Mr. Purr-fect and the Geek (Gone Geek, #2)

by Sidney Bristol

  “Raul—”

  “No, you’ve been pissed off at me for over a week, and now I want to talk about it from my side.” He glared at her and she wanted to burrow under the sofa. “I—I never asked you to do the fundraiser or put the new website together or anything. You took that on yourself, and I am so incredibly grateful. It’s shown me how awesome you are. Sharing my dreams with someone as crazy into them as I am has been special. And yeah, I got carried away. I own that. For that, I am so, so sorry.”

  “But—”

  “I’m not done yet.” He pulled her hands away from the kittens, though all it really accomplished was giving Runty two sets of hands to attack. “I...love you. I love you. I love your generosity. I love how much you care about others. I love that big, beautiful brain of yours. All the crazy shit you come up with. I love you.”

  Oh shit.

  She was crying.

  And—yes, that was a hiccup.

  “But, Miranda?” Raul pushed her hair out of her face. “The rescue is not more important to me than you are. It just isn’t. It’s a dream, something I’m passionate about, but if you’re telling me I have to choose? I choose you. I will always choose you...and that’s how I knew I was in love with you.”

  She couldn’t see for all the tears. Kitten claws dug into her thighs, and concerned mewls signaled the rest of the brood was awake. Raul wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer, almost into his lap.

  “I love that you worked so hard for my dream. You make magic happen when you put your mind to it, but I don’t want it, if it’s going to break us.” He kissed her face, his fingers swiped at her tears.

  “I don’t want you to give up on the rescue.”

  “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “I love you.” She blinked away the tears.

  It was way too fast to move in together, to make statements of love, but here they were. And she wouldn’t change it at all.

  Miranda scooped up the squirming fur-brats, put them on their mama, and crawled into Raul’s lap. He held onto her, muttering words she couldn’t understand, stroking her back.

  “Later, we’ll have to have a serious discussion about how you charge off with a plan before anyone else can vote on it.” He kissed her temple, then her mouth. “You love me?”

  “I do. If Lola could love you, I didn’t stand a chance.”

  “I’ll remember to thank Lola later.”

  They smiled at each other.

  “You...look kind of tired. You sure you don’t want to sleep?” Raul stroked her back, much like a cat.

  “No. I might not sleep until they catch Frank.”

  “Okay then, it sounds like the only thing to do is—play video games. That’s about the only thing you won’t fall asleep during.”

  “Hey.” She poked him. “I did not fall asleep during sex. It was a draining orgasm.”

  “Since when do you snore when you come?”

  “Asshat.” She smacked his chest and the both laughed. “You want to start everything up? I’ll put on some coffee, grab a few snacks, and be down to kick your ass in a minute.”

  “Those are some big words.” He swatted her bottom as she scampered to the kitchen, a trail of kittens in her wake.

  This was right. Being with Raul felt good. And if they could make it work...it was the best gift in the world.

  Frank pulled the gun from the waistband of his trousers.

  Those footsteps were getting awfully close...

  He hadn’t been able to make out most of the conversation, except for a word here or there. It was impossible to make heads or tails of what was going on. They just needed to go the fuck to sleep already.

  Heavy thuds echoed down the stairs.

  Well, hell.

  Frank put his back up against the wall and pointed the gun at the opening.

  It had to be him. The one Miranda had chosen instead of Frank.

  Raul paused at the foot of the stairs and flicked the lights on.

  “Don’t. Move.” Frank stared down the sights at his target.

  At least things were finally starting to get interesting.

  Raul swallowed.

  Miranda was upstairs.

  Could he signal her somehow? Warn her?

  “Step forward,” Frank said.

  If Raul moved away from the stairs, Miranda wouldn’t see him until it was too late.

  “How long you been here, Frank?” Could he stall? Would Miranda take her time?

  “Doesn’t matter. Step this way, now.”

  “You going to shoot me?” If Frank shot now, Miranda would know. She’d get away. Protecting her was his only goal.

