off!”

Every step shoved his shoulder deeper under her ribs. “Ugh, you’re gonna make me hurl.”

“You better not fucking puke on me, Joce.” The hall camera picked up the feed as they entered the foyer. “Damn it. Make that Tasmanian devil stop barking!”

Jocelyn groaned and made a few slow kissing sounds, pitching her voice in a sing-song tone. “Who’s a pretty baby?”

“That thing’s far from pretty.” The dog continued to growl and bark as he dumped her off his shoulder onto the carpet, careless of causing her injury at this point.

Luckily, the crumpled wool coat offered a soft landing. She hooted and flung her beanie hat onto the console table, then peeled off her gloves and threw them at Soren. “You’re such a brute.” She rubbed her elbow where it had hit the ground on her rough landing.

“You did this to yourself.”

“Oh, okay, Captain Control. I forgot you hate fun.” Her foot poked straight up in the air. “Do my boots.”

“Do them yourself.” Soren wrestled the dog into the powder room as she grappled with her laces. By the time she had one boot off, she gave up and flopped back in defeat.

“You’re a wreck.” Soren crouched to help her with the other, but something shifted between them. Cordelia’s barking made it hard to make out whatever she murmured, but it was enough to make his whole body go still. Then he said something back that was also lost.

Unfortunately, her actual memories of that night, and anything he said, were long gone.

He slid off her boot and set it aside. “There.”

Her chest heaved as she stared up at him, a strange look passing between them as she lay like a splatter of frizzy hair and a tangle of bones on the foyer floor.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked as if honestly curious and for once not trying to antagonize her.

“Don’t be nice to me, Soren.”