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Turns out, all was not well. In fact, all was fucking tragic.
How did the greatest night of his life turn into a rancid dumpster fire in a moment? His cock throbbed again, reminding him of his sextastic Alanna dream. Yep, he’d have to take care of that situation with the usual five-finger solution.
Sully felt movement behind him on the mattress. For one precious second, his brain imagined the fight had been some crazy, stupid nightmare. That Alanna was behind him on the bed.
Cautiously, Sully turned. He met a pair of wide blue eyes, but not the eyes he was hoping for.
“Hi, Sheba,” he muttered, then noticed something. “You’re loafing,” he said in astonishment. Indeed, the fluffy feline sat on the bed, all four paws tucked under her body, creating a solid cat loaf profile.
This was big. Huge! Sully knew from his research that cats only loafed when they felt secure and safe. In fact, now that Sully was paying attention, he noted Sheba’s eyes were half-closed, another sign of contentment.
A risky impulse struck him. The slow blink. Should he go for it? Butterflies flapped in his stomach, but he chided himself.What’s the worst that can happen? It’s not like a cat can slam your front door and Uber herself out of your life.
Sully took a deep breath. He squinted at Sheba then closed his eyes for two seconds. Slowly, he opened them and waited. Would Sheba return the cat greeting? His secret guy crush, Jackson Galaxy, host ofMy Cat from Hell, always seemed to pull off the slow blink effortlessly even with the world’s most volatile and psychopathic cats. Yet, Sully had tried it dozens of times with Sheba, only to be ignored by the proud diva. He’d given up hope… almost.
Sheba blinked back at him.
Sully’s heart did a little jig of joy in his chest. They’d done it! The slow blink! After all the days of working with her.
…and she belonged to someone else.
Sheba wasn’t Sheba. She was…ugh, Petunia.
Sully reached out and stroked Sheba’s fluffy white cheek. The cat watched him intently but didn’t run away or hiss. He’d have to return her to Alanna, wouldn’t he? But the cat had been a total disaster when he’d first brought her home. He’d been the one who’d spent hour after painstaking hour making the cat comfortable. Who’d played with her every night. Who’d built up her confidence so she’d learned to use the litter box without fail. Who’d built the cat tower and the cat steps.
He'd been the one who’d mainlined cat behavioral books, delved into the bowels of /CatAdvice on Reddit till his eyes glazed over, and spent his nights bingingMy Cat from Hell.
Sheba moved her head, pushing her cheek deeper into his palm. A strange noise rose from her chest. At first, Sully assumed it was a growl. But no…
“Are you… are you purring?” he whispered in complete awe.
And just like that, he was a goner. He couldn’t give up Sheba. He wouldn’t. She’d done the slow blink. She was purring. The two of them were bonded now. A team.
But what about Alanna? Sully stroked Sheba’s head and then brushed his hand down her back. Her purr grew in volume, loud and satisfied, like an old, but well-cared-for truck engine.
Sully remembered the hateful accusation Alanna had thrown at him; that he’s stolen her cat. She hadn’t even tried to listen, hadn’t even tried to give him the benefit of the doubt.
And then there was Los Angeles.
Alanna had been planning to leave the whole time. Not even the success ofProject Magical Datehad changed her mind. The reason was obvious. He was good enough for a fling when the situation was convenient. But when it got inconvenient? Thensayonara. It was his old girlfriend, Michelle, all over again. Sully had given away his heart too easily and Alanna had dropped it on her way out the door.
The realization cut so deeply, Sully actually cringed. When would he learn? Nice guys never win.
Sheba nudged his hand with her head, and Sully realized he’d stalled in his petting duties. “She won’t have time for you, either,” he muttered to the cat. The thought itched inside his brain. How would she take care of a high-maintenance cat like Sheba when she was working at her fancy PR firm and flying all over the world with clients who were probably rich, handsome, and owned a wardrobe full of Armani suits instead old, paint-spattered t-shirts?
As Sheba purred beneath his hand, a growing resolve began to harden inside Sully’s chest. Alanna couldn’t give Sheba the attention and care she deserved. He, on the other hand, could. Alanna didn’t have time for him or the cat, which meant…
Sully sat up in bed and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. Out of habit, he pulled up his health app and checked his sleep stats. Surprise, surprise, they were shit. He was rocking a full three hours of shuteye after a night of tossing and turning.
He exited the health app, then pulled up his messenger app. In a minute, he’d jump in the shower and take care of his bodily business. Right now, though, it was time to stand up to the woman who was torturing his soul and his penis.
Sully glanced at Sheba. “I’m not going to let you go,” he vowed to the purring feline.
If Alanna wanted a fight, then she’d better get ready, because the nice guy was throwing the first punch.
Ch. 43 Alanna
Evenbeforehereyesfluttered open, Alanna knew something was off. The pillow under her cheek felt scratchy, the mattress beneath her body oddly stiff. In the confused fog between sleep and wakefulness, she was also convinced something was missing. No, not something.
