I frantically waved her back to me. I swore, you let a six-year-old out of your sight for a second, and you never knew what they’d do.
She leaned closer, almost as if checking his breathing. Roan’s lumbering exhale fluttered the hair around her face. He looked so relaxed in sleep. Peaceful. Almost childlike. I’d never seen him with so few defenses in his wakeful hours. And it made me wonder just what he was guarding against.
Cady glanced up at me, and I widened my eyes as I kept waving her over. She frowned, her shoulders slumping, but she obeyed.
“I want Mr. Grizz to have breakfast with me,” she complained.
“Then you’re going to have to wait a bit. Most people don’t wake up at five in the morning.”
Cady let a little giggle loose. “I was excited. I couldn’t sleep.”
Something foreign slid through me. A longing. For something I wasn’t sure was in the cards for me. Watching Roan sit as Cady painted each fingernail and toenail last night, letting her talk his ear off and answering whatever out-there question she asked, had made me realize I wanted that. A partner. Someone to share the ups and downs with.
But that was impossible when you didn’t let anyone in enough to truly know you.
“Okay, I’ll eat now,” Cady mumbled. “I’m too hungry.”
I bit back a laugh. “All right. What do you want? Cheerios and bananas or Cap’n Crunch and strawberries?”
“I want the Cap’n,” Cady answered.
“Coming right up.” I grabbed bowls and cereal, then got to work slicing berries for us both. As I turned around, I caught sight of Pirate slinking around the couch.
It was as if it happened in slow motion. I waved a hand, trying to get the cat’s attention, but she was too focused on her prey. That prey being the bare toes peeking out of the blanket covering Roan.
Pirate launched herself onto the arm of the sofa and attacked Roan’s foot with a vengeance. He came awake on a shouted curse, jerking upright. The cat let out a loud hiss, not pleased to be separated from the game.
“What is that thing? A monster from the seventh circle of hell?” he snarled.
I hurried over to him, snatching Pirate into my arms. “She’s just a kitten. She’s still learning her manners.”
Roan glared at the creature in my arms. “It looks more like that thing went ten rounds with Mike Tyson.”
“She’s not a thing. She’s uniquely beautiful,” I argued.
He lifted a brow as if to say: Is that really what you’re going with?
I knew that Pirate was a little odd-looking with her one eye, half an ear, and patchy fur, but she was loved.
“Mama says looks don’t matter. It’s what’s on the inside that counts,” Cady chimed in helpfully as she munched on her cereal.
“What’s on the inside is a demon. I almost lost a toe,” Roan grumbled.
“Pirate just got carried away. She’s sorry. Aren’t you, girl?” I asked.
Pirate butted her head against my chin.
“I’m not taking any chances. Where are my shoes?”
Roan let the blanket drop, revealing that he had been shirtless underneath it. My mouth went dry as I took in his broad shoulders and muscled chest. A dusting of hair covered his pecs, trailing to a line down his abs and below.
Roan stood, bringing us face-to-face, just a breath apart. We both stilled. It was as if the world went quiet around us, and there was only him and me. So close it would only take the barest of movements to know what his lips tasted like.
Pirate swiped out with her paw, smacking Roan right across the face.
“What the hell?” he barked.
She leapt from my arms onto the couch and then darted down the hallway.
“You scared her,” I chastised.
“She could’ve taken my eye out,” Roan snapped.
“You need some cereal, Mr. Grizz,” Cady said around her bite of Cap’n Crunch. “You’re hangry.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. “What do you think, Mr. Grizz? Would some cereal help?”
Roan scowled at me, and then a look of interest filled his face. “What kind do you have?”
“Cheerios and Cap’n Crunch.”
“I haven’t had Cap’n Crunch since I was a kid.”
I grinned. “Captain it is. Pirates are partial to you, after all.”
The scowl was back on Roan’s face. “I’m going to get cleaned up.”
He headed down the hall. I chuckled to myself as I headed back to the kitchen and made Roan a bowl of cereal.