He didn’t take anything too seriously, especially women.

But the kitten continued to stare at Dell with a heartbreaking defiance that Jade recognized from every time she looked into the mirror.

Gertie whined and wagged her tail, sweeping the floor with each pass, hopeful to make a new friend.

Wasn’t going to happen.

“Okay, how about this,” Dell said. “Come out and I’ll buy you dinner.”

The kitten didn’t blink.

“Losing your touch,” Jade murmured, sorting files.

Dell flashed her a smile that said As if, and her nipples hardened. Which meant he was right-he wasn’t losing his touch. Not even close.

Dell eyed the unhappy kitten and wished she could talk to him. He wished the same thing about his enigmatic receptionist behind him.

Jade was working her computer with her usual slightly OCD efficiency, which was in complete opposition to her eye-popping green fuzzy angora sweater that reminded him of a lollipop. A lollipop with really great breasts. Peanut the parrot was perched on the printer at her right. Both Peanut and Gertie were part of Belle Haven, and since Belle Haven was Dell’s large animal clinic, the animals and everything in the place belonged to him. Well, except Jade.

Jade belonged to no one.

“From what I can gather,” she said, eyes still on her keyboard, “the kitten was deserted at some point during the mob of the free vaccine clinic this afternoon. And,” she added in the same conversational tone, “if I figure out who did such a thing, I’m going to shoot them.”

Nothing reached Dell’s hard-shelled, softhearted receptionist faster than a neglected or abused animal.

Something they had in common.

“We’ll find her a home,” he assured her, looking the kitten in the eyes. “Promise. Now how about it, you, ready to come out yet?”