“Thank God. I was thirty seconds away from needing to go wank in the shower.”

“Have you done that?”

“Oh, sure. All the British words, and ‘wank’ is the one you know.”

I grinned. “I know the important ones.”

He laughed against my mouth. “I’ll let you think that one through. I need to check on my pussy.”

Groaning, I pulled away from him. “Oh, God. That’s going to be a running joke isn’t it?”

“Depends. Do you touch your pussy?”

“Isaac.”

“Hannah.”

I shivered and looked at the empty cage. “Your pussy escaped its cage.”

He stared at me for a second because his eyes widened. “Shit!” He pushed off the kitchen island and froze when he reached the living room door.

It wasn’t far. Like six steps. He was so dramatic.

I stepped up next to him. Spring was on the sofa already, right where Lucifer was sleeping. My breath caught; I didn’t want them to hate each other, and Lucifer was so tiny compared to her.

I stepped forward, but Isaac stretched out his arm.

“Wait,” he whispered. “I wonder…”

“Wonder what?” I hissed. “If she kills my cat, I’m gonna kill you.”

“Fair trade,” he whispered again. “Just, a second, okay?”

I blew out a long breath and waited. Spring gently reached out with her front paw. She patted Lucifer several times, and Lucifer rolled onto his side. His eyes were fixated on her, but hers were pinned to his head, too.

“Isaac,” I breathed.

“He can’t hurt her.” He wrapped one arm around me from the front, pulling me into his body. “Hold on, okay?”

I fisted his shirt in my hands and watched.

Lucifer stretched out his paws and batted at her several times. Spring responded with a swipe of her own larger paw, and my throat swelled with apprehension.

Lucifer hit her one last time, and Spring swatted him in the face.

I took a step forward.

And she licked his head.

Isaac tightened his hold on me. “This is what I wanted to try,” he whispered. “She lost her babies. I have a feeling she may adopt him as her own.”

“I’m not looking after two cats,” I warned him.

“We’ll co-parent,” he replied without blinking. “It’s fine.”

“Hey, buddy. I didn’t want one cat, let alone two.”

“Well, that sucks.” He grinned down at me. “I think this is the root of her behavior, Han. I think it’s because she misses her babies and she thinks the humans took them from her.”

I softened. “That’s so sad.”

He nodded. “I know. But look at her. She’s taken to him right away. She’s a mum, for sure.”

He was right. Spring was sitting over him, her bright white fur a stark contrast against Lucifer’s pitch-black coat. She was licking his fur like her life depended on it, and for his part, he looked like he was enjoying it.

Isaac lifted his arm and wrapped it around me fully, pulling me properly into his side. “Look at that. Two weeks ago, we were sexting, now we’re cat parents.”