“Be less of a presence.” He held my gaze. “I’ll give you space if you feel—”
“I don’t need it. Don’t want it. I want you.” I stuck out my lower lip.
He laughed. “Nice try, pup. Those puppy dog eyes aren’t going to work with me. You’re strong enough to stand on your own if you need to. If you want to.” He eyed me. “I’m saying this is on your terms.”
Finally, I understood. “At least for right now, I want a Daddy. I want to just be Solo and to play.”
After glancing at his watch, he smiled. “One hour of playtime. Then, Daphne needs a walk and we need to settle on dinner. That cheese plate wasn’t meant to be an entire meal.”
“But I truly love cheese. And my tummy was upset anyway. I couldn’t have eaten a full meal.”
“We have leftover Chinese. Or we can order—”
I placed my finger on his lips. “Leftovers are the best ever. I’m looking forward to them.”
“Sounds good. Now, paws and ears, or just toys?”
“Paw, ears, and toys.” I grinned with a lighter heart than I’d had in a long time.
Chapter Eleven
Zahir
Andre as a man was stunning.
Andre as a pup was a hoot.
He chased the ball, played tug-o-war with a rope using his teeth, and occupied himself with a squeaky toy. All while wearing ears, paws, and a tail. He was preciously adorable, and I laughed continuously at his antics. For someone with so little experience, he certainly knew what he liked. And I couldn’t find anything he wasn’t game to try. As for laughter? Continuous and joyful. Along with the yips and barks.
For a brief moment, I worried about Daphne. She’d never met Marty, of course, and had no context for a human barking. All was well, and when I checked on her, she was fast asleep on her bed in the kitchen. She was near the top of the stairs—so she could hear us but, apparently, had no interest in checking out the weird noises. For which I was grateful.
After an hour, when Andre was completely wrung out, I pulled him into my arms for a snuggle on the fabric couch in the playroom.I would’ve preferred to cuddle in bed, but here seemed appropriate. I tucked a fleece blanket around him and held him as he curled against me with his head in my lap.
He sighed. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“My pleasure, pup.”Marty would’ve loved you. He’d especially love that you’re using his costume and toys.My former pup would’ve been sad I’d waited over a year—but he also would’ve been happy for me. I’d known this was what he wanted. In a way, I honored what I shared with him when I played with Andre. A passing of the torch.
Andre’s stomach rumbled.
I chuckled. “Hungry?”
He gripped my thigh. “Just a minute more?”
“Of course. Whatever you need.”
I adjusted to sink farther into the couch and contemplated the state of affairs.
We’d be seeing Demetrius and his family tomorrow. If all went well, then perhaps the two sisters. Then, at some point, Andre would need to decide when to go back to Toronto. As much as I wanted to coax him into staying in Mission City, that wasn’t my place.
Inwardly, I sighed. I would also have to reconcile my feelings for this complex man. Unsurprisingly, I felt protective. I’d felt the same when Marty was a puppy. Like the weight of the world was on my shoulders and Andre’s safety was up to me. The fact I was sexually attracted to him added a layer of complication I wasn’t ready to contemplate. To deal with. To explore. Such feelings felt…inappropriate. And yet, as I tried to tamp down the images of Andre naked and in bed with me, I was losing the battle.Goddamn it. He’s in your protection. You can’t take advantage of the situation. Ofhim.
Yet my mind acknowledged my body was finally awakening from a deep slumber and, although that was good in some ways, it would be catastrophically bad in others. Marty would be thrilled. I was appalled.
Andre’s stomach rumbled again.
I patted his shoulder. “We need to get you fed, Pup. Leftover Chinese?”
He angled so he could gaze up at me. “Do you promise we can cuddle later?”
