Edie nodded. “That’s normal for a frightened cat. Have you tried petting her? How is she reacting to you?”
He rubbed his scalp. “Eh, we sort of ignore each other for the most part. Kind of like two cranky roommates.”
She gave him a chiding look before opening the door.
Magnus followed Edie inside, wondering if she was going to comment on the changes he’d made. Three cat trees of various sizes were scattered around the large room, and cardboard-box “houses” had been set up in strategic corners, each one lined with a soft blanket. In the far corner of the room were the food and water bowls, and in the opposite corner, the litter.
Edie made a pleased noise in her throat and glanced back at him. “I see you did most of your homework. Most.”
“Most? Are you kidding?” He gestured at his room. “This looks like cat heaven to me.”
She chuckled again and slipped her shoes off as she entered his room, which always made him think of intimate things. “No, I’m sorry. You don’t get a gold star just yet. Especially not if I had to come back already.”
“Huh?” He was distracted by those small, bare feet on his floor.
“To help you with your cat?” She gave him a chiding look.
Oh, right. “It’s not that I can’t handle her,” he commented, taking off his own shoes. “It’s that I want to get a professional opinion. I can pay for the best, after all.”
She just gave him a thoughtful look and peeked into one of the cardboard boxes.
Three boxes later, they were able to locate Cujo, who was lying on the scarf Edie had left there a few days ago. She sat near the box and began to make soft clucking noises, scratching her jeans to indicate she wanted to pet the cat. After a few moments, Cujo yawned, stretched, and came out to investigate.
“Well, that’s a good sign,” Edie said, her voice in that low, soothing tone he was starting to associate with his cat. “Maybe you don’t need me after all.”
“I don’t know about that,” Magnus said, since he had to keep her here and keep her distracted long enough for Levi to woo Bianca. “I’ve been sitting with her a little over the last day, but she’s still pretty skittish.” He’d been unable to convince Levi to work, so he’d retreated to his room to burn off some of his anger on his treadmill, and had instead sat down on the floor with his laptop and tried to work on a few problem files on his own. The cat had come out to investigate him, but they were still on uneasy terms.
Even now, Cujo was rubbing her head against Edie’s hand, begging for petting. He snorted. “Traitor.”
Edie just flashed him a grin, and that grin blew his socks off. Why was he so fascinated by this woman? She certainly wasn’t dressing to excite him. She wasn’t impressed by his house or his game, and half the time when they talked, they bickered. But there was something about her that filled him with . . . lust. Yeah, that was it. Pure, unadulterated lust. Because if Edie was this fiery outside of bed, he had to wonder what she’d be like inside it. She’d probably be demanding and bitch the entire time he went down on her, one pushy hand pressing on the back of his head while he licked her pussy and—
Fuck, he had to stop thinking like that. Magnus rubbed a palm over his forehead.
“Headache?”
Wrong head . “Something like that.”
She rubbed Cujo’s head for a bit longer, and the cat began to rub up against her leg, happy as a clam. Edie’s expression was utterly peaceful as she picked up the cat and put it in her lap. “She’s used to people,” she commented when the cat immediately curled up in her lap. “Maybe it’s just you she doesn’t like.”
“Ha-ha,” he said sarcastically.
“Cat’s got high standards,” she teased.
Yep. She would definitely be pushy in bed. He liked that.
Her hands moved over the cat’s back, then stroked down her sides. She paused, and then began to move her hands over the cat’s belly even as it hissed and scratched at her, then ran away.
“Way to go. She clearly doesn’t like that.”
“No, she didn’t,” Edie said thoughtfully. “And it’s definitely a she, so you’ll need a new name.” She got up from the floor, awkward and avoiding use of one leg.
He was so distracted by watching her movements that he didn’t catch what she was saying. “New name? Why?”
“Because she’s female,” Edie said, limping back toward him. “And pregnant.”
His eyes widened in horror. “You’re shitting me.”
“I’m not. My guess is that because she’s a Savannah cat, which is a pretty rare breed, she probably belonged to a breeder once. I’m thinking she was in heat, got out, and the owners couldn’t find her. You could always put up flyers to see if someone’s going to claim her. But I’m guessing that her kittens will be part alley cat, so that will have to be dealt with.” She tilted her head up at him. “Do I need to give you the spay-and-neuter pep talk?”
“Isn’t it a little late for that?”
She rolled her eyes. “After the fact, dummy. After she’s had the kittens, have her spayed.”
“Right.” Shit. What was he going to do with kittens? He barely knew what to do with a cat. He was lucky Jenna had showed up to feed the damn thing. The urge to choke Levi was growing by the minute. He thought one cat was bad. Now he was about to have more.
Edie looked up at him expectantly. “Other than that, continue to give her places to nest and hide. If she’s pregnant, she’s definitely going to need lots of hiding spots. More boxes, more blankets. You want to make her feel comfortable here. Keep her in your room, secure, until she has the kittens, or else you might find them in unexpected places.”