Page 82 of Desperately Seeking Kitty

It was so much easier to laugh when he was here. Him and Lucky. I wasn’t sure if Princess agreed, but they filled this apartment with so much happiness.

Or maybe it was me who was happy. Even in the midst of my ongoing grief and panic and confusion. Happiness could exist beside all of those things, if I allowed myself to have it.

To think I deserved it.

“I’ll bring some scratchers in here,” I said absently. “Princess pretty much only uses her living room ramp so the extra ones I had for Muffin I put away after…” I exhaled.

“Yeah. That reminds me. You said you watched some of Jackson’s videos?”

I nodded silently.

“I’d like to put up some shelving units on the upper part of the living room wall because Lucky is a climber. Better to find constructive ways to let him climb before he makes a home on top of your bathroom cabinet. They have really easy kits where you just attach them with hinges, not even sure I’ll have to use many nails—” When I didn’t reply, he shook his head with a laugh. “Sorry. Probably rushing things. Invite a guy over a couple of times and next thing you know, he’s trying to catify your apartment.”

“Do you always rush into things?”

“No. Never.”

Somehow I believed him, since I’d never been a rush-into-things sort of person before the last few weeks myself. “So why now?”

He reached down to re-button the button I’d undone in my endless quest to touch more of him. Then he frowned. “Well, the food is a draw.”

“Still thinking about what’s in the Crockpot, hmm?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed my thigh. “I saw a shirt once that said stay near people who feel like sunshine. At the time, I thought it was hokey as hell, but then most of the people I knew at the time reminded me more of crowded subway cars that couldn’t stay on one track.”

“I feel like sunshine to you?” I whispered—and then he immediately shook his head.

“You’re not so predictable as that. You’re sunshine for sure, but then your sun is behind a cloud and it’s pouring but before I can get an umbrella, the sun is back and it’s blinding. You challenge me and make me think and make me laugh and you’re never, ever boring.” He bit his distractingly full lower lip. “And in case you missed it, I can’t keep my fucking hands off you.”

I sat up and fisted his shirt, drawing him closer so I could drag in a deep enough breath of his cinnamon and soap scent to last me until later. “Tell me more.”

“Or my mouth,” he continued, his gaze locked on mine. “Even now I’m thinking about peeling down your jeans and slipping two fingers into you before I flip you over and do you twice as hard as Sven did Rina—and that was only chapter six.” A quick flash of teeth. “I think.”

“I can neither confirm nor deny. Also, you’re very fixated on Sven and Rina. I’ve finished the first-round edits on that one and returned the manuscript to the author. Do you want me to tag you on any future revisions?” Before he could answer, I held up a hand. “That can’t happen. Client confidentiality. Once it’s for sale I’ll direct you to a buy link.”

“I’ll be waiting. I’m curious how it turns out for them. I assume they have a happily ever after?”

“Why would you assume that?”

“Well, romance. Aren’t HEAs sacrosanct?”

“You know too much for your own good, Lee Hauser. But some books that are romance-adjacent end with a happy-for-now.”

“Eh, those aren’t as good.”

“They aren’t?”

“No. If I’m reading a story to feel good, I want to know they’re gonna stay together. Not stay together til chapter twenty-five then see how it goes.”

“Clintondale Lee, you’re a romantic. I never guessed. Other than the random sweetheart endearments now and then.”

The tips of his ears turned faintly adorably pink. “I’m just saying. It’s no different than a mystery. If the killer gets away, then what am I reading fiction for? I can get depressed by the news, thanks.”

“So you think there’s only one path to happiness. Just enjoying some good sex and see ya would be depressing for Rina and Sven.”

“Well, wouldn’t it?”

“Definitely a romantic,” I murmured. “How do you feel about the stories where a person falls in love with someone in, like, no time at all?”

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