The only thing worse than having a hot neighbor you’re too intimidated to talk to is accidentally hitting his cat with your car. Felix Lane was perfectly content to spend the rest of his days with Sunny, his canary life companion, in their quiet little corner of the suburbs. But then Kirk Shoo with his unusual eyes moved in across the street, and Felix’s carefully constructed life is starting to unravel. When your every bad-boy fantasy lingers at the mailbox, stands too close and smells too damn good, what’s an under-appreciated administrative assistant to do? Besides sneak out the backdoor to go to work? But when Kirk’s cat runs out in front of Felix on his way home, he has no choice but to face the music and his dream man. Unless ... What starts as a tragic accident turns into something far more bizarre. And when Felix’s backyard begins to look like a pet cemetery, he has no choice but to come clean. That is, if he can manage to find his sexy neighbor at all.

Nine Stones

A tear trickled down his cheek, but he wiped it away and got to his feet, lifting the cat. It weighed more than he’d figured. He hugged it to his chest and jogged toward Kirk’s house.


New tears rose in his eyes as he banged the door and rang the doorbell. Why wasn’t he opening? Kirk never left the house. Felix had no idea what he did for a living, but apart from Kirk going to get groceries on Thursdays, Felix never saw him go anywhere but around the neighborhood.


“Kirk!” He leaned against the railing, cradling the dead cat with one arm as he knocked on the door until he feared his knuckles would bleed. His sobs grew louder and louder.


He jumped and whirled around. Old Mrs. Henderson was clinging to her cane, and she peered at him from Kirk’s mailbox.


“Good afternoon, Mrs. Henderson.” He wiped one cheek, not bothering with the other, as he hurried down the stairs to get to her.


She gripped his arm and squinted at the cat. “Oh dear.”


Chapter 3