Page 53 of Desperately Seeking Kitty

“You sent it because I was editingPlaying for Love, right? So I’d have some personal…knowledge. For work.” At least that had made sense in my head at the time.

Sex toys were just implements of our job. I mean, notourjobs specifically, but they were sort of related, no more unusual than party favors. It wasn’t as if I’d gone into detail about just how much I’d appreciated the gesture.

Not that I couldn’t buy my own sex toys. I just hadn’t. I’d been in the dark about what to try.

So, yeah, my business partner had sent me a vibrator.

Hmm.

Why did it not sound so innocent when literally half my body parts were still tingling from last night?

Specifically, from another man. One who had no use for a sex toy while getting me off, because he was pretty damn skilled at that all on his own.

“I’ve been your friend for a long time.”

An uncomfortable chill prickled along my spine. “Yeah, and you know how much I appreciate your friendship.” Princess jumped up on the window seat beside me and I gave her head an absent stroke. “Friends have been hard to come by for me for a while.”

“I know you’re lonely. The holidays are rough for a lot of us. But jumping into bed with the first random guy you meet isn’t smart. He could be a serial killer.”

“I met you online a couple years ago too, if you recall.”

“But not for sex.”

“So that’s why you didn’t murder me? Thanks so much.” I huffed out a breath. “Look, the guy I met is a vet, and he’s very kind. He’s way less weird than me.” I stroked Princess’s back too hard and she yowled and gave me the paw, claws extended, before streaking down the hall in disgust.

I sighed. Par for the course.

“Oh, a vet. Right. Did you tell him about losing Muffin? Seems a little coincidental. Are you sure he’s not playing on your emotions?”

“He’s an actual vet, Magnus. I swear.” Why was he being so suspicious? “I’m going to bring him his lunch where he works at Princess’s vet.”

“So you knew him in person before you talked online?”

“No, but I use the vet where he works. We just hadn’t met yet in person but I’m sure we would have. It was just pure chance we hadn’t.”

And the fact I’d missed many appointments due to my…issue with dealing with people over the past year plus.

Sometimes I could handle my panic better than others.

Other times, I had to sit down to put my head between my legs just so I didn’t pass out if I had to actually venture out.

Even if I’d happened to meet Clint at a vet appointment, I likely would’ve made no attempt at conversation, kept my head down, and never even caught his eye. I was far more open with words than deeds. That hadn’t always been true, but it sure was now.

And I never would’ve known what it was like to have a night like last night—even if it had made me think I was in love with the guy.

Which I wasn’t. Absolutely not. That was something my father would do, not me. He’d fallen in love so many times on his first “dates” that it was almost laughable.

I wished I could laugh about any of this but it all felt so deadly serious. So life-changing important.

Mag was still silent. Not like him at all.

“He’s legit, I swear,” I added. “Do you think I’d hook up with just anyone?”

“After today, I really don’t think I can guess how you’d react in any way, period.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn’t want to hurt him—even if I had no clue how I had.

“You’re blowing this all out of proportion,” I protested, catching the time on the clock on the wall. “Look, I’ve got stuff to do before I go get his lunch but we’ll talk about this later.” I kicked at the bottom of the window seat in frustration. “Though I honestly don’t know what the problem is.”

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