Page 32 of Herding Cat

“And I’m not getting married just so I can adopt. I most certainly am not marrying you.”

He blinked. “Did I ask you?”

Again, she went red to her ears.

“Not that it wouldn’t be fun.” He grinned.

“Fun?” Marriage? Her first one certainly hadn’t been fun. She had no intention of putting herself in that kind of situation ever again.

“Mmm hmm. For example, we could do this all day. Every day.” He cupped her breast and sucked on a nipple.

“All day? I do have a job, you know.”

“All right, all night, then.”

“Well, I do like that.”

“Do you?”

“Mmm hmm. But to be honest, we wouldn’t need to be married to do this every night.” It was a tantalizing truth. A complicated one, but tantalizing all the same. For all that she’d resisted the fall, she had enjoyed the plummet. And she didn’t want their fling to end when this trip did.

Was it crazy to consider having some kind of relationship with this man?

Probably, but she couldn’t be bothered to worry about it, because he continued on, kissing her and stroking her and murmuring nonsense. She allowed it, because it was unspeakably pleasant and because it took her mind off the conversation she found so unsettling. And, of course, it led to more.

He had recharged after all.

Chapter Eight

Luke and Tate woke them up with a knock on the door.

Garrett leaped out of bed and yanked on his jeans before he opened it, gesturing that Catherine do the same. Not that it was specifically against the rules to fraternize with the clients, but it wasn’t a good idea, per se, and his buddies would never let him live it down if they found out.

“You ready?” he asked as he watched her do up her last button. And damn, how he hated watching her do up her buttons.

She nodded and he opened the door, wincing at the raucous presence his friends brought to their peaceful bower. In a second, the mood was shattered.

“We brought coffee and pastries,” Luke said, shoving back the clutter and dropping a to-go tray on the table.

“Coffee,” Catherine said in a zombie voice. She padded to the table and grabbed a cup. “Mmm,” she said after a sip. “Coffee.”

Tate laughed. “I take it you’re not a morning person,” he said.

She merely glared at him, which, in itself, was answer enough.

But then, Garrett had kept her up all night. Or most of it.

He hoped the room didn’t smell like sex, but Luke’s contemplative expression made him realize it probably did.

“How did things go with our visitor?” he asked, more to distract their attention than because of any burning curiosity. Though he was curious.

“Ah.” Luke threw himself in a chair and grabbed a pastry. He glanced at Catherine. “Are you sure you want to discuss this now?”

She glowered at him. “Yes. We do.”

Still, Luke shot him a questioning look and didn’t continue until Garrett had nodded.

“Well, he is not working alone,” he said on a sigh.