Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

OGDEN

Van and Hayden had been understanding, but I could sense their disappointment. Me ? I wasn't sure what to feel. Relieved . Guilty . Selfish . Apprehensive . Most notably, I was strangely happy to be staying with my cute little kitty cat.

" Can we go?" I asked Officer Hellhound .

" Before you leave, can you take a look at something?" Van tapped something into a tablet, then turned it to face me. " Is this Wesley ?"

I recognized the picture of Wesley sitting in a Bentley Bacalar . He'd gone to a car show in Vegas last summer and had paid a ridiculous amount of money to put his ass in that car. He showed that picture to people as often as he could. I didn't know where Van had found the picture, but it wouldn't surprise me if Wesley had it splashed all over the internet so strangers would admire him.

" Yes . "

" Who is that? Is that who abducted you? Did you remember what happened?" Simon asked, peering closely at the image. " Is that his car?"

" That's my assistant manager, Wesley . The car isn't his."

" I'll call Simon if I think of anything else to ask. And please call if you remember anything more. Oh , and take that." Van motioned to the whistle. " We'll sort out what to do with it later. If we destroy it now, I don't know what it'll do to your bond. I don't think we should risk that until we talk to some mages."

Simon scooped the whistle from the table, then returned right back to my side and wrapped his arm around me. I'd already divested myself of the tool belt Van had given me, but he suggested I keep the tracking device for now. Just in case. After all, we still didn't know how I'd been abducted the first time.

" Let's go," I said. I was so ready to get out of here.

" I'll see you both tomorrow," Van said on our way out of the boardroom. " We might have more questions by then."

Simon wasted no time escorting me out of the station, but when we reached the sidewalk, he stopped and looked up and down the road as if he didn't know which way to turn.

" Simon ? Talk to me."

His cheeks darkened. He really was the most adorable creature. " I'm not sure where to take you."

" Where do you want to take me?" I tried not to play into the innuendo. It was hard—ha, aren't I punny. But I must not have succeeded because my poor kitty cat made a strangled-sounding noise. How could anyone be so precious? I wanted to wrap him up in a fluffy blanket and hide him away from the world.

" I … I …" he stammered, and his cheeks reddened even more. Pretty soon, every bit of his blood would be in his face, and that wouldn't do. Not at all.

I cradled his heated cheeks in my hands and looked into his eyes. I was pleased to see my touch seemed to calm him. " Talk to me, Simon ."

" I thought about taking you home, but it isn't very nice. You need nice things."

Aw . Wasn't he the sweetest?

" Your place sounds perfect," I said, then I pushed up on my tippy toes and brushed my lips over his cheek. It was a fleeting little kiss that did nothing to satisfy my need to taste my cat shifter, but it had to be enough for now. His nostrils flared as he inhaled my scent, and his hands caught on my hips. His fingers dug into me, and I was sure he wanted to tug me closer. I figured his inexperience kept him from following through. Well , and maybe the fact that we were still standing outside the police station.

Simon took my hand in his and led me away. The funny paper slippers Van had given me slapped sloppily against the concrete sidewalk as we walked down a few streets until we arrived at an older four-story apartment building.

Seeing the front door propped open with an old boot made me scowl. Anyone could waltz in and nab someone. With traffickers as close as Aspen Bay , it would be na?ve to think Willow Lake was safe, especially when this place seemed like a haven for supes. The kidnappers could sweep in and have their pick of dozens of different supes. Although , their demon guardian might offer some protection. I hadn't lived anywhere with a guardian before, so I couldn't be sure.

When we entered the building, I kicked the boot aside. Simon nodded his understanding as he tugged the door firmly closed behind us.

His apartment was, thankfully, locked.

" Um , here it is," Simon said as he pushed the door open after unlocking it. Embarrassment poured off him as he looked at his feet and didn't move any farther inside.

" I'm sure I'm going to love it. It's going to smell like you and be filled with the things you love. I am happy you've brought me here."

" I … I …" He stammered.

" Come on, kitty cat. It's going to be okay. I promise."

With his shoulders rounded in defeat, he led me down the short corridor into his living room—his very bare and very empty living room. A long worn-out sofa lined one wall and a teensy tiny flatscreen television sitting on a couple of wooden crates sat against the opposite wall. And that was it. There were no side tables or lamps or pictures or knickknacks. Nothing .

" The space is great," I said. " Lots of room to move around. Clutter can be such a pain to dust and clean."

" Don't ." Simon snorted. His cheeks were bright red. " I know it is bad. I keep meaning to buy some stuff, but I can't make up my mind."

" Never feel embarrassed about who you are." I patted his chest. " But if you want me to help you, I can do that."

" I would like that." His face turned so earnest that I wanted to squeeze his adorable cheeks. Then his mouth twisted, and his forehead furrowed, and I knew he wasn't thinking about his apartment anymore. " I don't understand what happened. Tonight . Between us."

" I don't either," I confessed. " But we don't have to solve it tonight."

I closed the distance between us, drawn to him in a way I couldn't explain. Was this because of the magic that joined us? When we'd been standing in front of the police station, I'd wanted to kiss him. Soundly . Thoroughly . I still did.

It consumed my thoughts.

Because what if…?

What if we became lovers? What if we made this work? What if he didn't care about finding his fated mate either? Because our mutual attraction was undeniable. A lot of chosen mates made it work. My eyes darted to Simon's pretty pink mouth. I licked my lips and leaned forward. Except we shouldn't do this. Not tonight.

" Can I kiss you?" Simon asked.

" Oh , kitten, how you tempt me," I whispered.

