While We Waited (Smuggler’s Hideaway #3)

Chapter 16

Tackle – What Hudson wishes he could do to a cat

Hudson

I hold my breath as I wait for Nova to reply. I know moving in with me is a big deal for her. My sunshine girl has an independent streak a mile wide.

But I want her here. I don’t want to worry she’s all alone and not feeling well with no one to take care of her. I’ll take care of her. Baby or not. She needs someone to be there for her.

“You stay here and relax. I’ll go pick up your stuff.”

“I didn’t say I’m staying.”

I grunt and she wags her finger at me. “Don’t grunt at me, Mr. Cranksville.”

Her admonishment isn’t serious since she’s smiling at me. Her smile hits me right in the chest. I want to smile in return. I shake my head. I’m not a smiler.

“You know you want to stay here. You practically drooled when I mentioned a housekeeper.”

“I’ll have you know I limit my drooling to chocolate and other yummy treats from Pirates Pastries .”

I know another time when she drools. A time when we were naked and she was staring at my naked chest. My blood heats and my cock twitches as memories of our night together flash through my mind.

I clear my throat and tell my cock to calm the hell down. There will be no repeats of that night. My cock protests but I ignore it. The same way I’ve been ignoring the urge to go to Nova ever since our night together.

The woman is not for me. I’m a washed up has-been. She’s sunshine and beauty and life and laughter. I refuse to ruin her goodness.

“I’ll pick you up some pastries on my way home.”

She sighs. “Fine. I’ll stay here. But only until Sprog is born.”

Which gives me a little over thirty weeks to convince her to stay after the baby is born.

“I’ll be back.” I make my way toward the door.

“Don’t forget Finn Fable,” she hollers after me.

I glance over my shoulder at her. “Finn Fable?”

She grins. “My cat.”

“You have a cat?”

She blinks her eyes and feigns innocence. “What? Don’t you like cats?”

I hate cats. But I’ll put up with one for her. I’m discovering I’ll put up with a lot for her.

“I’ll get the cat.”

“He’s a bit shy of strangers. He may hide on you.”

Great. The cat I don’t want is going to hide from me.

“I’ll get the cat,” I repeat because I can’t deny Nova anything she wants. She wants her cat. She’s getting her cat. “I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be back,” she says in a robotic voice.

I hurry away before she notices my humor. The last thing I need is for Nova to know how much of an effect she has on me. Not when I can’t keep her.

When I arrive at Nova’s house, I notice a car that isn’t hers in the driveway. I scowl. People shouldn’t be using her driveway. Knowing my sunshine, she lets people use her driveway. She’s always helping people out.

I park behind the car and make my way to the door. It opens before I can reach it.

“He’s here!” Sophia shouts and the rest of Nova’s girlfriends – Chloe, Maya, and Paisley – rush to the door.

“Why are you here?”

“Nova messaged. She was worried you forgot a key to her place,” Sophia says.

Shit. I can hardly admit I swiped the extra key from Nova’s kitchen drawer now.

“She also asked us to pack up her bras and panties,” Chloe adds. “She wants them to be a surprise for you.”

“Okay.”

“Aha!” Sophia shouts. “He didn’t deny he’ll be seeing her bras and panties. I knew it. He wants Nova.”

“Of course, he wants Nova. She’s pregnant with his child,” Paisley says.

Maya gives me a thumbs-up from where she’s hiding behind Paisley. I lift my chin at her and she ducks behind her friend.

“Nova is not the woman for me,” I say before pushing my way past them inside the house.

“Why not?” Sophia asks.

I ignore her question. “Do you have her things packed up?”

Maya points to a lone suitcase on the living room floor.

My brow wrinkles. “Is this all? This is not enough clothes for nearly seven months.” I march toward her bedroom. “Does she have more suitcases? I’ll just pack up all her clothes.”

“All of her clothes?” Sophia screeches as she rushes to follow me.

When I enter Nova’s bedroom, there are already several suitcases open on her bed. I scowl. Are Nova’s girlfriends fucking with me?

Chloe herds me out of the room. “We’ll finish packing. You find Finn Fable and get him settled in his cat carrier.”

“Can’t you get the cat?”

Chloe frowns. “Finn doesn’t like me.”

“Maybe because you attempted to drown him,” Paisley says.

“I didn’t try to drown him. How was I supposed to know he was going to jump into the toilet?”

“You didn’t need to flush.”

Chloe shrugs. “It was an accident.”

“What about you?” I ask Paisley. “Can you get the cat?”

She pushes her glasses up her nose. “For some reason, Finn Fable runs from me.”

“Some reason?” Sophia snorts. “You wanted to shave him for genetic testing.”

“I don’t know what the big deal is. I merely wanted a small amount of his fur.”