  “I will if you don’t move. Ouch! Damn cat.” Frank kicked his leg and a small thud hit the carpet.

  The kittens.

  Shit.

  Raul took one, then two steps forward and Frank kept pace with him.

  “God damn it, you little fucker, stop.” Frank shook his leg, his attention torn.

  “Do you expect Miranda to—what? Go with you? Be with you? Love you?”

  “None of your concern.”

  But it was. He’d already tried to kill Miranda once tonight. Raul wasn’t about to let him do anything else to her.

  Footsteps descended the stairs.

  “Hey, Raul—”

  Frank glanced away from him.

  Raul dove, hitting Frank in the stomach with his shoulder. The blast of the gun going off made Raul’s ears ring. The only thing that penetrated the ringing was the sound of Miranda screaming.

  Had she been hurt?

  He couldn’t look.

  Frank and Raul fell to the floor.

  “Run—Miranda—run! He’s got a gun!”

  The gun cracked against the back of Raul’s head. White stars spun in his vision. A fist connected with his jaw, a knee with his stomach.

  Stop Frank.

  Protect Miranda.

  That was all that mattered.

  Miranda fell up the stairs, fear giving her flight. Tamara and Max had always said that if running were an option—do it. Defending herself was one thing, but against a guy with a gun? She was out of her depth.

  She crawled up the last remaining ones, Demon licking her face. She scrambled across the living room, nearly tripping on Lola flying toward the basement in Miranda’s sprint toward the stairs.

  She couldn’t help Raul, not in a fight with a gun. But she had Max on speed dial.

  Her foot caught on the rug and she pitched forward into the doorframe to her bedroom. She didn’t have time for the pain. She charged forward, threw herself into the closet, and grabbed the cordless phone.

  “Max? Max pick up!”

  She kicked the door shut and braced it with her foot, the only sounds that of her breathing and the ringing phone.

  Raul rolled with Frank, one hand on the man’s wrist. Shit, the man was in good shape.

  “Ow!” Frank howled and his hold slipped.

  Raul wrenched the gun out of the other man’s hold.

  Lola and Shiva were on either side of Raul’s head. At least one of them had raked their claws across Frank’s face. The man sported several long, bloody gashes across his cheek.

  Raul swung, his fist connecting with Frank’s jaw.

  Shiva swiped at Frank’s hand, her hiss nowhere near as bad as her bite once she got her fangs in Frank’s hand.

  “Miranda?” Raul bellowed.

  Voices.

  Yelling.

  Feet pounding the floor.

  “Frank, stop right there.” Max stood poised at the foot of the stairs, gun in hand.

  “Get these fucking cats off me!” Frank tossed the runt aside.

  Raul hauled back and laid a hard hook into Frank.

  Hands hauled him off and to his feet. The other officers shoved him up against the wall while Max and another officer wrestled Frank to the floor. Their mouths moved, but Raul’s ears were still ringing from the gun going off. He watched as Max slapped handcuffs aro
und Frank’s wrists.

  There were too many people in the basement. The cats hissed. An officer picked up the gun Raul had dropped.

  “Miranda? Where’s Miranda?” The officers kept shoving Raul back in the corner. Probably for Frank’s protection. “Where’d the black kitten go? Runty?”

  “Here. Take your damn cat.” Max dislodged Runty from his pants leg and thrust him at Raul. “Miranda’s probably—”

  “Raul?”

  “Oh, fuck me.” Max rolled his eyes.

  Miranda descended the stairs, Demon in one arm, two kittens in the other.

  “Let him go,” Max barked. “You two stay there.”

  Miranda rushed to Raul’s side while the two officers hauled Frank to his feet and then up the stairs.

  “What the fuck are these? Attack cats?” Max gave Lola and Shiva a wide berth.

  Both of the cats sat perched on the back of the gaming sofa, crouched and ready to pounce, tails swishing back and forth in time.

