She grooms the fur with her fingers, focusing on getting her long black fur to settle instead of him. The familiar, repetitive movement makes her heartbeat less erratic and she feels herself calming more and more as she keeps doing it, combing fingers through the thick fur and moving her way up, enjoying the soft texture in her palm.
"Can I see your ears?"
She freezes. She's forgotten about him for a second.
He wipes the tear tracks down her cheeks with his palm and asks again in a gentler, more coaxing tone. "Please?"
Her nod is jerky. Her brother did say she needs to make new friends and to talk to Mateo. This probably isn't what he had in mind. His hands move slowly to her head and she feels him take a loose grip of the beanie before sliding it off, careful not to tug on her hair or her ears.
"You have beautiful ears," he says and she can't help but preen a little at the praise. She takes good care of them. To her surprise, he brushes his cheek to them, leaving a hint of his scent on her fur.
She stays absolutely still in his lap, letting him touch and curl his hands around her waist, pulling her so close to him that it's impossible to see where he stops and she begins.
Then, he starts to purr, the rumbling noise causing her to relax despite herself. He turns her head and draws her into a second kiss with a firm grasp of her jaw.
If the first kiss was soft and sweet, this second one is nothing like it. The wet heat of his tongue is inescapable and intoxicating, amplifying the underlying scent that fills her entire body. It's intimate and absolutely overwhelming.
She bucks in instinctive panic, a wild attempt to fight free, only to find herself grinding against his lap and a terrifying, burgeoning hardness. The tight grasp on her jaw forces her mouth open and he dominates the kiss instantly, sweeping away all rational thought as his free hand circles her waist and pins her arms to her side. She doesn't know if everyone kisses like this. It feels a little too much.
She's beginning to grow a little light-headed and when he finally draws back, an obscene line of saliva stretches between their tongues before it splits. His golden pupils are blown black, molten gaze blistering as he takes in her flushed face and swollen lips.
"Sweet little kitten," he grins and it reminds April so much of a wolf that she wouldn't have believed he was a cat if she hasn't seen it with her own eyes.
"I- I should get back to work," she demurs, looking back down at her lap, where she's continuing to groom her fluffy tail.
"No," he says, tightening his grip on her. "Stay a little while longer," he coaxes. "I'd like to know more about you, if you'd be so kind to share."
Chapter Six: Still
April spends the rest of the morning in his lap being cuddled. It's nice, almost peaceful. She feels like the last piece of puzzle has suddenly clicked into place and everything is perfect. But the rational part of her can't help but think that something about this is wrong.
People- normal people don't fall in love like this. There's whirlwind romance and there's Mateo wrapping his arms around her while he shifts through his work like it's the most normal thing in the world. She has never been a very touchy person except with her brother. But he has learned to keep his distance from her ever since she went through puberty. Something about it being inappropriate.
Mateo doesn't seem to think that anything about their position is inappropriate. He is content just holding her and breathing in her scent while he reads through what looks to be confidential files on the meeting desk.
Occasionally, he would give her a sip of his coffee, bringing the cup to her lips and letting her take a small sip, and then he'll take a bigger sip and let her rest her head back to his neck to keep her close. She doesn't understand any of it.
Despite everything, she's comfortable in his lap like this. He is big enough that she can curl her legs up comfortably and lean against his chest. She had been working long hours the past few weeks and it's nice to finally be able to rest without having to worry about getting fired. Or Omi standing too close to her cubicle and caging her in when he stands too close behind her.
She closes her eyes and listens to the steady beat of his heart. It doesn't take her long to fall asleep like that, curled up in his lap with her arms cradling her long tail, ears tucked back and knees curled against her chest.
By afternoon, her stomach has started grumbling loudly. Normally, she would have lunch with James, Jenny, and Lilith. She wonders if James still decided to quit now that Mike is no longer in charge. She kind of misses work. "I'm bored," she says when it becomes clear that he's content sorting through his work and signing documents. "And hungry," she adds quietly, struggling once again to free herself. "I want to go back to work."
He lets out a warning growl and tightens his grip, scenting her aggressively by rubbing his chin on the top of her head. "I'll get you something to eat," he promises.
She shakes her head. "Tuna sandwich," she whispers. She has it for every meal, occasionally putting a few pieces of lettuce because her brothe
r insists, she needs vegetable in her diet.
"Tuna sandwich?" he echoes.
She nods. It's the only thing she eats.
"What about sushi? Fresh tuna? I can have the chef make you something nicer?"
She shakes her head. She doesn't like variety. "I have it in my bag," she insists. She doesn't know why she's like this. She worries that he'll deny her but then her stomach gives an impressive rumble and she blushes.
"Stay still, baby," he says, pressing a kiss between her ears and tucking her closer to his chest as he stands up to head towards her bag for her lunch.