Mind Reader: My Boss Purrs at Midnight

My cat was cursing me out inside his own head. In my boyfriend's voice. Turns out I could suddenly hear every thought both my cats had.

The blue British Shorthair: [Disgusting woman. Always trying to pet me. Who does she even think she is? Sweet Tiffany, now she smells good.

I'm saving myself, body and soul, for her.] The black Maine Coon: [God, she smells amazing. I want her so bad.

I'm going to buy the best bed in the world and spend three days and three nights with her.] That first voice, the one spitting venom at me, was my boyfriend's.

The other belonged to my boss. The icecold lion of a CEO who said exactly what he thought, to anyone, anytime. Later, I gave my "boyfriend" up for adoption.

And the man behind the other voice bought the best bed in the world. Chapter 1 I opened the door to a war zone.

Ten at night, wrung out from a full day at the office, and this was what waited for me. Broken glass. Shredded paper. A potted plant tipped on its side.

The whole living room, wrecked. The culprit was stretched across my roommate's lap, purring while she stroked him.

I hadn't said a word yet, but Tiffany jumped in fast. "Stella, don't blame Lucky. I think there was a mouse. He only made this mess trying to catch it." A mouse.

In the cleanest luxury apartment downtown. Sure. Lucky. That's the blue British Shorthair in her arms, the stray I'd rescued six months ago.

I'd found him halfstarved back then, skin and bones. Now he was round as a furball and, honestly, kind of adorable.

And as Tiffany covered for him, I could have sworn something smug settled over the cat's face. I rubbed my eyes. Looked again. Still there.

He even curled up one side of his mouth, like a dare. Like he was saying: Yeah. I did it. What are you gonna do about it? What the hell. Was this cat possessed? "Stella?

What's wrong?" Tiffany asked, catching the way I stared at him. "Nothing." I shook my head, crossed the room, crouched, and reached out to pet him. "Lucky, sweetie.

If it was for a mouse, Mommy's not mad." Same as always, he shot straight up. Bolted behind Tiffany. Poked his head out and hissed at me. Fangs bared. Eyes all warning.

Like if I so much as touched him, he'd fight me to the death. Chapter 2 But I'm a sucker for that cat. I decided to let it go and win Lucky over with love. I let out a long breath.

For some reason, this cat had never once let me close. My boyfriend, Blake, had explained it to me once. Everyone carries a different scent, and cats have sensitive noses.

Maybe I just smelled wrong to him, or something in my skincare set him off. I believed him. Unloved or not, I'd taken him in anyway. Felt like the decent thing to do.

I got up to deal with the wrecked living room. Then a familiar voice went off right beside my ear. [Disgusting woman. Always pawing at me. Who does she think she is?

Sweet Tiffany smells so good. I'm saving myself, body and soul, for her.] My head snapped toward Lucky.

He'd settled back into Tiffany's arms, getting stroked, thrilled about it. "Stella? What's wrong?" Tiffany asked. "Nothing." I tapped my own ear. Maybe I was just tired.

Maybe I was hearing things. A cat, talking. In my boyfriend's exact voice. I went back to cleaning. Tiffany didn't lift a finger to help.

She just tore open a cat treat and fed it to Lucky, who was glued to her side. [Sweet Tiffany's so good to me. Another treat.] The voice again. I spun around, staring.

His mouth hadn't moved.

But the voice landed right in my ear. [Once Tiffany's got a steady job and her feet under her in this city, I'm dumping that disgusting woman.] My hand closed hard around the shard of glass I'd just picked up.

The sting cut clean through my palm. Sharp. Real. Not a dream. I was hearing this cat's thoughts. And this cat, somehow, was my boyfriend. Why would my boyfriend turn into a cat?

None of it made sense. I'd call him and find out.

But first, my hand. "Stella, how are you always so careless!" Tiffany caught sight of the blood and hurried over, all worry, Lucky never once leaving her arms. "It's fine.

Just a scratch." It was nothing next to what was happening in my chest. Like an arrow driven straight through it. Ache and fury with no bottom to them.

I kept my eyes on my hand and my face smooth. Lucky: [Serves you right.] Once my hand was wrapped, I called my boyfriend. It rang. No answer. Three times in a row. Nothing.

