Page 21 of Born into Blood

“Pip, huh?” He reaches over and gives Pip’s head a pet.

“He’s so tiny,” I say, “like a little pipsqueak.”

Luka smiles and scratches under Pip’s chin while the kitten closes his eyes and purrs. “It suits him, or her, I guess. It could be a girl.”

I smile back at him. “It could be.”

Before I can bring the clipboard back up, Luka takes the pen from my hand and leans over, writing his name next to mine so the owners are listed as Lara and Luka, and I know with absolute certainty that my mom is batshit crazy, because there’s no way in hell the man sitting next to me could come from a family of evil men. It’s just not possible.

He holds my stare, a soft smile playing at his lips when he says, “Lara Swan, I believe we just adopted a cat.”

Chapter 4

Luka

Inever want to look away from the smile Lara is giving me. Her blue eyes are filled with so many things, and I want to know all of them. I want to know everything about her. I’d gone back to Dominic’s club tonight, hoping to see her, but I hadn’t expected to find her standing in a dark alley, clutching a frightened little kitten. Dominic keeps a tight watch on his territory, but I still don’t like the idea of her in that alley all by herself.

“Lara and Luka.”

We both turn to the tech who’s saying our names, and I swear Lara’s blush deepens at the sound of our names together. Standing, I hold a hand out for her, biting back the smile I want to give when her skin touches mine. Her small hand disappears when I close my fingers around hers and help her up.

She clutches Pip to her chest, and I keep her hand in mine as we follow the woman back to one of the exam rooms. She’s young, probably only a few years older than me, and when she runs her eyes over my neck, I see the reaction it brings out in her, and I don’t like it. My neck and hand tattoos are fairly new. I’d gotten them about six months ago, and I quickly noticed that it brings out one of two responses in women. They either give me a disgusted look and clutch their purses tighter, or they look like they want to rip their clothes off and spread their legs for me. The tech looks like she’s already picturing me naked, so I let go of Lara’s hand and wrap it around her shoulders instead, pulling her closer so she’s nestled up against me.

When I slide my hand up and thread my fingers through Lara’s dark hair so I can cup the back of her head, the tech finally gets her shit together and starts to do her job. She takes Pip and weighs him, doing all the preliminary work before the vet comes in.

My thumb caresses the nape of Lara’s neck, and when she sucks in a quick breath, I look down at her, studying her reaction. Her pupils are dilated, cheeks flushed, and lips parted as her breathing increases. She’s so fucking beautiful, and all I want to do is close the distance between us. I hold back, keeping my eyes on hers until Pip gives an annoyed meow at being manhandled by a stranger, pulling Lara’s eyes from mine.

She gives him a reassuring pat, and I swear the little guy is already in love with her. I can’t say I blame him. There’s something about Lara that’s impossible to resist, and when the vet does walk in, I have to force myself to put my focus on what she’s saying instead of getting lost in the woman standing next to me.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Broussard,” she tells us, giving us each a quick handshake before smiling at the kitten on her exam table. “What do we have here?”

“I found him in an alley,” Lara says.

“Oh, poor little guy.” Dr. Broussard picks him up and looks between his legs before giving a soft laugh. “Yeah, he’s a male.”

Lara tilts her head and smiles up at me, and there’s no way in hell I can resist returning it. My hand is still on the nape of her neck, and I caress her skin again while the vet finishes the exam and gets him his first shots.

“He’s a healthy little guy,” she tells us, “but he’s very young, and he’s slightly malnourished. I’d say he’s about six weeks old, so I’d recommend you get kitten food and then supplement it with kitten formula. You’ll also need to bring him back in about three weeks for more shots and another deworming, and I’d highly recommend getting him neutered at around four or five months.”

“Sorry, Pip,” I tell him, scratching under his chin. He purrs and rubs against my hand. I’ve never been much of a cat guy, but he’s quickly growing on me.

Lara and I thank the vet again, and when we’re back at the front desk, I quickly hand the guy my card before Lara can even think about paying. She looks like she’s about to argue, so I ask the guy, “Can you just keep this card on file for all future visits?”

“Sure, I can do that.” He enters the information and then I sign the receipt he gives me before grabbing Lara’s hand and leading her back out to my bike.

“Why did you pay? I was going to do it, Luka. You didn’t have to pay for all that.”

“I wanted to.”

“I can pay you back, though.”

I strap the backpack on again and hold my hands out for Pip. “Not a chance in hell.”

She bites her bottom lip to keep from smiling and hands the kitten over to me so I can get him safely tucked away. After pulling her helmet on, I reach out to make sure the strap is tight enough and then pull mine on and get back on the bike. She tucks herself in tightly behind me, and the feel of her tits pressed against my back is pure fucking heaven. Giving her calf a soft squeeze, I start the bike and head in the direction of a pet store that’s open until midnight. It’s the same one my Uncle Matvey and Aunt Alina go to for their own dog, and when I pull into the parking lot and cut the engine, Lara looks up at the large building and says, “You’re not paying for this, Luka.”

“Yes, I am, kisa.”

It seems only natural to call her kitten, and as soon as the Russian word leaves my lips, I know the nickname is perfect for her.

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