Page 49 of Missiletoe
“Vix, you're my girlfriend. I mean boyfriend. I mean guy I want to…” Paris’s voice trailed off, and his ears went a deep shade of red.
“Paris, is this your bunny?” Melanie asked with a hint of laughter in her voice.
“...Yes.” Paris reached back and gripped my thigh like he thought I might hop off and make a run for it.
Ha! As if.
Then Paris went back to paying attention to Sylvia like he hadn’t just made my toes all wiggly.
I climbed up higher on Paris’s back, trying to get a better look at Sylvia, but all I could see was an ear and a couple of whiskers.
I patted Paris’s head and said, "Let me down, I wanna see.”
Paris tightened his hold on my leg, but then slowly released it and allowed me to scrabble down and around him to lay eyes on the prettiest little cat I’d ever seen.
Her tummy was huge, and I could have sworn I saw it move. “Sylvia, you’re full of kittens!” I said like an idiot. “I’ve never met a pregnant cat before. Can I touch her?”
“Let’s find out,” Paris said. “Some pregnant cats don’t like to be touched by strangers, so go slow. Let her smell you first.”
Paris moved his hand away and made room for me to reach inside the cage.
I put my hand just outside her little hidey hole, and she stuck out a pretty pink nose. Her whiskers tickled my fingers as she took in my scent, and I laughed.
“She likes you.” Paris dropped a kiss on my head, and my toes wiggled again.
“I like her too. I’m so glad you are a cat, Sylvia. It’s better for everyone this way.” It meant I didn’t have to find out how much evil I could get away with before touching Gareth’s bottom line.
Why not Paris’s bottom line, you ask? Silly. He’d never find out about it.
That’s what Baz is for.
Just because Sylvia was a cat and not a homewrecker, didn’t mean that I didn’t still have a potentialmy soulmate has a haremproblem, so I got a little lost as I wondered if it was a bad idea to start a relationship with lies even if they were for the greater good.
I came down on the side of probably, but I wasn’t totally sure. I could have really used a love manual right about then. Something with a title likeHow to Have a Lasting Relationship for the Morally Bankrupt.
If you find one, let me know. I mean, you know everything turned out great or else I wouldn’t be telling you this story, but still, a manual would be handy.
My decision ofprobably, meant that I couldn’t vanish Melanie, Mike, or any of the other people flocking around my man that I didn’t know about yet. But maybe it would be okay if I told Paris about it afterward.
“Her tummy is moving!” I whisper-shouted. I was trying to be quiet around the pregnant cat, but it was a totally new thing for me. I was excited, and there was only so much I could do about it.
“That means she’s going to have her babies soon. See how she’s breathing?”
Sylvia was purring rapidly.
“Will I hurt her if I touch her tummy?”
“It’s better not to. Most cats like privacy when they give birth. They also need safety. I wouldn’t have accepted her transfer if I’d known she was so close to delivering. It was irresponsible of her last shelter to send her to us.”
“I’ll call them, Paris.” Melanie said. “I’ll be meaner about it than you would.”
“Don’t bet on that,” Paris said softly. There was a growly edge to his voice, and it was working for me, big time.
Mike the asshole popped his head through the backdoor and said, “Paris, the chief needs a word with you before we finish up here.”
I gave Mike a death glare, because I knew he was going to try to get Paris to go alone. He had that look about him. With the way he was eyeballing me, I knew he was considering physically prying me away from Paris if need be.
Melanie the Saint stepped in before Mike and I could go toe-to-toe over the hand of my fair Paris.