  “Will you look at that?” Miranda peered at the two cats, hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder.

  “I guess all they needed was a common enemy. You okay?” He hugged Miranda to him.

  “Are you?”

  “Yeah. This little guy is going to follow in his mother’s paws.”

  “Oh my God.” Miranda wrapped her arms around Raul’s waist. “It’s over. Is it over?”

  “The nightmare is over.” Raul kissed the top of her head and cuddled her closer. “The rest is just beginning.”

  Epilogue.

  Two months later...

  “Hey, hey—that goes over here!”

  Miranda waved John and Raul across the room. They positioned the sofa under the window while she pushed a cat tree up against one side. Something had to be done about the curtains, but it was looking pretty good.

  “How’s it looking?” Raul looped his arm around her waist and paused to take in the finishing touches.

  “Pretty good, if you ask me.” She leaned into him, reveling in the way he made her feel. Warm. Safe. Loved.

  “Just a few more days and this place is going to be open. All because of you.” He kissed her forehead.

  “Because of us.” She poked him in the ribs.

  It’d taken her a few therapy sessions to fully understand how off her rocker she’d gone between getting those roses and Frank’s attack. She’d thrown herself into Raul’s dream, nearly wrecking it—and them—in the process. But they were good now. Better than good. They were happy.

  “So, can I show you something I did?” Raul peered down at her. “I did a thing.”

  “A...thing?” Those words sounded an awful lot like hers...

  “A thing.”

  He took her hand in his and led her back through the guest areas, their exam room and into the big kennel area. Miranda hadn’t been able to spend as much time in this part of the facility since they’d finished painting because it was an easier set up.

  “What did you do?” she asked.

  “A thing. Come here.”

  Raul led her to one of the doors off the kennels. They were large closets, or small offices. So far they hadn’t decided how to use them. Yet. So, Miranda hadn’t made plans for them.

  He pushed open the door and flipped on the lights.

  Miranda blinked at the desk and futon set-up. An...office? He was surprising her with...a workspace?

  Raul closed the door, shutting out almost all of the excited puppy chatter.

  “I...don’t understand,” she said slowly.

  “I was thinking...” Raul tugged her over to the futon.

  “That’s dangerous. Hurt yourself.”

  “Haa. Haa. Funny. No, I didn’t.” Raul sucked in a deep breath. “I’m going to have to spend a lot of time up here.”

  “Yeah.” Oh, God, where was this going?

  “And...like we discussed, you’re going to step back. Do something for yourself.”

  “Raul, spit it out already.”

  “You want to write your books. I want you to write your books. Even if you never publish them or let me read them. But...what if you had a place up here to write? So, you know, we could still be together. I know you were concerned about how little we’d be able to hang out once things got going and...this just seemed like a good solution.”

  Miranda opened and closed her mouth.

  He—what?

  “Don’t kill me, but I brought your inspiration board up here today just so you could get a feel for how it’d be.” He let go of her hands and pulled her cork board out from behind the desk.

  She watched as he hung it over the top of the futon.

  “It could go here, or maybe over the desk, or near the door. I don’t know, but I wanted you to see it. And, maybe we could have a kitten condo. Runty would probably love being the only cat here with you if you wanted to bring him back and forth.”

  “Seriously?” Miranda couldn’t breathe.

  It was too much.

  Completely out of left field.

  “Do you...like the idea? I know the furniture is second hand, and we can get something better—”

  “It’s perfect.” She squeezed his hand in hers.

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” Miranda hugged him tight and blew out a deep breath. “You got me a Crazy Cat Lady mug, too?”

  “I have a Crazy Cat Dude mug, too.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. So, what do you say? Do you want to write books about fated mates and space here? Or should I put the mops back in here?”

  “Don’t you dare put mops near my inspiration board.”

  He grinned. He was her fated mate, if that sort of thing existed for humans. He’d taken her crazy in stride, and loved her regardless. She hoped to spend many, happy years living this dream. Together.

