Chapter 17 Tangled Up In Her Beau
Tangled Up In Her
Beau
And then there were two.
I should have known this is how the day would end up. Me and her. But I was relying too much on Sin. She had her plan, and I didn’t have any desire to take part in the art direction of this thing. Not my strength. Cece’s the artist in our family.
“You two good here? I’ve got some paperwork to deal with, and since I had to come in on the weekend, I may as well suffer through it before I leave.”
Luna nods. Her long hair is hanging loose today, artfully styled in the loose waves she often wears in her videos.
Have I been watching them? Guilty. I wanted to get to know her a little better, and standard Internet stalking is unnecessary when she has a wealth of video content out there in the world.
“Okay, you two. Let’s get this thing wrapped up.” Jared glances around a little uneasily. He’s been u?ber-polite any time Damien is around. I’m curious to know what he owes the guy. But with no sign of him around, he’s reverted to the sour attitude he gave us when he first arrived.
“Sounds good.” Not like I want to be here any longer.
Any time the entire team converges in one place, the noise level increases to bleeding-eardrum levels.
With Wilder’s team added into the mix, I’m surprised we haven’t had any noise complaints.
It’s a lot. The sensory overload has me wanting to hide out in my room for a week. But I can get through this.
“We’ll get a few shots in here and then I’d love to get you two out on the ice.”
I glance down at my flat-soled sneakers. They were designed for the street, or maybe the half pipe, not the ice. But Damien doesn’t want us on the ice with the cats with sharp blades strapped to our feet. Way too many chances for disaster.
“Let’s start with you two back-to-back against the wall over there.” He waves us over.
We get into position, but he makes a clucking noise of disapproval. “Lean into each other. I want you touching, arms crossed.”
We shuffle closer to each other until we’re joined at the back.
The heat from her body is simultaneously comforting and alarming.
I’ve been getting these flashes of attraction when we’re together, but today ramped it up to the next level.
Watching her work with her team has been enlightening.
She’s a leader. Strong, but understanding.
Able to let loose and have fun, then rein it in to get down to business.
Not a single flash of the vapid influencer I originally mistook her for. I hate being wrong. Doesn’t everybody?
He shuts the door, and his assistant lets the four kittens out of their carrier. She places them by our feet, and they start tussling with one another. Tiny razor claws extended to swipe at their siblings, like mini Wolverines. Agents of fluffy chaos.
“Good. That’s great.” The shutter clicks in rapid succession. “Now I want you each to pick up two of the kittens and then stare down the camera. Like you’re about to face your toughest opponents. Glare them down.”
We both scoop up a couple of fuzzy bodies, but mine are squirming all over the place. Luna’s back shudders against mine, and when she can’t control it anymore, a laugh bursts out.
He takes a few more pics, then sighs. “I asked for attitude, not hysteria.”
Luna’s giggles only get louder at his criticism. “I can’t help it. They’re squirming all over, and one of them is eating my hair.”
“Fine. Let’s put the kittens away. Can you please ask Damien for some trained cats to take out on the ice?” He sighs dramatically, storming off, with his assistant hustling to keep pace.
“That guy would benefit from an ice bath,” Luna says.
“Seriously. Is there such a thing as a trained cat?”
“How am I supposed to be serious with this going on?” The feisty kitten with the black mask covering his eyes is batting at a long lock of her hair, while the other one has gotten itself tangled up in it.
I place my two kittens on the ground and reach over to help free her from the little beastie. It thanks me with an angry hiss, baring little needle-sharp teeth.
“Come on, buddy. Let me get you free from there.”
Her hair is softer than the kitten’s fur, and I have to concentrate extra hard to focus on it and the little squirming bundle.
The one time my eyes darted up to her face, my fingers froze, and I stared for an impolite amount of time.
It takes a minute, but I extricate him from her hair.
Her breath escapes in a soft gasp when my fingers absently tuck the errant lock of hair behind her ear, and I pull back immediately.
The tiny creature kicks out, startled, and I gasp at the sting of little claws slashing my hand.
“Fuck.”
“Did he get you?” She leans in to check out the tiny slices on my hand. They sting like a bitch. “I’ll grab some cream and bandages.”
“It’s okay. I’ll just go wash my hands.” I’ve already done it about a thousand times today. What’s one more? The cats are cute, but I can’t help worrying about all the germs. I’d like to just enjoy the moment, but I can’t shove the worry down entirely.
She disappears, leaving me glaring at the little critter.
He has the audacity to squeak in outrage, as if I’m the one at fault.
She slips back in on silent feet, stealing the kitten away.
He immediately stops hissing, curling up into a cozy ball in the crook of her arm.
I can almost see the halo shining over his tiny triangular ears, but I’m onto his deception.
Her palm is soft under mine when she grabs it. She squeezes some ointment from the tube and smooths it on with a gauze pad. Then, she applies a bandage to cover it up.
“Better?”
“Yeah, thank you.” I shift on my feet, begging my dick to behave.
