Page 9 of Chains
“Well, this is me,” she said unnecessarily, hiking a thumb at her door.She faced me, leaning back against the wall.“Thanks for walking me back, even if it was mostly silent brooding on your part.”
I nodded, already taking a step back.“Night.”
Before she could respond, her door cracked open slightly, and a black shape darted out, wrapping itself around my legs.I froze, looking down as the cat rubbed his head against my boot, purring loudly.
“What the fuck,” I muttered, unable to move as the cat circled my legs, his tail curling around my calf like a living rope.
Ellie giggled, the sound making my stomach do a weird flip.I stared down at the cat, unsure whether to shake him off or remain still.
“Want to come in and meet the others?”Ellie asked.“They’re probably curious about you.Cats can sense when someone doesn’t like them, you know.Usually makes them more interested in being friends.”
I nodded stiffly, my eyes still on the cat, who had settled on my boot like he owned it.“Fine.But you might want to pick up this little monster so I don’t accidentally kick him trying to walk.”
“See?I knew you liked cats.”Christ, her smile… How could one woman be so fucking lovely and so eerily exotic at the same time?
But there was something in Ellie’s eyes, a warmth and openness, that made me want to be near her when I knew I wasn’t nearly good enough.
“So?”she prompted.She had picked up the cat and now stood with her hand on the knob of the open door.“You coming in?I promise they don’t bite.Well, Lucifer might, but only if you really deserve it.”
I should have said no.Instead, I found myself nodding, a bewildered agreement that surprised me as much as it seemed to please her.
“Great!”She pushed the door open wider, gesturing for me to enter.“After you.”
She let the cat down and he trotted off into the suite, tail straight up in the air.I followed, wondering how the hell I’d let myself be manipulated by this one small woman and her cat into coming into her private space where I’d be alone with her.Where her sweet smell would drive me fucking crazy and I’d sit there and take it just to bask in the light that was Ellie.
As I stepped over the threshold, I felt like I was crossing more than just a doorway.It seemed I was stepping over some invisible line I’d drawn for myself, one I hadn’t even realized was there until I was already on the other side of it.And there, right in front of me on my side of the line, was Ellie.And, God help her, I wanted to make her mine.
Chapter Three
Ellie
I watched Chains hesitate at my threshold, his broad shoulders filling the doorway as Binx wound between his legs like a furry serpent.The cat’s purr rumbled in the silence between us.Chains looked down at Binx, then back at me, his steel-blue eyes unreadable in the dim light of my apartment.Something shifted in his expression, a small surrender, and he stepped inside.
“Thanks for humoring me,” I said, closing the door behind him.“Binx doesn’t usually take to strangers.I wanted to see if he could coax the others to like you.”I smiled up at him, really studying his reaction.
Chains grunted, scouting out my new living space with his gaze.My suite was pretty big, considering it was just me.The cats had plenty of room.Not that it seemed to make a difference.They’d already figured out how to open the door so they could go wherever they wanted.Despite the size, it felt cozy.Unpacked boxes still sat in one corner, and my Halloween decorations claimed territory on every available surface.Black candles stood on mismatched holders, and strands of fairy lights cast a warm orange glow across the walls.The lingering scent of sage and lavender incense hung in the air, masking whatever remained of my potion disaster.
“Still getting settled,” I explained, suddenly self-conscious about the clutter.I hadn’t expected company, especially not one of the guys.Most of them were slightly terrifying, but I found Chains surprisingly disarming.Probably the way he pretended not to like my cats when he clearly did.
“It’s fine,” he said, his voice low and rough.He stood awkwardly in the center of my living room, looking too large for the space, too wild for the domesticity.
Lucifer chose that moment to emerge from the bedroom, his yellow eyes narrowing at the sight of our visitor.His back arched, fur standing on end as he released a hiss that would have made a cobra proud.
“Lucifer,” I scolded.“Be nice.”
Chains tensed, his jaw tightening.“That one doesn’t like me.”
“He doesn’t like anyone,” I assured him.“It’s why he’s named Lucifer.”
Salem appeared next, perching on my bookshelf like a sentinel.She watched us with careful, calculating eyes, her tail swishing slowly back and forth.
“That’s Salem,” I said, nodding toward her.“She’s the strategist of the group.Always plotting something.”
Chains glanced up at Salem, then back at Binx, who continued to circle his legs with relentless devotion.Seemed at least one of my babies had decided Chains was an all-right guy.“And this one?”
“Binx is the lover,” I explained, watching as my normally reserved cat rubbed his head against Chains’ boot.“He’s the nurturer, though he’s never been this friendly with a stranger before.He must sense something in you he likes.”
Chains looked down at Binx with a mixture of confusion, reluctant fascination, and maybe even resignation.His shoulders, which had been rigid since entering, dropped slightly.He exhaled, a long breath that seemed to carry some of his tension with it.
