Chapter 56

Rafael and I go on two more dates within the next seven days—neither of which has ended with us doing anything more than kiss. I appreciate him taking things slow, but everyone has a breaking point, and mine officially happened a few hours ago after Rafael had me help him rescue a litter of kittens that were left abandoned on the side of the road.

He told me about his days saving Lake Wisteria stray cats, but seeing him in action is truly something else. I can tell he has experience with this kind of thing, because as soon as we found the cardboard box, he knew exactly what to do.

Thanks to Rafael’s unlimited resources, we had the cats checked by a vet and cleared for the barn within an hour, which is impressive given the fact that the animal clinic wasn’t even open at the time we found them.

“What?” He looks up from the gray kitten he is bottle-feeding. We are both sitting inside the stall, surrounded by blankets and the cutest kittens, but I only see him.

I lean back. “You may be the hottest man to ever exist.”

His cheeks turn pink. “May be?”

“I’m still deciding.”

His lips quirk. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Take your shirt off?”

He laughs, and I smile while snapping another photo of my favorite cat daddy. At this rate, I’m going to be able to make a collage of him.

His blush deepens. “Do you want to try?”

I hold up my phone and take what must be my hundredth picture. “Nope.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup. You only have this one left, so I need to take it all in and enjoy it while I still can.” My flight to London leaves tomorrow, so I’m collecting memories like the daily flowers Rafael tucks behind my ear.

His lips curl. “Only?”

He has spent the last hour taking care of the six little ones, all while I was uselessly drooling, cooing, and filming the kittens.

I fake a sigh. “I’m sad I won’t be here tomorrow morning to see you do it again.”

“You could always spend the night here.”

I choke.

He arches a brow. “Nico is staying with my aunt.”

“And you’re telling me this now?” He made it seem like Nico was visiting, not sleeping over.

“I didn’t want to be presumptuous.”

“Presumptuous? I was starting to get…concerned.”

“About?”

“Whether or not you were ever going to fuck me before I left for Europe.”

He explodes with a laugh. “I was trying to be respectful.”

“Feel free to be disrespectful. Multiple times if you’re up for it.”

His eyes glimmer. “I’ll remember that.”

I’m easily distracted by a black kitten that cuddles up to my side. I pluck them off the blanket and hold them in my arms.

“I wonder what I’m going to name you.” I consider my alcohol options. “We could consider margarita flavors—”

“Absolutely not.”

“Hm. Beer brands?”

“No.”

“Like I’m going to listen to a man who named his animals goats one, two, and three.” I cradle the little black kitten against my chest and sway them back and forth like a baby. “With fur like that, you look like a Guinness to me.”

Rafael makes a noise, and I look up to find him staring at me with hooded eyes.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Obviously something’s got you looking like that.”

He clears his throat. “You’ll make a good mom one day. That’s all.”

His comment makes me feel unreasonably warm all of a sudden. “You think so?”

“I know it.” He glances away.

I can tell his mind is drifting toward unpleasant thoughts, and after the fun night we have had, I can’t stand the idea of that happening.

“Well, unfortunately, I have my hands full right now as a cat mom of six.”

He groans. “Please don’t get attached.”

Too late.

“You plan on getting rid of them already? I just started naming them,” I whisper, as if the kittens can hear us.

His head drops back against the wood support wall of the stall. “No reasonable person has six cats, Elle.”

He stares at me while I grab another kitten. “Look Stella in the eyes and tell her you’re putting her up for adoption. I dare you.”

His lips twitch. “Based on the blue ribbon around his neck, I’m pretty sure that’s a boy.”

I glare. “That’s what I said.”

“Stella will find a new home once he is big enough.”

I point at the gray kitten cradled against his chest. “And Corona?”

“She will too.”

“Please don’t get rid of them.” I pop my bottom lip out like Nico does. I’m not expecting it to work, but Rafael struggles to get his next sentence out, so it may do the trick after all.

This time, I hold two gray kittens up for him to see. “Miller and Sam want to stay.”

His expressionless face gives nothing away.

I pick up the last kitten. This one is smaller than the others, with light blond fur and a white patch at the top of their head. “I’ll let you name this last one.”

“No.”

“It’s important that a father bonds with his babies.”

He sighs. “You’re worse than Nico when he wants his way.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He looks at the kitten for the longest ten seconds of my life and sighs. “Rubia.”

“Love it.” I smile and drop a kiss on Rafael’s cheek as a reward for his compliance.

“But…”

I turn and hit him with my best puppy-dog eyes.

His narrow. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“I’ll do anything to keep them.”

His nostrils flare. “Anything?”

I nod with a grin.

“We’ll see about that. Now, get your ass out of here and into my bed before I change my mind.”

My core pulses with a need so strong that I teeter as I scramble to my feet. When I reach for the latch on the stall, Rafael calls my name, so I look over my shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“Grab the white box in my closet, but whatever you do, don’t open it.”

I bat my lashes. “Anything else?”

“Lose the clothes.”