“It is.” He smiled and when he did, he fit right in with the background, like a bear shifter out of a paranormal romance novel who appeared in the protagonist’s life and offered an escape from reality and its woes.
“Wow,” I said and managed to pry my gaze away from him and toward his house. “I can’t imagine what it’s like waking up with this view every day.”
Dare turned to me and smirked. “Well, you don’t have to imagine from now on.”
It hit me again that I was staying here, and that I was going to wake up to this view tomorrow. And maybe the day after.
How long exactly did he plan on keeping me here?
“Right,” I said, and he unlocked the front door only for a beast to pounce on him.
“Hey, buddy. I missed you too,” Dare scratched the dog behind its ears but then the brown and white pitbull set its sights on me.
“Uhm…” I said and took a step back before I could help it.
“Don’t be scared. Lookah is the friendliest goofball you’ve ever met. He just wants to be your friend and play.”
I stilled and braced myself for impact, but it never came. The beast stopped short in front of me and stared at me with big brown eyes, wiggling his butt and tail at a dizzying speed, and waited. His tongue lolled from his mouth, and I raised my hand to touch him between the ears, making his tail go even faster.
It wasn’t long before he was making circles around me and cute little excited jumps every time I petted him somewhere new.
“Wow. He…he’s such a baby.”
Dare belly laughed and Luca turned to him for a scratch but quickly came back to me.
“He’s definitely a baby. A big baby who’s too cute for his own good. Aren’t you, Lookah?”
Hearing his name made the dog go back to Dare and he walked in with him. I followed.
“Luca, huh? Where did the name come from?”
Dare shook his head and got down to his knees and grabbed Luca by the face and shook him side to side.
It was cute the way he cooed at his dog. Gone was the big burly SEAL protector, replaced by an even cuter version of the bear I knew and had a crush on.
“Not Luca. It’s Lookah. As in, he’s a lookah. Because look at that face,” he said, and I took in a deep breath to save myself the embarrassment of moaning like a pathetic horny man.
“He’s definitely handsome,” I chuckled.
And so are you, I thought to myself.
“Sorry, come in. Come in. Make yourself at home. Are you thirsty? Hungry? Have a seat, I’ll fix us some tea.”
He pointed to the sofa next to the front door and I took a seat. As Dare walked to the kitchen opposite the small living room, Lookah climbed on the couch next to me and nuzzled up by myside, belly up, and I obliged the adorable creature with some belly rubs.
“Where do you keep the pygmy goats?” I asked, looking around the open space as Dare turned to face me.
“Ah, in here, but I keep them separate from Lookah when I leave the house. Lookah is very friendly and the goats, well, they can’t control their headbutts.”
I nodded and watched as Dare walked out of the kitchen to a corridor and when he returned he had a flock of tiny goats stalking him. He proceeded to feed them and while they chomped down on their pellets he returned to the living room with two cups of tea.
“Sugar?” he asked.
“Always,” I said and took a couple of cubes from the little bowl and stirred them in until they dissolved.
I warmed my hands with the mug and inhaled the scent of the fruity red tea before taking a sip.
Despite its sweet smell, it had a very soft flavor and was wonderfully warming.
