He leans in close, his thumb brushing my jaw, tilting my chin.. “Exactly…” His lips hover a whisper from mine. “They’re just waiting for the right spark.”
Chapter Sixteen
DRAKE
Ember’s street is quieter than mine, except for the cats darting across the lawn.
I bring the truck to a halt outside her bungalow. From inside her home, the curtain twitches, and I can just make out the curve of a ginger cat tail flicking in the window.
“I bet they’re hungry,” Ember says as another cat darts towards her bungalow.
Before I’ve even killed the engine, Sienna’s unbuckled herself and is bouncing in the back seat. “Can I feed the cats, Daddy?”
Ember twists in her seat, laughter spilling out of her. “They’ll be thrilled. They think anyone who comes through my door is their new best friend.”
Sienna claps, already opening the car door ready to jump out. I grab her hand before she clambers to the ground and barrels into Ember’s home. “Easy, bug. Let Ember open up first.”
When we step inside, warmth wraps around me like all the comforts of home. Cat towers scrape the ceiling, blankets sprawl over couches. The air smells of cinnamon and vanilla candles fighting a losing battle against the tang of cat food. It’s chaos. But it’s her chaos. And I already love it here.
“You have so many cats.” Sienna plants her fists on her hips as a parade of tails weaves towards us.
Ember grins, dropping her bag by the door. “That’s Cupid. The ginger one is Robbie. And the fluffy diva glaring from the shelf is Fidget.”
Sienna giggles, crouching as three more cats pile into her lap. “Daddy, can we keep one?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “These are Ember’s cats. Maybe we’ll find one at the shelter that needs us more.”
Ember sets about filling several cat bowls that line the worktop. “This one’s for Sansa, the ginger tabby.” She hands Sienna a bowl.
“Daddy, isn’t Sansa pretty? She has the same hair colour as Miss Sparks.”
“She’s beautiful, sweetheart,” I say as I gaze at Ember, her cheeks turning a gorgeous shade of blush that’s visible through the sheer makeup she’s wearing today.
Ember looks down with a smile and continues her task. “This one is for Cersei. She’s the white one with the judgmental glare, thinks she’s the queen of the house.” She slides another bowl across the counter. “And Ghost. He’s the Persian behind you. He likes to sneak up on people.”
Sienna places the bowls down. Fidget the kitten tries to get to the food, but is hissed at by the bigger cats.
“Do you want to take the kitten into the den so she can eat in peace?”
“Yes, can I?” Sienna scoops the kitten into her armsand carries her and the bowl into another room set up like a small office.
“Hang on a minute,” I say to Ember as she moves around her kitchen. “I’ve watched enough episodes ofGame of Thronesto recognise these names.”
Ember’s lips curl upwards. “You’re a fan?”
I roll my sleeve to show her the black tail tattooed on my forearm. “Pumpkin, I’ve got Drogon inked all over my chest.”
Ember’s eyes widen. “So that’s what the dragon ink is for?”
I shrug with a smirk. “Winter is coming.”
She tilts her head, green eyes glinting. “Well… at least you didn’t name him Viserion. That would’ve been a red flag.”
“This dragon’s all fire.” My laugh rumbles low, caught between my chest and the space closing in between us. “Keep teasing me, and I might have to show you the rest of him.”
“Be careful, dragon boy, you strip and I may never let you out of this house. I have a thing for dragons, you know.”
I check the door’s closed to the room where Sienna is feeding the kitten. “Who says I want to leave?”
