Page 64 of Stuffed

“Room for mine? But Meatball?—”

“For when you’re ready to adopt a sibling for Espresso,” he says before I can finish.

"You did not!"

"Check your phone."

Sure enough, there's a photo from Ivy, of her and Asher rearranging Espresso's room, making space for a second cat tree and adding some cat toys.

"When did you plan all this?"

"Been planningit since that first night you stayed over." He brushes my hair back.

“What made you decide to wait till now?” I ask.

He smiles sheepishly.. “Sadly, I think it was nerves. I didn’t want to disrupt Espresso’s life if I felt like I couldn’t get my shit together and do this thing right. I guess I was just waiting for the right moment to ask. I didn’t know about Meatball. That was a quick addition I had to add into the mix, the extra tree and all, but Ivy was beyond excited to help with that. Plus, Espresso's been pouting every time you leave. I think he's ready for you to stay permanently."

"And his dad?"

"More than ready." He kisses me again. "New year, new beginning, new us. All of us."

Chapter 18

Zane

Iwake before sunrise, Tessa's warm body curved against mine, her blond hair spilled across my chest like silk. The events of last night feel almost dreamlike—helping her move the last of her boxes, marking every room as "ours," falling asleep with the knowledge that this isn't temporary anymore. She's here to stay.

Espresso's demanding meow breaks the peaceful moment. He pads across the bed, stepping directly on my bladder before headbutting Tessa's face.

"Traitor," I mutter, watching my formerly aloof cat shower her with affection. "Whatever happened to guy code?"

"Mmm, he knows quality when he sees it," Tessa mumbles sleepily, scratching behind his ears. Her eyes flutter open, meeting mine. "Morning."

"Morning, dangerous girl." I lean down to kiss her, but Espresso wedges himself between us, clearly establishing the new pecking order.

"Someone's jealous." She laughs, the sound still husky with sleep.

I shift the cat aside, pulling her closer despite his protests. "He's used to having only me to share the bed with. We all have some adjusting to do."

Her fingers trace patterns on my chest, sending shivers down my spine. "Having second thoughts about sharing your space, Mr. Mercer?"

"Never." I capture her hand, bringing it to my lips. "Though I might need to invest in a bigger bed if Espresso keeps claiming the middle."

"Poor baby." She props herself up to look at me properly. "The big bad CEO can't handle sharing with a cat?"

"I can handle sharing with the cat." I flip us suddenly, pinning her beneath me as she squeals. "It's sharing you I'm having trouble with."

"Oh?" Her eyes sparkle with mischief. "And why's that?"

"Because." I kiss her neck, loving how her breath catches. "Every time I look at you, I want to lock us in this room for days."

"We have work," she reminds me, but her hands are already sliding into my hair.

"Work can wait." I nip at her collarbone. "I need to properly welcome you home."

What follows makes us completely miss our morning meetings, but I can't bring myself to care. Not when she looks so perfect wearing my shirt while making coffee in our kitchen. Not when Espresso weaves between her legs like he's known her forever. Not when everything finally feels complete.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks, catching me staring.

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