Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 104305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
He deserved all of my focus and more.
It was about time he got something out of our “relationship” instead of it only being one-sided. He’d been the giver and now…
It was my turn.
When he pulled free of our kiss, he jerked his head back so he could see my face. “Why are you grinning?”
I pinned my lips together and shook my head. “No reason.”
With a twist of his lips, he shot me a suspicious look. “You’re up to something.”
I shrugged. “I’m not, but that puppy will be. Can we put her somewhere to keep her out of trouble while we get into trouble?”
Rett wiggled his eyebrows. “Mmm. We’re getting into trouble?”
“That had been the plan but you surprising me with a puppy I didn’t want might ruin it.”
He raised a finger between us. “Can you put a cork in this while I go get the crate and set it up? Or will that ruin the mood?”
“The mood will be ruined if she shits on the floor.”
He grimaced. “You’re right. Be right back.”
As soon as I released his hips, he rushed past me toward the back door. I followed him to help bring in, not only his overnight bag since we’d need the condoms and lube he usually packed, but all of the puppy’s supplies.
Someone went a little overboard with everything he brought. That meant we ended up taking several trips out to his truck and back to haul in all the canine loot. I had no idea dogs needed so much stuff.
Luckily, it didn’t ruin the mood since Rett was working bare-chested. In fact, I had a hard time keeping my eyes off him to concentrate on digging out the toys, bowls and everything else the puppy would need.
A puppy that was apparently staying.
Rett put a big circle-shaped dog bed under the window in my bedroom and set up the large wire crate next to it. Once he lured the puppy inside the cage with a treat, he quickly closed the door and latched it.
“Just block out any whining,” he instructed.
“From you or Onyx?”
He turned to face me with a single lifted eyebrow. “Remember when you said I wasn’t funny enough to do stand-up?”
My lips twitched. “No.”
“Uh huh. Well, I do. And you had no room to talk then and still don’t. Don’t give up your day job.”
Timber climbed into the dog bed, circled it several times and finally flopped down with a groan while the puppy began the whining I was supposed to ignore.
I wasn’t sure that would be possible. Was sex with ear plugs a thing? I guessed it would be if I owned a pair. “Do you have ear plugs in your bag?”
“Quiet, Onyx,” Rett scolded over his shoulder as he approached me. “Actually, don’t give up your day job, anyway. You’re too good at what you do. You’d disappoint all of your readers and possibly cause a riot.”
“I aim to please.”
“That’s all a man has to hear…” He grinned, wiggled his eyebrows and pointed to the bulge in his jeans.
“Have you been hard this whole time?”
“Not the whole time, but most of it. Are you saying I’m so small you haven’t noticed?”
“Are you fishing for compliments?” I countered. The man was not small. He wasn’t huge, either. He was just right.
“I know what I have,” he announced proudly.
“Then you’ll know the only reason I missed it was because I was put to work hauling in supplies for a four-legged creature.”
“Well, now you can work on this three-legged creature.” He jerked a thumb toward his chest.
A laugh burst from me.
“Damn,” he whispered.
“What?”
“You don’t know how good it is to hear you laugh.”
I thought the same thing earlier when he’d done the same. “The truth is it feels good to laugh. Once again I have you to thank for that.”
He stepped toe to toe with me and grabbed a fistful of my T-shirt. “If you keep thanking me like that, I’m going to get a swelled head… Oh wait,” he grabbed my hand and pressed it to his erection, “too late.”
I laughed again but didn’t remove my hand. I cupped his denim-encased length instead. Hot, hard and so damn tempting.
But, yes, it felt good to finally laugh. And smile. And want to kiss the words right out of someone’s mouth.
No, not just anyone. More specifically, Everett James Williams. A man who did not give up on me when I needed it the most.
“Since you have a grip on my shirt, why don’t you take it off for me?” I suggested.
He purred, “Gladly.”
After he yanked the shirt over my head, he tossed it on top of my dresser. I needed to get out of the habit of dropping clothes on the floor or leaving shoes out. Otherwise, with a puppy in the house, I might have to buy a new wardrobe.