by Melissa Blue
He was on her bucket list and going with her would be no different. “I’m coming.”
“I should be annoyed you invited yourself.” She blew out a breath and considered him without deeper meaning, but with general affection. “But I want someone to come with me now that you’ve made me doubt my decision about going alone.”
How would he know, anyway, if she looked at him with something other than general affection? That much was good enough for him. Ian breathed easier. This wasn’t a big deal. No need to give in to the niggling feeling that there was more to it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ian stepped into the house behind Jocelyn and caught when the interest dimmed in the man’s gaze. They exchanged an imperceptible nod while she offered her hand. Taking in the home, Ian realized, it wasn’t much of one.
For a man with a litter of puppies, he didn’t have much furniture. There were pictures on the wall—kids but none of a wife. The children had his same fair coloring and eye shape. The boy more so than the girl, but there were no toys, no general messiness, no sounds of children. After a brief exchange of words, Ian understood why Jocelyn got the nice and sane vibe from the man—Galen probably was. He still wore a wedding ring.
Galen gestured to the back of the home, but Jocelyn’s mobile rang again. “My sister. Can you give me a moment?”
“Sure. We’ll be out back. Can’t miss the little shed,” the other man said and Ian followed him out.
“So, uh, how many places have you guys gone to look at puppies?” Galen asked.
The question insinuated they were looking as a couple. Ian started to correct the man but that would make him a dick. What difference did it make if the man knew the truth? Other than Ian felt the need to point it out. Dobbers did things like that. Aye, he liked to mark his territory and had no qualms about it, but Jocelyn wasn’t his. Still, he’d invited himself to make sure nothing happened to her. “The first place.”
They stepped out under an overhang. The backyard was huge. A fairly new swing and seesaw set took up a portion and the shed took up another. He caught the pained expression on the man’s face.
Ian shifted uncomfortably having witnessed the unguarded moment. “Did they pass?”
Galen blinked and shook his head. “Divorce. She took the kids. I got the dog. They can’t have them where she is.”
“Oh,” he replied with sympathy and hoped that would end the exchange.
The man laughed and clapped him on the back. “Yeah, you’re here for puppies, not a therapy session. Shall we?”
They entered the shed and Galen left the door open. The mother had sable coloring with white spots and weighted about twenty-five pounds soaking wet, but with enough bulk to not be an ankle biter. She stood and her pups started jumping up like popcorn around her. Not even fazed, she focused on her owner, wagging her tail happily.
Ian asked the proper questions as he picked up one of the pups for a closer inspection. Healthy, happy. They might grow bigger than their mum, but not by much.
“They’re already vaccinated, but they’ll need to be spayed and neutered. I’ve already done the mom.” Galen’s smile tightened. “No more dogs for me. Puppies are a handful.”
Ian put down the dog and stood. Jocelyn’s voice carried into the shed as she ended her call. He turned to her. “If you’re on the fence about getting a puppy don’t come in and look at ’em. They’re too cute to walk away from. I’m warning you.”
She halted for a moment and then closed the distance. It took a one-hundreth of a second for her to melt at the sight of them. He laughed and said to Galen, “You’ll be one short by the end of the day, at least.”
Surprisingly, Jocelyn asked all the same questions he had and then haggled over price with the man like a pro. Then it came down to choosing which one to take home. She started for the pup that looked just like its mum and settled on the one with white around its nose and paws. With her hands full, he made sure to get one of the blankets in the makeshift nest.
“I feel bad for taking her.” She doubled checked. “Yeah, her.”
Galen said, “I really appreciate it. I can’t take care of all of them and they needed a home.” He paused. “I know this might be asking for too much, but the kids would like to see pictures every now and again. You can just email them.”
Her tone softened. “Not a problem at all. I’m a single woman. I’ll be taking tons of pics.”
The man looked at Ian for a split second but fingered his ring with his thumb. “Thank you, anyway. Let me see you out.”
At their cars, Jocelyn turned to Ian. The new puppy cuddled into her chest, quivering and whining. He handed over the cover and she tucked the dog into it. “Now the deed is done, not sure what the hell to do next.”
“She needs stuff. Lots of it, but you shouldn’t take her out in public yet. Vaccinated or not.”
She bit the side of her lip. “Yeah. Wonder if my sister can sit while I go.”
“I can,” the words left his mouth before he could consider them. Shit. What was wrong with him?
And then he thought of the possibilities and pushed the offer. “Go home and I’ll bring all the stuff you need.”
She pursed her lips. “I don’t know.”
“I’ve done this before. I know what needs doing.”