" Is that a yes?"

I darted forward and swept my lips across his, then I pulled back. Any longer and I'd have succumbed to temptation and grabbed him and never let him go. That kiss, if you could call it that, had lasted only a tiny fraction of a second. I wanted more. I resisted.

The strange and intense blending of our magics had eased. Thank Magic for that. It almost felt… comfortable… now. What wasn't comfortable, though, were the ridiculous clothes I was wearing .

I brushed my hands over my borrowed clothes, inadvertently drawing Simon's attention to the bulge under those gray sweatpants. Oops . He had a similar bulge in his own pants. He was as interested as I was, but when I took him to my bed for the first time, I wanted to savor the experience. Tonight , I was too exhausted, and my mind too distracted to do what I wanted with him. When we came together, it would not be a quick, desperate fumble. We were not hooking up. We were… something else . What that something else was, well, that remained to be seen.

" It's been a long day, kitten," I said gently. " We should turn in. I'm sure Officer Hellhound will be around with more questions in the morning."

He growled softly, as if he didn't like me thinking about Van when my cock was hard.

" I'll sleep on the couch," I offered.

" There is room in my bed for both of us."

Did that sound like a cheesy line to get me in his bed? Yep . It did, but I liked it. I'm sure my eyes took on a wicked gleam at his invitation, but I shook my head and backed away. " Not tonight, kitty cat."

He frowned.

" Don't pout. I'll take care of you soon enough," I promised. " But a lot has already happened today. I think we should slow things down a bit."

" I know. You're right," he grudgingly admitted, "but that doesn't mean I won't be awake the entire night thinking about you. Fantasizing about you in those gray sweatpants. Obsessing about what you mean by taking care of me soon enough. Wondering what it'd be like to kiss you properly. "

My pulse quickened at his words. Oh . My kitten had a wonderful imagination. Excellent . He dipped his head down. He coughed and shuffled his feet, as if embarrassed to have admitted so much to me. That wouldn't do. He needed to be rewarded for all that.

I rose on my toes and brushed my lips against his heated cheek. I lingered there, my lips pressing soft intimate kisses against his skin, until he turned his head and his lips met mine again. This time, I didn't duck away.

He moaned as our mouths met. He wrapped his arms around me and hauled me up against his chest. Yes . It was exactly as I'd imagined. Even with the fabric of our clothes separating us, every brush of our bodies against one another made me writhe and press closer. I craved his touch, but neither of us moved to strip off our clothes. Our tongues danced. Our breaths wove together. Our bodies rocked. It was sublime.

When the kiss ended, we were both panting. Simon's lips were deliciously plump and pink and wet. Oh , how easy it would be to take his hand and lead him to his bedroom and become lost exploring his body. I forced myself to step back.

" I'll be thinking about you too," I admitted. " But I still think we should try to get some sleep." A sudden yawn stole over me, as if to emphasize my point. " I don't know why I'm so tired. I don't normally go to bed this early, but it's been a crazy day."

" You like nights too?" He sounded surprised.

" I work until close every night, but I'm usually awake for hours after that."

Simon smiled, like our having this one thing in common thrilled him. " I usually go into the woods at night, if I'm not working." Then his face turned serious. " But I won't leave the apartment tonight, not while you're here."

" If you want to go, please go. I know someone abducted me, but I'm really not an easy mark."

He didn't look convinced. " I'll stay close anyway. I don't know what I'd do if something happened, but my instincts are in control right now… and that's…"

" That's what?"

" It's strange. I'm not brave… My brothers call me a scaredy cat," he whispered, averting his eyes again. " I still have all my nine lives."

I didn't know much about cat shifters, although I sensed having all nine of his lives at his age was unusual. But I did know about bravery.

" You are brave," I said, brushing my fingers over his down-turned face.

He shook his head. " I was scared. So scared that you wanted to go back to that cage. I am happy you didn't go. But it's my fault all those people are still locked up now."

" Never . This is not your fault in any way. The only people to blame are the ones who put those supes in cages to begin with." I ducked so I could look into his downturned eyes. " I was scared too. Being brave doesn't mean not being scared. I don't know you very well yet, but I can think of plenty of times just tonight where you were brave."

Simon's forehead crunched up in confusion. " You can?"

" I can." I nodded. " Like when you demanded the alpha join the meeting. Or when I first had you wrapped in my coils, and you didn't pass out or piss yourself. Not many people can say that. Or when you brought me—a stranger—home. Bravery isn't about jumping into fights or rushing into situations or taking impulsive actions. Don't underestimate your own bravery, Simon . And if most cat shifters your age don't have their nine lives, but you do, I'd say you are pretty damn smart. And you might not have known what would happen when you blew on that whistle, but you are my savior. My hero."

Simon blushed.

" Now , go get some sleep. I think tomorrow will be another long day."

I had only just settled on his horribly lumpy couch, curled up under the stale smelling blankets he'd retrieved from a nearly empty hall closet, when Simon stomped out of his room. He didn't speak. He simply leaned over and scooped me up, blankets and all, and carried me to his room. Once there, he gently placed me on his bed. I noticed he positioned me on the side of the bed that was farthest from the door. Then he crawled up beside me and wrapped his arm around me and pulled me tight against his purring body. The gentle vibration was soothing, the soft sound lulling me to sleep like a lullaby.

" Simon ?" I whispered. " Why am I here?"

" Couldn't sleep with you out there…" he mumbled.

Then he pressed his face into the back of my neck and drifted off to sleep. I snuggled against my kitty cat and let sleep claim me too.