Page 9 of A Taste For Trouble

I clenched my jaw and looked away from the perfection that was Rose.

Because while she was exactly my type physically, we were poles apart in every other way. And anything we started would only end in disaster. More for her than me, because if Rose andI had a fling and then broke up, as we surely would, it wouldn’t just destroy her existing relationship with me, it would also destroy her bond with my mother. My mom was the only mother she had left, and I couldn’t take that away from her.

“You’re coming home with me tonight,” I repeated. “You’re not safe here in case Joe Cheney decides to come back and make you see sense.”

“That’s true. He looked very upset when he discovered you’re with the boss now,” added Trevor helpfully.

“I’m not with the boss,” snapped Rose.

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, drawing my gaze to her plump breasts. When she realized where I was staring, she dropped her hands, breathing unsteadily.

“What about your girlfriend? Won’t she mind?” she said snarkily.

“She’s not my girlfriend, so I don’t care what she thinks,” I said curtly.

“I’m still not going home with you,” she argued, and I leaned over to look her in the eye, my nose almost touching hers.

“I don’t have time for this, Rose. Get whatever you need for a few nights, and let’s go.”

Her eyes dropped to my lips, and I heard her breath hitch. The sound went straight to my dick, and my throat went dry.

Just then, I heard a scream, and I could have sworn that sound emerged straight from the depths of hell. It sounded like someone was being gutted alive.

Rose’s eyes went wide with fear, and I moved closer to her out of sheer instinct.

“Sweetpea, noooooooooo,” she cried, and I whirled around in surprise.

Who the heck was Sweetpea?

As soon as I turned around, a ball of black fur flew out of her house and attached itself to my legs, digging its talons into my skin and biting me viciously.

CHAPTER 5

ROSE

Sweetpea got one solid bite in, or maybe two, before I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. He froze in place, his tail twitching angrily as I detached him from Dominic’s leg.

“What in the seven circles of hell is that?” asked Dominic, staring at my little baby in horror.

“This is my cat, Sweetpea,” I said primly, as I stroked the little ball of fury to calm him down.

“That’s not a cat,” replied Dom immediately. “A demon, definitely. Lord of the Flies, maybe. But a cat? Hell no!”

Meanwhile, Trevor had wisely retreated behind the door as soon as he’d heard Sweetpea’s battle cry. He now poked his head out from behind the door and cringed at the state of Dominic’s leg.

“Ouch! How did one kitty cause so much trouble?” he asked.

“That’s not a kitty,” insisted Dom, as he glared at Sweetpea. “That is a weapon of mass destruction.”

“Don’t listen to him, Sweetpea. You’re my sweet little boy, aren’t you?” I cooed into his little ear and was rewarded by a loud purr, although he still kept a wary eye on Dom.

“Step away from the beast, Rose,” said Dom with a glare. “He’s not safe.”

“Don’t be silly. Sweetpea loves me. He would never hurt his Mommy,” I argued.

“That’s true,” said Trevor. “He does love Rose to bits. He just hates men.”

“Especially men who get in my face,” I added snidely. “You’re lucky he didn’t ripyourface off.”