have to sound so disdainful and he could drop the theatrics. “It’s not as if I single-handedly emasculated him.”
Simon reached along the back of the sofa and trailed his fingers along her shoulder. “No. The vet helped, but that name does a fine job.”
“Okay. Let’s hear you do better. Whatcha got?”
“Sorry?” His blank look struck her as rather comical and cute. She didn’t think Simon often looked blank.
“Names,” she prompted. “It was your idea. You come up with a name for him.”
“It’s your cat.”
“According to some ancient cultures, since you saved his life, he essentially belongs to you now.”
“But I don’t want him.” He looked horrified at the prospect.
“I’m not literally giving him to you. Think figuratively. I’m giving you the task of naming him.”
“But I don’t want to.”
“Tough. You promised him a new name...so give him one.”
“But I don’t know anything about naming animals.”
She rolled her eyes. God. He was sexy and insane and exasperating. “What do you mean you don’t know how to name an animal? You just do it. Haven’t you ever had a pet?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “No.”
He was pulling her leg. “No cats, dogs, gerbils, guinea pigs when you were growing up?”
“No.”
She moved down the pet chain to a group she didn’t exactly consider petworthy. You just couldn’t cuddle a reptile. “Not even a lizard or snake or...maybe a frog?”
“No pets.”
A lightbulb lit up in her head. “Let me guess...your parents.”
“They weren’t into pets.”
Tawny ground her teeth, endangering thousands of dollars of orthodontia her parents had sunk into her pearly whites. What kind of people emotionally neglected their kid and to top it off denied him a pet? Even the very proper Edwards household had included a dog, a hamster and several goldfish over the years. A frog would’ve been better than nothing. “Let me guess again. A pet would be too much trouble?”
“Righto.”
“I really dislike your parents.” She ached to give them a piece of her mind.
Simon looked startled, as if surprised she’d take exception with his parents on his behalf. Then he grinned. Wow! He should grin more often.
“Don’t worry,” he said, “they wouldn’t be charmed by you either. You’re too...unleashed for them.”
“Unleashed? I like that.” And she’d be frightened if those people did like her. “Don’t think you’re weaseling out of renaming Peaches. You either name him or he will forever be Peaches and you’ll have reneged on your promise.”
“You’re a hard woman, Tawny Edwards.”
“Humph. I’m just forcing you to put your...whatever...where your mouth is.”
“Brutus.” He smirked.
“Uh-uh. I can’t live with a cat named Brutus. Try again.”
“Magnus.” An even bigger smirk.
Okay. She’d play his game...and beat him at it. “Forget it. I just had a stroke of genius. And it is a stroke of genius if you consider how ornery and standoffish and generally difficult he is. Instead of you naming him, I’ll name him for you.”
“Fine with me. What’s his new name?” The smirk gave way to trepidation. He should be leery.
“Simon. I’m naming him after you.”
“Didn’t you just mention ornery and contrary and generally difficult?”
“Exactly. If the shoe fits...”
Oddly enough, Simon didn’t appear leery or confounded or in the least put out. Who’d have thought it? The crazy man looked extremely pleased at having a cat named after him.
* * *
“He seems happy with the new name. What do you think?” Tawny said.
Simon the cat, formerly known as Peaches, sat atop the refrigerator, eyes closed, patently ignoring them. Simon the man thought Tawny was crazy, totally irrational and altogether adorable. “I’d say he’s beside himself.”
Tawny shook her head and sent him a chastising look. “I know him better than you do and I say he’s happy.”
“Whatever you say. I promised him a macho name and I’m fairly certain Simon doesn’t fall into that category,” he argued, knowing it was futile.
Tawny laughed and Simon mentally took a snapshot. He wanted to remember this moment forever. They were engaged in a totally inane conversation in her oven of a kitchen with no electricity and he couldn’t recall ever feeling happier than he did at this moment.
“Like Magnus was boss? Yeah.”
“You know, you could give a guy a complex,” he said.
“Better watch out or you might turn out gay like Elliott,” she said, obviously joking but obviously still smarting from Elliott’s revelation.
“Not a remote possibility. I know you’re having me on, but Elliott’s sexual preference is no reflection on you.” He smiled and allowed himself to look at her with the familiarity of a well-satisfied lover. “I know firsthand.”
She stood