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

The door opened, and Mr. Mansa dressed in a pair of white vintage tennis shorts and a dark blue T-shirt frowned at him. “Yes?”


“Hello.” Felix bowed his head in greeting. “I’m so sorry to bother you, Mr. Mansa, but I really need your help.” He pushed the cat at him and prayed.


Mr. Mansa took the cat and disappeared inside. Felix glanced down the street, should he go? He swayed on his feet wishing he could disappear and that Mr. Mansa would solve all his problems, but Felix was an adult, so he took a deep breath and crossed the threshold.


He jumped at Mr. Mansa’s voice. “What?”


Mr. Mansa rounded the corner to the kitchen and met him in the hallway, handing back the cat. “This cat is dead, there’s nothing I can do. The heart isn’t beating.” He had a stethoscope dangling around his neck and glasses clung to his nose as if afraid they’d fall off, and they might have, considering how far down they were.


Chapter 10