His little mate-to-be turned away from him, making him wonder just what her familiars did that would be so shocking.
“I’m ready whenever you two are,” Miko said, coming up beside Ridge alone.
“What happened to your little friend?” he asked, peering over Miko’s shoulder to see if he could find the human who had been attached to Miko like a tick on the backside of a hunting dog.
Miko grinned without humor. “Seems her boyfriend showed up and didn’t like to share.”
Ridge looked down at the healing cut on Miko’s knuckles. “We gonna have any problems?”
“Nah, I let him swing first. Not my problem he missed, three times. I finally had to knock his ass down to get him to stop coming at me. Stupid humans get a six-pack of liquid courage and think they’re ten-feet tall and bullet- proof. You two ready to blow this place or what?” Miko’s one blue eye flashed brightly. His other eye was green, an affliction that marked him as different amongst shifters and humans alike.
“You need to shift, brother?” Ridge asked, seeing the signs Miko was having issues written all over him.
The other man shook his head then his arms like he was wiggling whatever was bothering him right out of his body. “Nope, I’m good.”
His leopard trusted Miko’s, even in the tight confines of his extended cab pickup. They climbed inside, Noelle hopping in from the driver’s side. Her sweet backside had him itching to run his hands over the firm globes.
They drove to Noelle’s house, finding several lights on.
“I leave the living room and kitchen lights on for FatFat. Mrs. Noseby, I think can see in the dark because she’s fine prowling around.”
Miko raised his hand. “Um, you named your cat FatFat?”
“Actually, Mrs. Noseby told me what to call them. However, you’ll see they are well-suited for their names.” Noelle smirked as they pulled up out front of her home.
“Miko will wait out here.”
“Okay, but if the big bad wolf comes and tries to eat me, I’m blaming you.” Miko rolled down the window leaning his arm on the edge.
Ridge and Noelle strolled up the cobblestone walkway to her house. The small front porch had a rocking chair on one side and a swing on the other, both appeared well used “You sit out here often?”
She nodded but didn’t say any more. As she pushed the door open, he noticed it hadn’t been locked. He felt his hackles raise at her lack of security. Granted, she lived in a smallish town filled with witches and she was one herself, but she still should follow some security measures.
“I see what’s running through your mind and let me stop you before you go caveman on me. FatFat is enough of a deterrent for anyone...eep,” she yelped.
Ridge found himself holding a cat that had to weigh at least fifty or sixty pounds. The large feline pressed his face toward his, snarling. “Whoa, what’s your problem?”
When the cat tried to take a bite out of his nose, Ridge allowed his leopard to come forward, his own snarl a little louder than he’d planned.
“Why I never. FatFat, you stop it this instant before I swipe my paw across your nose. I have a feeling it would be a lot less painful than what that scrumptious cat-man has planned for you.”
Ridge held the big Main Coon from him with one hand, staring down at the other one. “Hello, beautiful. You must be Mrs. Noseby. I’m assuming this ill-mannered male is FatFat?”
Noelle reached for the animal he held aloft; her exasperated sigh was accompanied by the male cat’s hiss. “You stop that right now. I’m sorry, Ridge. Come on, let’s get some of my things and theirs unless they want to stay here while I’m gone.”
“And just where do you think you’re going, young lady?” FatFat asked
“We are going to stay with Ridge for a couple days. There’s a development and he and I think would be best if I stay with him.”
She dropped the large cat onto a chair as she spoke, but Ridge didn’t miss the way her cheeks turned pink.
He looked back at the male cat, doing a double take as he seemed to be grooming himself a little exuberantly. “Dude, you do that shit in my truck or on my furniture and we’re gonna have a problem.”
“FatFat, quit licking your balls, or I’ll remove them,” Noelle yelled from a room down the hall.
NOELLE WOKE UP THE next day feeling more rested than she had in a very long time. The smell of bacon drew her into a sitting position. She raised her arms over her head and stretched.
“Good morning, gorgeous. I hope you’re hungry,” Ridge said from the doorway.
She jerked the blanket up, to see Ridge smiling back at her. “How long you been standing there, Stalker McStalkerson?” she asked with a smile. Goddess, he looked good, so good she could almost forget about the bacon and whatever else he had cooking and eat him.
“I just opened the door, but you were yawning, quite largely I might add, so you obviously didn’t hear. I can close it and come back, but I must say, you are sexy as fuck in the morning, Katjie.” Ridge walked into the room wearing a pair of low-slung sweats and nothing else.
She tried to get her tongue off the roof of her mouth and say something witty, but it wasn’t every day she had a man as handsome as Ridge wake her.
“What’s the matter, Noelle? Cat got your tongue?” He bent over her, forcing her back against the pile of pillows. His coffee-scented breath feathered over her lips a second before his lips covered hers.
‘Meow’ her cats both spoke up from the doorway, breaking them apart.
“Come on, let me feed you and then we’ll go ride four-wheelers. Have you ever ridden one?” Ridge stood up, the two cats brushing against him. “You two and I are going to have to come to an understanding
