She stood with a large smile on her face, her hair dry and styled in long black waves that fell over her shoulders. He reached out to rub some of the soft strands between his fingers. “I love your hair, especially like this.”
A slight tinge of pink filled her cheeks at the compliment. “I don’t wear it down too often. When I’m working it gets in the way, and at The Dungeon…”
“It gets in the way,” he finished for her.
Something bumped against his shin and he looked down to see an orange tabby cat with big golden eyes looking up at him. Must be the cat he’d seen in the window. Without thinking, he leaned down and scooped the cat into his arms. “Hey, little guy,” he said as he scratched his head, and was rewarded with a purr and copious chin-marking of his hand.
“Rusty usually isn’t very friendly to men, but he obviously has no issue with you.”
He glanced into Kate’s surprised expression and winked.
“One of my sisters owns a no-kill cat shelter, so I’ve become quite fond of the little buggers. Although she has yet to talk me into one of my own, since I’m not home enough to do justice to a pet.”
Kate’s skeptical expression made him laugh. “Hey, a tough man can own a cat. Cats kick some ass,” he said in joking defense.
“I guess I’ve never considered a Dom a cat person, but somehow I suspect you’re an animal person no matter what type they are.”
Rusty head butted Dex’s chin, making him realize he had stopped petting the purring feline. He laughed. “In a lot of cases, animals are easier to read than humans.”
Kate nodded. She seemed to have recovered from her surprise as she motioned for him to come in out of the upper hallway for the town-house complex. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be rude.”
Dex followed her far enough inside so she could close and lock the door behind them. He glanced back and noted a high-end door lock and two sturdy deadbolts.
He approved. A woman living alone in Los Angeles needed to have good locks on her door, and he was glad to see the habit of her flipping the locks even when at home. Hopefully the windows were as well secured as the front door.
The living room was large, with a light brown leather L-shaped sectional that looked like it had recliners on both ends, and in the middle. Just in front of it sat a wood coffee table stained a medium brown color. A matching entertainment system that held state-of-the-art stereo equipment, a nice big-screen TV, and various neatly arranged knickknacks stood against one wall.
Rusty jumped out of Dex’s arms and settled on the back of the sectional in what looked like his normal spot, since there was a small green blanket draped over the back that already had some stray orange cat hair clinging to it.
Kate’s penthouse suited her. It had a very open floor plan and was decorated simply, which gave it the appearance of having much more space than it probably did. The color scheme was basic earth tones with splashes of different shades of green throughout.
That reminded him of the nightie and lace bra she had worn tonight for their scene, both in forest green. “Is green your favorite color?”
She glanced around the room self-consciously before returning her gaze to his. “I guess it shows. It’s the only non-neutral color I have in here.”
Dex smiled as he glanced toward the archway that led to a very modern-looking kitchen, done in the same color wood as the living room, with stainless steel appliances. “This is a great place. How long have you lived here?”
“About ten years now. My maternal grandmother passed away and left me a trust. The first thing I did was buy this place. The previous owners had done a ton of upgrades, so I instantly fell in love with it.” Her expression was animated as she gestured around her.
Dex had read about the trust from her maternal grandmother and the purchase of the penthouse in Kate’s dossier. He smiled down at her. “It’s obvious you love this place.” He pointed at Rusty. “And he seems to like it too.”
She ruffled the tabby’s fur and glanced up at Dex.
He loved how expressive her green eyes were. “Are you ready to go eat?”
She nodded. “It’s a little late, but there are some good places still open. Any preferences?”
He flashed his best mischievous grin. “This was lady’s choice. I’m still getting used to the area, so I trust you to point us in the right direction.”
“How about Norms? They have everything from steaks to salads and burgers, they’re open twenty-four/seven, and they serve breakfast all day every day, and lunch and dinner until four a.m.” She grinned. “They’re one of my favorite late-night places. No alcohol, but great food.”