“Hold out your hand,” I say to Reed as Sam heads off to chat to the children fussing over the piglet.
“No.” Reed crosses his arms over his chest, his biceps straining the fabric of his polo.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.” I fix him with a look that I hope says I mean business. “Reed Walker, you are going to give Freddy a snack.”
“Why?” He glances from me to Freddy, his bottom lip poking out in a childish sulk.
“Because I want to video it. It’s the sort of thing a girlfriend does.” I force the feed into his large hand and hold my phone up ready, barely able to contain my grin as Reed glances over his shoulder.
Hilda looks over at us both and smiles.
“See? You have an audience. Don’t keep them waiting.” I giggle as I click record.
Reed mutters something unintelligible under his breath before he crouches down in front of Freddy.
“There. You happy now?” he grumbles as Freddy trots over and starts devouring the pellets in his hand.
“Yes.” I grin as I watch them on the screen on my phone. It’s so cute. Freddy’s little tail is wiggling around all over the place, and he’s started doing this little bounce up and down on his front legs.
“Good. I’m glad you two are happy.”
“I am. It suits you. I think he likes you.”
Freddy’s tail has gone into overdrive now and he’s put his front hooves up on Reed’s knees as he shoves into him, eager to get the last bits of food.
“Greedy little bastard, isn’t he?” Reed remarks, but I swear he’s enjoying it really. How can he not? Freddy is so sweet and the way he’s now butting Reed softly, it’s like he’s pushing in kisses with his head.
“Who’s a good boy? You likeWeed,don’t you? You want to know if he’s scrummy-yummy-delicious, don’t you?” I coo from behind the camera.
“Oh fuck,” Reed mutters, dropping his voice to talk to Freddy. “She’s talking to you in that voice. Next, she’ll be spraying you with her water bottle and spouting positive mantras at you. If you see the tiny scissors… run!”
“How dare you?” I cry, laughing in shock.
Reed smiles, looking away from Freddy and at me through the camera. He looks insanely handsome. I grip my phone tighter, so I don’t drop it.
Photogenic bastard.
Reed’s eyes snap away from mine and he lets out a garbled ‘fuck’ in the same breath as he topples backward from the force of Freddy’s sudden headbutt to his groin.
“Freddy! What are you doing? No!” I dive forward, but he escapes my grasp, happily rearing back and butting his head into Reed again. I manage to grab the bow around his neck with my free hand and pull his head up from where he’s buried his nose between Reed’s thighs.
A low groan escapes Reed’s lips as he sits on the floor.
Sam runs into the pen and takes over, leading Freddy away. “Sorry about that. He gets a little frisky with adult males sometimes. Must be the testosterone he picks up on.”
“Now I know why he needs to wear that fucking bow. It’s a restraining device,” Reed hisses out through gritted teeth as he cups his manhood between both hands. “Fucking animals.”
I bite my lip, fighting away my smile as he composes himself with some deep breaths, before finally standing and brushing himself off.
“Aww, he liked you.” I giggle as I reach up and pluck a blade of grass from Reed’s hair. “Maybe he could smell all that pent-up sexual energy from the last few weeks.”
“Months,” Reed interjects.
“Huh?”