Page 14 of Bargain with the Irish Devil

As suddenly as he touched me, Declan lets me go. “Banshee, what the hell? Couldn’t you see I was busy?” He says to the cat.

She winds around his legs. Sighing, he picks her up. The cat meows loudly, with a creak in it—sounding nothing like the demon cat from a minute ago. She rubs her face against his cheek.

“You named your cat Banshee?” I’m not sure why the sight of him big and broad, cuddling the cat is turning my tummy soft and melty.

“Banshee isn’tmycat. She’s her own. Aoife named her Banshee because of all the screaming she does for food and attention. If I don’t pick her up and cuddle her, she’ll scream the house down.”

The cat stares me down. Her green eyes are spooky against her dark gray coat. “Hi, Banshee.”

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t for a cat to roll her eyes at me. “Did she roll her eyes?”

A chuckle fills the room. “She does. Banshee isn’t shy about letting her feelings be known.”

“I always wanted a cat. I’m allergic, though. Unfortunately, I didn’t find out until my mom got me a cat. I tried to do allergy pills, but I couldn’t keep her after all.” I sigh.

His smile disappears. “I’m sorry. I’ll put her outside.”

An angry howl comes out of her. “Hush now, Banshee.” He scolds her.

Another hiss and she jumps out of his arms onto the table before jumping down onto the floor. Tail flicking, she leaves out a small pet door.

“Your cat is as insane as you are,” I mutter, grateful she’s gone.

Declan laughs. “I told you. She’s not my cat. One day, she showed up, and Aoife was daft enough to feed her. She comes and goes as she pleases. I tried giving her to one of my men. His girlfriend loves cats. But she ran off after only a week and found her way back. I’m sure she’s fed by a dozen others in the neighborhood.”

“So the pet door thing was here when you moved in?”

“If I didn’t put the door in, she kept me up at all hours, ringing the bell to be let in. It was either the door or drop her off in another part of the state.” He explains—like it's no big deal.

I can’t help laughing. As I open my mouth to question a cat ringing the bell, the doorbell sounds. “Holy shit. She actually rings the doorbell.”

He sighs. “Fucking hell. I’m going to go disengage the bell. She’s mad and will be at it all night if I don’t. I’ll be right back.”

Opening what I thought was a pantry or closet, he takes the stairs down into the basement.

A giggle slips out of me. The man is manipulated by a cat and isn’t really bothered by it. It was obvious the cat adored him, the way she rubbed all over him.

I’m jealous. I often wondered about getting a pet after I divorced Michael because he refused us having any pets. But since I spent ten hours a day at work, plus the time commuting, it didn’t feel right to get a dog when they needed so much time and attention. The doorbell is ringing again when it suddenly stops.

Only a minute later, Declan appears again. “I?—”

Banshee is back, yowling like a demon escaped from hell.

“Jesus, what is the matter with her?” She swipes at me and hisses again.Ouch, that fucking hurt.

Declan moves fast and has her by her scruff. “That’s enough of that. Get on with you.”

He opens the door and sets her outside. The second the door is closed, he leans down and flips something above the small pet door. Banshee howls again. Sighing, he shakes his head.

I check my leg, and it’s bleeding from a thin scratch.

“Sonofabitch.” Declan mutters as he goes down on one knee and grasps my leg in a firm hold.

His touch causes me to forget all about the scratch. All I can remember is what the cat interrupted—a kiss that rocked my entire world.

“Is she always like that?” I push the words out when he finally lets me go.

“No. Never. If women are here, she ignores them. She’s even let a few of them hold her. I’ll be right back. Let me get some things to clean this. I don’t want it getting infected.”

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