I stared at her. “What?”
“Is everything okay?”
Had I been standing there gaping like an idiot all that time while I argued with my bear and tried to process what the hell was going on?
I blinked a few times, trying to clear my mind. “Everything’s fine,” I lied. “Thanks again for watching him.” I flashed a grateful smile and put the carrier on the floor.
“What’s this cutie’s name?” she asked, peering into the caged cover.
The little guy’s whiskers poked out, and he meowed.
“I didn’t give him one.” Shrugging, I added, “It might confuse him if he moves into a new place and is given a new name.”
“Right.” She put her hands on her hips and stared at the carrier as if trying to decide what to do.
“I’m sorry to dump him on you and introduce myself this way, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
“It’s all right.” She motioned me off with a wave. “I’ll take care of him. Go on and do what you need to do.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” When I headed for the door, my bear growled in protest at walking away from her. I paused and attempted to regain self-control before I said or did something stupid. With my hand on the door handle, I turned over my shoulder, hesitant to leave. “Thank you—wait, I don’t know your name.”
How could I feel so much so quickly for a woman I just met without even knowing her name?
CHAPTER3
PANDORA
My wariness lessened once I was distracted by the kitten. Besides, if Austin meant to harm me, he had a chance when I’d let him in my kitchen, but he was leaving.
“Pandora,” I responded to his question about my name. To lighten the tension, as no doubt he sensed how high-strung and unwelcome I’d been at his arrival, I joked, “And no remarks about mybox.”
His eyes gleamed with a hint of a golden hue. “I see you’ve heard comments about that before.”
“Indeed, I have, Austin Towers.”
“Got it. No quips about your box as long as you don’t reference me as anInternational Man of Mystery.”
I laughed at the reference. “Deal.”
“Thanks, Pandora. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
I liked the sound of my name in his baritone. From the way his eyes glowed with that alluring hue, I’d bet he was a shifter. I attempted to get a better read on him, but he exited out of the screen door before I had a chance.
The kitten meowed in protest; he must have seen Austin leave. My black cat Ophelia, or Fifi, trotted into the kitchen with Cleo right behind her to investigate. If one got territorial, this could be a challenge. The last thing I needed was a literal cat fight.
I carried the carrier out of the kitchen in search of where this kitten would have more privacy. My cats followed along, more interested than aggressive.
The kitten meowed in protest once more. I didn’t blame him. Who would want to be cooped up in that little enclosure?
I moved the carrier onto my bedroom floor and closed the door. My cats weren’t happy about being left out, but we didn’t need to add any drama. And besides, why put all the cats through the risk of facing territorial aggression when we only had to get through an hour at most?
I unlocked the cage and sat on my bed. A cute tuxedo kitten with the tiniest bit of white fluff on his neck sniffed at the hardwood floor before climbing out. The black fur on his back was sleek and shiny, and he looked healthy. Austin must be taking good care of him.
“Hello, kitty,” I said and then sat on the ground. I held my hand out.
He glanced at me for a few seconds and sniffed at my hand and then my leg. Then he proceeded to investigate every object in my bedroom. The cats often came in here and slept at the foot of my bed, so their scent must be strong.
“It looks like we’ve been brought together in a little cat conspiracy. But don’t worry, you won’t be here for long. Austin will be back soon.”
