Page 21 of Her Purr-fect Christmas Mate

His apartment had everything money could buy. The finest materials and craftsmanship, every last detail perfectly designed to separate his sanctuary from the rest of the world. Elegant, understated furniture, the most minimal decoration his dragon would let him get away with, and the best atmospheric management system he’d been able to get his hands on.

Noticing the small details calmed him down. The moment he’d entered, the lights had adjusted to compensate for the ambient light elsewhere in the building, and the air filtration system had whirred into action to draw away the smells of the outside world he’d brought in with him. He wasn’t sure what the automation would do to accommodate Peony in her cat form; he’d never had an animal here before.

Not even me, his dragon whispered.

You wouldn’t fit.And— No. He wouldn’t let himself think it.

But sometimes his dragon was one of the things he wanted to leave outside.

When Peony transformed back into her human form, the system would adjust to take account of her… of her…

Of her naked human body.

His mind whited out. All his thoughts were packed with snow, and he was buried in them, muffled and blinded.

*Mordecai?*

Had he done something to betray what was going through his mind? Made some sort of noise?

Holding himself stiff to keep his breath from shaking, Mordecai stared down at her. She blinked up at him. “Do you need my help getting out?”Oh, well done. That didn’t sound murderous. Just icily dismissive.

*No, I… I don’t think so?*She gathered herself up, a ball of fluff and muscles coiled like springs, and leapt.

She landed on all fours on the arm of the sofa. Her back legs skidded and she dug her claws in, leaving tiny rents in the leather. Regret lanced against his mind.

*Sorry! I didn’t mean to—*

He was about to tell her not to concern herself about it, when she turned her head back and forth, her tail lashing.

*What’s wrong with this place?*

“Excuse me?”

*It doesn’t smell like anything.*

Mordecai frowned. “I would have thought you’d consider that a good thing, considering how you almost lost control at Inferno.”

*I didn’t almost lose control because of— Ugh. Really, though. It smells like NOTHING.*She sounded affronted. Her nostrils twitched as she picked her way onto the back of the sofa, sniffing determinedly. Eventually her shining green eyes found him again. *I can’t even smell YOU anymore!*

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

*I haven’t decided yet!*

They stared at each other. Mordecai’s brain was still snow-muffled, which was the only excuse he had for what he said next.

“We should talk about what happened at Inferno.”

Peony-the-cat shuddered. *No. We should never talk about it again.*Her private thoughts flew in an aura around her telepathic speech:I’m too humiliated. How can I look any of them in the face again? I should have known…

What am I meant to do now?

“This will be easier if we’re both in human form.” Mordecai cleared his throat. “I’ll give you some space. If you let me know your clothing size, I can have something brought in.”

*Brought in? How often do you have to clothe naked women in your apartment?*

“You’re the first woman I’ve ever brought here.”

Gold-flecked green eyes searched his. *I believe you.*

---