Anne Cain Pawprints 1 Pawprints

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for Lal s disregarded fries.
Is there a way they could track you?
It s been two weeks, and I haven t caught their scent on my tail. I don t think they ll
bother.
A heavy silence settled between them in spite of the surrounding din. Hundreds of
shoppers were packed into the Oaks Mall for the weekend and crowded the food court. Lal
leaned an elbow over the back of his chair and watched the people pass. He shifted in his
seat, absently tugging on the hem of his new navy blue T-shirt, and left his new sandals on
the floor to tuck both knees under his chin.
He pulled off a quasi-Goth look with his pale skin, black and white hair falling across
his eyes, silver chain at his throat, and appreciation for darker clothes, but the way he moved
his body reflected a poise that could only be described as feline. And scrunched up the way
he was now on the chair, he reminded Adrian of the scared cat tucked away in the kennel
back at the shelter.
They d enjoyed themselves the entire afternoon up until Marty s phone call. Lal had
never been to a shopping mall before, apparently, and had insisted on exploring just about
every inch of the complex. Adrian had gotten caught up in his enthusiasm, remembering
why he d liked hanging out in malls as a kid in the first place -- especially when they hit the
Tilt arcade. They talked about anything except Lal s past and discovered they were as good
together out of bed as they were in it.
The high-end, flat panel TVs spread throughout the food court were tuned into the
local news, and a story about a vandalized animal shelter just outside of Gainesville caught
Adrian s attention. He shook his head in disgust. How much lower are people going to get?
44 Anne Cain
Lal turned back to him with a curious frown. Adrian gestured to one of the TVs. It s
not enough to wreck up businesses or homes -- animal shelters have to deal with that kind of
shit, too. I don t understand people sometimes. Hell, make that most of the time.
Maybe that explains why you like being around animals so much. A hint of that
playful, teasing smirk appeared at the corners of Lal s mouth.
Very funny. Adrian shook his head, also smiling, and tossed a fry at him. Lal snatched
the bit of food in midair with quick swipe of his hand and dropped it to the table.
I just love working with animals and always have, Adrian admitted. Drove my mom
crazy every time I brought home a stray or whatever lizard I found in the back of the house.
It s a habit you still can t break, Lal pointed out.
Nope. Adrian chuckled. I don t want to either. He reached across the table and
placed his hand over Lal s. I want to ask you something, and I know you might not be
comfortable with it.
Then don t ask. Lal shrugged nonchalantly, smiling without letting the expression
reach his eyes. He tried to change the subject. Let s study before going back.
What does the collar mean?
Adrian squeezed Lal s hand gently to keep him from pulling away. You don t have to
tell me everything if you aren t ready. But I want you to know that whatever kind of life you
had before, things are going to be different. I guess& I guess I want you to be as happy with
me as I am with you.
He let go of Lal when the man stayed quiet. Adrian ran both hands through his hair,
hoping what he d said made sense. It s okay to laugh at me if I sound stupid.
You don t, Lal whispered. He rubbed the back of his neck, fingers gliding along the
silver chain. I m the only fool here, pretending to be something I m not.
What aren t you?
Pawprints 45
Free. Lal s hand dropped to the table. The collar means that every inch of me
belongs to someone. I m a piece of property whose worth is measured by how well he
services a Master. Now that I ve run away, I m not worth anything. He looked up at Adrian
with those piercing blue eyes. Those are all the things I m not.
Lal --
In your bedroom, I told you I m your new pet, Lal interrupted. But that s not
something I want to be. For once, I d rather be bound to a lover by something stronger than
this chain, and you re making me feel like that s possible. But it s safer to be a pet than a
companion, because if I m wrong about finding love, I ll at least have this chain. He looked
away toward the large windows facing the massive parking lot. That answers both
questions.
Lost for words, Adrian stared. Then he got up from the table and knelt beside Lal s
chair. Moving both hands to the back of Lal s neck, he unfastened the collar.
Please don t do this unless you know why, Lal said, voice deep and husky.
Adrian slipped the chain off and tightened his fist around the warm metal. Loving you
is a good enough reason.
Lal tensed, his gaze frozen toward the windows instead of meeting Adrian s. Adrian
straightened, intending a kiss to make the depth of his feeling clear. He never saw it coming
when Lal bolted from the seat.
The man covered the distance to the food court s exit and was gone before Adrian had
the chance draw a breath.
46 Anne Cain
Chapter Seven
A note stuck out from between the front door and the frame when Adrian got home.
He unfolded the sheet of paper with the apartment building s logo stamped at the top.
This is a reminder that Cedar Glen Apartments is a pet-free complex, without
exception. Please remove your -- in the blank space, cat had been scrawled in red ink --
as quickly as possible.
A block of text quoting the apartment s rental agreement followed. Adrian didn t
bother reading through it. He crumpled the paper in one hand and tossed it over the railing [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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