FORTUNE FAVORS THE FELINE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Olivia Beresford had finally decided to give up on fairy tales. Up until now, she believed she would find her happy ending. Despite every disappointment, heartbreak, and horrible moment that had left her crying into her pillow, she had still woken up, brushed herself off, and found the sunny side of the situation. Each disaster just meant there was one more step to take, one more trial to live through until she met her Prince Charming. Only, today, she’d begun to wonder if she was a little delusional.

Sighing heavily, she sat down on the couch to eat some leftover chocolate. Her cat, Henry, jumped into her lap and purred, rubbing against her chest. She stroked his fur and grumbled, “Just you and me tonight, sweetie, as always. At least I know you want my attention.”

Henry blinked, his green eyes gazing at her intently. He meowed softly and shoved his head harder against her chest. She snorted and pushed him away. “Pervert.”

The way her life was going, her cat would wind up being the only male to show her affection. No matter how much she adored him, attention from Henry wasn’t nearly enough to soothe her heart. She wanted a family—a real human family. Exhausted with the single life of horrible speed dates and swiping left, she just wished her true love would show up so she could start building the life she truly desired.

Pounding on her front door pulled her from her thoughts, and she rushed over to open it. Her two best friends, Mirabelle and Janie, poured through the doorway, singing different off-key renditions of “Happy Birthday.”

Olivia laughed in delight. Her neighbors would probably be furious about the noise this late at night, but it was exactly what she needed to bring her out of her funk.

Mirabelle grabbed an annoyed Henry from Olivia’s arms and thrust a large, professionally wrapped package into her hands. Janie handed her a small, obviously hand-wrapped box. Olivia grinned. Despite her friends’ differences from each other, they were perfect for her. Showy and stylish, Mirabelle was loud and brash, whereas Janie was quiet, earthy, and calm. However, tonight, as she handed Olivia her gift, singing and laughing, she seemed downright obnoxious and loud.

Olivia shot Mirabelle an accusing look. “Mira, how much did you make Janie drink?”

Mirabelle rolled her eyes and aggressively scratched Henry’s back while he stared piteously at Olivia. She giggled and reached over to scratch him under the chin, temporarily appeasing him. All her friends loved Henry, but he barely tolerated their attentions. He preferred to stay close to Olivia whenever anyone visited.

Mirabelle huffed. “I didn’t force it down her throat, Livy. She wanted to enjoy herself tonight. It’s Halloween! Since you didn’t want to go out and celebrate with us, we figured we may as well go celebrate for you. I mean, it’s not every day you turn thirty-one on the thirty-first.”

“God, don’t remind me how old I am, please,” Olivia groaned. She turned to Janie and cooed, “Janie, sweetie, are you feeling okay? You look a little wobbly.”

Janie flashed a brilliant smile. “Yesh! I’m great,” she slurred. “Never felt better. Hurry up and open your presents.”

Olivia shot Mirabelle another quick glare and said to Janie, “You should probably sit down.”

Janie nodded. “Sounds good.” She plopped on the sofa and gazed up at Olivia expectantly. “Open Mira’s first. Keep mine for last. It’s a surprise.” She grinned and lifted her fingers to her lips. “Shh … Quiet.” Olivia giggled, not used to seeing Janie so drunk.

Olivia carefully opened Mira’s package and pulled out a pair of stunning stilettos. She glanced at the designer tag. “Mira,” she breathed “These are amazing! I don’t even want to ask what you spent on them.”

Mira rolled her eyes. “And I wouldn’t tell you, even if you did. Anyway, they looked like you. I thought you’d like them.”

Olivia nodded. “I love them!” She hugged Mira, overcome by her friend’s generosity. “Thank you so much. Now, if I only had a date worth wearing them for.”

Janie piped up from the couch. “That’s where my present comes in. Open it!”

Olivia looked at her and then back down at the small package. “You fit a man in here?” she joked.

Janie grinned and hiccupped. “In a manner of speaking.”

Olivia raised her eyebrows. “Okay, now I’m intrigued.” She ripped the package open and pulled out a tattered piece of cloth. She turned it over and inspected it. It appeared ancient, covered in odd symbols and writing. “Uhh, Janie? What the hell is this?” She crinkled her nose and held the filthy rag away from herself with two fingers. Henry yowled, jumping from Mirabelle’s arms to run over to Olivia. She absentmindedly picked him up, taking care not to touch him with the dirty fabric.

Janie grinned in triumph. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but it’s the answer to all your prayers.”

“Uhh … explain please?”

