Stephanie was grateful at the moment that the two houses next to her sat empty. Sometimes it was lonely. But with a mischievous cat like Steve, she knew that any neighbors would not have taken so kindly to the nosey, roaming fuzzball that she now oversaw.
Without wasting another moment, Stephanie hurried towards the fleeing feline that was purposely ignoring the sounds of her calling. He wasn't even falling for all the promises of everything from a million chin scratches to all the tuna he could consume if he just came home.
The back gate stood open as if someone had just walked through it moments before. However, Stephanie had not seen a single person there for months. She only paused for a moment before pushing ahead. With how large Steve was, she honestly wouldn't have been shocked if Steve had somehow managed to bump it open during his expeditions.
She searched the small yard singing her sweetest "kitty, kitty, kitty." to no avail. As she made her way back to the gate, Stephanie began to count the exact amount of fur she would have to pluck before she could make kitty stew.
Stephanie had almost got to a hundred hairs when she caught sight of the tip of Steve's tail once more... just as it shot into the house through a cracked door.
"Are you kidding me?!" Stephanie hissed. "Sneaking into a backyard is one thing. But sneaking into a house is breaking and entering! We've discussed this, Steve!"
When Steve didn't come strutting back out, Stephanie knew she didn't have a choice. She was pretty sure that Steve knew it as well! She groaned and slowly pushed the back door open a few more inches so she could slip in behind her cat.
"Steve!" Stephanie whispered sharply, jumping slightly as her voice echoed off the bare walls of the empty house.
She knew it was irrational, but she was terrified that someone would jump out at her and scream, "INTRUDER!"
"Steve!" she hissed again when she spotted her cat at the top of the stairs. "Get your furry butt back here!"
Steve stopped briefly at the top of the stairs and blinked at her nonchalantly.
"Don't you dare!" Stephanie demanded, reading his feline mind. "Don't you take another step! Get back here... RIGHT NOW!"
Steve just flicked his tail at her in that saucy tone that only cats could pull off and headed up the stairs as if he owned the place.
Stephanie stomped her foot and growled furiously. She didn't want to go up those stairs and thought briefly about heading home. Maybe Stephanie would close the door behind her and leave him there for a while. She was sure she would hear him yowl when he was hungry, and maybe that would teach him to listen when she told him to come home. Perhaps she just needed to wait for him to be done with his investigations and be patient.
Stephanie groaned again and headed up the stairs. She really had no choice but to go up after him. Stephanie needed to get her wayward familiar home. She needed to practice before the ceremony, and it would be more authentic if her cat were there.
The second floor held several enormous rooms with large walk-in closets. Each of those closets held a ton of shelves, cubbies, and perfect little hiding places for an extremely annoying kitty to hide in.
Stephanie was forced to search each and every spot. All the while, she got more and more aggravated when Steve was nowhere in sight. Her temper was on the verge of exploding when she finally made it to the last room. It was tampered slightly by the knowledge that Steve was running out of places to hide.
Stephanie gave a giggle that sounded borderline insane. "Whatcha gonna do now, Steve?"
She threw open the closet door and began searching the final set of cubbies, knowing she would win this little game of hide and seek. She was going to grab him and head home as fast as she could. Once home, she would give him a long and thorough bath. Not because he needed it... but because she knew he would whine the whole time.
"Serves him right for putting me through this torment!" Stephanie murmured.
She got to the last few boxes and laughed, feeling slightly victorious; there was nothing that could stop her now!
A large shadow suddenly blocked the natural light that came from the open windows. Stephanie felt her heart stop as she slowly realized that the shadow was much too big to belong to her animal.
"The real estate agent said the house came with an amazing view. I just thought she was talking about the woods," came an amused drawl, solidifying her worst fear.
The voice echoed off the walls and seemed to hit her ears several times before finally sinking into her melted brain. Slowly, Stephanie looked over her shoulder to see the giant form that cast a shadow over her was standing no more than a foot away.
"I-I," was all she could say as she tried to scramble to her feet.
It was extremely difficult when her knees were jelly and protesting having to hold her upright. She was done. FINISHED! She had no idea who this person was, but her gut screamed she was in trouble. The butterflies suddenly burst open and shot at every nerve ending, causing her body to refuse to properly function.
A meow drew the attention of the shadow away from her and down to his feet. The traitorous cat purred like a perfectly tuned motor and rubbed itself around the man's ankles in absolute adoration.
"Hello, there, pretty kitty," the man purred back to the cat.
The sound of his deep rumbling voice caused Stephanie to melt in a completely different way. Heat rushed through her, and she had the silly sensation of wanting to wind herself around this man just to hear that purring tone directed at her.
"What's your name, sweetie?" the man crooned.
"Stephanie," she breathed out, enthralled.
"A cat named Stephanie?" the man asked with a chuckle.
"Huh?" Stephanie responded, thoroughly confused.
"Your cat? You named it Stephanie?"
His words finally sunk in, and she realized in mortification that he had been talking to the cat.
"No, his name is Steve. My...My name is Stephanie," she corrected lamely.
The man cocked his head slightly, and his lips turned up in a cock-sure grin. He seemed to know the effect he had on women and enjoyed watching them squirm.
Despite her logical mind screaming at her to stay away, Stephanie took a step forward, drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Her overwhelmed senses were drawn to the warmth that was radiating from him. She was caught in his thrall... completely under his spell.
Unexpectedly, he stepped back, and the light from the window temporarily blinded her but managed to break her out of whatever odd magic she was under. She had never come across the magic that he held over her. Stephanie had been raised around magic, seen every power there to be seen. But she had not seen the magic that this man held.
Stephanie knew she was acting like a complete fool, but she couldn't stop herself from staring at the man in front of her.