Page 48 of Covert Affections (Shadow Agents/PSI-Ops #5)

Fluffy growled and nudged her hand with his head as if arguing against her being a monster.

Lindy couldn’t help but smile and pet the animal’s head. “You’re beautiful. I know I told you that already, but it’s true. I also understand that I should be scared of you but, weirdly, you kind of make me feel safe. Like if you’re here, nothing bad would dream of coming here.”

Fluffy nudged her hand more before stepping even closer to the edge of the tub. He was so large that even on all fours, he stood taller than the side of the tub. His vantage point gifted him a view directly into the tub and at a very naked Lindy. His gaze raked over her slowly.

If he were a human male, she’d have said he was interested in her sexually.

She splashed a little bit of water at him.

“Hey, Fluffy-Perv, how about you lie down and get some rest and stop ogling my girlie bits? You’re not fully healed yet.

I’m going to soak for a little while and then I’ll get you something to eat, all right?

I can try to heal you some more later, after I’ve had some time to rest too. ”

He didn’t leave the bathroom but he did lie on the floor near the tub.

He positioned himself in a way that left him having a clear view of the bathroom door, the hallway and nearly a straight shot to the front door.

He could also see the bathroom window with ease.

He watched both points of entrance as if he was on guard duty.

The unease she’d felt on and off for the past several days faded.

Lindy put her head back and relaxed, waiting for the water to chase away the cold that was bone deep in her.

After a bit, her lids began to feel heavy and she closed her eyes.

She wasn’t sure how long she laid there like that before the feel of sandpaper against her cheek jerked her out of the state of deep relaxation.

Her eyes snapped open and she found Fluffy there, licking her face. She wrinkled her nose. “Gross, Fluffy.”

He nudged her with his head before focusing on the water—and her naked girlie bits. It was then she realized the water was ice cold. How long had she been soaking in the tub? She lifted her hand to find her fingers were pruned.

Had she drifted off to sleep?

Sitting up, she stifled a groan, her body aching as she pulled the plug for the tub and stood, letting water slide down her body.

Fluffy stared at her, his eyes wide, never blinking, his tongue darting out and over his mouth.

Lindy leaned and grabbed a towel from the shelf and wrapped it around her before stepping out of the tub carefully.

The toll of the night began to show, leaving her legs feeling like jelly and the room seeming as though it were rocking back and forth slowly.

She had to put a hand on the wall to steady herself, afraid she’d slip and fall.

Whatever she’d done to heal Fluffy had taken the wind out of her more than she’d first thought.

Fluffy pushed against her as if he were helping to steady her. He watched her with eerily intelligent green eyes—ones that even through the tired she felt in her bones, made her think of the hot blond from the job fair. The flirty one who had set her succubus side into a state of high alert.

She chuckled, holding the towel up with one hand while the other was pressed to the wall, keeping her upright.

“Fluffy, you kind of remind me of someone I just met. Funny enough, your fur and his hair color are close to the same color. But it’s the eyes that do it for me.

Who knew I had such a weakness for green eyes? Maybe I should call you Fluffy-Jesse?”

The large cat purred against her thigh and Lindy chanced taking her hand from the wall to pet him.

Doing so left her off balance especially with the room still feeling as if it were rocking.

She tipped forward and caught herself by way of pressing on Fluffy’s back, firmer than she meant to.

She tensed, worried the animal might attack her.

He didn’t.

Fluffy remained perfectly still as if he knew she needed the support he was providing. Did he understand? Charley would often ramble about animals, dropping facts that Lindy didn’t really care to know, but never did her friend mention just how smart mountain lions were.

Lindy patted Fluffy’s back as the rocking motion stopped in the room. “Okay, I know I promised to get you something to eat, but maybe we could take a little nap first.”

He purred again and nuzzled his head between her thighs, leaving his face shoved against her exposed groin. His purr reverberated through her, sending a chill through her right before her darkness began to unfurl, letting itself be known once more.

“Careful, Fluffy, this is about to cross into territory that is not okay,” Lindy said, petting the cat as she pushed his head out from her between her thighs. “My darkness is a sex addict, but she isn’t into doing animals—thank the gods.”

Lindy stiffened as she thought harder on it. Would that change since she’d been denying it for so many months? Would it make a play for an animal.

“Fluffy, if I come onto you in any way, go ahead and tear my throat out.”

The large cat did a version of a grumble, making her laugh.

“We’re headed that way,” she said, nodding in the direction of her bedroom.

It took far longer than it should for Lindy to make it to her bedroom, and when she did, she went right for the bed, to hell with getting in pajamas.

The lure of sleep was too much to resist. She kept the towel tucked around her and laid on her side, closing her eyes, oddly content even though a wild animal was a foot from her and could make a meal out of her at any moment.

The mattress dipped as Fluffy leaped onto the bed in one fluid movement. He circled five times before settling beside her on the bed, his massive form pressing against her body, giving her much needed warmth. She hadn’t even realized how cold she still was until he’d done it.

She put an arm over him as if hugging him to her. “You’re warm.”

He purred.

She stroked his fur. “I’m glad you’re not dead.”

He purred more.

“I’m sorry you were hurt,” she whispered as she continued to pet him.

As she ran her had through his fur, she chuckled softly.

“Seriously, your fur is the same shades as Jesse’s hair.

That man walked right off the pages of a men’s health magazine and into my bar today.

” She let out a breathy sigh. “My inner slut zeroed in on him when I was in the parking lot and he basically had a chokehold on me for the entire event.”

Fluffy lifted his head and looked over his shoulder at her, something close to surprise on his face.

She continued to stroke his fur gently. “I haven’t been handling my needs and when I saw him, I was worried I’d lose control and hurt him.” Her lids lowered slightly as she thought about what she’d done to Robert. “I’ve done that—I’ve lost control before. I hurt someone.”

Fluffy stood and she thought it was to jump off the bed and leave her. Instead, he circled a few times and then plopped down on his stomach, right against her, leaving his face close to hers. He licked her cheek and then nuzzled his head to neck and shoulder, purring softly.

Lindy gave into the pull of sleep, all the while thinking of how stupid it was to have a dangerous animal sleeping next to her, and how much she liked him being there.