“Laney.”
“Right. Right. You can solve things yourself. Sorry. Habit. Can’t help myself.”
“Not what I was going to say.”
I snag the kitten back from her, then collect the two hiding under the broken-ass couch, and put all three back into the bedroom.
Should go change the litter.
Make sure they have enough food for overnight.
I’ll get there.
Right now, though, Laney’s watching me like she, too, is afraid I’d rather have reality.
“You’re not putting Miss Doodles back in?” she asks.
“You ever know a mama who didn’t want a break sometime?”
Her gaze dips to my chest again.
And now that I know my kittens are safe, yeah. That’s what I like to see.
Her eyes going dark. Lids getting heavy. Her pink tongue darting out to lick her lips while she drops another quick glance to my torso.
“It’s really sexy to watch you save kittens,” she whispers while she closes the distance between us.
I swallow hard. “It’s really sexy to watchyousave kittens.”
“I want you to kiss me again.”
“What if I want you to kiss me?”
She licks her lips again and settles her hands on my shoulders, then slides them up my neck. “I suppose that’s only fair.”
“Not everything’s about fair.”
She flinches a little, but she’s also sending goosebumps all over my skin as her fingers make their way behind my ears and into my hair.
“I—I want to kiss you,” she breathes.
The years—the years—that I’ve wanted to hear those words from her. And here they are. And I don’t know if I can keep them.
But fuck it.
We have tonight.
I’ll worry about tomorrow when it gets here. “Not so hard, was it?”
“Good girls aren’t supposed to.”
“Fuck that.”
Her lips spread in a wide smile that brings out the subtlest dimple in her right cheek and lights her blue eyes up even as they’re smoky and heavy with need, andfuck me.
Making Laney smile is a headier rush than anything. And I’ve done some daredevil shit.
I’m in trouble.