“I got it from a fortune teller I ran into tonight. That’s a Wishing Cloth. You put it under your pillow and then wish with all your might for what you want the most. When you wake up, it will grant your wish. It’s simple!”

Olivia snorted and stared back down at the dirty piece of cloth. Henry leaned over and sniffed it. He hissed and shot Janie an accusatory look. Olivia understood his reaction; she felt like hissing at it too. “I really hope this didn’t set you back too much, because I think you’ve been tricked by someone dressed in a gypsy costume.”

Janie shook her head and stared at her intently. “Don’t laugh. There are powers in this world you can’t begin to comprehend.” Her deadly serious expression disappeared in a flash, and she was back to her drunken, cheerful self. “Besides, what can it hurt? If nothing happens, nothing happens. You’ll never know unless you try.”

Olivia stared down at the piece of cloth with distaste. “You want me to put this under my pillow?”

“Yup. One night won’t kill you, I promise.”

Olivia blew out a breath. “Two might.”

Mirabelle watched the exchange in amusement. “You guys are insane.” She glanced at her watch. “I need to get home. I have an early conference call tomorrow. C’mon, Janie. Let’s get your drunk ass back to your apartment.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Mirabelle rolled her eyes and gave Olivia a hug. “Night, sweetie. Don’t worry, good things will eventually start to happen for you, even without silly fairy tale wishes.”

Olivia sighed. “I won’t hold my breath, but thanks for the encouragement. I’ll talk to you both in the morning.”

After they left, Olivia carried Henry to the bedroom, set him down, and started to change out of her clothes. She realized she still held the tattered piece of cloth. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she stared at her pillow. What could it hurt? Well, aside from possibly giving her cholera. She shrugged and quickly placed it inside the pillowcase.

She took a quick shower and got ready for bed. Henry jumped onto the bed to curl up next to her as she slid under the covers. The offending smell emanating from her pillowcase reminded her of what she was supposed to do. Sighing, she rolled her eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered, “This is completely silly and pointless, but okay. I wish … I wish for my soul mate to finally appear. And by soul mate, I mean the perfect man for me. Someone who will accept me for who I am and think I’m beautiful, even if I’ve just woken up and am truly terrifying. Someone who won’t judge me, who will want to spend time with me, who will listen to what I have to say, and who will love me with all his heart. Just let him find me, no matter how far away he may be, or how impossible it may seem. If there’s truly one person for every person in this world then let me have mine. That’s my wish.”

With Henry purring loudly by her head, she rolled over, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 

~~ * * * ~~

 

 

 

Olivia woke up to a male voice softly repeating her name. She opened her eyes to find a very gorgeous, very naked man kneeling next to the side of the bed. Shrieking, she scrambled to the other side. She grabbed her phone and ran as fast as she could to the bathroom. Slamming and locking the door, she started to dial 911. A calm voice on the other side of the door kept her from completing the call.

“Olivia, wait. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. I’m as confused as you are about this. Hear me out a second, okay? You don’t have to unlock the door; just listen to me. If you still want to call the cops after I’m done talking, I’ll understand. I’m going to go grab the ugly brown robe from your closet. Is that all right? Will you wait a second?”

“How do you know my name?” she yelled through the door. “And how do you know I have an ugly robe in my closet?”

“The same way I know your mom got you the robe for your twenty-eighth birthday because she wanted you to be comfortable. Since you didn’t have a man around to impress, she said it didn’t matter if it was ugly.”

Olivia gasped and stepped back from the door. “What the hell? No one was around when she gave that to me.”

“Actually, I was. You got upset and accused her of being judgmental, which led to her crying about the grandchildren she’ll never have.”

Olivia raised her hands to her mouth in shock. “What the hell is going on? Who are you? How do you know all this stuff?”

He was silent a moment. “You’re not going to believe me.”

“Probably not, but you’d better start explaining. I’m two seconds away from connecting this call and having you arrested. Who are you, and why are you in my house?”

“Henry! I’m here because I’m Henry.”

“Because you’re Henry? What does that even mean? The only Henry I know is my cat.”

“Exactly,” he retorted. “I’m your cat … Or at least I was.”

Olivia let out a bark of laughter. “Ok, buddy. I’m calling the cops. You’re clearly off your meds.”

“You found me while you were walking through the park, Olivia. I wore a tag with my name, but no other information. You took me to the vet, but I didn’t have a microchip, and no one answered your ads, so you kept me. You’ve had me for five years. I won’t eat cat food, and you thought someone trained me to use the toilet instead of the litter box.” His voice moved farther away from the door, and Olivia heard the closet open.

