Page 59 of Desperate Pucker
“He loves feet.”
“Gross.” I pull my foot away, but he just starts rubbing against my other foot. I grumble, annoyed.
“Bruce is my cute little weirdo,” Maddy says.
“Your cat’s name is Bruce?”
She yawns. “Yup. When I first got him, I thought he was a girl, so I named him Belle. But then I took him to the vet, and they said he was a boy. So I changed his name to Bruce.”
The corner of my mouth hikes up. “That’s a very butch name for such a fluffy and pretty cat.”
She opens her eyes and frowns at me. “It’s a great name.”
I look down at the cat. “You’ve got a weird name, Bruce.”
“Don’t say that to him. You’ll hurt his feelings.”
The urge to laugh tickles my throat. I walk back over to her. “I’m going to go out and get you some food.”
She closes her eyes. “Yeah, okay,” she murmurs.
I spot the key fob to her apartment building on the counter and grab it.
“I want that glass of water to be empty by the time I get back.”
She makes a sleepy “mmhmm” sound. Bruce trots over to the couch, hops up, and cuddles on top of her feet.
“Bruce is gonna hold down the fort while I’m gone.”
“Mkay.” Another sleepy noise.
I smile at the cute image of Maddy and her cat, then I leave.
Chapter 21
Maddy
When I wake up, my head is throbbing and my stomach feels like it’s been hollowed out and folded in half.
I groan into my pillow. God, I feel like crap.
“You’re bad at following directions, princess.”
My eyes go wide at the sound of Ryker’s voice. Slowly, I sit up and look around. My gaze lands on his massive, muscled back. He’s standing at my stove cooking something.
What the hell? What is he doing here?
And then, a second later, my foggy brain remembers. He came over to check on me when I didn’t show up for work. He made me drink water. He gave Bruce treats and made fun of his name. And then he left to get me food.
The shock fades, leaving behind a warm and fuzzy feeling.
He turns around and pins me with a serious gaze. “Drink your water.”
Goosebumps fly across my skin. I reach over and grab the glass from the coffee table and drink it.
A minute later, Ryker walks into the living room carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and a small mug of tea.
“You need something in your stomach.” He sets the tray in my lap.
