Suddenly, Coco came sniffing, paying special attention to Ocean’s shoes and my ankles. Like his bowls, he couldn’t decide which of our scents intrigued him more, and I thought of Coby again.
At least Coco would never leave me, I thought petulantly.
A moment later, Coco rose onto his hind legs and started pawing at Ocean’s leg for attention. To my surprise, Ocean obliged him, lifting the puppy up with one hand and holding him suspended to stare him down. Coco growled, and Ocean kept staring until the puppy whined and licked Ocean’s hand.
Feeling smug, Ocean looked up at me. “You see, Hunter? Even the dog knows when to submit.”
“I’m not a dog.”
“But you do know, don’t you?” His deep voice had dropped even lower until it was nothing more than a sensual rumble. “When to submit?” Breathing heavier now, I couldn’t movebecause I feared what I might do. “Here,” he said indulgently. “I’ll even make it easier for you.”
Keeping his gaze on me, Ocean set the puppy on his lap, who turned to me and started begging for attention. I tried to pick him up, but Ocean lifted Coco out of reach and then set him back down once I dropped my hand.
I almost snapped at him to keep the damn dog, but Coco was just too cute and adorable not to be mine. The battle of wills between Ocean and me lasted a little longer until Coco began crying at the lack of attention. Ocean scratched between his ears, and even though it soothed the pup, who turned to lay his front paws on Ocean’s chest, it made me seethingly jealous.
“Show me, Vengeance. Show me that you know how.”
I inhaled a shuddering breath. There was an ache between my thighs that grew warmer and damper when I finally gave in, lowering to the floor until I was kneeling between Ocean’s legs.
“So fucking gorgeous,” he praised. “Such a good girl underneath all that violence.”
Biting my tongue, my gaze pleaded as I tentatively reached out to pet Coco.
Ocean smiled and let me.
Not a minute later, Coco wandered off to chew on his toy. I didn’t move from my spot. I didn’t dare. Ocean rewarded me by threading his fingers through my bushy ponytail, paying me the same attention he’d shown Coco.
I should have been offended by it.
Instead, I ended up resting my cheek on his hard thigh while my heart pounded furiously and my stomach did back flips. I peered up at him, and he stared down at me. Neither of us said a word, content to just be in each other’s presence.
I forgot I was supposed to hate him.
A knock on the door startled me awake, and I lifted my head from Ocean’s thigh in time to see his head popping up too from the back of the couch.
I guess we’d both fallen asleep.
Stretching his powerful body, Ocean checked his watch and then leaned down to kiss my forehead affectionately, which succeeded in making me blush and want to kill him at the same time. He then lifted me under my arms and deposited me on the couch next to him like I weighed nothing before rising to his feet and going to the door. Smiling when Coco followed him, I curled up on the couch with my feet tucked under me.
Ocean opened the door, scooped Coco up, and then stood to the side.
A man in a chef’s uniform rolled in a cart filled to the brim with silver dishes covered by plated domes. Abel walked in behind him, and then he and Ocean spoke in low tones before Abel turned right around and left again.
Good riddance.
Abel didn’t like me because I’d bested so many of those weenies he called soldiers, and the feeling was mutual because he dared to get in my way.
The chef rolled the cart to the dining table, quickly and efficiently set the table with dinnerware that looked too fine for the old cabin, and lit a few candles to set the mood.
And then he just left.
Coco padded back over to his bed to sleep while I tried to figure out what the fuck was going on.
“What are you doing?” I questioned in a panic.
Ocean had removed his jacket and was already sitting down at the small kitchen table. He glanced up at me. “We’re going to have dinner together.”
No, no, no. It felt too intimate, even more than our kiss. It was bad enough that we fell asleep together. “What about Coby?”