Spending all day this close to her has been testing every ounce of my restraint.
He’s interested, and he doesn’t care that dating her would be a terrible idea.
We’re working together on this project for the rest of the year.
We can’t sleep together and expect there to be no fallout.
And if we tried for something more, only for it to go bad?
That could have consequences for both of our teams, and for the future Lakeview teams.
I take a step back, needing to put some distance between us, and rub at my chest to relieve the growing pressure. That unwelcome but increasingly familiar feeling of struggling to squeeze enough air out of nonfunctioning lungs is back.
She bends to scoop up the little one, putting him carefully away.
“Time to hit the ice?” she asks.
“Yup, let’s get going.” Finish this day before it finishes me.
The photographer is setting up his shots when Damien walks in with a cat under each arm. Or rather, his assistant is setting up his shots while he issues commands. She deserves a medal for dealing with that asshole.
“Come on.” Luna tosses her head in Damien’s direction. He’s standing at the gap, one eyebrow arched to the ceiling.
“He’s not going to bring them out here for us?”
“Have you seen his shoes?” Of course I have. He’s wearing polished Oxford shoes in a cognac color. Completely inappropriate for walking on the sheet of ice. But here I am wearing my street shoes. Why should we be the only ones to suffer?
She grabs my arm, dragging me along to fetch the cats, and I find my feet slipping and sliding. It would be beyond embarrassing to lose my footing and hit the ice. My thighs ache from straining so hard to keep my balance, but at least it’s a distraction from the rising anxiety.
The rescue owner is enjoying himself a little too much, eyes locked on me with a smug smile in place as I skid to a shaky halt. I reach out for the sleek black cat he’s holding out, but he twists toward Luna. She brings the cat right up to her face, rubbing a cheek against the cat.
“Well, hello Koop. How are you today?” That singsong tone she uses for the animals is in full force, and it’s endearing.
The limp bundle Damien holds out is less so. Is there a cat under all that fluff, or is he playing a prank on me? It looks like a feline got it on with a pristine white feather duster.
I shake my head.
“Do you have a problem with Princess Peach? After the struggle you had with the kittens, I thought you’d be better off with her. She’s the most docile cat I brought.”
“I didn’t struggle. And what about Wilder? She got a kitten tangled in her hair.” She buries her face in the soft black bundle in her arms, but not quick enough to hide the ghost of a smirk twisting her lips.
“I’m not worried about her. Koop loves her. He’s not as fond of men.”
“Fine. Give me the cat. If you can even call it that.”
He hands her over, and I gingerly bring her in closer, worried she’ll start fighting, but there’s not a hint of protest from her. Her little body is silky and warm, and relief seeps through me. The vice grip on my chest melts away, and I can breathe again.
I can breathe, but now that I think about it, the cat is as limp as a sack of wet laundry.
I lean in closer to make sure she’s still breathing.
I do not want to be held responsible for the demise of one of these cats.
Damien looks harmless, but I’m sure he’d defend any one of these creatures with his life.
And he seems like the type who fights dirty.
Her long hair tickles my nose. The sneeze explodes out before I can stop it. Princess Peach barely startles, but she tilts her little smushed-in face up to look at me with all the disdain of a wronged queen.
“Sorry, Princess.”
She pins me in the snare of her big blue eyes for a few moments more before flicking her tail back and forth, then settling her head back down. Her fur is so inviting. I can’t help running a hand down the soft white coat.
Wilder is staring at me when I look up, eyes narrowed as she studies me. The soft curiosity vanishes when I catch her at it, and she glances over my shoulder instead. “I think she likes you.”
“At least I’ve got one admirer here.”
“Oh, I know. Poor Beauregard. Hot, rich captain of the hockey team. It must be so hard for you to find anyone to fawn over you.”
Her sharp tone shreds the temporary truce between us. Princess Peach lets out an offended squeak at my too-tight squeeze. I ease up and pat her head in apology.
I keep my eyes fixed on the cat, trying to sound neutral.
But my tone comes out sharper than I’d like.
“Just because people are fawning all over me, doesn’t mean they’re my friends.
Maybe that’s why I’ve enjoyed your company so much.
At least I know where I really stand. You don’t even attempt to hide your hatred. ”
Her gasp pulls my attention back, and her eyes are wide, mouth open. I can sense an apology coming, but the photographer has impeccable timing.
“I’d like to get out of here sometime today. Could you two tone down the chatter so we can finish up? I need you standing over there, cat lady, and you next to her, richie rich.”
“Cat lady?” I mouth at Wilder. She shrugs, shaking her head, and zips into position.
Almost as eager as I am to get this shit over with and part ways.
The roller coaster of emotions we’ve been riding together is getting to be a bit much.
Not to mention the overwhelming noise and chaos of the day.
All I want to do is get home, put on my headphones and hide out in my room for the rest of the day.
Except. My sister is coming over for our Sunday night house dinner. And my oblivious morning self invited Luna to join us as well. So much for my quiet night of solitude.