Her heart started to race. “Do you work for the vet? Is this how you know all this? This is an invasion of privacy or something! I’m definitely calling the cops.”

“Wait!” His voice was back at the door. “Do me a favor and call Janie first. She gave you that piece of fabric, and I think it must be behind this. I want to know where she got it. She said a fortune teller, but I need to know which fortune teller.”

Olivia inhaled sharply. “What do you know about the fabric?”

“It smells horrible and it’s in your pillowcase. You made a wish for a man last night, and I think it somehow brought me back. I went to sleep a cat and woke up human again. I wasn’t always a cat, but I certainly didn’t expect this to happen. After five years of being feline, I assumed I just needed to learn to accept the hairball medicine you force down my throat once a week. I promise you it does not taste like salmon.” He paused. “Can you please open the door? This might be easier to explain if you look at me. I’m dressed now.”

Olivia stared at the door. It wasn’t possible, but how else did the guy know everything he knew? She put her hand on the knob, weighing her options. “I’m opening the door. I have the phone set to dial, so if you try anything, I’m dialing. Understand?”

“Yes. If it makes you feel better, I’ll go stand by the window.”

“Yeah, do that. I’ll wait.” She waited until she heard him call from farther away. Taking a deep breath, she cracked open the door and peered out.

True to his word, the man stood by the window wearing her hideous brown robe. It strained at the seams; he was seriously tall and very deliciously built. Olivia gulped as she studied him. His jet-black hair was the same color as her cat’s fur. Considering him for a second, she yelled toward the living room, “Henry! Come here, baby!”

As she waited for him to run into the room like he always did when she called, the man sighed. “He’s not out there because he’s right here, Olivia. I already told you.”

“Sure,” she responded, keeping her eye on him. After a few seconds with no cat appearing, she called out again and the man snorted.

“You’ve always been stubborn. While we wait, do you want me to tell you what else I know about you?”

“Yeah. How about you tell me something I’ve never told anyone but the cat,” she scoffed.

“Sophomore year of high school you had a crush on a kid named Billy Allen. He moved away but you were certain he liked you back. Two weeks ago, he came up on your dating site, and you were thrilled to find him again. However, when you messaged him, he didn’t remember you at all and told you to send nudes instead. When you wouldn’t, he blocked you. You cried into my fur for an hour. How am I doing so far?”

Olivia stared at him in astonishment. No one knew about that. It was too embarrassing to even mention to Mira or Janie, and she did cry about it to her cat for an hour. She lifted the phone to her ear and he groaned. Shaking her head, she clarified, “No, not the police. I’m calling Janie. Go sit on the couch until she gets here.”

 

 

 

~~ * * * ~~

 

 

 

It only took fifteen minutes for Janie to arrive. Olivia carefully skirted the massive man sitting on her couch and threw the door open. Janie rushed in, took one look at the man, and stopped dead.

“Oh. Goodness,” she breathed. She looked back to Olivia. “You said the cat turned into him?”

“He says that, not me. I’m trying to figure out how he knows so much about me … and you, I guess. He told me to call you.”

“Me?” Janie walked over to the couch and stood in front of the man. She stared down at him. “Why me?”

“Where’d you get the piece of fabric, Janie?” he countered.

She studied him for a moment. “You know,” she said to Olivia, “he really does look like a human version of Henry. He even has the same eyes.”

Olivia frowned and went to stand by Janie. She had kept her distance before Janie showed up, but she felt safe enough to inspect the man now. He gazed up at her with clear, green eyes—the same green as her cat’s. She backed away and sat down heavily on the coffee table, suddenly dizzy.

The man glanced back at Janie. “The fabric. Who gave it to you?”

“A fortune teller I ran into at a Halloween carnival in the park. She read my palm, asked me a few questions, and found out I needed a birthday present for Livy. Thus, the fabric.”

“What was her name?” he asked, moving closer to the edge of the couch.

“Um, Madame Zhirova, I think. She looked about ninety and had the weirdest eyes—”

“Were they silver? Were they so shiny it seemed like she was wearing contacts?”

“Yes! How’d you know that?”

“Because that freak turned me into a cat, that’s how! I knew she’d show up again eventually, but I’ve been stuck here as an indoor cat, so I couldn’t exactly go look for her.” He glanced reproachfully over at Olivia and continued. “I made a wish. I’d just gone through a bad break up with my girlfriend. She cheated on me, and I was completely drunk and heartbroken over it. Apparently, I said something to offend the fortune teller because when I made a wish for a woman to be devoted to me for the rest of my life, I wound up becoming a cat instead.”

