Kissed by Cat. Shirley Jump

back to reality. To her damned half existence.

      The curse can only be broken if you can find a man who can love you both as a woman and as a cat, the witch had said. That evil twist on the fairy tale—the witch knew what she’d been doing. No one could love her knowing she was half human and half house pet.

      Even this man, with his clear love for animals, would recoil if he knew what she really was. What she became when the sun went down.

      She stumbled back, breaking the connection. Her breath hitched in her throat. She pressed a hand to her heart, willing it to slow. “That shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry.”

      “Don’t apologize. I was completely at fault. I—” He swallowed hard and took two steps back, once again hiding his face from her in the shadow of the corner, as if the intimacy of their kiss had opened another wound. “It’s best if you leave.”