First stop, shower.
Freddie meows loudly, protesting his temporary imprisonment.
“Yes, yes,” I mutter. “We’re almost there.”
We walk to the door and I struggle with the keys, not wanting Freddie out of my hands. Elias’s warm hands engulf mine and slide the keys from my uncoordinated palms. He effortlessly unlocks the door and holds it open for me.
“Such a gentleman,” I say with a knowing smirk as I brush needlessly close past him.
Freddie’s carrier bumps lightly against my leg as he wriggles impatiently. I flick the light switch and stop. My brain takes a second to process what I’m seeing. Freddie yowls inside his carrier but I’m too busy staring at the corner of the living room.
A tall cat tower stands beside the bay window, gray and carpeted with multiple platforms. A dangling toy mouse swings gently from one of the levels.
My stomach flips as I slowly step inside.
A scratching post sits beside the couch. A litter tray peeks out from behind the bathroom door. And on the coffee table, a large felt box with Freddie’s name on it is filled to the brim with cat toys. Little stuffed mice, feather wands, crinkly balls.
I blink away the tears as Elias closes the door behind me and Freddie meows loudly again.
“Oh my god,” I whisper, my voice breaking.
On the kitchen island sits a small ceramic food bowl with a bag of treats stacked neatly beside it. I set the carrier on the floor and open it. Freddie launches out immediately, jumping from the couch straight onto the cat tower. Within seconds, he’s climbed to the top, his big paws swatting the mouse toy. He sits proudly, tail wrapped around his feet like a tiny orange king in his new kingdom.
I turn slowly to Elias. “You did this?”
He takes my hands in his and kisses the top of my head. “Technically, Cain did,” he says with a small shrug. “You shouldn’t have had to lose him in the first place.”
I bite back a sob at the memory the words bring back. He tilts my chin up, my eyes gravitating towards his as his mouth meets mine. This kiss is different. It’s slow, tender. I taste everything in it. All the regret, the want, the need, the affection. Everything. His hand cups the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
My breathing hitches in a silent sob as he pulls me close to him, wrapping his arms around me and holding me. We stay like this for a while, with me pressed against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his suit jacket.
The embrace breaks as Freddie winds his way around Elias’s legs, leaving bundles of orange fur on his suit pants.
We laugh together as I snuggle into his side. Warmth blooms in my chest. The more time I spend around Elias Monroe, the harder it’s becoming to imagine my life without him in it.
Thirty-One
Kat
Overkill – Motörhead
His hands tangle in my hair, pulling me deeper into him. I savor the kiss that’s igniting a fire low in my stomach and deep in my heart. His mint and tobacco scent wraps around me, making my head spin. His mouth moves slowly against mine, so fucking slow. Like he has all the time in the world to taste every breath I give him. For a moment, I forget that we’re in his office, that there’s a whole crowd of people downstairs waiting for the show to start.
A bell jingles softly as Freddie pushes his cat ball, the sound echoing through Elias’s office from the home security feed. I can’t bear to be away from Freddie for too long, so he comes practically everywhere with me—aside from Headstone. A bar with hundreds of drunk people and loud music is not the best environment for him. I tried and he spent the entire time hidden under Elias’s desk, so now he stays at Elias’s house where I have permanent visuals on him, thanks to my man’s obsession with home security cameras.
I’ve almost convinced Kaycee to let me take him to work, and I’ve even come up with a loose business plan for a cat cafe, but I haven’t quite cracked it yet.
My world has been a lot lighter these past few days. Waking up every day to Freddie’s wet nose and purrs issomething I always thought would be a memory. I still can’t believe he’s here. Almost every night, I’ve woken up just to check he’s still around, and when I can’t sleep, I spend the night wrapped in Elias’ arms, allowing him to occupy my mind in other delicious ways.
“Distracted?” Elias breathes against my neck, the hot breath sending jolts of electricity straight to my core.
He moves my hair behind my shoulder, his soft lips trailing kisses down my neck. My head falls back as shivers of pleasure erupt all over my skin. He knows exactly how to keep me present. Every brush of his lips sends a slow pulse through my body. My grip on his shoulder tightens, my nails pressing through the soft fabric of his dress shirt as shivers roll through me. From where I’m straddling him, his hardening cock rests perfectly at my clit, and I can’t help but undulate my hips. Wearing panties today was the worst fucking decision I’ve made in a long time.
I glance at the clock on the wall.
Fuck.
“Ugh, I have to go,” I say, unravelling myself from his lap. My skirt is bunched around my waist, and I have to shimmy it back down.
