CHASE
IHAD CRIED ALLTHE WAY BACKto the apartment after deciding not to make a decision on MC. I wanted someone, anyone, there with me to make the decision.
My worst crime, to my father, was my soft spot. No good red-blooded American male should get upset over a dumb animal. Not even their own dog.
And never ever ask what happened to the animals behind the barn.
But here were these tiny little kittens and their kitty mama, handed a shit start to life and MC wound up with cancer. I immediately asked for the price on her care, to get her in remission or cured.
However, the vet explained that was a worst-case scenario and there were many other possibilities. I trusted her care to him, and took the kittens home. They crawled all over me, looking for their mom, crying until I finally got the KMR mixed up.
“How much do they know about her condition?” Marcus asked.
“Just that there’s a mass by her spleen and her white blood count was through the roof,” I answered. “If you go with me tomorrow, we can figure out what I need to do.”
“What we need to do,” he corrected. “I’m partly responsible for these guys. My dingbat dog found them, and we pulled them out of your wall together. If we pool our resources, we might be able to get a little bit further.”
“You don’t—”
Holding up his hand, he stopped me. “I want to help, Chase. They’re adorable and if MC is going to get a good home with you, then I’m happy to help.” He tickled the kitten on his lap until she hiccupped and burped.
Marcus was seriously hot. It had freaked me out a bit the night before when I realized we’d somehow forged the connection I needed to start having feelings for him. It had been utterly effortless with him, and that he hadn’t realized we were doing it either was adorable.
Once he’d left the night before, I realized he was right—I had needed time to process what I was feeling for him. It hadn’t been out of the blue, but that we allowed it to go that far all of a sudden was blowing my mind.
The only thing I was used to feeling was horny with no real desire toward anyone person. Suddenly wanting Marcus overwhelmed me, but at the same time it was right. It was the first time in a long time that I’d felt a spark.
More than a spark.
Marcus was a good man, he was smart, and he was damn good-looking. I wanted to know more. I wanted a repeat of the carpet sex from last night.
“We need to fix the hole in the wall,” I said, having no idea why my brain decided on that.
“I know.” He nodded. “I’ll get the stuff from the hardware store tomorrow, either before or after the vet visit, and we’ll have it patched up quick.”
I looked at the two kittens now wrestling on the table, and glanced at the one that Pollux had decided he was going to watch over in the box. “Are we still on for dinner?”
“If you feel up to it.”
I peered at him. “I feel more than up to it.”
His smirk was delightful. He stood and put the little half asleep ball of fuzz in the box with her brother. “How about if we order in, and see what comes up.”
Smirking back, I canted my head and stared him dead in the eye. “I know what’s going to come up. It’s going to be my cock. And I hope you have plans for that.”
“Yes, duh?” He laughed. “Okay, then. I think maybe weshouldgo out and get food. Because I have feeling that if we stay in, your sheets are going to be a sticky mess.”
“I certainly hope so.” Oh, I forgot that sex-driven me had absolutely no filter.
Marcus didn’t seem to be offended by that. He tossed his head back and laughed. “That’s a side I didn’t see before!”
I rolled my eyes at myself. “I guess I should have warned you.”
“Oh, no. No no. This is way more fun.” He looked at the kitten in the box. “He’s been fed?”
“He was the first one,” I said. “Pollux, could you stop licking the kitten, please? It’s not a lollypop.”
He plunked his ass down and stared up at me balefully. I shook my head. “I’ll say this, he’s an exceptionally smart dog. He actually listens. We only had barking idiots on the farm.”
