Page 86 of Cat’s Guide To Romance

“I was asleep!”

“Which is apparently when you drool.”

Sparkle climbs farther into my lap to get the phone, which only helps me because now I have an armful of irritated cat shifter. I wrap my free arm around his waist and keep reading while he tries to reach around me.

“Next, sing to me or write me a song. Obviously completed. Several times.”

“That seven-verse bakery song should have disqualified you from dating me.” Sparkle gives up on the phone and drops against my chest with a huff.

“And yet here you are.” I kiss his cheek, earning another annoyed little flick of his ear.

I keep going. Cute dates. Making him laugh. Giving him alone time without ignoring him. Accepting that he can’t completely shift. Accepting his family. That one makes me pause and glance at him.

“I even accepted your father.”

“You tolerate Papa.”

“That is the highest level of acceptance currently available.”

Sparkle laughs and rests his head against my shoulder again. His fingers play absently with the front of my shirt while I look down at the last part of the Guide.

Tell me how much you love me. Tell me what you love about me.

My smile slips.

Sparkle notices. Of course he does. “What?”

“I haven’t done this one.” I tap the words with my thumb. “I’ve told you things I like about you. A lot of things, actually. Your ears. Your tail. Your ass. Your incredible ability to make me want to buy you every ridiculous thing you glance at for longer than three seconds.”

“Lucien.” He laughs, but I shake my head.

“That’s not what you wrote.”

Sparkle follows my gaze to the screen, and his amusement slowly fades. “Oh.”

The room suddenly feels quieter despite the television still playing behind us. I set my phone facedown on the coffee table and turn Sparkle more fully toward me.

I know exactly what I feel for him. I’ve known for a while. Maybe I knew when I spent hours lying on his fucking roof because I couldn’t make myself leave. Maybe it was when he curled up in my lap as a cat and trusted me enough to sleep. Could have been the first morning I walked into Wick’s and realized I wasn’t there for breakfast anymore. I was there because I hoped he would walk through the door. I don’t know when it happened. I only know it did.

“Sparkle.” I take his hand, running my thumb slowly over his knuckles while his green eyes search mine. “I love how fucking ridiculous you are.”

His mouth drops open. “Excuse me?”

“I wasn’t finished.” I laugh when he tries to pull his hand away and gently tug him closer instead. “I love how your entire body gives away what you’re feeling, even when you try to hide it. Your ears flatten when you’re embarrassed. Your tail puffs when you’re scared. You purr when you’re happy, and somehow you still think you’re mysterious.”

“I do not think I’m mysterious.” His face has already started turning pink, and his ears flatten exactly like I just described.

“See? That. I love it.” I reach up and brush my fingers over the edge of one ear before cupping his cheek. “And I love how much you care about everyone. I know you’re learning that you don’t have to take care of everybody, but I never want you to think caring is something you have to get rid of. That’s part of you. You love people with everything you have.”

Sparkle’s eyes start shining, and fuck, now mine might too. I slide my other arm around his waist and bring him closer until our knees press together.

“I love watching you figure out what you want when nobody else gets a vote. I love that you bought twelve fucking pillows because you wanted twelve fucking pillows. I love your glitter wall. I love finding you asleep in the sun. I love that you came into my club, took one look at the disaster I was creating, and started bossing everyone around.”

“I did not boss everyone around,” Sparkle protests, but his voice has gone suspiciously thick.

“You absolutely did, and it was hot as fuck.”

His watery laugh loosens something in my chest. I brush my thumb beneath his eye before any tears can escape.