“Well, you know what they say about assumptions,” I chirp the words and beam up at him.
He chuckles and nods, his eyes sparkling in a way I haven’t seen before. It’s beautiful. “I do and I’m pretty sure I proved it here.”
I want him to kiss me. I’ve never wanted anything more in my entire life. I know I could take the lead, but it feels like something I can’t do. Not with him, not in this situation. Something shutters closed in his eyes, and I know he’s not ready for that step, for whatever reason.
Before I can stop him, he lets go of me, his warmth wrapping around me even as he lets me go and steps back. My heart sinks, but it’s buoyed when he takes my hand in his and nods down the path in the park. I try and shake off the odd mental fog surrounding me, but it’s difficult with the warmth of his hand in mine as he pulls me deeper into the park.
I glance down at Boomer as he trots along next to us as if he doesn’t have a care in the world and didn’t start all this with his barking. I scoff, “It seems he doesn’t have a problem with barking now.” I shake my head as I look at Boomer, his tongue lolling out looking happy as can be. “I guess maybe he was lonely too.”
When I glance up at Anderson, he has a thoughtful expression on his face. He’s looking at Boomer too and it’s like he’s playing Tetris in his head. I wonder if he always gets held up on those little ‘s’ shaped pieces? They’re the pits.
“Maybe,” he starts, but clamps his mouth shut before continuing.
“What is it? Did you have an idea?” I bite my lip and glance over at him. “I’ve tried those puzzle balls with treats. I’ve tried turning the TV on for him.” There’s defeat in my voice, “I’m not sure what else to try at this point, so if you have an idea, I’m all ears.”
Anderson looks over at me and smirks, a warning in his tone, “It’s kind of a wild idea.”
I gasp and clutch imaginary pearls, “You? A wild idea?” I bat my eyes at him and giggle at the smile on his face because it’s so big and open. “Don’t leave me hanging here.”
Anderson takes a deep breath like this is a big deal and not just getting my dog to shut up and give him some peace. “Maybe Boomer can come over to my place and spend the day with me when you’re at work. If he is just lonely and making noise because of it, it might work.”
I stop walking and blink up at him. My body moves before I realize what I’m doing, my arms wrapping around his shoulders as I almost leap into his arms. I tug him down a little and my lips press against his. I mean for it to be a quick, chaste kiss, but the moment our lips touch, it’s like a bomb explodes inside me.
Inside both of us, apparently, because one of Anderson’s hands grips my hip, the other coming up and wrapping around the nape of my neck, holding me steady and close as he deepens the kiss. I get lost in the brush of his tongue against my own when I gasp, and he takes advantage. The world ceases to exist around us, the entirety of my existence focused on the press of his lips and body against mine.
I expect him to tear himself away from me when he realizes what we’re doing, but he doesn’t. He slows the kiss down, stealing any remaining breath in my body. When we finally part, he looks down at me, his steel gray eyes hooded and his chest heaving.
“Do you mean it?” The question comes out breathless and I shake my head to try and clear some of the fog. “I mean about Boomer?” Guilt fills me and I try and backtrack. I start to ramble, “I just mean, I didn’t get the impression you like dogs very much. Maybe having him around won’t be a great idea. What if it doesn’t work? What if he still barks and it’s even worse because he’s in a new space with someone he doesn’t know very well?” I’m exasperated now and throw my hands in the air, practically shouting, “You don’t even like dogs.”
Anderson tilts his head to the side in a move which reminds me a lot of Boomer, a slow grin spreading across his face. My forehead scrunches up in confusion, but before I can spill more words between us, his lips are pressed against mine again. When I moan, his tongue invades like he’s the fucking British Empire on some sort of exploration mission to find riches or spices.
He kisses me until my toes curl and the thought of breathing is the last thing on my mind. Who needs air when I have this? All I need is this.
Boomer lets out a yip which has us breaking apart. I look down to find my dog looking between the two of us like we’re the most entertaining thing he’s ever seen. Anderson takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning my head back to look at him, something lurking in his steel gray eyes I can’t quite identify, but feel in the depths of me.
His voice is low and husky, “I don’t dislike dogs, Reese. I like dogs just fine.” He shrugs and makes a disgusted face. “I’m definitely not a cat person,” he says with derision and making me laugh. The corners of his mouth turn up, but he’s still looking at me with an intense seriousness. “I’m serious about trying with Boomer at my place. Let’s see what happens.”
I find myself nodding along with his words, but then I stop suddenly and cringe. “I get up really early for work.”
Anderson barks out a laugh and I feel my eyes round at the sound. He shakes his head and looks at me, merriment in his eyes. “I’m very aware of what time you get up for work. I’m pretty sure the entire city can hear your alarm.”
I gasp and smack his chest playfully, finding myself smiling instead of feeling guilty about waking him. “It’s not that loud.”
We start to walk again and something hopeful and exuberant bubbles up in my chest when his fingers entwine with mine. What the hell is happening right now?
“It is that loud,” he insists, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.
I sigh, a bit of the guilt seeping in again until he gives my hand a squeeze and I look back up at him to find him smiling at me instead of scowling. “I know,” I whisper. “I’m not much of a morning person.”
He nods in understanding before assuring me, “I’ll be up. I’ll probably be in my pajamas, but I’ll be up. It’ll make me get started on writing early in the day.” He shrugs one shoulder as if my daybreak alarm clock isn’t really a big deal even though I know it is. “That can’t be a bad thing.”
“Okay,” the word slips out, unbidden.
“So, we’re going to see what happens?”
I get the feeling there’s more to his question than just Boomer hanging out at his place. I hedge, “If you’re sure.”
He gives my hand another squeeze, “I’m sure, Reese. Let’s see what happens.”
“Yeah, let’s see what happens,” my voice is a little small, but even I can hear the hopefulness in it.
If all goes well, I won’t regret this, and he’ll be able to get work done without Boomer annoying him. I find myself glancing up at him and wondering if there’s more here than I thought. Still, if he can’t get Boomer on his side, it’ll never work between us, no matter how much I might want it to.