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I can’t imagine how I got so damn lucky, but one thing’s for sure. I will never take this man for granted, no matter what. He is my forever.
Chapter 5
Dean
My feet are planted on the floor, eyes scanning the entirety of the room before me.
Narrowing my eyes, I spy the big gray and black lump lying prone on the coffee table, looking innocent. His tail flicks back and forth. His annoyance at my mere presence on display for all to see.
“Where are my keys, you big jerk?”
Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I am not blaming the furball for stealing my keys without merit. It’s a game he likes to play at the most inconvenient time.
I’ve checked the usual hiding places: his cat house, the cat tree, the little box.
“Where did you put them last night when we came in?”
I turn to find Ness coming into the room, a bright yellow harness in her hands. She mutters to herself while she hunts for the lead that goes with it.
“I thought—I was sure—I put them in the bowl on the entry table. Maybe they fell to the tabletop? I really don’t remember. I had a half-naked woman in my arms, if you remember. I was rather preoccupied.”
She laughs softly. “Oh, I remember. I, too, don’t remember much after walking inside. They have to be here somewhere though. It’s not like they have legs and can just walk off on their own.”
“I am willing to bet money on your four-legged hell spawn being the culprit here.”
“Why are you harassing my cat?”
“He’s usually the guilty party here, love.”
Her face goes from slightly annoyed to amused. “Well, you may have a point there.”
I go back to looking around the house. I check the floor under the entry table and follow our normal path to the bedroom from there. I even went back out to the car to make sure I hadn’t simply left them in the ignition. It’s a valid option with my mind being on getting her up to the bed.
To say I had been distracted last night would be putting it lightly.
When I come back downstairs, I’m beyond pissed. I need that keyring. It has my room key, my office key, and the key for the supply closet in my office on it.
Paying to have more keys made for the office isn’t a big deal, except the fact that the key to my supply closet, which cannot be reproduced, is on it.
Glancing at my watch, I curse. “I’m going to be late if we don’t find them in the next five minutes.”
“Take my car; I have a full tank of gas. I’ll keep looking for your keys when we come back inside. They seriously have to be in here. Somewhere. I’m going to take Stanley out to the barn with me. I want to give the feed room a last sweep.”
“Aren’t you scared he’ll run off or some big bird will come scoop him up for a snack?” He might need to be scared by a hawk. It might just teach him to behave.
Look, I love animals. I honestly don’t mind this jerk when he isn’t taking my shit and hiding it in his litter box. Biting me when I put my arm around Ness. Or best of all, not attacking me when I walk by him. A few months ago, he tried to rip my junk off. That’s another reason he is no longer allowed in the bedroom. Imagine spending hours in bed, making love to your girl.
It had been a glorious night.
Until it wasn’t.
I’d gotten up to take care of the condom and to get a wet cloth to clean her up when the big idiot, who was laying on the long counter in the bathroom, waited until I was cleaning myself to reach out, his mitts outstretched. The second those claws dug into my flesh…I might have cried a little. I wasn’t happy with the shriek that left me either.
“I’m putting him in his harness. I have a thirty-foot lead; it’ll give him freedom but not let him free roam.”
“Too bad...” If the tone of my voice is a little snippy, so be it. Ness gives me a look, but I ignore it.
I watch her pick the big furball up and slip his harness on over his head. The effortlessness isn’t what has my full attention. It’s the keys laying on the table.
