Kara

 

“Oh my God; he’s so freaking adorable.”

 

Kara dropped down to the kitten as soon as Ryder had set in on the ground.

 

“This is who was making all the racket in the alley?” she asked, holding out her index finger towards the kitten’s tiny face.

 

“Believe it or not,” said Ryder. “Little guy was knocking the lids off of garbage cans and shit. Little troublemaker, if you ask me.”

 

“And you just brought him in?” asked Kara with a smirk on her face. “Pretty presumptuous.”

 

“Hey,” he said. “I figured you’d like to see the face of the hardened criminal lurking in the alley.”

 

As if protesting, the kitten looked up at Ryder and let out a tiny mew.

 

“Aw!” said Kara, covering her mouth with her hands.

 

“But look at his back paw,” said Ryder. “I think he stepped on something.”

 

Kara lifted the kitten up and saw that, sure enough, its back left paw was injured. The fur above it was matted with a small amount of blood, and the kitten let out a pained cry when Kara touched the pad with her finger.

 

“Poor thing,” said Kara. “Let me take a look.”

 

She stood up, holding the kitten close to her breast. Flicking on the brightest lights in the kitchen, she set the kitten on the counter and looked closely at its paw. Ryder stepped behind Kara, taking in the sight of the kitten. The cat was peach-colored, with dark stripes over its back and face. One eye had a splotch of white fur over it, and its tiny nose was pink and wet. He was normally a dog person, but even he had to admit that the little kitten had its charm.

 

The kitten let out another mew as Kara looked at the paw.

 

“Sorry, baby,” she said. “Just gotta see what’s wrong with you.”

 

Ryder crossed his arms over his chest and stepped back.

 

“Maybe it’s broken?” he asked, offering his amateur opinion.

 

“Nope,” said Kara. “I see it right here. It’s a little shard of glass.”

 

Holding the kitten in place with one hand, she turned to Ryder.

 

“Can you go to my bathroom and get my tweezers? They’re behind the mirror.”

 

“No need for that,” said Ryder, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his multitool.

 

“Always be prepared, I guess,” said Kara.

 

“I’m a regular boy scout,” said Ryder, taking out the tool’s tweezers and handing them to Kara.

 

Kara flashed him a smirk and turned back to the kitten.

 

“I just gotta … sorry, baby.”

 

The kitten cried another mew as Kara leaned in. Ryder took a look over her shoulder, watching as she carefully grabbed onto the jagged sliver of glass stuck in the cat’s paw. She gingerly pulled it out, a small dab of red forming on the cat’s paw as she did. Kara tossed the fingernail-sized sliver into the sink and began immediately blotting the paw with a paper towel. The cat mewed over and over, Kara petting it softly as it did.

 

“Here,” said Ryder, picking up the small bottle of vodka on the counter and handing it over. “Clean that cut out.”

 

“That’s … going to hurt him, isn’t it?” she asked, her eyes wide with fear.

 

“An infection would hurt worse,” said Ryder, taking a paper towel and pouring a splash of vodka onto it.

 

Kara sighed and took the paper towel.

 

“This is gonna hurt,” she said, her voice heavy with concern. “But … just … one sec.”

 

Kara winced as she dabbed the kitten’s paw with the paper towel. The cat sent out a pained mewl as soon as the paper touched the paw.

 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” she said.

 

“The pain’s how you know it’s working. Sucks to hear, but it’s gotta be done.”

 

The kitten’s mews died down.

 

“I know,” said Kara. “Just hate hurting the poor little thing. Here—”

 

She handed the kitten to Ryder before taking off. Ryder looked down at the tiny little thing in his hands, not quite sure what to do with it.

 

“Uh, hey, you little furball,” said Ryder, holding out his finger in front of the kitten’s tiny face. “Uh, what’s up?”

 

“Such a way with animals,” said Kara, returning to the room with a pack of bandages in her hands.

 

“I generally don’t like animals unless they bark and they’re loyal. You never know what’s going on with a damn cat.”

 

“They’re easy,” she said as she placed a bandage on the cat’s paw. “Just give ’em food and water, and leave ’em alone. They’re very independent; I figured you’d like that.”

 

Once the bandage was on, she set the cat down and watched it carefully. It hesitantly put pressure on the injured paw but was soon walking, albeit a little awkwardly.

 

“What’re you gonna do with that thing?” asked Ryder.

