Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“He’s going to think you’re so cute.” I had no idea how Jude would respond, so I stayed focused on what I knew. “And Bates is going to give you pets and hugs and you’re going to make him smile.”
That earned me a bark and he nudged me toward the bed.
“I know. I know. Tail time.” Yep, another wiggly bark said I was a very smart Handler. “You’re going to have so much fun. Brady’s going to be so excited.”
Getting the tail on just right while he was shifting and squirming was like trying to catch a greased pig, not get a pup ready to play. But I managed it without killing him and without telling him to stand still, mostly because I wasn’t sure he could do it.
We were definitely going to start practicing commands…sit and stay being some of the first.
With the right reward, I had no doubt he’d be a very eager-to-learn pup, but I knew I’d have to do some research because the only things I knew that would work as rewards were cookies and orgasms.
“All set.” Running my hands over his head and down his back, I just soaked up his innocent excitement for a minute and did my best to relax.
I knew there was nothing to worry about, but logic and fear didn’t go hand in hand.
Jude didn’t want to hurt Gareth, so I knew he wouldn’t say anything wrong, and Brady was too excited for me to worry about anything. It would be fine, but it was technically the first time anyone outside of our immediate family had seen Gareth as a pup and me as his Handler.
It was the closest that anyone had ever seen me be a Dom and it was weird.
Not bad…but really strange.
I didn’t know how long we sat there and I petted Gareth, but before I knew it, the front door was opening and I heard voices in the living room.
“You remembered the curtains.” Jude didn’t seem pissy, so I took it as him actually being grateful. “Brady wouldn’t mind the neighbors getting an eyeful, but I’m tired of the weird questions.”
Hmm.
Had the neighbors cornered them too?
“Daddy?” Brady had a slightly whiny tone in his voice and I could hear his patience dwindling. “Daddy, puppy?”
Gareth was vibrating with excitement and he was wiggling so much his tail was swinging back and forth. “Are you ready to play?”
It was a ridiculous question and just got him more worked up when Brady heard me and let out a squeal. “Puppy.”
Yep, he wasn’t going to have any issue playing with Gareth’s pup side.
“Let’s go play.” Little Brady was something I knew. Pup Gareth was something I knew. Bates would be happy and confident no matter what. Jude would be frowning no matter what. “Yes, we’re going to have so much fun, pup.”
It was going to be fine and there would be no surprises.
Chapter 24
Bates
Nothing was going like I’d expected except for Brady and Gareth.
Brady’s squeals as he called to the puppy had to be echoing through the building, and Gareth’s excited bark every time Brady called out for him was everything I’d imagined…and adorable. But Jude was another story altogether.
He was relaxed.
He wasn’t frowning.
He was even sitting on the floor and smiling every time Brady raced by the front of the couch, either chasing Gareth or running from him.
It was slightly unnerving because it wasn’t anything like I could’ve predicted. I’d expected nervous. I’d expected growly. I’d expected him to be an obsessive worrier over Brady…but he was very calm and just taking it all in, and I wasn’t sure why.
And I wasn’t the only one who was confused.
Even Cashel kept sending the carefree-looking Dom questioning glances, but thankfully, he was sitting just to the side and mostly out of view of the normally frowning Daddy who was leaning against the couch.
We’d spread out around the room without thinking about it, probably knowing the chaos of Brady and Gareth running around, but giving Cashel some space from Jude seemed to be working out well. Cashel was confused, but he wasn’t glaring daggers at Jude or assuming the worst, and Jude was pleasant.
So we’d made a surprising amount of progress.
But part of that might’ve been because Jude was smiling and giving instructions to Brady like the whole thing was perfectly normal. “Gentle pets, Bambi. Don’t hurt the puppy.”
Considering the puppy outweighed Brady by a significant amount, I wasn’t worried, but since it might be Jude’s way of being nice to the puppy, I didn’t point it out.
I did, however, watch curiously as everything moved in perfect harmony.
It was actually kind of disturbing and I was wondering how to check to see if Jude was a pod person when Brady threw the ball down the hallway again and the partners in crime went racing off together. “I think I’m going to need to find a longer place for them to play next time.”