Page 51 of Herding Cat

The thought made his chest hurt.

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It was deep in the night when she’d finally had her fill of him, her perfect young lover—but Cat didn’t think of him like that anymore. In fact, his age meant less than nothing now, now that she knew him body and soul.

She watched him in the shadows as he rested from their last tangling, his dark features a bold contrast against the white pillow.

A smile quirked her lips. No. That was a lie.

She did not have her fill of him. She never would.

His lashes fluttered and he smiled, then he raised a hand and cupped her cheek. His thumb nudged her lower lip. “So, was Mr. Chin your last meeting?” he asked. She didn’t understand his reserved tone, but she felt it to her bones.

“Yes.”

His Adam’s apple worked. “Are you...ready to go home?”

“No.”

He blinked, and then levered up on his side and propped his head on his hand. “Haven’t you finished your business?”

“I have one thing left to do.”

“What is that?”

“Mae and Lui.”

She could tell by his expression that he knew. He understood. He took her hand in his. “Are you going to adopt them?”

“I’m going to try.”

He tapped her nose. “There is no try. There is do or do not.”

She tried really hard to glower. “Don’t quote Yoda to me.”

“Technically, that wasn’t a quote.” He winked. “I got it wrong.”

“But I am going to try. I’m going to talk to Mrs. Parsons tomorrow and see what can be done. Those girls need a mother.”

“They deserve a mother like you.”

“They deserve a family. That’s what I’m worried about. What if they don’t approve me because I’m not married?”

He pulled her close and kissed her. “How could they deny you? You love those girls.”

“I do. But what if the agency is looking for a real family?”

“A real family?”

“You know. The whole enchilada. A mom and a dad.”

“And a goldfish named Clyde?” She smacked him, but he ignored it and kissed her again. “Darling, a family is whatever it is. Mine was just my buddies in foster care, and look at me. I turned out okay.”

“You...” She stared at him. Her pulse lurched. “You were an orphan?”

He snorted a laugh. “Not an orphan. But I was in foster care. And I might as well have been an orphan for all the interest my parents took in me. Honestly, it was probably for the best.”

“How could being sent to foster care ever be for the best?”