“Well, that’s only because you control their food, and I’m sure if they could, they would totally do it.”
Laughing, I shook my head at her. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed our banter, her fire a soothing balm to the storm that raged inside me. I still didn’t think I was good enough for her, but I wanted to be. For the first time in a long time, I really wanted to be. A silence fell between us and I found myself wanting to fill it for once, the sound of her voice a welcoming relief in my home. I used to enjoy the silence, but being around a family, even if they were criminals, had shown me people truly could care about each other. If it wasn’t for the dogs, I didn’t know if I’d be staying out here. I’d never felt as lonely as I had the past few nights sleeping here all alone.
“So, I noticed in your recount of what’s happened over the past two months, you didn’t mention Monroe, and earlier when I asked if you needed to let him know where you were, you said no. So, Kitten, what’s going on there? Is he… okay?” I tried to ask nonchalantly, but her small smile told me I didn’t get away with it. There was no way to disguise the pain and worry in my voice for him, never had been. How he’d ignored it all those years had always baffled me.
“Well, um. I don’t really know.” She looked up, and I saw the sadness return to her eyes again, and I wanted to do whatever it took to make it go away, a fierce protectiveness washing over me. “We hung out every day until one morning he, um, texted me saying he couldn’t commit to anything. It was my first day back to work, actually,” she rambled. “Monroe said Brittni had found a way to get a judge to grant her full custody.”
“She what?” I hadn’t realized I’d squeezed the water bottle until I watched Loren jump in front of me. Slowing my breaths, I attempted to release the plastic from my death grip as I tried again. “Come again, Kitten. What the fuck did Brittni manage to do?”
“I don’t know the full story. Monroe asked to cool things because he needed to focus on his case. It hurt, but I understood. I would see him in the hall at times, occasionally on the elevator, but we didn’t go past the superficial chit-chat. I’d finally had enough and kind of ambushed him this week, and he um, well,” she stopped, a blush rising to her cheeks.
“He what, Kitten?” I inched a little closer, skating my hand down the side of her face, tilting it up towards me.
“He kissed me in the elevator. We even got busted by George.” She laughed in the sexiest way I’d ever heard. Her breathy chuckle had me wanting to lean forward and erase all the space between us, but I wouldn’t. Not yet.
“I bet you gave Ol’ George a good show.”
She shrugged, but her eyes never left mine. “That still didn’t answer my question.” She licked her lips before trying again.
“We’re to have dinner tomorrow, and he’s going to update me then. I don’t really know much else other than that.”
I smoothed my thumb over her cheek before dropping my hand. It was too tempting to keep touching. “Say bye to Fortitude. It’s time we head back to the city before it gets too late.”
“Fortitude?”
“The sleeping menace in your lap. He’s named for strength, but he hasn’t earned it yet, so he’s Fort for now.” She smiled big, her whole face lighting up, and damn if that didn’t have my cock hardening and my heart taking off at rocket speeds.
“I like it. It suits him.” She lifted the sleepy dog’s head and brought it closer to her face. “Okay, Fort. I’ll be back, big ole meanie Wells promised. I’ll see you again, okay?”
Kitten talked to the dog like he mattered, and I realized how attractive it was. She didn’t once complain about his slobber or dog hair when the dogs had jumped all over her. In fact, it had been the happiest and lightest I’d seen her. I guess it wasn’t because of me, but the dogs. Whatever the reason, I’d use it if it got her to keep looking like that. She’d always been delectable, a craving I couldn’t ignore. But watching her shed some of the darkness, or perhaps even embracing it, made her strong. Her confidence shone through now. It didn’t surprise me that Kitten and Fort had connected, bonded even when I thought about it. They were a lot alike and would be suitable for each other.
If I couldn’t give her anything else, I could give her that.
She kissed the dog between his eyes, and he licked her nose when she pulled back. The giggle that escaped was addictive, a pure lighthearted feeling. Reaching down, I offered her my hand and was surprised when she took it, my eyes going wide.
I’d blame that for the over-exuberant pull I did, bringing her flush with my body. Her breath caught, and she clutched my shirt. I didn’t say anything; I just watched her. Kitten’s face was open, and I saw the lust there. I could take it right now, and she’d willingly give it to me.
But I wanted more.
I heard the way she talked about Monroe. I remembered the way she looked with Nicco. And I wanted it for myself. It might be greedy or even stupid on my part to hold out instead of seizing the moment in front of me, but I owed it to myself to wait.
“You ready, Kitten? Do you need to like, I don’t know, use the restroom before we go? It is a bit of a drive.”
“Oh, um, sure. That’d be smart. Where is it?”
She stepped back, and I missed her already. Covering my longing, I slipped back into my surliness, as she called it, lightening the tension between us. “Well, most people just call it the outdoors, Kitten.”
She sputtered, and fuck, it was beautiful. I couldn’t help it, and I full-on belly-laughed. “I’m just kidding. But you should see your face. Here, follow me.”
I directed her down the hallway, flipping on the light to the guest bathroom. It was, fortunately, one of the rooms I’d completed. I stepped back so she could enter and I couldn’t help but take pride in how her eyes lit up at the space.
“Wow, this is gorgeous.” She ran her hand over the marble countertop, looking all around. It was white and grey with black accents. I wasn’t one for decorating, so it was minimal, but the room itself had been hard work.
“I’ll meet you in the kitchen when you’re ready.” She dipped her head in response, and I pulled the door shut and headed back. Picking up our trash, I picked up the few things we’d used. Fort laid in the same spot, looking toward the opening, waiting for her to return. Bending down, I patted the dog’s fur, intrigued by his change in behavior.
The rest of the dogs were already sprawled out in their beds, no longer interested in the visitor, but Fort waited. It was something to note. Maybe he was more of a girl dog owner than a male one. I didn’t give credence to that in most cases, but he had been rescued from a horrible situation as a puppy. The Underdogs had asked me to take him to see if I could help. It had been a difficult learning curve, to say the least, and I hadn’t been kidding when I said I needed help.
He started to wag his tail, and I knew it meant he heard her returning. Glancing up, I watched as she walked into the room, and he sprinted for her. Even though she’d already said goodbyes, she bent down and gave him some more affection. How people treated dogs said a lot about them, in my opinion. I didn’t think I could like her more than I had, or maybe I was just accepting it now, but as I watched her, I realized I didn’t hate her anymore. Never had, in fact.