 

“I don’t know,” said Kara, watching the kitten toddle across the living room rug. “Don’t want to send him out into the cold like that. Probably let him stay here for a while, at least until he’s walking normally.”

 

“Looks pretty vicious, too,” said Ryder. “Maybe he can take over guard duties for me once he’s all healed.”

 

Kara flashed him a smirk.

 

“What was that you called him? Furball?” she asked. “I like that. Come here, Furball!”

 

She squatted down and attempted to get the kitten’s attention.

 

“Man, I don’t know a damn thing about cats and even I know that they don’t give a shit if you call them.”

 

“Just getting him used to his name,” said Kara.

 

“I mean, he might already have a name,” said Ryder. “Looks like a Chuck to me.”

 

Kara let out a lilting laugh.

 

“You think this little guy looks like a Chuck? No way.”

 

“Just saying if you want him to be a vicious guard-cat, you’ve gotta give him a name that, you know, strikes fear into anyone who might want to break in.”

 

“I think Furball’s good for now,” said Kara, a broad smile on her face.

 

Ryder watched as Kara crawled towards the kitten, holding out her finger for him to come. The cat eventually crept towards her, taking hesitant steps. Ryder crossed his arms and watched the scene, a strange feeling taking hold of him.

 

It was something else to watch a woman care for a helpless little thing like that cat. His life was almost nothing but violence and conflict—seeing a woman expressing tenderness and care was something he just wasn’t used to. At that moment he found himself struck by the memory of his mother. Ryder realized that she was the last woman he’d known to have such a warm, open heart, and it made him feel like he desperately needed something that he didn’t even know he was missing.

 

“I think I’m just going to let him chill for now,” said Kara, standing up as the cat climbed onto one of her chairs and curled up into a tight ball. “He’s probably freaked out.”

 

Ryder stepped to Kara’s side, feeling her warmth on his skin. She turned towards him and looked up with her big, gorgeous eyes.

 

Ryder couldn’t help himself. Leaning in, he planted a kiss on her lips. Kara froze in place, clearly shocked by what was happening. But after a few seconds, Ryder felt her body ease up as she sank into the kiss. His mouth opened slightly, his tongue slipping past her lips and entering her.

 

But before the kiss could go any further, Kara placed her hands on Ryder’s shoulders and pushed him away gently.

 

“No … ” she said. “This is … this is a bad idea.”

 

“I think it’s the best idea we’ve had all day,” said Ryder. “Aside from you rescuing that cat, that is.”

 

Kara allowed herself a small, half-smile.

 

“It’s just … it’s all so much to process. I mean, you’ve still got some guy out there trying to kill you. And who knows what he’d do to me.”

 

Ryder clenched his jaw and looked away, knowing that Kara was right. But he understood that he’d be lying to himself if he said that Kara turning him down didn’t make him want her even more. He put those feelings aside for the moment, despite how hard his cock felt in his pants right then and there, and how badly he wanted to make her his.

 

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said.

 

“But … I don’t know. I feel a lot better with you being here; that’s for damn sure.”

 

“How about this,” said Ryder. “I’ll stick around for a little while and crash on your couch. And I’ll do my best to keep my mitts off of you, as hard as that might be.”

 

Kara nodded, seemingly relieved that Ryder was sticking around.

 

“That sounds good. You and Furball can get to know each other.”

 

“I don’t know,” said Ryder. “He seems like the lone wolf type.”

 

Kara smiled again before taking off, returning with some blankets and pillows.

 

Ryder knew to play it cool—making a scene after getting shot down like that was an easy way to guarantee nothing happening. As Kara made the couch for him, he couldn’t help but let his eyes linger on the curves of her ass.

 

Goddamn, he thought, I want to fuck her again more than anything.

 

He bit his lower lip, the pain taking his mind slightly off of just how horny he was. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had had this effect on him, making him go wild with desire and making him feel like he just might lose control at any moment.

 

“I’ll be in the bedroom,” she said. “I got really tired all of a sudden. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen.”

 

After setting out a little milk for Furball, she was gone. Ryder kicked off his boots and plopped down on the couch, his eyes settling on the kitten as it eagerly lapped up the milk.

 

“Just you and me, little dude,” he said. “Hope you’re good in a fight, if it comes to that.”

 

But the kitten only mewed. Ryder smirked and shook his head as he drifted off to sleep.