Page 55 of Ice Cold Rival

Cole noticed first, putting his bread back on the counter. “Is that him?”

The kitten was a trembling black ball with his face stuck in the crook of my arm, so I wasn’t going to hold him up. “Yeah. He doesn’t have a name yet because the one Alexis gave him was crap.”

Mase slowly turned. “What did you do?”

“Kenzie and this cat are soulmates. I couldn’t let him go to someone else.”

He crossed his arms. “Okay. Why is it in our house?”

I shared a hesitant look with Cole. “We’re sort of taking care of him until Kenzie gets a place that accepts cats.”

“Is she moving?”

“Not technically.”

“So your girlfriend’s cat is going to live with us. And Sunny.”

“Yes.” I kept my face neutral, but inside I was sweating hard.

Mase stared at the kitten, who finally peeped around, his bat ears swiveling at the noise. “I’m not cleaning a litter box. Duck diapers are enough.”

He went back to his lunch as if we adopted new pets every day, and honestly, it wasn’t far off. Somehow, we kept collecting weirdos and their animal counterparts. I was definitely including Marco in the animal counterpart column.

Cole shrugged at me, and I tried to put the kitten down. He clung to my shirt using all four sets of claws, staring up at me with big green eyes. Dammit. The helpless eyes were my downfall.

I tucked the kitten back into my side and joined the guys in the kitchen. “Where exactly does one find a litter box?”

Cole turned to me, incredulous, and Mase burst out laughing. At least the big guy still got my sense of humor.

“You’re a dick,” Cole muttered.

“Sure, but I’myourdick,” I fluttered my lashes at him, and he tossed a piece of bread at my face.

I let it bounce off my nose and fall to the floor. “Hey, you know my rules. I only accept bread when copious amounts of peanut butter have been applied.”

“He’s right. Peanut butterwouldhelp it stick better,” Mase offered.

Cole offered me his knife when he finished his sandwich, and I set out trying to make a PB&J with only one hand. After fumbling through the first half, Mase sighed and took pity on me.

“You’re supposed to be the normal one,” he grumped as he added jelly to my second piece and smashed them together.

I raised a brow. “None of us are normal, my man. Cole is not-so-secretly cowboy Captain America, you would happily live the rest of your life without seeing another person, and Gavin fell in love withEva and her pet duck.”

Cole shook his head. “We all love Henry, don’t bring her into this.”

I turned to him. “That’syour evidence we’re all normal? We all love the pet duck, who to be clear, is an angel and better than all of us?”

Sunny quacked from her spot on the back of the couch, and I offered her a bow, careful not to startle the cat. “Sorry, Sunny girl, you are also an angel and better than all of us.”

Mase set the knife in the sink with a loud clang. “I see your point.”

Cole took a bite and chewed slowly while staring at me. “So this thing with Kenzie is serious?”

I joined him at the table with my sandwich. “Yes.”

“What about your golden rule?”

“Doesn’t apply to her.” I took a big bite and sent Mase a grateful look.

---