Pink dotted her cheeks, and she ducked her head.
Elliot rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to watch this. Keep King company.” He handed me the puppy.
Watching someone stream in real time, being in the same room with them, was always odd. Fallyn wasn’t talking to me, but with me here, she was focused on me. And she really was gorgeous in person. Possibly as uncomfortable with words as I was, but still cute.
While she talked, I absentmindedly entertained King. She ran through what people could expect from her trip, how excitedshe was to be here, and managed to leave out all the details about us, about her being here with us, or anything that indicated she was anything other than an internet persona who existed in a bubble with no one else touching her.
Was it disconcerting for her to portray that kind of front?
King yipped and jumped from my arms before I could stop him. Fallyn looked up, startled, as he ran up to her on camera, climbed up her leg, and jumped onto the table.
And now Elliot’s new puppy was on Fallyn’s livestream. Oops.
4/
fallyn
Ihad a puppy climbing all over me. Running from one shoulder to the other. Hiding in my hair. I was laughing in spite of myself. I found my voice long enough to tell the camera that I’d have more from RinCon for them in the next few days and that my scheduled videos would go live before then, then I signed off.
Speaking of, I needed to update one of those videos to take out a reference or two to AcesPlayed, and I could clip this video at the end, before the puppy showed up, too. Normally I wouldn’t edit my content for any reason, but if I was staying with Elliot… I should really trim some things out.
When I was sure the camera was off and the stream was over, I plucked King from my lap and held him in front of my face. “You’re a little troublemaker, aren’t you?”
He stared back with the most unbelievablewho mein the history ofwho mes, and barked. He squirmed free of my grasp and bounded away toward Elliot.
“I think your dog is part cat,” I teased.
Elliot scowled, but there was a smile underneath. “The mean lady didn’t mean that. Don’t listen to her.” He scooped the dog up, and wrinkled his nose. “You kind of stink.”
“You did find him in the dirt and bushes,” Link said.
I couldn’t believe this giant wall of muscle was the sweetheart I’d spent hours talking to online. Until he opened his mouth, anyway. He looked like he could pick me up and carry me on his shoulder, or cradle me in his arms, and never so much as disturb a hair on my head while doing it.
Sharp contrast to Elliot, who was examining King. “I think we need to give him a bath.”
I’d had dogs growing up. It hurt too much to lose them, so I didn’t anymore, but I had so many good memories of our doggos. The ones of bathing them were hit and miss. “Have you ever had a dog? Have you ever given a dog a bath?”
“That’s what the groomers were for.” Elliot frowned. “But how hard can it be? Hell, I bet there are hundreds of videos on it. And a lot of dogs like water.”
“And just as many don’t. Come on, boys. You too, King. We need a bathroom you don’t care about getting dirty, towels you don’t care about getting stained, and someone guarding the door while the other two of us hold the puppy down and wash him.”
Elliot looked at me, brows raised. “Did you just give me orders in my house?”
“I did. You can get me back in the bedroom.” I snapped my jaw shut. What in the what? I must’ve forgotten to put Online Fallyn away. I wouldn’t apologize. I wouldn’t apologize.
I ducked my head. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” The way Elliot dragged his gaze over me was heat personified. “Follow me.”
Somebody had flipped the switch on the asshole who closed his door in my face earlier. This man was more like the Puff I talked to online. Still in command, but with a layer of sticky caramel over his prickly pear attitude.
We gathered the supplies and Elliot led us to the same bathroom I’d changed in earlier. It was probably just a genericguest bathroom, based on its location, but was still bigger than any I’d ever had.
Link guarded the door, Elliot promised me he had a good grip on King, and turned on the water. I made sure it was a good temperature over the drain, taking care not to get any on the dog. He didn’t seem to mind the noise, and was just happy to have Elliot giving him attention.
“All right, little guy. Let’s do this.” I got a little bit of water in a cup, and poured it over King’s back.
He yelped and wriggled free from Elliot’s grasp.