“It’s his home, too.”
“Percy was a scruffy little thing when I got him. All fluff with a nonstop meow that about drove me crazy.” He watched her lips curve in a tempting smile. That made his lips curve, too. “He showed up in the woods one day, skinny, hissing, covered in burrs. Tanner and I got him inside, but man, he was a pissed-off kitty, at least until I fed him. He growled the whole time he ate.”
“I bet that was sweet.”
“Sweet, and a little threatening. Kittens have super-sharp claws. Luckily, he settled down after that. Addie kept an eye on him while Tanner and I went out to search for other kittens, but we didn’t find any.”
“So no idea where he came from?”
“Nope. He was old enough to be weaned, but a runt from living on his own.”
“He’s such a big lug now.”
“Yeah, he is. Lazy, too. Occasionally, he likes to prowl outside, but he never goes far. Plus, he’s chipped and has a GPS tag on his collar, so I’d always be able to find him.”
“I’ve never had a pet,” she suddenly said.
Kam took her hands in his, coasting his thumbs over her knuckles. “Did you want one?”
“I don’t know. I like Blu and Percy, and I’m getting used to Callie’s goats and chickens.”
Her lack of enthusiasm over the farm animals made him want to grin. “You’ve met the horses, too, right?”
“Once.” Wrinkling her nose, she said, “They’re awfully big.”
“Callie and Tanner go riding often now.”
Immediately, she shook her head. “No way will I ever get on a horse.”
If he got her to try it, she might change her mind. Few things were as peaceful as riding out, the sun on his back and the wind in his face, with nothing to distract him but the sounds of nature and the horse’s hooves meeting the ground. “We’ll see.”
Dismissing that, she slid off the stool, stepped up against him, and gave him a slow-burn kiss that quickly had his mind on other things. It was the first time he could recall her initiating things, and damn, it was hot.
As she eased up, she said, “I’m going to take a quick shower before we turn in.”
He hoped her idea of quick meant two minutes, because he wasn’t sure he’d last longer than that.
She gave him another kiss, this one a light brushing of her lips over his. “You’re not sleepy, are you?”
Ha!“No.”
“Remember, there are rules.”
He wasn’t likely to forget, but all he said was, “Whatever you need, Glory.”
That earned him a very sweet smile before she turned and headed to her bedroom.
The second her door closed, he launched into the hall and out to the SUV to grab one of the boxes he’d brought from home. It held his toiletries and a few changes of clothes.
The whole day had gone from one extreme emotion to another, but what he felt now—extreme lust tinged with tenderness—yeah, he liked that best. Lust he knew, but the deeper caring... That added a new dimension to things.
And it beat the hell out of strolling down memory lane.
After locking the front door again, Kam strode into the guest room to do his own quick washup, brush his teeth, and change into loose pajama pants.
They didn’t have pockets, so the condoms he grabbed remained in his hand as he left the room. Bare chested and barefoot, he stopped outside her door and heard the shower turn off. It sent his heart thundering.
The way his body reacted, you’d think he’d never had sex before.