Janie shrieked in laughter and then clapped her hand across her mouth. “Oh shit, Livy. I think he might be telling the truth. Wouldn’t it be wild if Henry was a man trapped as a cat this whole time?” She snorted again and turned to him. “Oh my God, the things you must have seen.”

He reddened slightly. “Um, it’s been interesting.”

Olivia froze in horror, thinking about how many times her cat had watched her change, gone into the bathroom with her, and stayed in the bedroom while she had boyfriends over.

Janie giggled nervously. “I assumed the weird feeling last night was because of the alcohol, but maybe something paranormal was going on. Let’s go back to the park and see if the carnival is still there. I doubt they’ve packed up yet, so someone must still be around.” Looking at the man, she added, “You need clothes, Catman.”

Olivia spoke up. “I have a couple oversized sweatshirts, and maybe an extra pair of basketball shorts from when my brother visited. Let me check.”

After a moment, she shoved a ball of wrinkled clothes into the man’s arms. “Go change in the bathroom. We need to get to the bottom of this.”

 

 

 

~~ * * * ~~

 

 

 

They all walked through the park to the spot where Janie said the carnival was set up. However, the meadow was empty and quiet, with no mess to indicate that anything had stood there the night before.

“Wow, they tore down quick,” grumbled Janie.

Olivia spotted a groundskeeper who was trimming hedges. “Excuse me,” she yelled as she started to walk toward him, the others following.

“Can I help you?”

“The carnival that was here last night, do you know how to contact them?”

“Carnival?” the groundskeeper asked, clearly confused.

“Yes,” said Janie, sounding annoyed. “The Halloween carnival. There were a few rides, some animals, sideshow attractions like a fortune teller: that sort of thing.”

“I think you must be mistaken. There wasn’t any carnival here last night.”

Janie snorted. “I think you must be mistaken, because there certainly was. I was here.”

“Ma’am, I patrolled here all night, making sure kids didn’t pull any Halloween pranks. There was nothing here. Maybe you’re thinking of another park?”

Janie turned to Olivia with wide eyes. “What’s going on? It was set up right here. I even ate cotton candy!”

Catman coughed softly, and they all looked at him. He smiled wanly. “When I turned into a cat, I came back to the park to find her. That’s why you found me here, Olivia. There was no sign of the carnival then, either. I think maybe she does what she does and disappears.”

The groundskeeper snarled, “All right, I don’t appreciate being interrupted for nonsense like this. Go do your practical jokes somewhere else. If you have a complaint, take it up with the city.” He turned his back on them and resumed working on the hedges.

Olivia grabbed Janie and pulled her toward the path. Catman trailed behind them. “This is getting weirder and weirder, Janie. I’m almost inclined to believe him, but this is crazy. People don’t turn into animals.”

Janie shrugged. “I’ve heard of stranger things happening. She swore you would find a man who loves you unconditionally, and your cat has always loved you. He does look like a human version of him, Livy. It’s downright spooky how much.”

Olivia glanced at Catman, and he raised an eyebrow haughtily—a human-like expression she’d seen from her cat many times in the last five years. She felt the air leave her body. “Holy shit,” she whispered.

He watched her a moment. “I think we should talk. Maybe without Janie around?”

Olivia looked back at Janie, and her friend nodded. “I’m out of here. Call me later.” She took off down the path, leaving Olivia and the now-human Henry standing there, watching each other in silence.

 

 

 

~~ * * * ~~

 

 

 

Neither Olivia nor Henry spoke on the way back to the apartment. Once inside, she opened her mouth to say something, but he shook his head, interrupting her.

“No, let me say my piece. Then you can decide if you want me to stay or go, okay?”

She nodded, and he sat down on the couch. “When you found me, I was in full panic mode. It took me a bit to realize what had happened. When I did, I had no idea what to do next. It was terrifying, and confusing, and impossible. Then you showed up. Here, sit.” He patted the sofa next to him, and she sat, scooting to the farthest section away from him. He sighed and continued. “Here was this hot brunette picking me up and cooing to me and petting me—which, for the record, feels amazing—and I thought maybe I’d died overnight, and this was heaven. Unfortunately, after a few days of being a cat, I started to realize I might be stuck like that forever. Don’t you remember me freaking out?”

Olivia thought back. The cat had seemed to have an existential crisis right after she’d found him. It was part of the reason she’d taken him to the vet. “You calmed down, though. The freak out only lasted about a week.”

