Page 94 of Catching Feeling

Hallie’s cackle echoes through the air, and I feel Viv chuckling beside me. It’s the new running joke between everyone… how much I love my cat. Whatever. If a parent doesn’t love their child, what does that make them? A psychopath. And I am not a psychopath.

“Boo is fine. You are such a hovering cat daddy, you know that?” she chides before disappearing from the camera for a second, then popping back in, bringing Boo’s sweet little face onto the screen.

“There’s my girl,” I coo. “I hope your Aunt Hallie is taking the best care of you.”

Viv giggles. “Hi, my Boo-by girl. I miss you!”

I lean further over Viv and then take the phone out of her hand so I can talk to Hallie directly because this is important. “Oh, listen, did you warm her food up for her? Remember the instructions? She hates when it’s cold.”

“Yes, Reese!” Hallie retorts with an exaggerated eye roll. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of Boo while you’re gone. I reassured you of that… at least ten times before you left.”

I nod. “You did. Thank you for that, but I just wanted to make sure. And you got the new mouse toys I left for her?”

“All ten of them? Yep. Got ’em.” She sighs, clearly over my shit.

I don’t get what the big deal is. Everyone’s so annoyed that I’m being an over-the-top cat daddy, but I can’t help it that I love her. I’m not apologizing for it. I’m a proud helicopter cat dad.

Viv swipes the phone out of my hand as I protest and flits the camera back to her. “Sorry, he’s spiraling. Thanks, space babe.”

“Always. Byeeeee, have fun on your trip!” Hallie ends the call before I can say goodbye to Boo.

Rude.

“You would’ve never let her get off the phone!” Viv laughs as she reads my pouting expression. She climbs into my lap, settling over my now hardening cock before dipping her head to whisper, “I think it’s so hot that you’re being a doting and concerned cat daddy.”

My lips tug into a smirk, and I reach up, brushing her long hair out of her face. “I’m glad. You should know, then, I even got these special organic treats from this French place that I found online that are supposed to help with digesting hair balls.”

“Ooooh. I love it when you talk dirty to me.” She giggles against my lips.

We land an hour later—after Viv stayed true to her promise and sucked the actual fucking soul out of me—at a private airstrip just outside of the city. I realize the irony that while we were flying through literal clouds, she had me on cloud nine with her talented mouth.

As we deboard the jet and head to our private car, I can already tell Viv’s anxiousness is morphing into excitement.

Relief fills my chest. I was worried she might spend the entire time we’re here stressing since at takeoff she was so visibly anxious and uneasy about both flying and being this far away from her mom. But the call with Boo and Hallie, and the call she made to her mom right after seemed to put her a bit more at ease. That and our introduction to the mile-high club.

I thread my fingers through hers, squeezing gently as we ride to my family’s villa. She’s staring out of the window excitedly, and I can’t even fucking say how happy it makes me to see her like this.

To see the tension slowly slip out of her body. To see her smiling face lit up with excitement.

“Oh my god, look, it’s a coconut. There are actual palm trees. This is insane. I can’t believe we just rode on a jet, to another country!” she breathes, her eyes dancing with animation.

“Yeah, we did, baby.” I laugh and slide my arm over her shoulders, pulling her against me and pressing my lips to the top of her head. Soaking it all in. Soaking her in. “We should be there any minute now.”

I wish we had longer than four days. Selfishly, I wish that I could keep her here, all to myself, but I know that can’t happen, so it just means that I’ve gotta make the most out of the time we have.

Maybe if things go well and we become a couple, I can bring her back for a few days this summer between games.

Or hell, maybe she and Hallie can come sometime this summer for a girls’ trip. I think that would make her happy. Might even be good for her mom if she’s comfortable enough to travel on the plane.

“No. Way. Holy fucking hell, Reese!” Viv whisper-yells. Glancing up, I see Viv eyeing my family’s large white Spanish-style villa with wide-eyed wonder.

So yeahhhhh, I maybe “forgot” to mention that we’re staying in a secluded luxury villa, but I know how weird she gets about money, and I didn’t want that to be the reason she didn’t agree to this vacation. It was enough that I got her on the damn jet without her having a heart attack about the cost. I just want her to be able to step away for a few days and enjoy herself.

Her arm flies out, smacking me against the stomach lightly, but I double over dramatically with an oof.

“Damn, woman, you just knocked the air out of me. We’re back to this, Rocky?”

Her breath hitches as she tries to give me a once-over, then realizes I’m fucking with her. “I should’ve aimed lower. Please tell me that the driver has the wrong address and you did not book something this expensive, Reese. It’s just the two of us— why do we need a whole freaking mansion?”

---