Is she thinking of me right now, too? Or is she thinking ofhim? My phone lights up with an eerie glow when I grab it from the nightstand. The frog sticker sparkles at me encouragingly.
Do you love him?I type out in the message window, and then I delete it without sending. It doesn’t matter if she does. It only matters if she enjoys the time she spends with me. I don’t want to waste a minute reminding her of our complications.
How are you doing?I send instead. Her typing bubbles instantly appear.
“Can’t sleep. You?”
“Same. I wish you were here now.”
Her bubbles appear and disappear a few times. Damn. Did I rattle her with that one? Finally a message zips through.
“Is there a reason to wait until tomorrow?”
I sit up straight in bed. That wasnotthe answer I expected. “No,” I shoot back, already fumbling my pants on with my free hand. “I’ll pick you up at Heidi & Nicole’s in twenty minutes.”
“I’ll come to you if you give me your address.”
Of course. She’d rather drive so she’s not trapped here. I should have thought of that. I send her my address with shaking thumbs. Why am I suddenly so nervous?
“Wow, you’re way out in the woods. Anything I should bring?”
“Just yourself, pretty girl.”
“See you soon.”
Shit, I have nothing for her that I had planned. No flowers, no dinner cooked. I crack a window and light a candle to get rid of some of the paint smell. Should I open a bottle of wine or is that too presumptuous?
No wine, I decide. We should be sober when we make our pups. Fully consenting and sober. This is, after all, a business arrangement. Just happens to be one where I get to feel her peachy pussy stretch around my knot. I know it’s going to be so good. I’m going to be wrecked for the rest of my life after tonight.
Who am I kidding? I’m already wrecked. Done for. A disaster.
Julia’s coming here. Now. Because shewantsto. Because shecan’t wait.
My breath comes fast at the thought of her eagerness, and my cock is already leaking down my thigh. I’m going to embarrass myself tonight, aren’t I?
I have to get myself together. I duck into the bathroom for quick cold shower, leaning my head out of the enclosure to keep my mane from getting wet. The chilly water cools my blood a little, and by the time I hear Julia’s tires on the gravel driveway, I’ve redressed in clean clothes and have my head on straight. Mostly. My tail didn’t seem to get the memo, wagging so furiously when I answer the door that it knocks the mail off the entry table.
Julia giggles when the envelopes hit the floor behind me. “Hi. Happy to see me?”
“You have no idea,” I growl, opening the door wider so she can come in. I scoop up the mail and toss it to the side so she doesn’t have to step over it. Not a terrible icebreaker. She’s smiling at least.
“You look nice,” she says, eyeing the rolled-up sleeves on the clean plaid I chose after my shower. I’m extra glad I changed. I think she dressed up a little for this, too. She has lip gloss onthat matches her dusty-pink, floral dress and striped cardigan. The dress’s neckline dips low enough that I get a glimpse of the rounded swell of her breasts.
“You look stunning. Did you wear that for me?” I tease, my chest growing tight when she blushes and nods, clutching her purse close to her body. I hold out my hand. “My pretty mate. Let me show you around.”
It feels like we’re teetering on the precipice of something, stuck in a long moment where I’m offering, but she hasn’t accepted yet. This is when she decides whether we’re going to acknowledge our businesslike reality or allow ourselves one night of fantasy, and damn, I am hoping for the latter.
To my relief, she takes my hand and lets me draw her into the main room of the cabin. The huge stone fireplace marks the center of the space, with the living room on one side and the kitchen on the other. “Bathroom is there.” I point to the doorway that leads to the cabin’s sole bathroom, with its rock-tiled shower and huge copper soaking tub. I point to the short hallway nearby. “Bedrooms over there. That’s it. The whole tour. This is our house.”
“Our house,” she says, a funny hitch in her voice.
“Yep.” My jaw sets stubbornly. I’m not going to back down on this one. “I built it for you.”
“Your pups,” she amends, adjusting her glasses as she looks around the room.
“My family. That includes you, Julia. You don’t have to live here, but you’re always welcome here. I added you to the deed when I drew up our contract with the lawyer. The key is already on your keyring.”
She gapes at me. “What?”
