EMILIA
Given that Drew could barely keep his hands on the wheel during the drive back to my place I was shocked that he opted to beeline out to my backyard when we arrived instead of jumping me in the doorway.
I paused in the front hall. “Where are you going?”
“To see my buddy and fill him in on the news,” he said over his shoulder without stopping. “I’ll be right back.”
Warmth mingled with amusement in my chest as I watched him push through the door. Winston had won over yet another fan.
I was tempted to follow him out but instead I gave Drew a few minutes to do whatever he had to do on his own. Of course, I hovered in the window watching, because I had a feeling that their reunion was sure to be adorable.
And it was. Drew strode over the low barrier beaming at Winston. I watched him reach into his pants pocket and pull out a dandelion with the greens still attached then kneel down to offer it to Win.
Had I told him that dandelions were an acceptable treat? I couldn’t remember discussing Winston’s dietary specifics. More likely, he’d had someone do his research for him. What mattered was that he’d made note of it and ensured that a dandelion ended up in his pocket. Just picturing him bending over to pick it in a patch of grass made my heart fizzy.
This was a man who normally bowed to no one yet here he was, plucking weeds for a tortoise.
I could see him talking to Winston, wearing a giant smile. But there would be no secrets between the men in my life, so I finally headed out to join them.
“What are you guys gossiping about?” I called to them.
Winston craned his long neck but I noticed that he didn’t move away from Drew to come greet me, which cemented the fact that they were true buds.
“I was asking him if it’s okay for me to spend more time with you. I also told him that I have plans to create an even better set-up for him at my place, so he can come with you any time and stay for as long as he likes.”
I placed my hand to my chest, a little overcome by his care. “Better?”
“Well, of course. You and Win are a package deal, so that means I want to make him as happy as I’m going to make you. I know he had a great set-up last time but that was temporary. This is for keeps, so I reached out to the handlers at the Monterey Zoo to have them come out to my place and get him set up in the best habitat ever. That’s how I found out about the dandelions.” He nodded to where Win was still munching. “I told them that I didn’t have time to run to a pet shop and asked if there was anything I could forage for him as a treat.”
“Youforaged?” I couldn’t comprehend it.
He chuckled. “Okay, not exactly. I scanned the fields bordering the parking lot at work and got lucky. A single dandelion overlooked by our gardening team.”
I made a mental note to ask Bernie in security to show me the surveillance footage.
“But … when? We just figured our stuff out a few hours ago.”
The king of the world suddenly went sheepish, opting to stare down at Winston instead of me. “I was hoping for the best. Thankfully it paid off.”
I couldn’t hold back any longer so ran to him and flung my arms around his shoulders before pressing my lips against his neck. “Yeah, it paid off. Big time.”
I could feel the laughter rumbling in his chest as his mouth found mine. We both knew that this kiss was a prelude to so much more.
“I’ve missed you so fucking much,” he breathed. “In my bones. I ached for you.” He started backing me towards the house.
It was like we were in a race to see who could caress the most skin. I pawed at the hem of his t-shirt until both of my hands were plastered against his back while he slid his hands beneath my blouse and immediately started fiddling with my bra.
Of course I hadn’t planned on seeing Drew tonight, so I’d opted for a boring white bra and granny panties, which I was of no mind to let him see.
“Hold on,” I reluctantly moved my hands from his glorious broad back and pushed against his chest.
My yard was surrounded on all sides by my neighbors’ tall bamboo that was barely contained beyond my fence, which meant that I had adecent amount of privacy. Not perfect, but in this moment, I was willing to call it “good enough.”
Drew looked at me quizzically. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Not a thing,” I answered.
I hooked my fingers at the bottom of my blouse and whisked it over my head, then just as quickly unhooked my bra, leaving me topless. Drew let out a surprised exhale.