Tiffany sat right beside me. She knew exactly who I was calling. "My cousin's been so busy lately," she said. "Asleep by nine every night.

Phone on silent." Chapter 3 She knew my boyfriend better than I did. Great. I gave up on the calls and decided to go see Blake in person tomorrow, get to the bottom of it.

Then Lucky's voice started up again. [Ugh.] [Busy with work? My company clocks out at six sharp. I never stay late.] [It's because a week ago I got hit by lightning out of nowhere.

Now every night at nine I get dragged into this cat's body, and I don't get my own back until six in the morning.] [Cats live twenty years, tops.

Please tell me I'm not doing this for twenty years. And if the cat dies, do I die too?] So that was it. No need to track him down in person, then.

Somebody up there was looking out for me, letting me hear all of this. I ground my teeth and kept cleaning, quiet as anything. Already working out how to make the cheating pair pay.

Tiffany moved to the couch and switched on the sweet voice. "Stella, how'd it go with the job? When do I get to start at your company?" I let the question sit for a second. Tiffany.

A week ago, Blake had introduced her as his cousin.

He'd even called his mother right there in front of me, told her the cousin had arrived and he'd sort out a place for her to stay.

Looking back now, the woman on that call probably wasn't his mother at all. The whole thing was a performance, and I was the only one in the audience.

Blake had dumped this socalled cousin on me. Put her up, find her a job, just for a little while. And because money wasn't tight and I was that naive, I said yes without blinking.

Because I really did love him. I was dating him to marry him. We were basically family. And family helps family. Family.

I'd been bankrolling my boyfriend's other woman and calling it love. That same day I found this twobedroom rental and we all moved in together. If only I'd known.

I turned and looked at her. She really was pretty. Big round eyes, that soft sweetgirl thing, delicate enough to make anyone want to protect her.

I smiled at the harmless little golddigger. "Don't stress. We're right in the middle of layoffs. The second they're done, I'll walk you straight in." "Stella!

I knew you were the best!" She beamed at me. Living room done, I went back to my room.

I flipped on the light and a huge black Maine Coon launched off the bed and wound around my calves. Just like that, the knot in my chest loosened.

I scooped him up and kissed him all over his face. "Mwah mwah mwah! Onyx, thank god Mommy's got you. You're Mommy's favorite baby in the whole world." Onyx.

The other stray I'd taken in. I'd raised him well. Glossy coat, thick and strong, like a lion who ran the savanna.

Unlike Lucky, who never let me within arm's reach, this one was a clingy mess. Stuck to me like a shadow. Wherever I went, he went.

Always climbing into my lap, sleeping pressed against me at night. The problem was he kept beating up Lucky. A grown Maine Coon runs twice the size of a British Shorthair.

It was never a fair fight. He'd leave Lucky clawed up from head to tail. Before, I used to feel bad for Lucky and scold Onyx for bullying him. Not anymore. Go on, Onyx.

Claw that scumbag wearing a cat's skin to death. Chapter 4 So I had no choice but to shut Onyx in my room. "You're so heavy, baby. Wait on the bed.

Mommy'll shower and be right out." I set him on the bed, dug a towel out of the closet, and went to wash up.

When I came back out, he was sitting square in the middle of the bed, facing the bathroom door, watching me with those bright eyes. I walked over and kissed his forehead anyway.

Don't ask if that's sanitary. I keep him clean. I'm thorough. Blowdried my hair, pulled on pajamas, climbed into bed. Curled up with Onyx and started drifting off.

He purred against me. [She smells so good. I want her so bad.

I'm going to buy the best bed in the world and spend three days and three nights with her.] I bolted upright, slapped on the bedside lamp, and stared at him like I'd lost my mind. [Hm?

What's gotten into her?] He padded over, trying to snuggle back in. I scrambled off the bed and held him at arm's length. "Onyx, Mommy's been feeling under the weather.

I don't want you catching anything. Sleep in the living room tonight, okay?" It sounded like I was asking. I wasn't. I scooped him up and set him out the door. Shut it.

Pressed a hand flat to my chest, to my heart slamming away. That voice. Why did Onyx sound exactly like my icecold, sayanything lion of a CEO?

Did he get struck by lightning too, and end up in a cat? "MEOWWWWL