Page 38 of Hell's Kitten

He lets me go as he looks me up and down. “I haven’t seen you before,” he states.

I shake my head. “No, I’m a freshman, but I graduated high school a few years ago.”

“Oh,” Kadence says with a wave of his hand. “Yeah, we get a lot of that around here. I suppose it’s a community college thing. It just makes it easier to have parties when everyone can legally drink. I’m a senior, but I try my best to seek out all the kinksters. My friend Harper is like you. Just started even though he’s in his early twenties. You see him over there with one of his Daddies?”

So many of the words he just used pinged in my brain. There are other kinky people in this town? I suppose that’s a stupid thing to be surprised by, but it seems so…cute and wholesome, even if it’s somewhat dilapidated.

I look over to the check-in desk where Kadence has just indicated. There’s a slim blond guy standing beside a stocky Asian man as he talks to the emo librarian.“Oneof his Daddies?” I repeat. “Hang on, that’s Coach Ritter from the football team.” He’s the assistant coach, not the main one, but I’ve seen him on the sidelines at games.

Kadence flicks his eyebrows at me. “Yeah. Harper hasthreeDaddies, and they like to chase him down and fuck him where they catch him. How hot is that?”

I shiver, not really knowing how I feel. It probably is super hot. But it seems a little aggressive for me. I glance back at Kadence and wonder just what kind of kink he’s into. Probably being tied up and whipped and stuff. That seems a little extreme. Or at least it is right now. God, I’m so fucking green.

“Being chased is not my thing,” Kadence says with a wink as if reading my mind.

“Oh,” I say, embarrassed at being caught out. “Do you, um, have a Daddy, though?”

“Not right now, no,” he says with a shrug. “I like to have a charcuterie board of lovers, you know? At the moment, I’m seeing this absolute fuck boi who’s so far in the closet I swear he’s looking for Narnia. It’s almost certainly going to end in tears, but right now, the sneaking around is exhilarating.”

He shimmies his shoulders and grins at me, and I can’t help but laugh. “If you say so.”

“Aww, Jessie,” he says and bumps my shoulder. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. You’re a baby kitty, aren’t you?” I blush and look at him through my eyelashes, but he gives me a fond look. “And does that mean you have a new Daddy you want to impress?”

I probably get stars in my eyes, but I don’t care. “Yeah,” I say dreamily as I think about Nim. “He’s so kind and generous and hot and, um…”

Kadence flicks his eyes toward the screen. “And you want to get a special present for him, huh? Why don’t you let your new auntie Kiki help you pick out something perfect?” He leans closer. “That’s me, by the way.”

I laugh and look at him curiously. “You really do want to be friends with a random stranger you just met in the library,” I marvel.

He pokes out his tongue, like he’s going to touch the tip of his nose, then makes a kissy noise at me. “You’re a stray kitty—how could I resist? Besides, I collect kinky little queers like Pokémon. Oh! Do you have Professor Knight?”

“For classics?” I say, confused by the apparent non sequitur.

Kadence nods eagerly. “Rumor has it he’s totally fucking his TA from last year. I think the guy still uses he/him pronouns. But all I know is that about halfway through the year, he started wearing tennis skirts and stuff. He really rocked those outfits. Imiss looking at his butt in class. But, yes, anyway—the kinksters are everywhere in this naughty little town. Stick with me, and I’ll show you the way!”

I’m not entirely sure what to make of this person who has bulldozed his way into my life, but I must admit it will be nice to have friends outside of the cheer squad. I’m still really close with Alannah, but she didn’t make the competition team, and I can tell she’s trying really hard not to make things awkward, even though she’s sad. I’m sad. I have to look at Tara’s stupid face all the time instead.

But Kadence could be just the kind of friend I need, especially if he knows much more about the scene than me.

“I’d love some help, thank you,” I admit.

We have fun on my laptop for another hour or so, and before we leave, I make sure we swap numbers. I head home filled with tantalizing excitement, imagining the look on Nim’s face when he sees my surprise for him.

I’m going to be the best kitten he’s ever met. After I’m through with him, he’ll realize just what an amazing Daddy he truly is.

And maybe that will be enough to label this thing officially.

CHAPTER 15

Nim

“See what I mean?”Donna says glumly as I walk up to O’Toole’s. She’s come to meet me in the parking lot, her arms folded and a grim look on her face.

Probably because there’s a crowd of about twenty people outside of her pub, all holding signs and shouting nonsense. I pick up phrases like “Not in our town!” and “Think of the children!”

“What the fuck?” I grunt, genuinely not sure I can believe my eyes. Don’t these people have anything better to do?

Apparently not. I’m not sure if members of this crowd know Mayor Durham personally or if he’s just managed to whip up this many voters into such an organic frenzy. The result is the same.

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