Page 41 of Cat’s Guide To Romance

That thought is still so fucking strange. I don’t have to pick up Ferris. I don’t have to make dinner. Mama doesn’t need me to deliver anything. I’m off tonight. My apartment is mine, and no one is waiting for me there. I can stay somewhere simply because I want to. And I want to see Lucien. So I stay.

The Rot fills around me as the night gets going. I dance for a while, enjoying the music and letting the crowd distract me. Eventually, Lars puts me to work behind the bar when they get busy, and I don’t mind. I know how to mix drinks, and it gives me something to do besides looking toward the entrance every thirty seconds. Not that I’m doing that. Much.

A few more hours in and something sinks in my chest. Maybe he isn’t coming back today. Maybe I should’ve texted him. I can still text him, but what would I even say?

Hi, ridiculous demon. I’ve been sitting in your club for several hours because apparently I miss your face. Where are you?

Absolutely not.

I reach for another glass, but the air behind me snaps. Magic ripples across my fur, making my ears twitch, and I spin around.

Lucien stands several feet away.

For a second, I barely recognize him. His black hair is a mess. His clothes look like he’s been wearing them for days, and there’s dirt smeared across one side of his face. His shoulders sag, and even his tail looks tired.

Then his gaze lands on me, and he sucks in a breath. “Sparkle?”

My heart does something stupid. “Ah, there you are.”

Lucien blinks several times before looking at Lars, then Ryan, then back at me. “What are you doing here?”

I fight my smile. “Looking for you, obviously.”

Something changes in his face. The exhaustion is still there, but beneath it comes that beautiful smile.

“You missed me.”

“Don’t ruin it.”

“Four days, darlin’. You came looking for me after four days.” His smile gets bigger as he takes another step toward me.

I narrow my eyes. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No.”

The answer comes so quickly I laugh. Lucien takes a few more steps toward me, and that’s when I notice how slowly he’s moving.

“When did you last sleep?”

Lucien looks toward the ceiling instead of answering me, and my eyes narrow.

“Lucien.”

“Define sleep.” He huffs out a sad puff of air.

I come around the bar and grab his arm. He doesn’t even make a joke about me touching him, should worry me. “Come on. I’m putting you to bed.”

His tail immediately perks up.

“To sleep.”

It droops again, and I laugh as I pull him toward the stairs.

Lucien practically collapses onto the couch in his office. I stand in front of him with my hands on my hips while he sinks deeper into the cushions, looking like he might fall asleep before I get a single answer out of him.

“What happened?”

“Demon shit.”