Doyle was there with her every day until she recovered and hasn’t been away from her a day since.
“Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us, asshole. And I know you well enough, you’ve never looked at a girl like you look at Kat. I know, man. It’s scary.” He nods, giving me a sympathetic look. “It makes you feel like you’ve got no control, but you do. Don’t waste time. I almost lost Jenny because I was an ass just like you’re being. Go down there. Talk to her. That’s all I’m saying. Just, talk to her. For me? Okay? Trust me, if you keep waiting for everything to be prefect, you’re going to die perfectly alone.”
I cursed him out as I stomp down the hill toward the booths. The scent of fried batter and sausages should make me hungry but all I can think about is how she would taste.
As I work my way down the grassy aisles lined with booths of handmade jewelry, hand forged axes and hatchets, photo booths and leather goods, my palms begin to sweat. My heart is beating so hard I’m sure it’s going to erupt from my chest like that little alien did to that poor guy in that movie.
I curl my hands into fists as I get closer. I hear the yelps and barks from the puppies and dogs, and I curse under my breath as my dick thickens and my hard-on threatens to derail whatever this could be before it starts.
I see the blonde ringlets of her hair, tied back in a ponytail that’s working its way loose, and I can’t breathe. Every day since the moment we met, she’s been at the center of my thoughts.
I’ve imagined her walking around my cabin. Adding her little touches that make it a home. Imagining her moving around, her womanly curves on display for my pleasure, letting her know in a thousand ways she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever set my eyes on and if I can’t have her...no one will. I’m a bit of an asshole like that.
At least when it comes to my kitten.
Fuck.
If she ever finds out I’ve followed her almost every day. Snapped pictures of her when she couldn’t see. I even wait for her to go into the laundry room at her apartment. When she leaves?
Yes, I stole her panties. More than once. Every time I did it, I told myself it would be the last. Like an addict making promises he knew he could never keep.
Doyle’s words ring in my ears. Don’t waste more time. Tomorrow is never promised.
I’m ten paces from her. She’s turned away, thank fuck, because if she was watching me approach, I’d probably freeze. I stuff my hands down into the pockets of my canvas work pants and adjust myself, praying she won’t notice the erection that has her name branded all over it already.
Five paces. I think I can smell her. I can hear her laughter and I start to feel dizzy.
This is it. If I don’t do this now, if I don’t believe we can be everything I dream of every night, how is she supposed to?
Two steps and I’m at the edge of the tent with the blue Thickwood Shelter banner draped under the edge.
One step. I could reach out and touch her.
I open my mouth, but I freeze. She’s so close, her back still to me, but my eyes latch onto her ass and my balls twitch thinking of taking her like a dirty fuck that I am. Making all of her mine, pussy, ass, mouth—
“Hi.” She turns and I’m reminded that I don’t have a chance in hell with a girl like her. She’s perfect.
I need to be perfect for her and I know I’m not.
Her eyes are a golden brown, skin like fine porcelain, cheeks rosy and a smile that would topple kingdoms.
My mouth hangs agape as she steps forward from the space between the tables full of brochures and clipboards, her arms outstretched toward me, and I can’t breathe.
“You want to hold her?”
It takes me a second to connect the dots. In her hands there’s a fuzz ball, two blue eyes staring out from creamy fur. Twisting and meowing, looking scared, and before I can stop myself, I put out my hands, cupping them as she places the tiny kitten in my palms.
“Wow.” She smiles and I’m staring at her in stunned silence as she pats the head of the tiny animal. “That’s the first time today she’s stopped crying.”
I glance down, my enormous hands curling around the soft silky fluff as it turns in a circle, then lays down, and a second later I feel something.
“It’s buzzing.” I grunt out, making Katarina giggle as her eyes sparkle, and I want to kiss her more than I want to live.
“She’s not buzzing, silly. She’s purring. She hasn’t done that for anyone else. I guess we finally found the right person for her. You’ll take her, won’t you?” Katarina’s eyes lock on mine. She looks so hopeful and I’d give her the world if it was mine to give.
My throat is tight, but before I can stop myself, I nod. “Yes. I’ll take her.”
Only, she’s talking about the kitten.
Chapter Three
Katarina
I GRIP THE STEERING wheel hard and give myself a little talk before I open my car door and walk up to his cabin.
“Just business. He’s got a problem; you’re going to help him fix it. That’s all this is.” The words swim in my ears but in my heart a whole other tune is playing.
It’s just after eight o’clock, and an hour ago as I was settling the twins in at the shelter after we got all the animals that didn’t find homes today back into their cages and kennels. Then my phone rang.
When I answered, the male voice on the other end immediately had my heart racing and my belly tumbling. When Miller came to the adoption booth at the fair, I could barely get a word out, so I did the first thing that came to mind and handed him the kitten.
Next thing I know, I’ve got him cleared for the adoption, I’ve gone through the paperwork with him, he bought out everything I suggested that he might need and wrote my number on the paperwork, letting him know if he had any problems, to give me a call.
Well, when I answered my phone, he sounded desperate, and the noises coming from the background sounded like a kraken had been released.
Apparently, our little kitten has bi-polar, and the sweet, soft, quiet side of her has an equally wild opposite side.
The sun is just going down, it’s summer and it doesn’t get completely dark these days until after nine-thirty. His cabin is not huge, but not the wild, outback, overgrown hovel that my father described to me.
He and Miller have had several encounters, or meetings, however you’d like to describe it over the three years we’ve been here, and a couple of them happened right here at Miller’s home.
I make my way to the door. The path from the crushed stone driveway is made from blue slate, and the front of the cabin is river stone and pine beams with what look like hand forged wrought iron lamps on either side of an enormous carved wooden front door.
And it’s then that I hear it.
“No...” I don’t think I’ve ever heard Miller’s voice so high-pitched and unsure of himself. “No, for the love of god, that’s—” Smash. Short pause. “—an antique. Jesus, fucking Christ, when is Katarina going to get here.”
My stomach does this little tumble as I hear him say my name. I can’t help the dirty thoughts that spring into my head. His hand pressed hard against my pussy, pinning me against the wall as his lips come down to take mine.