Page 72 of The Passion

“See, I told you she is a demon,” he says as I reach down and pick her up, and she snuggles straight into me with soft little purrs as I stroke her back.

“What have you done to this poor little cat to make her hate you?” I kiss her on the top of the head as I start following Flynn out of the room.

“Tried to love her. Obviously, I only attract strong argumentative pussies.” He thinks he is funny, and I have to give him points for that joke, because it does sound about right.

After getting a glass of water, Flynn tries to feed me and is not too happy with my refusal to eat. We head into the living room to snuggle up on the couch. He gets me settled and then walks to the glass music room that borders one of the walls of the room. Shuffling through some of his records, he places a few on top of each other on the record player and the crackle of scratches of yesteryear comes through the surround sound in the room.

“Who is this?” I ask as a crooning man’s raspy voice starts singing.

“A great Australian icon, Jimmy Barnes, who tried his hand at a soul album. It’s perfection.” Standing in front of me, he looks down at Sassy who is still in my arms.

“Right, you’ve had enough time. She’s mine now, so bugger off.” He reaches down to take her from my arms as I’m laughing. He sounded so Australian when the words slip out of his mouth. His time there is still buried deep inside him.

Of course, Sassy starts to hiss at him, and I just wave him away and put her safely on the ground.

“Off you go, little lady. I think your daddy needs a hug now.” She looks up at me and is clearly not impressed but starts slowly moving to her bed next to the fire. She fluffs it up for herself bylifting her claws up and down and then turning in a circle until she is satisfied and then snuggles into her spot for the night.

“Oh, I’m your daddy now, am I?” He flops onto the couch, lying down and pulling me on top of him.

“Not a chance. We are never going down that path.” I smirk at him.

“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”

“Of course you’d be into it.” I roll my eyes at him, and as we both smile at each other, the ease we feel together settles in, and I could just lie here all night with him.

The tension in both our bodies is gone, and with my head on his chest, the sound of his heart beating is mesmerizing me into a semi-conscious state.

Until he speaks in the most beautiful rich voice, so genuine that it vibrates through his chest too.

“Before you, I have never felt such rage over a woman.

“Before you, I have never felt so scared of losing someone.”

He takes a deep breath.

“But most of all…” He pauses. “Before you… I have never felt love like I feel for you.”

My heart explodes, and I know it will never be the same again.

Chapter Sixteen

FLYNN

Iknow if I want her to understand me, I have to tell her how I feel.

As I take the courage to use the word that I have been avoiding since we met, it leaves my lips with ease because I know it’s time to share it.

But my heart is racing as she is still quiet and not moving for a few seconds.

Until I hear the sniffle of tears coming from her.

She lifts her head up to look at me, and the smile on her face brings me instant relief. They are happy tears.

“I love you,” she manages to say as the tears continue to stream down her face, and I’m busy trying to wipe them away. “I tried to fight it, but I just can’t.”

And that is us. Serious, funny, and explosive, and that’s why we work.

“It was the helicopter cock that sealed the deal, wasn’t it?” I kiss her, not waiting for the answer. I just want to taste her and be in the moment of those three words forever.

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