‘Fuck’s sake, it’s a solid door. What did you think was going to happen, you lunatic?’ Rosie cried, holding onto a leash tightly with one hand whilst the other held a bag full of Roxy’s things.
Roxy didn’t seem all that concerned that she was attached to her mum and couldn’t go anywhere. Her feet scrambled on the pavement as soon as she saw me, whining loudly, tongue lolling out of her mouth.
‘I apologise for what’s about to happen.’ Rosie called a moment before she dropped the leash, and Roxy took off like a bullet straight towards me. Before she could jump up, I crouched down and let her barrel straight into my chest. Not knowing whether she was coming or going, she kept switching from trying to lick me, to rolling on her belly.
‘Someone’s full of beans this morning.’ I took her face between my palms and gave her a scratch behind the ears.
‘And she’s already been for a walk this morning.’ My head tilted to the side as Rosie deposited the bag of stuff in the backseat.
Picking up the leash so she wouldn’t run off, I stood up, halting, when I saw Rosie staring at the back of my truck, frozen in place with her hand on the door.
‘What’s up?’ I asked, even though I had a feeling I knew exactly what brought that panicked expression to her face.
‘You have a travel blanket and dog harness,’ she said numbly.
I came up beside her, easing her out of the way to let Roxy hop up onto the seat.
‘Figured it would be safer, and didn’t want her to be uncomfortable on the drive down.’ The stupefied look on Rosie’s face made it seem like buying something small for her dog was a grand gesture. I knew Rosie’s personal feelings about grand romantic gestures. They were akin to lighting herself on fire.Her words, not mine.
‘You didn’t need to do that,’ she said sharply, her head snapping to look up at me. The defensiveness in her posture and the way her eyes narrowed made the back of my neck prickle with anger. Not at her, but at the fact that this girl thought me buying some shit for her dog was something I did to manipulate her. To control her. I saw the flash of fear enter her eyes as she searched my face, looking for something she wouldn’t find.
My head didn’t have a chance to catch up to my actions and tell me to calm the fuck down, before my hand lifted and wrapped around the back of her neck, yanking her against my chest. A gasp left her. Stopping her brain from overthinking, I clashed our mouths together, shutting the car door and crowding her up against it. Her taste exploded in my mouth,hot and delicious.God, her pussy must taste even better.I knew this girl, knew her like the back of my hand and yet she had my heart nearly stopping dead in my chest with one kiss.
Her tongue darted out to tentatively tangle with mine, and my grip on the back of her neck flexed. My mind played over the sounds of her moaning over the phone, and the soft whimpers she made when she came. When she made that same noise in the back of her throat, like she would fade away if I didn’t touch her, I slowly pulled away.
She slumped back against the door, looking dazed. I fought the smile from my lips at seeing her so unguarded.Because of me.I traced her kiss-swollen lips with the pad of my thumb, earning me another stuttered inhale.
‘This is not some big imposition. It’s the bare fucking minimum, sweetheart,’ I said, panting.
Doubt crept into her eyes before it vanished. She completely stole all the air from my lungs when her hands reached up, locked behind my neck, and she pulled me down, sealing our lips together again.
Only this time, it was different. It wasn’t a spur of the moment, fuelled by passion kiss. This one was soft. Her lips grazed over mine as if she was exploring, softly and wondrously. Both hands clutched at her waist, I let her take all the time she needed, enjoying the fuck out of having her pressed so tightly to my body. When I tugged her even closer and our lower halves connected, my hard length pressing right up against her stomach, she pulled back on a gasp.
‘Fuck, what the hell are you doing to me?’ she said as she sagged in my hold, keeping her arms twined around my neck.
Voicing the turmoil she put me in was a dangerous thing, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care, as long as I had her this close. I gave her another swift kiss and muttered, ‘Same thing you’re doing to me.’
Her head tilted back to look me in the eye and what I saw there nearly shook my goddamn world. Gone were all the guarded layers. She stared like she was seeing me for the first time.
The intimate moment ruptured when a loud bark sounded from inside the car. Rosie jumped. Unlinking her hands behind my neck, she glanced over her shoulder to see Roxy’s nose pushed up against the glass, smearing her snot all over it.
We both burst out laughing.
‘I’ll uh, just go up and grab my suitcase,’ she said, pressing her palms to her flushed cheeks.
I secured all the boxes and made sure Roxy was clicked into the safety harness, earning myself some licks and a whole lot of slobber for my efforts. By the time Rosie came down, a small suitcase rolling behind her, my cock had managed to get itself under control.
We got into the car. After I turned on the engine, I reached down to the cupholder and handed her a coffee.
She finished buckling her seatbelt and stared at the cup in my hand. A flicker of that same insecurity shining in her eyes.
‘It’s not poisoned, promise.’ I held up my pinky. The anxiety I’d seen ghost over her face vanished as she interlocked her pinky with mine, squeezing it tightly.
Her lips curled as she took the coffee and had a long sip. She slouched back into the seat and her eyes fluttered closed. ‘Goddamn, I needed that.’
I chuckled. ‘I’m beginning to think you run on coffee and tequila.’
Pulling away from the curb, I pressed start on the navigation system on my phone propped up on the dash.
