Page 84 of My Last Dance

“No, you’re not.” I ran over to Carl and hugged him to my chest. He purred loudly and snuggled into me. “It’s just a little scratch.”

“This isn’t little,” he burst out, his neck veins bulging. “Give the cat to Lucy for a week or something,please,” he begged.

“No,” I argued, holding Carl closer.

Kappy grit his jaw. “He’s going to scratch off my face. You want a partner without a face?”

Rolling my eyes, I turned on my heel. “I’ll put her in my bedroom.”

His eyebrows scrunched. “But…but where am I going to sleep?”

That had me snorting a laugh. “You thought you were sleeping inmybedroom? Withme?”

“Well, I thought you’d invite me.”

I cackled in his face. “In your dreams.” While I had reservations about opening up and giving my heart to him before, now I really needed to keep my guard up. “We’re partners now, we can’t be canoodling. The couch is all yours, buddy boy.”

That seemed to silence him, which was weird. He was never silent. I slowly turned to look back at him, just to see his sly grin.

“What?” I demanded.

“You just said we’re partners.” Both dimples popped out as his hands went to his hips.

Heat bloomed in my cheeks. “Yeah, well, I guess we are.”

His lips twitched in amusement.

“What now?” I asked dryly.

“Canoodling?” he grinned. “Isn’t that what partners aresupposedto do?”

My lips pursed. “No, partner canoodling is strictly business.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Viper.” He grabbed up his Xbox controller, but he was still grinning.

He looked way too happy about this.

“It’s a stupid part of the job, just like this living arrangement,” I sputtered out. “And put a shirt on,” I called over my shoulder before closing myself in my room.

My body collapsed against my door, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

He took up way too much space in my apartment, and he was already making a complete mess of my living room, but I couldn’t deny the tiny little thrill still alive and present in my chest.

________

In the morning, I was shocked to find that Carl’s hate for Kappy was nothing compared to Kappy’s hate for mornings.

Moving into the kitchen, I started up my coffee, mixed up a protein shake, and reached in the fridge for eggs. But then I sat there staring down at the carton of eggs for a solid two minutes, debating if I should make three for myself, or add three more for him.

This is so stupid, just ask him,a voice in my head pushed.He’s the same Kappy you’ve known your whole life, why are you being so weird?

Marching over to the couch, I tapped his shoulder. “Kappy.”

He didn’t budge. He was bunded up with the blanket almost covering his face.

“Kappy,” I announced in a louder tone. “Wake up.”

He laid so motionless that a little panic seeped into me.

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