Chapter 10 Everybody Wants To Be A Cat #2
Mara shrugged. “You’re right. Maybe I’ll get Kimi to check him out first and see what she says I need to do. I trust her more than the internet.”
“Smart woman.”
She grinned up at Seth and found those deep hazel eyes warm on hers. He was beautiful, inside and out. The gruff exterior hid his pain, physical and mental.
She wanted to help. Maybe a kiss would help.
They stared at each other for a long moment before Fritter stretched and drew her attention back to him, probably for the best. Jumping Seth in the inn’s kitchen might be amazing, but it wouldn’t be smart.
Not only because Amber and Gray could walk in at any moment, but because she didn’t want to screw up this place for herself.
Seth was Ford’s friend, which meant she could trust him. He was a good man, and he wouldn’t hurt her on purpose. But her feelings were growing for him by the day, by the minute. She doubted he’d see her as anything other than a fling.
Would it be worth it?
Physically, it would absolutely be worth it. With the chemistry arcing between them and the look in Seth’s eyes, the sex would be explosive.
Could her heart take it when it ended?
They would need to continue sharing the kitchen. They’d also be part of the extended family on the farm.
Messing it up would be too easy.
Better to keep her heart and hands to herself.
Fritter stood and kneaded his paws into Mara’s thighs, bringing her attention back to reality. She’d have to save those fantasies for bedtime.
She ran her hands over the cat, giving herself time to settle while she double-checked for injuries. If something hurt, he would probably react.
How would Seth react if she offered to run her hands over him?
Stop. She needed to stop.
Fritter rubbed his head against her hand, and then his entire body into hers.
Seth made a slight sound that had her looking up to find those eyes locked on hers again. The previous warmth had morphed into heat. Heat that sizzled across the room and had her body tingling in the very best places.
His eyes tracked to her hands on the cat, to where Fritter snuggled into her breasts, to her mouth, and to her eyes.
Her body threatened to combust right there. Her heart raced, and her fingers trembled in Fritter’s fur.
Then the cat mewled loudly and shoved off her lap.
He pushed hard enough to make her wince, and it broke the moment. Seth blinked slowly, then moved to add more tuna in the dish for Fritter.
When he rose, he blew out a soft breath, then turned to offer his hand to pull her to her feet. She hadn’t risen herself because she’d been frozen, dealing with the intense attraction, and trying to control her hormones.
Her fingers continued to tremble as she reached for his hand. She tried to offer a smile as thanks, but her lips trembled too.
Was desire going to shatter her into pieces?
Seth’s warm hand engulfed hers, and shivers covered her body. Even her toes reacted to the touch.
When she gained her feet, nothing short of a natural disaster could have stopped her forward movement. Instead of forcing herself to stop, she went with the motion until she was right in his space.
Her breasts almost touched that muscular chest. Her breath mingled with his as she looked up.
His hand spasmed, gripping hers more tightly. His gaze moved between her eyes and her mouth. Back again.
She brought her other hand up to rest on his t-shirt. His heart galloped beneath the soft material.
“You sure?”
Yep, that rumble of his did amazing things to her body. Shivers consumed her, and she leaned into his strength with a nod. “I’m sure.”
Then his lips brushed hers, soft as a dusting of icing sugar, yet the touch was like an electric shock.
Mara rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his in return.
Seth muttered a curse, then his mouth crashed onto hers.
She looped her hands around his neck, pulling herself even closer.
His hands gripped her hips and yanked her up and closer yet.
His erection ground into her body, and she whimpered into the kiss.
The man kissed as if he’d been trained in that, too. He explored her mouth, enticing her tongue into a duel, then pressed soft touches to her lips, her cheeks, up to her ear.
Back to her mouth.
She surrendered to the sensations, letting them roar through her body. Nothing had ever felt this good. Nothing.
His hands flexed on her hips and had her grinding into him.
They both groaned at the contact, and he leaned back to look into her eyes.
She grinned at the desire shining there. Desire that echoed her own. She wasn’t alone. “Again.”
Seth’s quick grin sent her pulse racing, and then he lowered his head and proceeded to destroy her with his lips.
