Page 108 of Sweet Heart

“Katherina has never done this before. You need to help her a little.”

“Help her?”

“Claro que sí, cariño. You have to tell her what you want and need. Talk it through with her so that she can make a choice with you.”

I tuck my bottom lip between my teeth and nod. Rosa is right. I can’t expect Cat to just magically understand my wants and needs, especially not since I am learning them myself as we go. If what happened with Phill hadn’t happened today, would I have even questioned my living situation? No, if I am being totally honest. So how could I expect that from Cat?

“Gracias, Rosa.”

“De nada. Now, let’s go and get some coffee before I commit a murder.”

***

“Hola, mi amor,” Cat whispers close to my ear when she kisses my neck in greeting.

The hairs on my arms instantly rise, and a hot-cold sensation spreads throughout my chest and drops down to my core as I melt against her.

“Mmmhi,” I half moan while she keeps kissing me.

Cat chuckles softly and pulls me a little closer against her, her breasts pressing against my back. Her arms snake tightly around my waist, and the warmth of her body wraps around me like a blanket. I let out a soft hum and close my eyes.

“How was your day? Did you meet up with mamá?”

“Hm-mm,” I muse, still leaning into her. “But we do need to talk.”

Her body instantly stiffens behind me. There is a small falter in her breathing before she scrapes her throat and answers me hesitantly.

“Okay…”

I turn into her arms and press my lips against hers. She lets out a small sigh of relief before she deepens the kiss. My eyes flutter closed again. Even after all these months, the taste of her is absolutely intoxicating. No longer foreign and new, but morphed into home and belonging. Our tongues dance around each other, each stroke deliberate and yet without thought. We know what the other person likes now, but there is still so much left to explore. I smile and moan softly when her hands cup my butt and she squeezes gently before she finally breaks away and leans back. She glares at me with mock anger, and I let out a tiny chuckle. My cheeks heat up under her intense stare.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” she grumbles, but there is no bite to it, only amusement.

“Sorry, doctora,” I tease.

I run my finger along the line of her collarbone and watch her pupils dilate. A smirk tugs at the corner of my lips.

“But we really do need to talk.”

Cat lets out a little growl, grabs my wrist, and pulls my hand toward her mouth. Her lips brush the inside of it before she closes her eyes. Her nostrils flare when the faint traces of my perfume reach her, and she kisses me once more. When she lets me go, I can feel the reluctance. Not just in her, but in me as well. I shift on my feet and smile softly at her.

“I need you to stay calm,” I start, and her jaw ticks instantly.

Cat doesn’t say a single word while I tell her about my run-in with Phill, but the way her face contorts, she balls her fist, and her lip twitches into a snarl tell me all I need to know.

By the time I get to how he retreated, she is seething with an anger so intense that it almost vibrates off her. I run my finger over the patch of skin between her thumb and index finger and slow my breathing, willing her in silence to follow along. She does.

“Your mother picked me up,” I continue. “She told me I can’t stay there, and I know she is right.”

“No. You won’t spend another night in that place,” Cat says, her voice deceptively calm.

I pause for a moment, unsure what to ask. I’ve never done this before, and now my stomach is suddenly filled with knots and tangles.

“Cat, I…”

“I’ll make some calls, amor. The cops first and then I’ll arrange for a moving truck to be there by tomorrow afternoon. Most of your stuff is already here, so it shouldn’t take more than one trip. Tell me what you want to do with your furniture. Is there anything you want to keep, I can put it in storage?”

She looks up at me when I don’t answer. When she sees my eyes brimming, her features soften, and a warm smile washes over her. She pulls me tightly against her and brushes a strand of hair behind my ear.