Wrath followed, his presence something she couldn’t ignore, and both of them paused inside her bedroom. She glanced at him to watch his face as he peered around her room. She really hated that he wore the dark glasses that hid his eyes, more than a bit curious what he thought about her large four-poster bed and feminine décor. It was a far cry homier than what he was used to if his own bedroom was an indication.
Her cat leaped up on top of the bed, startled them both, and Wrath shot his arm out. His hand flattened on Lauren’s stomach and he knocked her back roughly, against the wall.
The cat stared at Wrath and suddenly tensed, his back arched and he hissed. Wrath bent slightly, snarled and showed his own teeth. Lauren was stunned as both of them continued to hiss and snarl at each other.
“Wrath?”
“Don’t move,” he rasped and reached for his weapon.
“No!” Lauren shoved the hand pinning her to the wall and lunged for his body, put hers between him and the bed, and caught his wrist as he raised the gun. “That’s my cat! Don’t shoot him.”
His head snapped down. “What?”
“That’s Tiger. He’s my cat. My pet.”
Tiger hissed again behind them but Lauren didn’t spare him a glance, too worried the man in front of her would shoot her cat. Wrath slowly holstered his weapon at his waist and frowned.
“That is your pet? It’s not some wild creature that managed entry inside your home?”
“I know he probably needs to go to the groomer but he’s not wild. He goes outside since I hate litter boxes but yeah, he’s my pet.”
He relaxed, the tight muscles bunched under her hand softened just slightly, and Wrath lifted his head.
“Your pet doesn’t appear to be friendly.”
She glanced at Tiger. “He’s usually not like this. Stop it, Tiger. Bad kitty! Stop hissing at Wrath.”
The cat bolted, rushed out the door, and Lauren laughed at the situation. “I take it you don’t like cats?”
“I don’t like cats who are small and don’t talk.”
A loud growl sounded and glass broke. Lauren cursed and darted around Wrath to rush toward the living room. Tiger yowled loudly and a deep, scary growl quickly followed. She halted just inside the entryway where Brass and Shadow had cornered her cat. The poor, terrified cat had his claws extended, his hair stood on end and he hissed at the men.
“Stop that!” Lauren lunged, getting between the men and her pet.
“What is that?” Shadow snarled.
Brian laughed. “They are canine. Dogs and cats don’t get along. You should have warned them you had one.”
“It’s not an animal that got into your home?” Brass stopped growling and straightened to his full height.
Lauren turned and dropped to her knees. “No. Come here, Tiger. It’s all right. They didn’t mean to scare you. Come here, baby. Come here, Tiger.”
“Tiger?” Brass laughed. “You named him Tiger? I have a friend by that name. I can’t wait to tell him about this.”
Lauren scooped up the shaking cat and used her body to shield it from the men in her living room. She moved, keeping her cat from seeing them as well and walked back down the hallway. Wrath stood inside her room at the foot of her large bed. She walked in and placed Tiger in the bathroom away from her guests, closing the door so he didn’t rush back into danger.
“You sleep here in that?” Wrath turned his head to face her.
“Yeah.”
He walked to the side of her bed and shocked her by tearing back the covers, exposing her sheets. She stood there mute as he bent over, pressed his nose against the pink material and sniffed loudly. He straightened and smiled as he adjusted the blankets back to where they’d been.
“What are you doing?” It was weird but she wasn’t about to state that aloud.
“I only smell you and the cat. No one has slept here with you.”
Anger stirred. “I live alone. I told you I haven’t dated in a while and I wasn’t lying about that. I’ve told you the truth. You didn’t have to do that to check up on me.”
He closed the distance between them and one hand raised to cup her cheek. “I’m sorry. I was curious. I do believe you.” His hand dropped to his side. “You need to get ready. Is your animal safe in the bathroom? I won’t snarl at it. I was startled and I thought it would attack you.”
“He’s fine in there. He’s an indoor and outdoor cat and I keep the window open in there for him since I don’t have a pet door. He’s probably already fled after the way you and your friends scared him.”
“I am sorry.”
She shrugged. “I should have told you I have a pet. I take it that you aren’t around too many cats?”
“Not small, domestic ones.”
Lauren let that one slide. He wanted her to get ready for work and the team waited in the living room for her. She spun around, jerked open her closet, and grabbed clothes off the hanger. Tiger was gone when she opened the bathroom door and stepped inside. She closed the door while she changed, washed her face, and applied light makeup quickly. Wrath was touching things on her dresser when she stepped back into her bedroom. He spun to face her.
“You put your hair in a bun,” he rumbled. “I enjoy seeing it down more.”
