Page 85 of Damaged Protector
Silly woman.
Now it was time to have a little fun.
Faking a sneeze, I walked into the living room with a tissue against my nose. Mallori’s head turned toward me. “Are you getting sick?”
“Not sure,” I said, affecting a sniffle. “I don’t have a fever. Must be allergies.”
She tilted her head, blonde ponytail flopping over one shoulder. “What are you allergic to?”
“That’s what’s weird. The only thing I’m allergic to is cats.”
The absolute panic on her face forced me to bite my inner cheek to keep from laughing. “C-cats?”
“Yeah, I’ve never been bothered by pollen or any of that. Just cats, the furry little fuckers.” I could see Mal mentally freaking out, eyes wild and frantic as she absently tugged at the frayed hem of her shorts.
“That’s sad. Cats can be so comforting.”
“Too bad I get violently ill around them,” I said, shaking my head.
Her gaze shifted from mine as her thumbnail went directly to her mouth, and the worry in her eyes almost made me feel guilty. Almost. She had snuck a damn kitten into the house, after all.
“Violently ill?” she whispered, a flush creeping beautifully up her neck.
“Yep,” I said, putting on a show and blowing my nose as I headed to the kitchen. “Maybe some cat dander came in from outside or something. I’m going to grab a mask and do a deep clean of the entire house.”
Even from the other room, I could hear the alarm in her voice. “Oh, let me do it. Why don’t you go out for a while?”
I donned a face mask—which did an excellent job of hiding my smile—from the kitchen drawer and walked with a purpose back into the living room. “Naw, I got it. I think I’ll start on that end of the house.” I pointed to the right, where her room sat.
Laughter stuck like a knot in my throat. I’d never seen anyone leap off a couch so quickly. “Oh! Well… Don’t, um, I need to go in there first. I… I washed my bras and they’re hanging everywhere. I don’t like to dry them in the dryer. You know how it is, right? Or I guess you don’t since you don’t wear a bra.”
Her voice faded as she practically sprinted down the hallway, but I could still make out her frantic babbling. “But if you did, no judgment here. No siree. I’ll even go bra shopping with you, if you want. You seem to like black. There are lots of black bras to choose from.”
My grin took up my entire face when I stripped off the mask and tossed it on the coffee table before shadowing her path to her room. Mallori had closed the door, but I pressed my ear to it and heard fast whispering followed by a tiny mewling sound. Then more whispering. Was she having a conversation with the damn cat? The idea amused me to no end.
I waited a few beats and then tapped on her door. “Mallori?”
Her reply was high-pitched. “Yes?”
“Bring the furball out here.”
A long silence ensued, and then she said, “No, you’ll get sick.”
My eyes rolled upward, and my shoulders shook with silent laughter. “Bee, I’m not allergic to cats. I was fucking with you.”
The door opened, and Mallori stood there with a mass of white fluff against her neck. Her aqua eyes flashed with accusation beneath a scowl. “You knew.”
“Yep,” I said, my lips twisting to the side to control the smile trying to break free. “I found her when I went to put some towels in your bathroom.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her eyes lowering in contrition before lifting bravely back to mine. “It’s only temporary. I found her in the bushes, and she was so scared, Hawk. I walked around the neighborhood, but she didn’t belong to anyone.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I said only, “Uh-huh.”
“And I checked with a couple animal shelters, but they were all full. I even put out some feelers on a Facebook group, but no one wanted her.” She turned the kitten around to face me. “How could no one want her? She’s so sweet.”
The animal chose that moment to hiss at me, a tiny noise that wouldn’t scare a fly. Mal bent to whisper in one pointed ear, “Cut it out, Coconut. We’re trying to make a good impression here.”
“You named this beast Coconut?” I queried, pursing my lips and attempting to look stern.