I point to Sophia. “What about you?”

She taps her nose. “Allergic.”

I open my mouth to ask Maya but she yelps and disappears behind Paisley before I get the chance.

“She’s shy,” Sophia says.

Chloe smirks. “Except when it comes to Caleb.”

I frown. Caleb? As in Caleb Emerson who we went to high school with?

“Those communications are in writing. It’s not the same as being in a person’s presence,” Paisley says.

We’re getting sidetracked. I just want someone to get the damn cat for me. I glance around the room and no one will meet my gaze. Shit. I guess it’s up to me.

“Where is the cat?”

They answer all at once.

“His litter box is in the laundry room.”

“He has a climbing thing in the living room.”

“His basket is in Nova’s office.”

I’ll start in the laundry room. There’s no cat to be found anywhere near the litter box. But I do find the cat carrier. I grab it and continue my search.

The cat isn’t in the living room. Or in Nova’s office.

I dig out my phone and message Nova.

Is it possible Finn’s outside?

Nova: No! Finn is NOT allowed outside. The dog next door will eat him.

I stuff my phone in my pocket and glance around the living room. The cat has to be here somewhere. Is he hiding?

I get to my knees to search underneath her couch. Sure enough. There’s a gray ball of fur in the corner.

“Come on, kitty. Time to go.”

Finn hisses at me.

“Don’t make me come after you.”

I reach an arm under the sofa for him and he scratches me. I yank my arm back and notice he drew blood.

Coaxing the cat out is not going to work. I get to my feet. I can lift the sofa and the cat will be forced out of his hiding place.

I lift the sofa and the cat darts out. I drop the sofa to catch him. But the little shit is fast. He dashes past me and down the hall. I chase after him.

“Don’t worry,” Sophia says as I pass her. “I’m recording everything for Nova.”

I ignore her. I forgot what troublemakers Nova’s friends are. The five of them were always getting in trouble in high school. By the looks of it, they haven’t stopped causing trouble since then.

I follow the cat into Nova’s office.

“Where are you going to hide now? There’s no sofa in here.”

But there is a desk. The cat scrambles underneath it. There’s a problem with his plan. I can easily reach underneath the desk. Which is what I do. And I receive another scratch for my troubles.

The cat races from the office to Nova’s bedroom. I follow him but come to a stop when I notice Maya cradling the cat in her arms.

“He’s just scared,” she whispers.

“I’ll get the cat carrier.”

I return to the bedroom with the carrier and the cat goes nuts. Nova could have warned me her cat is fucking crazy.

“I can’t hold him,” Maya says as she tries to keep control of the cat without getting scratched. Damn. I can’t let her get harmed.

I reach over and grab the cat from her. I try to shove him into the carrier but he widens his arms and legs to stop me. Damnit. What now?

“Put him down your shirt,” Paisley says.

“I’m not putting a hissing, scratching cat down my shirt.”

“It’s the best way to calm him down. Your heartbeat will reassure him.”

“Go ahead,” Chloe urges. “If Paisley says it, it’s true.”

I’ve got nothing to lose. Except a nipple. I pull my shirt out, and Finn crawls inside without any prompting.

With a cat in my t-shirt, I carry Nova’s suitcases to my truck. Her friends help and soon enough I’m on my way back to the resort.

“You better not scratch Nova,” I tell the cat as we drive. “She’s pregnant. If you hurt her, you’re going to disappear.”

He meows in response. I interpret his meow as agreement.

When I park in front of my chalet, Nova comes rushing out. She yanks my door open. “Is Finn Fable okay?”

I haul the cat out from underneath my t-shirt and hand him to her. He doesn’t hiss at her. She cuddles him to her chest. I shake my head. Of course, Nova has a cat that hates everyone except her.

She gasps and I scan the area for any threats. There’s no one here.

“You’re bleeding.”

I glance down at my arms. The bleeding has stopped but there are streaks of blood on my arms.

“Come.” Nova shackles my wrist and pulls me toward the chalet. I allow her. “I’ll get you cleaned up.”

“I can do it.”

She rolls her eyes. “No playing the big, bad grouchypants with me. It’s my fault you’re injured and bleeding. I’ll take care of you.”

“I’m not injured.”

She frowns. “I decide when you’re injured.”

She drags me into the bathroom. “Sit.” When I hesitate, she pushes me onto the closed toilet. “Where are your first aid supplies? Never mind. You sit there. I’ll find them.”

I like this side of Nova. My cock twitches in agreement. It thinks she’s sexy when she’s bossy. In all honesty, it finds everything about Nova sexy. It’s a bit obsessed with her.

As am I. I shove those thoughts away. I can’t be obsessed with Nova since I can’t keep her.