Page 55 of Cat’s Guide To Romance

“I was aiming for spectacular.”

“We need more practice.”

I narrow my eyes. Sparkle kisses me again. Much shorter this time. Teasing. Then he slips out of my arms. His tail sways innocently behind him. Oh. My pretty kitty wants to play.

Sparkle walks toward the door, but I catch his hand before he reaches it. He glances over his shoulder, smiling at me in a way that makes heat curl through my entire body.

“See you soon, pretty kitty.”

He blows me a kiss and I watch him disappear down the stairs.

20

SPARKLE

I’m halfway through my second apple tart when Beau narrows his eyes at me from across the table. I keep chewing. He keeps staring.

“What?” I finally ask around my bite.

Beau leans forward and rests his elbows on the table. His over-the-ear headphones are bright blue today, and one ear is pushed back so he can hear us better. “Something happened.”

“Lots of things happen.”

“Something happened with Lucien.”

My tail gives a happy little flick beside my chair. Fucking traitor.

Lark catches the movement and grins. Wren looks between us with entirely too much interest while Gabe calmly drinks his coffee like he has no intention of participating in this interrogation. I look to him for help anyway.

He raises his mug. “Don’t involve me.”

“Coward.” I take another bite of my tart and refuse to look at anyone.

“You kissed him,” Beau says.

I choke. Wren immediately pushes my water toward me. I wheeze and grab the water.

“You kissed him!” Lark practically vibrates beside me.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” Beau points under the table. “Your tail is giving you away.”

I grab the offending appendage and pull it into my lap. Apparently, I can’t trust any part of my own body anymore. “Fine. I kissed him.”

Beau makes a happy little chirp noise, and Lark grabs my arm. Wren smiles at me from across the table, but Gabe’s expression softens in that quiet way of his.

“How was it?” Beau asks.

My face heats immediately. “Really nice.”

Lark’s eyebrows shoot up. “Nice?”

“Very nice.” I shove another bite of tart into my mouth before they can get more details out of me, but the memory has my tail squirming against my stomach. Lucien’s hands on my waist. His lips against mine. The way he’d been so careful, even though I could tell he wanted to pull me closer. The fucking explosions.

I swallow my bite. “Well, until he scared the absolute shit out of me.”

Everyone goes quiet.