Ashfollowed Declan into the kitchen, aware that Chewie was also followinghim,specifically. Despite his nervousness, though, that was kind of nice. Maybe hecouldget used to dogs.
Healready kind of liked Chewie. He just needed a little time to get used to theidea.
“Thisis Scott,” Charlie said, interrupting Ash’s train of thought.
Ashlooked up to see a tall, broad-shouldered man with bright eyes and a warm smilestanding in the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand.
Hecould see why Charlie had married him.
“You’restaring,” Declan murmured, leaning in close enough that Ash could feel hisbreath brushing against the sensitive skin behind his ear.
Thefeeling was enough to snap him out of it. Scott was pretty, but Declan…
Well,Declan was Declan. And they were supposed to be pretending to be married, anyway.
Ashturned to face Declan. “I still like you better,” he said, grinning at him.
Itwas partly a show, but it was also true. If he had to pick between Scott andDeclan, even if picking Scott wouldn’t hurt Charlie, he still would have pickedDeclan a hundred times over.
Nowhe just had to ride the thin line between pretending to be married to him andactually having him figure out how Ash really felt.
Hehad no doubt it would ruin everything if Declan ever realized that Ash was inlove with him.
“Wow.You two really are like newlyweds.” Charlie beamed at them.
“Sorry,”Declan said, smiling the warmest, softest smile at Ash. “Moving here’s been goodfor us.”
“Thisplace has that effect on people,” Scott said from the kitchen. “Changed mylife.”
“Ithink it’s gonna change ours, too,” Declan responded, still smiling at Ash.
Ashknew it was because Declan was faking, too, but it felt nice to be looked atwith so much fondness, so much affection. Declan was a really good actor.
“Cuuuute,”Charlie enthused. “You guys are disgustingly cute together.”
Ashchuckled, looking over at Declan to see him blush.
Hestill loved it when people assumed they were together, and this was like theupgraded version of that. Charlie thought they were cute.
“Come,sit,” Charlie said, pulling chairs away from the table for them. “Makeyourselves at home.”
Ashwaited for Declan to pick a chair, sitting down beside him once he had.
Chewiesat on his other side, still looking up at him like he was the most fascinatingthing in the world.
Ashhesitated, then reached out to pet the top of his head, smiling as his fingersmade contact with the soft fur there. Chewie wasn’t so bad, and he seemed tolike being petted just fine.
AsCharlie had warned, Chewie put his head in Ash’s lap, his tail sweeping acrossthe floor eagerly. Right as Scott brought over a fantastic-smelling dish withcheese bubbling on the top.
“Lasagna,”he explained. “I figure you can’t go wrong with pasta, right?”
“Ilike you already,” Declan said, pulling his chair closer to the table.
Charlieset something down in front of Ash, just off to the side of his plate. Ashlooked away from Chewie to see that it was a pack of baby wipes.
“Foryour hands,” Charlie explained. “You can wash up in the bathroom or the kitchenif you prefer, but we usually use the wipes because it’s hard not to pet him onthe way back from the sink.”
Ashchuckled, taking a wipe from the pack. He could imagine. Both Charlie and Scottseemed like they had a lot of love to give, and resisting Chewie was hard evenforhim. “You’re a good host.”
