The Vampire’s Fake Fiancée
The cat hung there, swaying on the gabardine like he wasn’t sure what to do next. Then he scrunched up his eyes and let out a long, plaintive meow that sounded absolutely dreadful.
“These are Savile Row’s finest, you wretched thing.” Sebastian unstuck his claws and scooped him up. The little creature was soft as silk. Sebastian held him at arm’s length. The cat meowed again. “Why are you crying? What do you need? I don’t know how you work, but if something happens to you while you’re under my care, Tessa will never forgive me. We can’t have that, can we?”
The cat just stared at him.
Sebastian set him on the desk. “Stay.” Then he bent to inspect his pants. They seemed to be unaffected by the attack. A tribute to fine British tailoring, no doubt.
His pencil rolled off the desk and fell to the floor beside his shoe. He looked up to find the cat pawing at the corner of his ledger. “That’s enough of that now. Behave.”
The animal lay down, rolled over with his feet in the air and looked at Sebastian from an upside down position.
“That’s no way to view the world.” Sebastian extended a finger and scratched the beast’s chin.
Duncan closed his eyes for a moment, then captured Sebastian’s finger between his paws and gnawed on the end, his baby teeth making no headway against Sebastian’s callused skin.
“Hey, now. None of that.” Sebastian pulled his hand away. “I’m the only one in this house allowed to bite people and I haven’t done that in ages.” Although the thought of sinking his teeth into Tessa’s pretty neck had its own appeal.
The cat rolled over and got to his feet. He was no bigger than a handful and mostly fluff. Sebastian scratched his back. The little cat turned and head butted Sebastian’s hand, eyes closed in pleasure. Sebastian obliged with more chin scratches, which seemed to go over well. A ragged purr tumbled out of the animal.
Despite his best efforts, Sebastian smiled. A little. “I suppose you think we’re friends now. We’re not. You’re a guest in this house and on a very serious probation, so watch yourself.”
Duncan laid down on the corner of the ledger, curled up and closed his eyes.
“Cat. You can’t sleep there. I’m working.”
The kitten took a deep breath, licked his paw once, then went to sleep.
“Well, that’s just perfect.” But Sebastian made no move to disturb the animal. Instead he cautiously eased the papers out from under the beast and shifted everything to a more available area on the desk.
He shook his head as he went back to work, both amused and surprised at himself for almost liking the little creature. But Tessa clearly loved Duncan and he knew it would make her happy if he could be more tolerant of the animal. He would try. Letting the thing sleep on his desk was certainly a start. That had to be worth some sort of credit.
Sebastian fell into his work again, occasionally pausing to pet the cat or watch as his paws twitched with a dream. Did cats dream? Sebastian had no idea. The thing could be plotting world domination for all Sebastian knew.
At last, he reached the end of the budget. He wrote up a quick summary of the report, then sent a text to Julian to say he was ready to discuss it. Before Julian replied, there was a knock on his office door.
Duncan didn’t budge. Apparently the cat was a sound sleeper.
Sebastian looked up. “Come in.”
The door opened and Tessa poked her head in. “Just wanted to let you know we’re back and—” Her gaze shifted away from his face. “Is that Duncan sleeping on your desk?”
Sebastian pressed his lips together in a stern expression. “He was pestering me so I put him somewhere I could watch him.”
An uneven smile lit her face. “Pestering you. Uh-huh. Good job on the kitten watching then.”
Sebastian changed the subject before she could rib him further. “Did you find anything you like?”
“Many things. Greaves is helping me take them upstairs. He also did a little shopping at the pet store while I was in the boutiques.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re now the proud owner of a cat bed, a month’s supply of catnip mice and a cat tree. Also, Duncan is not about to go hungry anytime soon.”
“What on earth is a cat tree?”
“Let’s call it something for Duncan to scratch on besides your antiques.”
“Hmm. In that case, I approve.”
“Good. We’ll be upstairs. Bring the baby when he wakes up.”
“You mean carry him? I don’t—” His phone chimed. “Wait a moment.” He checked the message. Julian, ready to go over the budget. “Actually, I need to go see Julian and discuss this wedding chapel business with him. Will you be all right here by yourself?”
In other words, alone with Evangeline.
“Sure. Greaves is here. How much longer is our guest likely to sleep?”
“Another hour or two, I’d think. I’ll be back before then, I promise.”
“Okay. But I think I’ll take Duncan upstairs with me now then.” She came in and picked the cat up. He stayed asleep, even as she cuddled him against her.
“He’s a good sleeper.”
“He’s a baby. It’s what they do. Play hard, sleep hard.”
For a moment, Sebastian pictured her with a human child in her arms. His child. He blinked the fantasy away. It wasn’t one he had a right to. “We’re still on for dinner out tonight, yes?”