Page 40 of In Step

“No backchat.” I eyeballed him. “I can fill that bowl with healthy shit till the cows come home, and nothing you say or do is going to change that. I won’t be coerced, bribed, threatened, or made to feel sorry for you. This is for your own good. You’re only seven. There are a lot more cat years left in you yet.”

He yowled a little creepily, lifted a weighty leg in the air, and began licking his butt.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure you’re a nice cat and all, but that’s not gonna fly with me. You’re not my type.”

A chuckle filtered through the partially open window by the front door. “That’s somewhat reassuring, I have to say.” Abe’s comment was followed by a single knock. “Can I come in?”

“Just watch for the cats.”

The door opened a crack and Abe’s head poked through, scanning the floor. “Cats? As in plural? Has Bossy multiplied? Is this like thatGremlinsmovie?”

“I’ll have you know that waswaybefore my time, old man.”

“Oh, so it’s gonna be like that, is it?” Abe slipped inside, looking all kinds of fucking edible. He shut the door, ditched his canvas shoes, and made his way to where I still stood at the breakfast bar.

I tracked every sexy, slinking step—dark grey sweats hanging low on those slim hips, offering a tantalising peek of dance tights at his waist, a loose cut-off T-shirt, and a puffer jacket for warmth against the mid-winter’s evening chill.

I shrugged. “If the cap fits.”

“Cheeky shit.” He scowled, but those wayward eyes danced with humour, and the way he looked me over, like he wanted to eat me alive, had my blood pooling in places it had no right to be. Then his gaze landed on Tank curled up beside a pile of books and the moment was broken. “Whoa. That’s some cat.”

I smiled and cleared my throat. “Abe, meet Tank. Tank is my weight-loss project for the next month. His owner is spoiling him into an early grave and the time for tough love is nigh.”

Tank shot me a killing look and Abe blinked. “Wow. I think he understood every word you just said and is plotting your demise. May the force be with you.” He pinned me with a glare. “And if you tell methatwas before your time—”

I feigned shock and horror. “Hush your mouth. The spies of the Empire are everywhere.”

“Good to know, or it was gonna be a very short friendship.”

I hesitated. “A friendship?”

“Yes,” he said firmly, his blatant once-over trailing fire over my skin and making me squirm. “You got a problem with that?” There was more than a hint of challenge there.

And look at that. I’d somehow acquired three friends in one night.

“Nope.” My gaze drifted to the tempting band of skin visible just above Abe’s dance tights.

He caught me and smirked, reaching above his head and then side to side, as if stretching his muscles.

I groaned and flipped him off. “Arsehole.” But I still looked. “I’m sorry about cancelling, but it’s been a day, and then with Judah not well...”

“Don’t apologise.” He shucked his jacket and pulled his laptop from his gym bag, sliding it onto the countertop. “It was a good call. A tough day then? Did the mussels fight back?”

I snorted, frowning at the laptop. “Actually, I had an appointment with my lawyer.”

He blew a low whistle. “So, how’d it go?”

I shrugged. “Okay, I think. He’s going to start the paperwork to hand to Dad’s lawyer, and then I guess we wait and see what happens. According to him, it looks pretty straightforward, but that doesn’t mean Dad won’t be a dick about it.”

Abe studied me, concern etched deep into his face. “Are you worried?”

“That he’s going to drag it out?” I nodded. “A little. He’s a stubborn bastard, and I wouldn’t put it past him to fuck with me even if it did cost him money. He’s gonna be mad as hell when those papers hit his lawyer. He’s used to getting his own way.”

“Most bullies are.”

I winced at the reminder.

“Sorry.” He reached for my hand, and I shrugged.

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