“No.” She loved lying. It was a whole new experience.

“Bull. This was there yesterday.”

“Really, Panda, you have lousy powers of observation for a cop.”

“Hell I do. Stop rearranging my house. And stop messing with my pig.”

“You didn’t like the eye patch? I think it’s—” She broke off as she saw Panda pick up a folded piece of yellow notepad paper from the grubby garage floor. She hurried toward him, hand extended. “Must have fallen out of my pocket when you ripped my shorts off.”

“I didn’t rip— What the hell is this?” Like the suspicious person he was, he’d unfolded the paper and started to read.

“Give that to me!” She tried to grab it from him, but he held it out of reach and read over her head.

“‘Reverse bucket list’?”

“That’s private.”

“I won’t tell a soul.” He scanned the page and grinned. “Frankly, I’d be embarrassed to.”

When he finally lowered the paper it was too late. He’d read everything.

REVERSE BUCKET LIST
Run away from home*
Dress like a skank*
Sleep around
Use f-word whenever possible*
Get drunk in public
Make out in public
Smoke a joint
Pick a fight*
Prank call*
Go to bed without taking off makeup*
Swim naked
Sleep late*
Scratch, burp, etc.*

“Go to bed without taking your makeup off.” He blew a long whistle. “That’s living in the danger zone.”

“Do you have any idea what kind of damage that does to your skin?”

“Any time now, I’m sure you’ll work up the nerve.” He jabbed the paper with his finger. “What do all these asterisks mean?”

Good Lucy would have tried to change the subject, but Viper didn’t give a damn what he thought. “The asterisks mark things I’d done by the time I was fourteen but sadly abandoned. I intend to rectify that, and if you think it’s stupid, that’s your problem.”

The corners of his mouth twitched. “Stupid? Make prank calls? Now why would I think prank-calling is stupid?”

“I probably won’t do that one,” she said innocently.

He took in her tie-dyed bra top. “You’ve got ‘dress like a skank’ under control. Not complaining, mind you.”

“Thanks. I had to order a few things off the Internet, but it’s working out for me.”

“Definitely.” He snapped his fingers at the paper. “Smoking pot is illegal.”

“I appreciate your concern, Officer, but I’m sure that didn’t stop you from doing it.”

He scanned further down. “You never swam naked?”

“Sue me.”

“You’ll let me know, won’t you, when you’re ready to try?”

“If I fucking remember.”

“If you’re going to use the word, at least use it at the right time. You sound ridiculous.” He frowned. “‘Make out in public’? Not with me you won’t.”

“S’okay. I’ll find somebody else.”