  You can stay up to date on the whole Gone Geek crew in Beauty and the Geek, The Jock and the Geek

  and The Gamer and the Geek .

  Stay tuned for The Adorkable Girl and the Geek in 2017.

  Sign up for the New Release Newsletter at www.SidneyBristol.com to get inside scoops and free books.

  Beauty and the Geek

  Gone Geek 1

  Professor Steven Kipper is used to the stares, the muttered insults. Monster. Disgusting. Gross. It's all he's ever known. Relationships suck when his date won't even go out in public with him, which is why he hasn't bothered. That is until her. The woman on the internet who gets his every quirk. He's hooked on a person he's never met. The way she gets his jokes, the uninhibited sexuality and...just talking to her. She's everything he's ever wanted, only she's a stranger. Unless he can convince her they should unplug and take their virtual relationship off-line.

  Tamara Roh has heard all the insults from slut to whore and they bore her. She refuses to let other people define her. Life's tough in the gaming industry, and if she can't handle a few insults the haters will chew her up and spit her out. Her only haven is with her friends and in one very explicit chat room. On-line she can be anyone she wants to, even the normal girl-next-door who just happens to get off on dirty talk, erotic gifs and video chats from the neck down. She might not be able to trust guys in real life to see past the Hot Asian Girlfriend stereotype, but with her internet beau anonymity is her safety net. The only problem is...she's falling for a man who thinks she's someone else.

  The Jock and the Geek

  Gone Geek 3

  Samantha Grant is at a dead end in life. Fired from her job because her father happens to be the Secretary of State is just the icing on the cake. At least she has Monster-Go to fill her empty hours. Except she's not the only one playing the augmented reality phone game. Her ex, the jockiest jock of all is, too. And he just happens to be on the rival team. She'll take this competition to a whole new level in the name of winning the title as the best Monster Master in the Capital.

  Oliver Falcón is in love with his boss' daugh
ter. The problem is, she hates him with the passion of a thousand, fiery suns. He broke her heart to protect her once, and now he wants her back. Strategy has always been his gift, and this time he's got a plan to not only win Sam back, but show her just how much he belongs in her world. He's gone geek, and he's never going back. Past secrets haunt the former lovers, and as much as Oliver wants Sam back in his arms, he'll break her heart again if it means protecting her.

  The Gamer and the Geek

  Gone Geek 4

  Rashae Grant should be over the moon. Her life-long dream of creating original art for a board game is finally happening. Except the campaign manager, a sinfully sexy Irishman, can't seem to stand her. At every meeting she's talked over and her designs picked apart. What's the point of getting to work on her dream if she doesn't even recognize it anymore?

  Declan Loveridge has staked everything on the success of this project, and if pulling it off means he has to breathe down Rashae's neck, he'll have to ignore the way she smiles, the twinkle in her eye and how she makes him laugh when he shouldn't. One ill-advised kiss turns into many, and soon the holiday nights are heating up from more than just the kettle.

  Friends with benefits is the perfect solution to their problems. Disagreements are better solved between the sheets, but Declan has never been a man to settle, and Rashae doesn't know how to lead without her heart. While the lovers are busy creating a masterpiece, another kind of artist is out to take them for everything they've got. A scam turns into a scandal this holiday season in The Gamer and the Geek.

  Book List

  Gone Geek

  Beauty and the Geek

  The Vet and the Geek

  The Jock and the Geek

  The Gamer and the Geek

  The Adorkable Girl and the Geek

  The Star and the Geek

  Aegis Group

  Blind: Killer Instincts

  Dangerous Attraction

  Dangerous in Training

  Dangerous Games

  Dangerous Assignment

  Dangerous Protector

  Hot Rides

  Drive

  Shift

  Chase

  Bayou Bound

  Picture Her Bound

  Duty Bound

  Bound Memories

  Bound & Tamed

  Other BDSM Titles

  Committed: Drug of Desire