Page 27 of Love at First Ink

She ignored the warmth that went through her body each time Cisco called her Princesa. “I adopted a cat!” she blurted.

“Hey, that’s awesome. You weren’t sure if you’d actually get one today,” he said, ignorant of Marisol’s rising panic.

“Is it awesome though? Or did I just make a stupid decision?” she asked, unable to keep her anxiousness out of her voice.

“Marisol—”

“I mean, where do I even go to get Snowball food? Would Trader Joe’s have it? That’s where I get my food. And whatabout a litter box or toys? Cats need toys, right? I don’t know any pet stores around. Fuck, maybe I jumped into this too quickly.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone that went on so long, Marisol had to make sure the call didn’t drop. It didn’t. Then, finally, Cisco said, “Send me your location. I’m coming to get you.”

CHAPTER 13

Cisco

“This isn’t Trader Joe’s.” Marisol angled her body to get a better look at where Cisco had taken her. She was correct. This wasn’t Trader Joe’s. Because Trader Joe’s wasn’t a pet supply store, and Cisco feared for the cat if Marisol was left to her own devices. That was why he left work to come help her. Definitely no other reason.

It was a perfect day for Cisco to leave work early. He intentionally didn’t schedule any clients since he was going to help Tiny with inventory. His cousin wasn’t thrilled to be left to deal with the work by herself, but the extra two hundred dollars he promised made her a little less mad at him. Especially after he mentioned how much he enjoyed Marisol’s company, and how he hoped this could turn into something serious one day.

“Someone must be twitterpated,” Tiny had said before he left.

“What the fuck is that?”

Tiny rolled her eyes at his lack of pop culture knowledge. “Have you never seenBambi? You know,twitterpated,” shestressed again like repeating the word would somehow make him understand.

It didn’t.

“Trader Joe’s doesn’t have what you need,” Cisco said as he unbuckled himself. He reached over to unhook Marisol’s seatbelt, but the cat—Snowball, apparently—hissed at him from her lap and swatted at his hand.

“Lovely cat you found,” he mumbled.

Marisol smiled, happily petting Snowball, who leaned into her touch and purred loudly. “She’s mean and hates everyone. That’s why I like her.”

“I’m glad you bonded with a demon cat.” Since Snowball was now officially distracted, Cisco risked his hand and quickly undid Marisol’s seatbelt for her. The soft laugh he earned from her made it worthwhile.

“This is a boutique pet store. It has all the freshest ingredients and accessories spoiled pets will need. Tiny has a chihuahua, fucking terror that she spoils rotten. The damn thing eats dinner on a gold plate. She gets all her pet stuff here,” he explained.

“Snowball should find this satisfactory then. Can you get my purse? Stella, the woman from the shelter, gave me a list of things she’ll need,” Marisol said. “Snowball can come inside, right? Since it’s a pet store.”

Cisco nodded. “Yeah, you can put her back in the box?—”

“I will not put her back in the box. She hated that thing! I’ll just carry her,” Marisol argued, but before Cisco could reply that it might not be the safest option, she was out of the car with Snowball in her arms. It gave him the perfect view of her ass as she dipped her head before stepping out. If he were a better man, he’d look away and not ogle her body while her back was toward him. But he was, in fact, not a better man.

Not wanting to be left behind, Cisco got out of the car and quickly caught up to Marisol. On instinct, he placed his hand on her back, searching both ways for cars before crossing the street. He had set foot in Tiffany’s Pet Co. before, so he was familiar with the layout and knew the cat stuff was toward the middle of the store.

“Oh, this is perfect.” Marisol moved away from his grasp and headed toward the row of beige carts. Instead of a seat for a toddler, there was a small space for animals. She placed Snowball down, quickly making sure she was comfortable before rejoining Cisco. Her shoulder brushed against his, and he didn’t imagine the way her cheeks reddened at the contact.

He took a smug satisfaction in knowing he could make this beautiful woman blush for him. Pushing his luck, he placed his hand on her back again and waited for her reaction. Marisol leaned into him. It was subtle, but he felt it.

Since their first date, he had been eager to see her again. He regretted not kissing her the night he dropped her off, but he hadn’t been sure how sober she was. He wanted her to remember their first kiss, and he didn’t think it was the right time. At least that was what he thought at the time. Looking at her painted red lips, pouty and begging to be kissed, he hated himself a little for missing the opportunity. He wouldn’t pass it up again.

“So…where do we go?” Marisol’s voice broke through his fog. He had been staring, and she noticed, judging by the sly upturn to her lips. He was caught red-handed but didn’t have the decency to look ashamed.

“You have your list?” he asked.

With her hands now free, Marisol searched through her little pink bag he was holding, pulled out a wrinkled paper andhanded it to him. “This is the food she needs. That’s all that’s on there, though.”

“Then food first.” He gently urged her forward. Tiffany’s was not busy, only the occasional dog owner with their expensive dog snaked between the aisles. The cat aisle, full of various prestigious brands to choose from, was empty. Colorful bags of cat food lined the shelves, ranging from grain-free to carnivore food and everything in-between.

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