Page 11 of Tameron

The conversation with him had gone well—better than I’d expected, in fact. And it was messing with my head, considering he couldn’t stand me. He’d reacted so intensely when I joked about him liking me, which had thrown me off a little. Most people who lived in a house as queer as the one he was in didn’t take it as an insult.

So maybe that’s where I’d crossed the line months ago?

I’d had a small fixation on him since the day I laid eyes on him, though Nash had told me Tameron was the straight guy in the house, so I’d quickly put him in the unavailable column inmy mind. But maybe that line had blurred one too many times, and I’d made him uncomfortable.

Shit.

But he also hadn’t reacted too poorly when I told him he looked like he needed a friend. He seemed more sad than anything, which broke my heart.

I glanced up when I saw a hand waving in my periphery. ‘Sorry,’ I told Teo, taking the kitten he was offering back to me.

He gave me a sympathetic look and leaned against the exam table. ‘What do you want to do?’

‘I don’t know,’ I admitted. ‘It makes sense to try and be his friend, but?—’

‘I meant with the kitten,’ Teo signed pointedly, then he tapped the side of his throat with his middle finger, a slang sign for his absolute confusion.

My cheeks flushed hotly and I closed my eyes with a heavy sigh. ‘Sorry,’ I signed again.

His shoulders rose and fell with his breath, and then he came over and sat next to me. ‘Tell me?’

I waved him off. ‘It’s not important.’

He pulled a face, but I could tell he wasn’t going to push it. He reached over with one hand and scratched the kitten between the ears. She immediately yawned and started to purr as she curled against my stomach. She was a warm, soothing weight, and I couldn’t help but curl my palms around her.

Teo grinned, and I knew in that moment I was screwed. ‘We have supplies for sale in the lobby.’

I groaned, my head falling back on my shoulders. ‘Why are you encouraging me?’

‘Because you’ve been alone for a long time and it’s not good for you. Besides, cats are a great pet for someone who works as much as you do.She’ll be self-sufficient.And it’ll piss off Dax.’

He wasn’t wrong about any of those things. I just wasn’t sure it was a good idea to get a cat—although of all the animals to have with my schedule, a catwasthe best option. An auto feeder and a running water fountain would take care of her during my twenty-four-hour shifts while Dax was at work, and I would give her plenty of cuddles when I got home.

And if I trained her early enough, maybe I could put her on a leash and bring her to work with me. My team would love her.

‘What will you call her?’

I stared down and bit my lip. ‘I’ll wait and see. Dax can help once he gets over himself and falls in love with her.’

‘I’m going to text him as soon as you leave,’ Teo told me—not quite a threat. I knew Dax wouldn’t be thrilled, but I didn’t think there was a chance he wouldn’t fall head over heels for the adorable kitten’s face.

We finished, and Teo wrote me a script for some special food to help her gain weight and some supplements to add to her meals. He and the tech gave her the first round of shots, and then he did a quick check for fleas—and luckily, her fur was fairly clean.

She was content now after being pissed off for so long, which told me she probably wasn’t feral—just abandoned. The last thing I needed was more responsibility, but when I looked at her little face and the tufts of hair on her cheeks, I knew this was it.

The feeling was familiar. I just didn’t understand why.

She was loud on the ride home, but she yowled herself to sleep, and by the time I pulled into the driveway, she was snoozing on the little blanket inside the crate. Dax’s car was gone, which meant I could get her set up and familiar with the place without him and I having a little argument about it, though the moment I walked through the front door, I could feel my phone buzzing several times in a row.

Not cute. Kitten? You me no time!

Why you think good idea?

Hate you.

I set the crate down and opened the door. The kitten blinked at me sleepily, and I took three photos of her, sending them all to my brother in quick succession.

Look how cute she is. How do you say no to that face?

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