Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
“I can ensure that you have a pain in your ass by telling him where you are,” Rafael said.
Was that a threat? It sounded like a threat.
The other woman turned to glower at Rafael. “Nobody likes tattletales. Snitches tend to wake up with a penis drawn on their head. In permanent marker.”
Wow.
Either she was very brave. Or very crazy.
Faith didn’t know which. But she did know that she wouldn’t threaten Mr. Muscles like that.
She turned to Faith with a wide smile. “Sorry about that, Ms. Blossom.”
“That’s okay. And please call me Faith.”
“But Blossom is such an awesome name,” Cat said. “I think I’d go around introducing myself to everyone like that. Hey, I’m Blossom.”
“Um. I guess it is.” It had seemed like fate when she owned her shop.
Blossoms Flowers.
Yeah. Turned out it wasn’t fate so much as a freaking disaster.
“Can I help you, Mrs. De Leon?”
Cat wrinkled her nose. “Yuck.”
What was yuck? Alarm filled her.
“Call me Cat. Mrs. De Leon doesn’t suit me at all. She sounds stuffy and old. My Papi said that Reuben is out of town.” She glanced around, almost as though she expected Reuben to suddenly appear.
Her Papi?
Who was that?
“Cat,” Mr. Muscles said.
“What?” Cat asked.
“Papi?” Rafael repeated.
“Blossom here doesn’t care. We’re about to be best buds.”
“We are?” she asked.
“Uh-huh. Your man and my man are best buds, so that’s what we’re gonna be.”
“Oh, um, well.” Shoot. How did you explain this? “Reuben and I aren’t . . . I work for him.”
Not entirely true.
Cat’s eyes narrowed and she leaned in. “Best buds don’t lie to each other, you know.”
“Well, uh, right.” God, why couldn’t she talk in sentences? “It’s just that we’re . . . I’m not entirely sure what we are. Well, where this is going. hasn’t mentioned the future or what we’re calling this. But he likes to boss me around.”
“Yeah, that seems about right for these guys. My Papi is the same.”
“Your dad is the same?”
“Oh.” Cat laughed. “Sorry, Alejandro is my Papi. My Daddy. I’m a Little.”
Wow. She said that with such ease. As though it was normal.
Matt had never wanted her to tell anyone. It had been their dirty little secret. Even though her family knew about her, he still hadn’t wanted her to talk to them about it or let her Little out in front of them.
But then, when you were Cat De Leon, would anyone ever dare to make you feel bad about something?
“Cat,” Rafael growled.
She sighed and turned to him. “Relax, McGrumpface. We’re best buds. Blossom isn’t going to use that information against me, are you, Blossom?” Cat leaned forward. “Are you a Little too? Because I always had the feeling that Reuben was a Daddy Dom. The way he took care of his sister for years before she found her guys . . . yeah, I thought he might be.”
“I . . . I . . . ”
Faith swore she could hear Mr. Muscles swearing. Although he seemed to be a man of few words, so maybe she imagined that.
“I am.” Would Reuben want her to admit that? Too late now. Plus, it seemed like he and Cat were close.
Oh God. What if he didn’t want anyone to know, though? Now, she felt ill.
“Good. We can have playdates and go shopping together and think up some really good pranks.”
“Pranks?” Oh no. She couldn’t do that. Reuben would kill her. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
“Wise? No. Fun? Yes.”
Fun? When was the last time she’d had fun?
“Oh yeah, we’re going to be the best of friends, Blossom. I don’t really have many here in the city, do you?”
There was something in Cat’s face. A flash of vulnerability. Maybe even loneliness. She glanced up at Rafael and saw him watching Cat closely with something like . . . affection?
“No, I don’t.”
She used to. But now it felt like she didn’t have anyone except Cammie.
Was she lonely?
Yes.
“Perfect. So we’re going to be great friends. Starting with our double date this weekend.”
“To the charity dinner?” Faith asked.
“Uh-huh.”
There was a grumble from Mr. Muscles.
“Rafael isn’t happy because he doesn’t get to go.”
“He wants to go?” Faith whispered. He didn’t look like the charity banquet type.
Jeez. What was with all the judgment? What was wrong with her?
“No, he doesn’t want to go. But he does want to protect me. He’s worried about me. He loves me lots.”
Mr. Muscles just glared at her.
Right. Yeah. He looked like he was full of love. All of that previous affection was wiped off his face.
“He’s worried that something is going to happen, which is just silly. We’ll be fine.”
Rafael grunted.
“That’s the way he communicates. Don’t worry. I need your phone number so we can start planning our shenanigans.” Cat held out her hand.
Faith retrieved her phone and handed it over to the other woman. She flushed slightly as Cat stared down at her old phone. She’d had to give back her newer one after she’d been unable to pay the installments.