His grip tightened, and he boosted her up until her legs wrapped around him. Before she had time to protest that she would hurt his leg, he set her on the island and moved in even closer.
All without lifting his lips from hers.
Mara kept her legs wrapped around Seth and tugged him closer until she was sure the denim between them would spontaneously combust.
Another growl had her body trembling, and she’d never heard the sounds that slipped from her lips before.
Greed, desire, want.
Love, she was pretty sure love was in there, too.
Instead of letting the thought take hold, Mara ran her hands down his chest, exploring his muscles, while his mouth trailed kisses along her jawline and her neck.
“Chaos.” His low mutter had her smiling. Her body was in absolute chaos as well, the very best kind of chaos.
Suddenly, Seth stiffened and lifted her from the island to set her on the floor before she’d even registered the happy bark.
Boomer. Amber and Gray would be with him.
She and Seth were devouring each other in the middle of their kitchen.
Seth kept his hands on her waist while she tried to yank her mind out of the lust and into the present. She was supposed to be baking.
The door leading to the owner’s suite swung open, and Seth stepped back, turning to whatever he’d been working on.
She kept blinking, trying to reorient her brain. Trembles rocked her system, and her heart raced as if she’d run a marathon. Not that she ran unless she had a bus to catch. Even then, she was usually too slow.
She sucked in a breath as Boomer barked again.
Fritter. Oh no.
Boomer was highly trained, and she doubted he would eat the stray, but she needed to protect her new friend.
Boomer trotted through the door in advance of his humans, eyes alert and searching. He must have smelled the new addition.
Mara forced strength into her legs and moved toward the cat as Boomer spotted him. “Fritter.”
Amber and Gray entered as Boomer reached the cat. Instead of swallowing him in one gulp, the German Shepherd reached down to sniff Fritter. The cat stopped and stared up at the dog, every whisker frozen in place.
As Mara neared them, Boomer sniffed the cat again and then looked over his shoulder at Amber.
That triggered something in Mara’s head. She’d heard Amber use the command when the dog encountered someone new. “Friend, Boomer. He’s a friend. Fritter’s a friend.”
Her voice was pitched at mezzo-soprano octaves, but it couldn’t be helped. She didn’t want her new friend to become breakfast.
Amber’s calm voice repeated Mara’s words. “Boomer. Friend. A cute little cat friend for you.”
Boomer returned his attention to the cat and sniffed him again. Fritter still hadn’t moved.
Then Boomer’s big tongue licked the cat’s head, and Fritter blinked. Then he reached up to sniff the dog in return.
Mara sank to the floor in relief. Both that Boomer wasn’t snacking on Fritter, and that she had something to focus on other than that kiss.
Holy wow, the kiss had nearly blown her skull straight off.
Her pulse still raced out of control, and her skin was flushed, but at least she could pretend it was fear for her new buddy.
Amber walked over and scratched Boomer’s head. Fritter continued to sniff at the dog’s face.
Mara smiled. “This is Fritter. We found him on the porch steps this morning. He was hungry, so Seth got him some tuna and water. I was looking up what to do for him because it was too early to text Kimi, and I didn’t think to warn you. I’m just glad Boomer didn’t gulp him down.”
Finally, she managed to clamp her lips shut and stop more babble from escaping. At least she hadn’t mentioned that if Boomer hadn’t barked, she might have been tossing her clothes off in hopes Seth would do the same.
She’d been so lost in the kiss that she might have totally forgotten they were in a place with no privacy at all.
She patted Boomer’s head. “Good boy, Boomer.”
The silence of the humans had her peeking up to find Amber smiling at her with a sparkle in her eyes. “Sounds like you’ve had an interesting morning.”
Oh no, had she let on more than she should? Did they know she’d been up on the island wrapped around Seth like an octopus?
They couldn’t. Even Boomer didn’t have X-ray vision.
She turned her gaze back to the animals, working desperately to keep her emotions and her mouth under control.
It was just a kiss. Well, there was no way that had been a simple kiss. That had been a kiss to bring audiences to their feet, screaming for encores.
She really wanted an encore.
Mara closed her eyes and continued to pat the animals. She needed to act like a normal person, not a lunatic. She doubted Seth would want to kiss a lunatic.
And she really wanted an encore.