Page 64 of The P*ssy Next Door

Same, kitten, same.

One minute he's banging my brains out so hard I think I lost consciousness with the power of the orgasms—plural—and the next he's feeding an abandoned baby kitten at four in the morning, while singing a freaking lullaby to it. How could I not be in love with him?

And how could I not be worried someday he'd figure out that he was the focused, accomplished, achiever, with a family who loved him as much as he loved them, and I was the... the opposite. As lost in the world, needing to be claimed and taken care of, as that kitten.

FIGHT FOR HER

HAYES

The next few weeks were a blur of bliss, a whirlwind of stolen moments and endless laughter. Willa had become such an integral part of my entire being, woven into the very fabric of my heart and soul, that I could hardly remember what it was like before she'd waltzed into my life and turned it upside down.

And in bed? Fuck. I don't know how I'd lived without a woman like her rocking my world. We took turns being in charge in the bedroom, and every time I felt like we discovered another layer of ourselves in each other.

I'd never had more fun in my life, ever. Even playing football. Although, according to my brothers, a well-laid Kingman in love was always on top of their game. I certainly was. I felt fucking invincible.

So fucking alive.

I gave Seven a scratch on the head, but he couldn't be bothered with me. After the incident with the kittens, he'd taken to picking up my socks, carrying them around the house meowing, and then dropping them into the corner of the room where he'd spent that happy night with his brood. “I know buddy. I promise we'll get you some kittens to foster for real in the off-season, okay?”

He wasn't buying it. I'd have to pick him up some new toys or treats or something to win back his love. Maybe after my date with Willa tonight. I'd never gone on dates before, and I had one planned for a new horror movie, where I had visions of her crawling into my lap when the film gave us a good jump scare.

My phone buzzed with an incoming text, and my heart sank as I read her message.

Hey babe, I'm so sorry but I have to cancel tonight. Xander and my parents just showed up with one of those family four packs of tickets to the Miners game. Raincheck on the movie.

I stared at the screen, my jaw clenched. This was the third time in as many weeks that Xander had swooped in with some last-minute plan that derailed our alone time.

Last weekend, it was a family dinner that he insisted Willa couldn't miss. The week before, an impromptu visit to her grandparents in the Springs. And now this.

I tried to push down the growing unease in my gut, to remember that family was important. But as I tossed my phone onto the couch with a sigh, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Xander's sudden attentiveness than met the eye.

The next day, I was going to follow Everett’s advice to fight for her and decided to bring it up, but casually. I gave Willa a wave as I entered the shop because she had a line of customers here for her new concoctions from the increasingly cat-themed menu. I went over and stretched out on the couch. Today had been particularly rough practice, and I was happy to sit down for a minute. This week's rescue cats instantly crawled all over me, and I gave them all the attention they wanted.

Trixie and Jules were here too. They'd made the coffee shop a regular haunt for working and homework. Trixie had her laptop open, her brow furrowed in concentration as she typed away, while Jules had a textbook and a stack of notes spread out in front of her. But I knew full well they were both world class eavesdroppers. Even more reason to keep my questions about Xander casual.

A few minutes later, Willa brought over a mug of something that smelled Christmassy and flopped down beside me, instantly curling up. “You have great timing. This is the first real break I've had all day.”

“Good. So, how was the basketball game last night?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light.

Willa's eyes lit up, her smile wide. “Oh, it was weirdly great. The game moves so fast, and I find it completely bizarre that I'm turning into a sports girlie.”

I nodded, my own smile feeling stiff on my face. “That's great, babe. I'm glad you had fun.”

She gave me a look that said she saw right through me. “I missed you though. I hate canceling on you.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. God, I was being a jackass. Of course she should spend time with her family. Family was life. I'd never ask her to choose between them and me.

I just... wished I could be her family too. But she felt like mine. It wasn't that. No, I guess I wished her family wanted me to be a part of their lives. Mine had pulled her right into the fold, but hers held me at arm’s length like some kind of intruder.

The bell over the door jingled and one of Willa's bakery partners walked in with a stack of boxes under her arm. “Oh, gotta go. The cookies for the Besties' listening party that Pen is hosting this weekend are here.”

I watched her walk away, savoring the way she swayed her hips, but also bummed that this was all the time I got with her. See, jackass?

Before I even had a second to wallow, Trixie and Jules grabbed up a cat on either side of me and plopped down in their places on the couch.

“Hey, guys,” I said, sitting up straighter, awaiting the Kingman inquisition I full-well knew was coming. “What's happening?”

Jules stared at me like she was trying to read my mind. “I know that look. What's wrong?”