“Oh my gosh,” I whispered, leaning into the counter.
I scrolled through the email, taking in the pictures.Nestled in the pines with a panoramic view of the always snow-capped Humphreys Peak was a tiny wood cabin.It looked cozy and warm, with its cute little wrap-around porch and on the inside, a large bed, a tiny kitchenette, and giant whirlpool tub.
It was incredibly romantic.
Maybe I won’t be the one to initiate sex after all…
I startled when Rory’s hands came to my hips, holding me in place as he rested his chin on my shoulder.“Merry Christmas, Em,” he whispered before running his tongue up the shell of my ear.After a quick nibble on the top, he stepped away, leaving me wanting more.
I wasn’t even sure that we were walking the fine line between friends and lovers any more.I was pretty sure we took the step over but were simply being cautious with the next leap.
“You’re going to relax tomorrow night,” Rory continued as he brought our bowls to the table.“And then you’re going to spend Christmas Eve with your family relaxed, and Christmas day with my family, relaxed.You can go back into frantic mad-woman mode on the 26th, but not a moment before.”He turned toward me with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning back into the table.“And it would be preferable if you waited until nine or ten in the morning, but I’d understand if you went all Cinderella and her pumpkin on me and busted out your study guides at midnight.”
I laughed lightly.“You said no books and that we would study on New Year’s Eve.”
Rory lifted a brow.“Em,” he deadpanned.“You have that shit on your phone.”
He had a point, and he proved he knew me well.“I’ll wait until midday,” I said.“I’ll try anyhow.”I could put aside my studies for three and a half days.I could.
Before I pushed away from the counter and Rory’s laptop, it dinged with a notification.Rory jogged over in a comical, over-exaggerated way, and leaned around me to see.Why he didn’t move me out of the way was beyond me but I liked these little moments.
“Gotta close up my clients for the holiday,” he mumbled, both his arms around me as his fingers played over the keyboard and touchpad, opening up the latest notification.
The email opened; it was an ordinary email and I wasn’t about to be nosy so I wasn’t going to read it, but as soon as the page fully loaded, showing a picture at the bottom of the page, my eyes dropped to it.
Who was sending Rory pictures?
And of…
Puppies?
“Fuck,” Rory mumbled behind me, slamming down the top of his laptop.I frowned over my shoulder at him.An email, pictures of puppies, and that reaction?What in the world?
“Let’s eat,” he said, not elaborating on what the heck just happened and instead, tapping my hip and walking toward the table.
“Rory?”I walked slowly toward the table, climbing into my seat.
“Spam,” he said, looking down at his bowl as he grabbed a napkin from the center of the table.He picked up his fork and took a giant mouthful of noodles.“There’s some Trojan going around right now with pictures.Heard about it yesterday.”
I nodded once slowly, trying hard to contain my grin.
Sure, Rory…
He was a terrible liar.
“Don’t you think we should talk about pets before you actually go and get one?”I asked him, seeing right through the man’s bull.
His green eyes stared through me as he chewed.He was thinking really hard and it made me a little giddy.We were getting a puppy!It was one of his argument points when he first arrived out here; I should have known it was going to happen sooner or later.
Cabin retreat, puppy, going home for the holidays…
A girl could get used to this treatment.
“I knew you’d get excited and want one, but the woman only had one and Con asked me to pick the pup up on the way to San Diego.It’s for the kids.We’ll pick her up after we leave your parents.”
My excitement fell.“Oh,” I said, my fork playing in my noodles.“It’s probably not a great time to get a dog anyway.”I speared a noodle and smeared it around the bowl, scooping up any seasonings that stuck to the sides.“Maybe in the summer.Not that summer semester is any lighter than the regular school year.”
Rory’s socked foot found my shin under the table, where he lightly kicked me twice.“We can leave our number with this lady and maybe the next litter we can pick one out.”