He shrugged. “Being around you helped, so I figured I’d better get used to my new life. It’s not so bad being a cat once you get over the shock. It’s like an extremely lazy vacation with great room service.”

She laughed and then remembered what Janie had said earlier. “Oh my God, you have seen things you should not have seen.”

He grimaced. “Yeah, about that—I’m sorry, but being a cat is also very boring. I didn’t think I’d ever be a person again, and you offered me some interesting viewing opportunities throughout the years. Although, after a while, when you had boyfriends over, I started to plot ways to murder them while they slept.”

“You did? Why?” she asked, more curious than humiliated.

“Think about it, Olivia. I’ve been living with a gorgeous woman for five years. I’ve slept with you … Hell, I’ve slept on you, and you’ve told me some really personal things. I think this is the longest relationship I’ve ever had, so I didn’t exactly enjoy knowing other men were putting their hands all over you.”

She snorted. “So, you’re telling me the entire time you were in a cat body, you still had human thoughts?”

“Oh yeah,” he said, looking at her with desire evident in his gaze. “Very human, very male thoughts.”

She felt herself flush. “Oh. Oh, I see,” she sputtered.

“You want to know what I think?” he asked. She nodded. He shifted closer to her. “I think your wish and my wish somehow merged last night. It’s really a miracle you found me, and then we both had the same fortune teller grant our wishes. Maybe it wasn’t just a coincidence, and maybe that crazy old woman planned it all. I’m pretty sure she’s not actually human, so it’s possible.”

“What do you mean our wishes merged?”

“I wished for a woman who was devoted to me, and you are a damn fine pet owner.” He laughed. “I was probably the most spoiled cat on the planet.”

“Okay, that’s your wish,” she pressed. “How does my wish fit into this?”

He moved closer, until their knees touched. “Olivia,” he purred. “I love you. Do you think I could coexist in this house with you for five years, see you naked, see you vulnerable and delectable all this time, and not fall in love with you?”

“What?” Olivia asked breathlessly. “What are you saying?”

He reached over and gently touched her chin. “Like I said before, this is the longest I’ve ever been crazy about a girl. Five years is a long time, and I really know you, Olivia. I know who you are, I know what you like and what you hate, what makes you laugh and what makes you cry. I know you’re the strongest, smartest woman I’ve ever met, and when you love people, you love them fiercely. I adore that about you, and I adore you. Everything you wished for last night? I’m that guy, Olivia. At least, I hope you’ll give me the chance to show you I am.”

“Oh,” she whispered, her heart and thoughts racing. She took in how striking he was. Tall, muscular, with a strong jawline, full lips, and those brilliant green eyes, he looked like a model. When had a model ever sat in her living room, wearing cast-off clothes, professing his love for her? Her breath quickened.

His eyes darkened, and he stared at her lips with serious intent. She leaned toward him without realizing it. “So, show me,” she whispered.

He sucked in a breath and pounced on her like a starving man, devouring her lips with his own. She gasped in surprise and promptly melted against him. He kissed like a dream, and she began to wonder if maybe she’d wake up and find out this whole thing had never happened. It was all so crazy: maybe she’d caught something from the disgusting cloth, and now was in the middle of a fever dream. Well, if it wasn’t real, she was going to take advantage of it.

Realizing she could do whatever she wanted in a dream, she growled and pushed him backward on the couch. He didn’t stop her.

Instead, he moved his attention to her neck, kissing and licking her until her nerves felt like they’d combust. She heard her own faint whimpers through the roaring in her ears; the sound only seemed to encourage him. He sat up suddenly and lifted her, then carried her to the bedroom to deposit her on the bed.

Breathing heavily, her head spinning, she stared up at him as he started to peel off his rumpled clothes. The body that he began to reveal caused her to squeak in wonder, and he grinned down at her before joining her on the bed.

“Sorry,” he growled. “It’s just that I’ve been dreaming about being a man with you on this bed for so long, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity.”

She nodded mutely, and he resumed where he left off, kissing her neck and shoulders. He ran his hands under her shirt and slowly caressed her breasts. Her nipples pebbled at his touch, and she moaned loudly. He groaned in response and pulled the shirt over her head, leaving her half-dressed and panting on the bed. Then he stopped and gazed down at her with confused wonder.

“What?” she asked, starting to get embarrassed.

“I just can’t believe this is happening. I never thought I’d be human again, and I certainly never thought I’d be with you like this. I’m trying to slow down so I don’t humiliate myself.”

