Everything went pretty well, considering their size difference. The dogs sniffed and danced around the puppies once we let them freely intermingle. At one point, Fred splayed his front paws and dropped down, butt still in the air, then sprang up and away like he wanted Doodle to play chase with him. Doodle ran away in sheer terror instead, cowering behind my left foot.
I scooped him up and gave his ears a ruffle. “You’re okay.”
“You’re really good with them, you know,” Ella said. “I’m glad you decided to keep them.”
“Me too. And thank you again. I feel like I owe you so much. For the dogs, and for all the help you’ve put in with the house.”
She gave me a look I’d never seen before. “You can pay me back in tasty treats.” She waggled her brows, just in case I missed the insinuation.
I nearly dropped Doodle. “Ella!”
“What? You started the flirting! Are we not doing the flirting?”
I grinned and set the puppy down. “I thought you didn’t want to take advantage ofme.”
“Fine, I’ll stop.”
I closed the distance between us and raised my hands to cup her cheeks. Her hair was loose, and my fingers slid easily into the silken strands, coming to rest at the back of her head. “Don’t stop.”
She let out a shaky breath and leaned into me. Her hands wrapped around my arms, just above my elbows. She slid her right one up until her fingers brushed the edge of my tattoo. Goosebumps rose in their wake as she traced the bottom of the design.
“How far up does this go?” she asked.
“Stay the night, and I’ll show you.”
She sucked in a breath. “I thought you didn’t think this was a good idea.”
“That was before I knew how well you could handle all my shit.”
She shook her head within my grasp. “It’s not shit.”
A well of emotion bubbled up within me. Hope. Longing. Appreciation. Desire. I liked her. I wanted to be with her. She heard a lot tonight, and she didn’t run away. Her light hadn’t been dimmed by my darkness. She still wanted me.
Brian thought I was ready for this. And I was finally ready to agree with him.
“I want this,” I said. “I want you.”
She leaned in. Her hands disappeared from my elbows and came to rest on my shoulders. They bunched in the fabric of my t-shirt as she stood on her toes and pressed her lips gently against mine.
I nearly groaned into her mouth.
One of the puppies started yipping like a maniac. We broke apart to see Doodle running circles around Fred, who spun in place, trying to keep the puppy in sight while Doodle attempted to leap up and grab his tail.
“That won’t end well for you,” Ella said, stepping away to scoop Doodle up.
I stared at her profile, my gaze lingering on her freckles before moving down, tracing the outline of her breasts, the narrowing of her waist, the swell of her hips.
“Stay,” I said.
Her focus remained on the puppy, her fingers scratching under his chin. “Okay,” she answered softly.
The word ricocheted through me. I wanted to pick her up, fireman style, and sprint up the stairs with her. Instead, we calmly separated the dogs, careful not to touch each other on the off chance that it set off some unstoppable chain reaction. I told her where the puppy food and spare bowls were. She took Fred and Sam across the hallway into the library to get them settled, while I stayed with Boots and Doodle.
We met at the bottom of the stairs a few minutes later. I took her hand and wordlessly led her up them, forcing myself to keep a normal pace. My pulse thrummed, sending adrenaline and lust coursing through me. I turned left at the top of the stairs, opened my bedroom door, and let go of her hand so she could go in first. She paused just inside, inspecting the room. I shut the door and went to her, wishing she was wearing leggings instead of jeans.
“This is nice,” she said.
“You’re nice,” I told her.
