Instead, I lean close, the rain coming down heavier now. “The only way Ladybug is leaving with you is if we share custody.” My eyebrow quirks at her indignant, gorgeous look. “At the very least, she’s half mine.”
Bree hitches her breath, her smallish tits heaving. Why does this turn me on?
“Fine.” She retrieves her phone and hands it over. “Put your number in.”
I do what the sassy vixen asks, handing it back to her as she slides into her driver’s seat.
“Annoyingly Hot Lumber Enthusiast? That’s your name?”
I shrug, leaning across her body to speak to Ladybug. A loud clap of thunder booms around us. “Be a good girl for Mommy. I’ll see you soon.” I blow a kiss to the puppy, sad that the little one isn’t coming home with me.
Mommy? Did I really have to go there?
From the smile I see in the rearview mirror, it was the perfect choice.
Chapter 7
Bree
Isit in my corner lounge chair, Ladybug stretched out on my lap, the rain steady. She’s on her back, paws dangling in the air as if she doesn’t have a care in the world. My heart is full with this sweet little pupper on my lap. The clinic confirmed that she is a puggle mix, her sandy orange fur still puppy soft. They estimate she’s about twelve weeks old, so she’ll keep growing.
Curious, I stroke her fur, wondering how long she had been wandering around. I’m so glad Declan and I were able to rescue her.
Declan.
Why was I so awful earlier? He has the same rights to Ladybug as I do. The guy gave the shirt off his back so that the dog could be safe. However, none of that mattered after Dr. Valentine walked into the exam room. It was obvious those two have a history. It wasn’t the same as the girl he was with last night at Kaleidoscope. You could tell it was new.
But Lacey and Declan? History. With a capital H.
Ugh.
I’ve been around men who collect numbers like trophies my whole career. Even before that, really. My sorority was known for legacies that date back to the inception of the university. Boys pressured by families to marry well looked to Rho Kappa Kappa for wife material. But I wouldn’t have any of it. I wanted real or nothing. I dated, of course, but I could tell within minutes if the guy was interested in me or my name.
So I made a pact with Serena and Natalie to never settle. And we’ve all stuck to that. Serena happened to marry the president of Kappa Nuu, but that was a coincidence. He would do anything for his wife. Nat and me? We’d rather be alone than married for any reason other than love.
I don’t make it a practice to make out with people I don’t know. But there’s something about Declan that speaks to me at a cellular level. It’s like I can’t stay away. In the recording studio, I did my best to keep things light. But each second that passed revealed a little more of his personality, which I was drawn to even more than his kisses.
And then I stole the puppy right out from under him. That wasn’t my intention. It’s just that he was so smug with his “Nobody’s decided that yet” nonsense in his sexy-as-sin voice, the slight grumble setting my loins ablaze. I have a thing about not being told what to do. Old habits and all that. Bring this up with her dad later
Ladybug whimpers in her sleep, her little body trembling. I stroke her torso, my fingers making small circles on her fur. Her breathing slows, and her body settles down. Poor thing. I open my phone to Declan a quick text, thankful we traded numbers for the puppy’s sake.
Me: Ladybug is doing great.
Annoyingly Hot Lumber Enthusiast: I’m glad to see that. Miss her already.
Me: Want to trade tomorrow?
I hit send before sense takes over. The pup has been through a lot of traumas the last 24 hours. Keeping her in one spot might be best until she gets comfortable.
Annoyingly Hot Lumber Enthusiast: That would be great.
Me: Or you could come over now.
My fingers are completely detached from my brain, staging a full mutiny and acting on their own reckless authority.
Annoyingly Hot Lumber Enthusiast: What’s your address.
Right as I send my address, my skin prickles, suddenly too aware of my actions. And the way my stomach flutters? I didn’t even do this when I met Grayton Wilde at a Grammy’s after party. He had similar dark hair and blue eyes, and even asked for my number. But that spark just wasn’t there.
