Page 86 of Damaged Protector
“Uh-huh, because she’s white with a little brown.” Mallori lifted the kitten’s brown paw and waved it at me. “Can you say hello to Uncle Hawk?” she cooed, and I rolled my eyes.
“Uncle Hawk?”
“Well, she has to call you something.”
My voice was purposely dry when I replied. “It’s a cat.”
“Cats are people too,” she retorted and then frowned at her own words. “You know what I mean, and I’m really sorry I was being sneaky. I didn’t know what to do besides take care of her until I found a good home for her.”
Mallori’s eyes begged for forgiveness, and I’ll be fucked if I didn’t feel myself softening at the sight.
“But you haven’t had any luck?”
She shook her head. “No. Would it be okay if she stayed for just a little while? I can’t bear to think of her out there by herself. You know the Hendersons’ dog is always getting loose.” Her lips were turned down as she closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against the cat’s fluffy head.
I set my hands on my hips and exhaled a long sigh. “Mallori…”
Her eyes popped open and met mine with a plea that cut right through the ice around my heart. “She’s really good. She only piddled on the floor once.”
“Piddled?” I asked, lifting one eyebrow.
Mal nodded. “Only once, until she figured out the litter box. And have you ever seen kitty piddle? It’s tiny.” She formed a small circle with her thumb and forefinger. “Just think about how great it would be to have her around. She could catch mice and stuff.”
My lips twisted into a grudging smile. “She’s not much bigger than a mouse, Little Bee. A mouse would totally kick her ass.”
My roommate giggled and held the cat forward in both hands. “Maybe if you just held her for a second.”
I picked up the cat by the scruff of her neck. “What’s up, furball?” She splayed all four legs and hissed again, showing me her tiny teeth. My mind was already made up, but I pretended to hedge.
“I don’t know, Mal. This seems like a pretty ferocious beast you’ve got here.”
She pushed at my hand. “You have to snuggle her. She’s just a baby.”
I brought the kitten against my bare chest, and the little fucker…
“She licked my nipple,” I said flatly, shifting her over a couple inches to avoid a repeat.
Mallori’s face melted. “Aww, she thinks you’re her mummy.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered as I felt the tiny engine purr to life inside the little one’s warm body. She nuzzled and blinked sleepily up at me before closing her eyes. It was a pretty cute cat, but goddammit, there was already enough cuteness in my life with Mallori around.
Nevertheless, I heard myself say, “Fine. She can stay until we find her a permanent home.”
Mallori’s resulting smile was full of sunshine and happiness, and it pleased me that I had put it on her face. Her slender arms wrapped around my waist, and she rested her cheek against my chest, just beside the kitten.
“You’re not going to lick my nipple, are you?” I asked.
She laughed. “I can if you want me to.”
My dick twitched as my mind screamed a huge fuck yes, but thankfully I didn’t say it out loud. I had very sensitive nipples for a man, and imagining Mallori’s little pink tongue circling mine had me hardening to rock solid in a matter of seconds.
“Probably be best if you didn’t,” I said, my voice raspier than I intended. Because then I would have you flat on that bed before you knew what was happening.
With the kitten between us and my nose pressed into Little Bee’s sweetly-scented hair, I wasn’t sure what it was about this woman that made me say yes to things I should have said no to. But on the flip side, when it came to my darker desires, I said no to the things I really, really wanted to say yes to.
And it was becoming harder to do so with each passing day.
Chapter 26