Page 5 of Allie
As she settled into my lap, her warmth seeped into my skin, and the tension that had been coiled tight within me unfurled. I stroked her back, marveling at the comfort this tiny creature provided.
I did a quick brief check to see if she was, in fact, a female. Yep. She was a girl.
She wore a thin, pink collar with purple gemstones on it. Yet it had no tags, no sign of where she came from or who she might belong to. My heart twinged at the thought of her being alone in the world.
"Looks like you're a bit of a mystery yourself," I told her, my voice a hushed murmur. She responded with a headbutt against my hand.
As she curled up on my lap like she was where she belonged, I decided to keep her. If someone came looking for her, of course I’d return her. Something deep within me hoped they wouldn't.
"Alright, little one," I said with a gentle resolve, "you've got a place here with me and Natalie, my sister. You’ll like her." Her only reply was another rumbling purr.
As I sat there, listening to her purr, and running my fingers through her fur, I felt the headache lessen. It was like all the tension from this morning melted away.
"Guess you're the best kind of medicine," I told her. "I think I’ll call you Aspirin."
The kitten blinked up at me with round, curious eyes, and let out a soft meow of approval. Great. Then it was settled. I just hoped Nat didn’t mind that we now owned a cat.
A knock sounded on the door, making me frown. “Were you expecting company?”
Aspirin yawned and jumped to the floor As I rose from the couch and padded to the door. Pulling it open, I smiled weakly at Roan.
"Hey," he said, then frowned, as if sensing I wasn’t feeling well. "Everything okay?"
"Headache," I replied, trying to keep my tone light. "But it's getting better."
Just then, Aspirin wove around my legs before making a beeline for Roan. She rubbed her little body against his denim-clad shins. He glanced down with a mock-scowl and let out a growl. My witchy senses picked up that he was teasing Aspirin. Then a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Instead of retreating from the alpha wolf, Aspirin answered his challenge with a loud purring.
I laughed and scooped her and pressed my nose against her soft fur. The kitten's purring vibrations seeping into my skin like a soothing balm. She was an unexpected comfort, her tiny heart beating a reassuring rhythm against my palm. The faint scent of lavender lingered in her coat, probably from one of those fancy pet shampoos.
"Looks like you've made a friend," Roan said, his voice laced with warmth as he watched us. There was an unreadable expression in his eyes as they followed Aspirin's every move.
Still holding Aspirin close, I glanced up to find his gaze had shifted to me. "Would you...like to have lunch with me?"
My heart skipped a beat—no, it did a full-blown somersault. Excitement fizzled through my veins like champagne bubbles, and a smile broke across my face before I could temper it. "I would love to."
"Great," he replied, his lips curving into a smile that the corners of his eyes crinkle in a way that made my insides go gooey.
"Let me just put Aspirin in my room and put some shoes on." I walked to my bedroom and gently placed the kitten on my bed. She let out a soft meow, as if protesting the loss of warmth. I kissed her on the head and whispered, “I’ll be back soon, and I’ll bring you some surprises back.”
When I turned to slip my baby doll flats on, my gaze locked with Roan, who now stood in the doorway of my bedroom. Heat filled my body. It’d been a long time since I had a man in my bedroom. And my last boyfriend never did the things that Roan did to me by just being in the same room with me.
Closing the short distance to him, I smiled up at him. “I’m ready. I do need to go by a pet store to get some things for Aspirin.”
“There is one a few blocks away. I’ll walk with you after we eat.” He stepped closer to me and took my hand. My pulse spiked, and I had to focus on staying calm because what I really wanted to do right this moment was to kiss him.
Then my stomach growled loud enough that it sounded like the mating call of a whale. Roan chuckled. “Let’s get you fed.”
I followed Roan out of my apartment. After locking the door, I glanced down to the end of the hall toward Doyle’s apartment. A heaviness settled over me. It was the lingering energy left from the murder.
Roan cupped my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “Are you okay?”
Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded. “Yeah. I can’t believe someone was murdered in the building. It bugs me that people think I could have done it.”
Roan worked his jaw, then pulled me into a hug. Pressing my cheek to his chest, I sighed. He smelled amber and cedar. “We’ll figure who did and why,” he said.
I looked up at him. “Really? You would help me?”
“Of course.” He watched me for a long moment, as if battling some kind of internal struggle. “There is something I need to tell you.”