Page 327 of Small Town Firsts
He blocked me with a clipboard. “Fill that out.”
Seething, I grabbed the board and automatically filled in my details. It was a pretty clever questionnaire, to be honest. “Wait, what does this mean, ‘are you willing to take on a special needs kitten?’”
He snatched the board out of my hand and scribbled something on it in that slashing way he had. He smiled at Tracy and took my hand again. “We’ll just wait over there for things to start.”
“Right.” Her huge, overdone eyes kept darting between us and narrowed at our joined fingers.
I almost shook him off, but something wouldn’t let me. I didn’t have time to psychoanalyze my reaction before he hustled me to the side of the room near the windows. Now that I wasn’t huffing across the parking lot, I noticed cats of all different types and ages were climbing, playing, and sleeping in the little atrium. The most elaborate cat tree I’d ever seen filled the entire room.
“Pretty amazing, aren’t they?” His arm slid along my back as he braced himself behind me.
I looked up automatically. Preston’s face was too close, but there wasn’t much room since everyone in the room practically had their noses pressed to the glass. Our height difference yet again had my stupid hormones doing the samba. And the stupid ocean-tinged scent he wore was distracting as hell.
And why was he getting all up in my business anyway? He was the one who wanted us to strictly remain in our boss-employee roles. At least I thought it was mostly his idea. Okay, and I guess it had been mine too.
Except we kept kissing, and that was not entirely my fault. Then he dragged me here to this damn dating thing, and now he was definitely encroaching on my freaking personal space.
I tried to push back against him, and my ass slid across the front placket of his suit pants.Careful. I didn’t want to feel anything that would contribute to my personal failings later on.
Too late there.
I closed my eyes and drew in a calming breath. His resulting exhalation brushed the tendrils of curls near my ear.
“I made a few calls and convinced Piper Lockwood to donate one of her famous cat trees to the clinic.”
He just kept chatting along like he wasn’t half hard against my butt. “Famous?”
“Well, in cat circles anyway. She has a cat café in California that went viral, thanks in part to how clever she is and her famous rockstar husband. She only does special orders.”
I forced myself to focus on my surroundings. There were little shelves and ramps bolted to the carpeted wall. A dozen pillars in varying heights were scattered around the space, offering a dizzying array of levels for cats to perch, play, or sleep on. The room was a proverbial princess playground for cats. “So, she makes up cat trees?”
“Does that look like a typical cat tree?”
I tipped my head to study his face. “You sure know a lot about cats.”
He swallowed, his gaze bouncing from my lips to my eyes and back again. “I donate a lot to this place. The cats they take on deserve so much more than the universe gives them.” He straightened up and moved away from me. “The least I can do is help out monetarily.”
I grabbed his tie before he could totally escape me. This was something that was important to him. There was a passion inhis voice that I’d never heard before. “This isn’t a dating thing, huh?”
He gently pulled his tie out of my fingers. “No. This is a way to raise money for the treatment of these sweet animals that people forget about. And an adoption clinic for those who are ready to go to regular homes.”
“And you’re adopting a cat?”
“No—well, yes.” He folded his arms. “I usually just donate. I don’t know why I got the stupid urge to adopt one. I don’t have time for a cat.”
“Sure you do.” I patted his lapel. “You make time. It can even be a mascot cat for the law office. You know, like some have a dog. Helps to have a support animal, right?”
He frowned. “That’s not very professional.”
I shrugged. “Screw professional.”
“That may be your take on things, Miss Moon, but that’s not how I treat my business.”
“Maybe you should.”
Before he could answer me, a woman with a jaunty ponytail clapped her hands. “Attention, everyone! We’re going to start out with our first speed round. Now it won’t be super fast like the ones some of you may have been part of in the past.” Her voice was friendly and perky like Elle Woods from theLegally Blondmovies. “But we want you to meet as many amazing kittens and cats as possible and hopefully, bring one home!”
She quickly told us how to line up and gave us little buzzers like people used at restaurants.