Emboldened, Olivia rolled away from him and stood, balancing on the bed to remove the rest of her clothing. “Slowing down in overrated,” she teased as she lay back down. “Why don’t you show me what you’ve always wanted to do to me?”

He growled and surged forward, pinning her against the bed with his weight. Raining kisses down her body, he paused briefly on her breasts and licked and kissed until she became a writhing, whimpering mess underneath him. Making a noise of satisfaction, he continued kissing his way downward, leaving goosebumps in his wake.

When his tongue lightly probed her entrance, she shrieked in surprised pleasure. It had been ages since a man touched her like this, and her overwrought senses went into meltdown. She arched into him and clutched the bedsheets.

He growled again, sounding pleased, and began to lick and flick at her with a talented tongue. Within minutes, she flew over the edge, screaming her release. Groaning, he crawled up her body. When he opened her nightstand drawer, and she registered what he was doing, she let out a huff.

He grinned down at her, holding up a condom. “I know where you keep them, Olivia,” he explained while rolling it onto his thick length. Before she could respond, he nudged her legs apart and pushed forward, stretching her wide as he slid deep.

She shrieked again, and her head rolled back. Dear God, he felt good.

He stilled, panting into her neck. “Oh my God, Olivia,” he whispered, and she grabbed at him, urging him to move. “I can’t promise I’m going to last long,” he said apologetically.

“It’s okay,” she whimpered. “Neither am I.”

It seemed to be all the encouragement he needed. He went wild, slamming into her with furious intensity, pushing her closer to the wall with each heavy thrust. Overwhelmed and hovering on the brink of another mind-blowing orgasm, she braced herself by pressing her palms against the wall behind her. As she moved, her fingers brushed against the piece of fabric that had worked its way out of the pillowcase.

When her skin connected with the cloth, a wave of energy flowed through her in a violent burst, slamming through Henry and out into the room. She felt the air constrict and pulse, causing light bulbs to pop and shatter throughout the apartment. She wailed with the force of the orgasm hitting her at that moment, and she dimly heard Henry shout out his own release while the world turned white, images flashing behind her closed eyelids.

Her senses returned to the sound of sirens and alarms going off outside.

Henry lay heavily on top of her, his breathing shaky. “What the hell was that?” he asked.

“I have no idea,” she gasped out. “I touched the Wishing Cloth and then all hell broke loose.” She turned her head to look for the fabric. “Where is it?”

He slowly raised himself and felt around the pillow. Frowning, he sat on his knees, continuing to search. “It’s not here.”

“What? It has to be here somewhere.”

Henry jumped out of bed, removed the condom, and they checked under the covers, on the floor, behind the headboard, and anywhere it could have fallen. The cloth was gone. Finally flopping back down onto the bed, leaving the room in disarray, they stared at each other in wonder.

“This isn’t a dream, is it?” Olivia breathed out in shock.

“No, definitely not,” said Henry.

“You felt that energy, right?”  

“Yes. It damn near blew my cock off.”

She laughed weakly. “I think my head exploded. I saw images as I came. I saw you turn into a cat, I think … I don’t know. It felt like flashes of memories. What’s going on?”

“I think we’re never finding that cloth or seeing that fortune teller again. I hope our wishes just came true, and now we don’t need her or her magic anymore. Maybe she’s moved on to the next unsuspecting person. I feel like we have to make this work our own now, with no help from whatever that was.” He gazed solemnly at her. “Are you willing to try with me? I really want to try with you.”

She gazed at him, cautious happiness peeking its head out from behind her heart. “I’d like that a lot,” she admitted. “I should be worried this is happening so fast, but it feels right, somehow.” She shrugged. “I can’t explain it.”

“You don’t have to; I understand completely,” he whispered, running his hands down her body.

Her eyes rolled back, and she let herself enjoy the sensations before she snorted and raised her hand to her mouth in laughter.

“What?” he asked, amusement in his green eyes.

“It’s just …” She laughed again. “I’m so glad I never had you neutered.”

 

 

 

~*The End*~

 

 

 

For Max, who has always supported me, even when I'm being unreasonable.

~ AB

 

 

 

~~ * * * ~~

 

 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

Elizabeth Langley has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Her love of romance novels started in her early twenties and has continued throughout her life. She is currently working on a few contemporary novels that she hopes to release within the next year. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, two children, one bonus child, three neurotic cats (one of which is probably an alien disguised as a cat), an energetic Corgi, and a homicidal rabbit.

 

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