Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
My eyes jerk up when I hear Evan pad into the kitchen. He gets up at seven thirty today. Christ, I hadn’t even realized I’d been sitting here for an hour.
“Morning,” he says rubbing his eyes. Once he looks at me, concern wrinkles his brow. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Got a call last night…woman got roughed up by her boyfriend.” There was never a moment where I didn’t realize I would tell Evan. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t want to talk to Jackson about it or wouldn’t have talked to anyone else. I always talk to Evan. This is how we work. We’re there for each other.
“Shit, Frankie. Why didn’t you call me? Or wake me up?”
I shrug, my finger making circles along the top of the coffee mug.
Evan walks over to me, pulls my beanie off and kisses my forehead. I tug him down to my lap and he comes easily, sitting sideways on me. I wrap my arms around his waist and lean my forehead against his shoulder.
“You should have woken me up. I know how hard this is on you.”
“Just needed a few minutes.”
“I get it, but you know I’m here. This is how we work. We’re here for each other.” It doesn’t surprise me that his words echo my thoughts.
It’s strange, the way we connected from that first night. I’ve always had a lot of friends. I’ve never been the type to really keep to myself or anything like that. Still, I’ve never had what I have with Evan. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that he was always supposed to be my best friend and that he always will be.
So, I let go, let myself purge my sadness about the woman tonight and my mom all those years ago. Evan holds me, kisses my temple, and tells me it’s okay while I sit there and cry on him.
There’s no chance I’d open up like this with anyone else, no way I’d let anyone else see me cry this way. Just Evan.
“Sorry,” I say when I finally get it all out.
“Why? You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m sorry that happened, but I’m glad I get to be here for you.” Because as new as our closeness is for me, it’s even more out of the ordinary for Evan. There are days I can’t help but wonder how I got lucky enough for him to trust me the way he does.
“Thanks, Ev.” I grab his sides, and he wiggles on my lap.
“Don’t start that. You’re the ticklish one. I’ll win this war, Frankie, and you know it.”
Laughing, I hold my hands up in defeat. “You win, you win.” Damn Evan and his wandering fingers that discovered my weakness a few months back.
“That’s what I thought.” He winks, then asks, “You’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“I’ll make you breakfast before you go to bed and I head to work.”
“Thank you.” We talk about his day while he makes French toast. I ask about the trip to the leather store. “And what about that pup hood? I heard you were interested…”
He blushes. “Oh, God. No. Derek is embellishing.”
“Who, Derek? No way.” I figured as much. Evan would have told me by now if he was into that.
We eat together and by the time we’re finished, I can hardly hold my eyes open. “I should hit the sack.” I stand and stretch, my shirt pulling up to show my abs. Evan cocks a brow at me. “See something you like?” I tease.
“Shut up. You know you have a good body. I’m not feeding your ego.”
We laugh. “I’ll do the dishes when I wake up,” I tell him.
Evan nods, stands too and says, “You’re sure you’re okay? I can call in if you want me to.”
His offer makes me smile. “Thanks, but I’m good. You already helped more than you know.” And he truly has.
5
Evan
Derek and his big mouth.
I can’t believe Frankie found out about that puppy hood.
It’s such a strange thing for me to even be interested in.
What kind of person is into something like puppy play? What could they possibly find appealing about it? And why can’t I stop Googling it?
I open my laptop on the desk in my bedroom and search for information on puppy play like I’d search for some dirty porn vids. It’s weird because I would have less of an issue searching for some big bear taking advantage of a twink than with this.
Derek and Z hardly thought twice about it.
But considering Z works at a leather store and Derek is…well, Derek…they probably aren’t reacting the way most people would to this.
For the past few days since Derek and I went to the leather shop, I’ve been doing more and more research. The more I look into it, the more I find that it’s a lot like Derek was saying about the toys at the store. The range of people involved in puppy play varies from those who just treat it like cosplay and don’t do anything sexual to those who enjoy it as a kink in the bedroom. I watch a few videos from guys into puppy play who discuss what they enjoy about it—taking a break from their everyday lives, being able to focus on those sides of themselves that they find more positive—affection, playfulness. That they’re able to shake off their “human” stresses by taking on their puppy personas.