I smack him in the face with my pillow, even though I know he’s right.
I attempt to hit him again, but he grabs the pillow from me and flips me onto my back, pinning my hands above my head.
“And whenever you’re ready for that mating bite,” he says with a smirk, “you can just say the word. I’ll sink my teeth into you anywhere, anytime.”
I narrow my eyes, ignoring the excited beating of my heart. “Oh yeah? What if it’s while I’m cleaning a litter box? Or feeding one of the cat colonies?”
He nips me on the nose. “Then we’re always going to win two truths and a lie. Now, it’s shower time. Come on, babe, I’ve been dreaming about this for months.”
He moves off me, and I receive a glorious view of his backside when he leaves the bed and heads to my bathroom.
I hear the water running, but I hesitate before joining him. I close my eyes and sigh.
Everything is great now—I’m still riding the high of scent matching and being knotted.
Ivan is my friend first, lover second, which makes this even sweeter.
But there is a little buzzing in the back of my mind, a quiet, tiny whisper of worry.
Will he ever get sick of me?
How long until he tires of reassuring me every time I worry about the cats?
What if…
What if he ends up regretting this?
Swallowing my doubt and pushing those irritating thoughts away, I follow my scent match to the shower, ready to be deep cleaned by his fingers and tongue.
11
MAEVE
Everyone knows,and it’s not because Ivan or I tell anyone.
They justknow.
I was off all weekend, so when I come back Monday, Piper and Blair both stare at me, slack-jawed.
“What?” I demand, attempting to look annoyed when I enter the rescue, iced coffee in hand. It comes off more as a loopy smile, and Piper is the first one to break.
“What. Happened?”
Even Alvin looks perplexed, tilting his head and rushing up to me when I lean over the reception desk to chat with my friends. He’s always liked my scent, but now he licks my wrist vigorously with his sandpaper tongue.
I open my mouth to lie, but Blair crosses her arms, looking at me expectantly.
“There’s only supposed to be one person in reception at a time,” I say weakly, knowing that none of us ever follow that rule.
“You didn’t even cover your hickey properly,” Blair chides. “I’ve taught you how to do that, you know. I even bought you the right color corrector!”
I grimace. “I thought I did,” I grumble.
Piper leans over in her chair, placing her chin in her hand. “It was Ivan, wasn’t it?” she says, her eyes wide with delight. “He was whistling when he came in this morning.Whistling.”
I’m not surprised. Ivan spent all weekend at my place, most of the time naked in my nest with me. When we were clothed, we started our book club, finishing the first three chapters of the cozy cat mystery book.
“Just don’t tell Avery,” I whisper, and Piper barks out a laugh.