“I have to put it up for work to appear more professional. It’s too curly and tangles too easily otherwise.” She bent by the door, grabbed a pair of black pumps and put them on. “I’m ready.”
Her cat leaped up on top of the bed, startled them both, and Wrath shot his arm out. His hand flattened on Lauren’s stomach and he knocked her back roughly, against the wall.
The cat stared at Wrath and suddenly tensed, his back arched and he hissed. Wrath bent slightly, snarled and showed his own teeth. Lauren was stunned as both of them continued to hiss and snarl at each other.
“Wrath?”
“Don’t move,” he rasped and reached for his weapon.
“No!” Lauren shoved the hand pinning her to the wall and lunged for his body, put hers between him and the bed, and caught his wrist as he raised the gun. “That’s my cat! Don’t shoot him.”
His head snapped down. “What?”
“That’s Tiger. He’s my cat. My pet.”
Tiger hissed again behind them but Lauren didn’t spare him a glance, too worried the man in front of her would shoot her cat. Wrath slowly holstered his weapon at his waist and frowned.
“That is your pet? It’s not some wild creature that managed entry inside your home?”
“I know he probably needs to go to the groomer but he’s not wild. He goes outside since I hate litter boxes but yeah, he’s my pet.”
He relaxed, the tight muscles bunched under her hand softened just slightly, and Wrath lifted his head.
“Your pet doesn’t appear to be friendly.”
She glanced at Tiger. “He’s usually not like this. Stop it, Tiger. Bad kitty! Stop hissing at Wrath.”
The cat bolted, rushed out the door, and Lauren laughed at the situation. “I take it you don’t like cats?”
“I don’t like cats who are small and don’t talk.”
A loud growl sounded and glass broke. Lauren cursed and darted around Wrath to rush toward the living room. Tiger yowled loudly and a deep, scary growl quickly followed. She halted just inside the entryway where Brass and Shadow had cornered her cat. The poor, terrified cat had his claws extended, his hair stood on end and he hissed at the men.
“Stop that!” Lauren lunged, getting between the men and her pet.
“What is that?” Shadow snarled.
Brian laughed. “They are canine. Dogs and cats don’t get along. You should have warned them you had one.”
“It’s not an animal that got into your home?” Brass stopped growling and straightened to his full height.
Lauren turned and dropped to her knees. “No. Come here, Tiger. It’s all right. They didn’t mean to scare you. Come here, baby. Come here, Tiger.”
“Tiger?” Brass laughed. “You named him Tiger? I have a friend by that name. I can’t wait to tell him about this.”
Lauren scooped up the shaking cat and used her body to shield it from the men in her living room. She moved, keeping her cat from seeing them as well and walked back down the hallway. Wrath stood inside her room at the foot of her large bed. She walked in and placed Tiger in the bathroom away from her guests, closing the door so he didn’t rush back into danger.
“You sleep here in that?” Wrath turned his head to face her.
“Yeah.”
He walked to the side of her bed and shocked her by tearing back the covers, exposing her sheets. She stood there mute as he bent over, pressed his nose against the pink material and sniffed loudly. He straightened and smiled as he adjusted the blankets back to where they’d been.
“What are you doing?” It was weird but she wasn’t about to state that aloud.
“I only smell you and the cat. No one has slept here with you.”
Anger stirred. “I live alone. I told you I haven’t dated in a while and I wasn’t lying about that. I’ve told you the truth. You didn’t have to do that to check up on me.”
He closed the distance between them and one hand raised to cup her cheek. “I’m sorry. I was curious. I do believe you.” His hand dropped to his side. “You need to get ready. Is your animal safe in the bathroom? I won’t snarl at it. I was startled and I thought it would attack you.”
“He’s fine in there. He’s an indoor and outdoor cat and I keep the window open in there for him since I don’t have a pet door. He’s probably already fled after the way you and your friends scared him.”
“I am sorry.”
She shrugged. “I should have told you I have a pet. I take it that you aren’t around too many cats?”
“Not small, domestic ones.”
Lauren let that one slide. He wanted her to get ready for work and the team waited in the living room for her. She spun around, jerked open her closet, and grabbed clothes off the hanger. Tiger was gone when she opened the bathroom door and stepped inside. She closed the door while she changed, washed her face, and applied light makeup quickly. Wrath was touching things on her dresser when she stepped back into her bedroom. He spun to face her.
“You put your hair in a bun,” he rumbled. “I enjoy seeing it down more.”
“I have to put it up for work to appear more professional. It’s too curly and tangles too easily otherwise.” She bent by the door, grabbed a pair of black pumps and put them on. “I’m ready.”
