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The fact that she thought I looked clean was concerning.
“Why don’t I drop you off at the office?” I offered. A friendly gesture might go a long way with Little Miss Sunshine.
“Great, thanks.” She climbed into the passenger seat with the same eagerness she applied to research. “The new Neighbors seem nice.”
I offered a noncommittal response.
“That Keith sure has a big personality,” she continued.
“I bet that’s the only thing big about him.”
Penny looked at me sideways. “What do you mean?”
How? How was this young woman a fury? She was nothing like me.
As our office came into view, I noticed a familiar figure loitering outside. Broad shoulders. Impressive physique. The kind of jawline that could launch a thousand ships.
Savannah’s very own demigod—Vale.
CHAPTER TWO
Vale couldn’t have called first? No, of course not. The demigod had the patience of a jackrabbit.
I pulled alongside him and stopped the golf cart. “Hey.”
He looked down at me, a faint smile painting his lips. “Hey.”
I parked and climbed out of the cart. Almost immediately, Penny’s shoulder was pressed against mine. No one could accuse her of being slow.
“I didn’t realize you called me,” I said.
“Because I didn’t.”
The brief exchange launched into a staring contest. Whoever broke first was the loser.
Penny looked between us. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”
I kept my eyes cranked open and fixed on my opponent. “Vale is a professional associate from Savannah. Vale, this is Penny Beaufort, my new assistant director of security.”
“How did you pull the short straw?” Vale asked, without taking his eyes off me.
“I consider my role an honor and a privilege,” Penny replied, without a trace of sarcasm. “Is this a game? Should I play?”
“No,” we said in unison, breaking at the same time.
Vale scented the air between us. “You smell like the sea.”
Gods, I probably looked like something dragged out of it, too. Why did he have to choose now for an unexpected visit?
“I took a dip this morning. I was just dropping off Penny and then planned to go home to shower.”
“We can talk there, if it’s more convenient.” He flinched. “Not in the shower. At your cottage.”
“We can talk right here,” I said. There was no reason to be alone with the handsome demigod in a confined space. No reason at all.
Vale’s hesitant gaze flicked to Penny. “Are you certain?”
“Penny is the assistant director of security. She’s the new me.” I paused. “The old, new me.” I turned to Penny. “Vale is the eighth son of Enmesharra.”
