Page 15 of Tiger Bitten

“You didn’t get the hint?” she asked.

He inhaled deeply. “I did. I just don’t really know what to do with humans.”

“Yeah.” Ren crinkled up her nose in the cutest expression ever. “I struggle with that part too.”

“Did your boyfriend…what’s his name?”

“Abe.”

“Did Abe know what you were?”

“Nope. He just thought I had colored contacts in. He used to ask me to take them out so he could just see my normal eyes. And then he liked to show me off like I was some kind of freakshow when I wouldn’t take the contacts out.”

Mars laughed and shook his head. “Why would he want to change anything about you?”

He looked up from his food to find her smile had faded slightly and her eyes held question in them. “Because most people need me to be different than I am. It’s just the way of things.”

Mars narrowed his eyes. “He sounds like the boring one.”

They ate in silence for a minute and then Mars nodded and said, “Yes.”

“Yes, what?” she asked.

“I’ll go to the wedding with you.”

He’d never witnessed such a look of shock on another person’s face before. “You’ll…you’ll go to the wedding as my plus-one?” She wiped her mouth with her napkin and leaned back in the chair, staring at him with this thoughtful expression.

“Before you go thinking I’m asking you out, you should know I’m in this as a favor for a favor.”

“I’m intrigued. Go on.”

“I have to travel to Salt Lake City this week to meet up with my brothers. It’s a once-a-year thing. I have plans to stay there for a day.”

“Uh huh?”

“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll go to this wedding with you and be the perfect gentleman. The perfect wedding date. I’ll even dress to match you if you want. Abe can see what he missed out on. And if you enjoy your time with me, then I’m going to ask you to go to Salt Lake City with me. I’ll pay for your flight, and I’ll pay for a separate hotel room for the two nights we are in town.” What the hell was he doing? He couldn’t stop talking! “You distract my brothers. Keep their attention off asking me a bunch of questions.”

“So…just me and three male Cats in a city I’ve never been to?”

“And Dame’s mate, Misty. She’s human. She’s cool. You will probably get along well. She’s nice to everyone.”

“Ummm…” She frowned, thoughtful.

“Don’t answer now. It’s too fast. Get through the wedding with me and you can decide.”

“Yeah, but I will owe you a favor if I decide not to go to Salt Lake City.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want it to be like that. Forget it.”

“So, no strings attached for the wedding?” she asked.

“Really, we don’t have to do any of this. It was stupid.” He eyed the bathroom. It was his turn to want to run.

“So, you won’t expect me to go home with you afterward or anything? It will just be a public experience?”

Now it was his turn to frown. “I’m not in this to get in your pants,” he assured her.

She nodded, and he couldn’t read the expression on her face right now, so he sat here, confused as hell.