Her gaze narrowed, because she probably caught onto his tone. “You’re just trying to get into my pants.”
“I am.” He paused and smiled at her. “Is it working?”
“Depends on what you bring, uh…” She looked down, squinted. The pup had fallen asleep. “Killer.”
“Oh, God, no. Better name.”
“Paws?” She barely contained her laughter when she said it.
“Somewhat better, but you can do classy.”
“Ruff?”
He made a sound full of pity. “Poor dog.”
“And Sadie for a male dog was the epitome of Great Britain’s and its colonies superiority over Americans?”
“It was humorous. With a ‘u’, by the way. You guys spell it wrong.”
She grinned up at him. “Okay. Okay. Lexxie.”
He eyed the slumbering dog and nodded. “I won’t make fun of Lexxie then. See you in a bit.”
She’d texted him directions to her address once she put down the dog. He left her behind, feeling light-hearted. He wasn’t losing his mind by pushing the boundaries they’d drawn. They’d have sex at her house. To make sure of that he picked up a few extra things on his doggy run.
*****
Either puppies slept a lot or she picked an incredibly lazy one. Lexxie checked out the house and sniffed at things. If Jocelyn had been slower on the draw, Lexxie would have peed on most of the stuff she’d sniffed. But after that grand adventure, her puppy tottered around in a circle on the cover from her previous home and went to sleep. Not at all what she imagined having a dog would be like. Since she had no Frisbee, chewed up shoes or tennis balls it was kind of anti-climactic.
She didn’t have time to do something really sappy like watch Lexxie sleep because Ian knocked. It hit her for the first time he’d see the inside of her apartment. Not a neat freak or a slob, the apartment was presentable. Nothing close to high scale as his, but it fit her. Should she care if he liked it?
A moot point, but nerves settled into her stomach. Before she could let them screw with her head and momentary confidence, she whipped open the door for Ian. The man had shopping bags up to his chin.
“How much crap did you get?”
“Half the store.” He glanced around her apartment. “Nice place. Looks like you.”
He had to push a few pillows out of the way to drop all but one bag on the green couch. The matching love seat had a huge pillow. Normally she would have sunk into the chair by now while watching TV on her flat screen, but she had stuff, so she dug in. “What do you mean it looks like me?”
“Comfy. A few surprises.”
She looked up at him and around the room. The apartment looke
d like her office with both functional furniture and also things like pictures, replicas of famous statues only the size of her palm…little things that made her apartment a home. “Comfy?”
He stuffed one hand in his pocket and gripped the black bag in the other. “You’re soft. I like it. It’s a compliment. Now revel in all the doggy glory I’ve brought you.”
Still wary, she asked, “How much do I owe you?”
He blinked. “Pay me? Why?”
He sounded incredibly offended so she put up her hands. “It’s just…not what I expected from you.”
His brows slashed down into a frown. “Well, yeah, I am dobber.”
“Not that.” She sighed, tried again and then shook her head. “Never mind.”
Ian’s gaze was intent on her face. “Say it.”
“It’s just unexpected.” And made her feel for him what she definitely shouldn’t. Made a little nugget of hope grow that they’d become more than sex buddies. “It’s thoughtful. Thank you.” She paused, narrowed her eyes. “What’s in the other bag?”
He smiled. “After you get everything together for Lexxie, I’ll show you.”
Ian walked her through how to prep the food. At that point Jocelyn accepted she did get the lazy dog. Lexxie woke up the moment food hit the bowl and toddled back off to sleep once done on her new sleeping pad. It amused the hell out of Ian.
They settled on her living room floor and watched her sleep. It felt good. Not at all awkward, but she didn’t know what to make of it. Was he changing the rules? Or did he do this with every woman he slept with? She opened her mouth to ask but then stopped.
Ian snorted and continued to rub the puppy’s head. “That makes it twice now.”
“What?”
“You chickened out on asking me a question earlier at the museum. You know history as well as I do. Yet, you’re curious about mores? Ask.”
Well, there was her in and no way to back out now without reaffirming her chicken status. “I’ve only ever been in monogamous relationships. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here, with us. Are you supposed to go with me to get a dog? Buy my dog stuff?”
He shrugged slowly. “I’ve made this confusing to some extent, but we’re dating, in a way. It’s not going anywhere. We’ll end and we know that date. But, I can do things like this for you and you for me, if you want. Does that help?”
No, because no matter what he said Ian shouldn’t have been there, having this quiet moment with her. Not if they’d end. She wasn’t built for affairs. If that didn’t make things any more conflicting, she felt safe with him. She’d asked for things she’d never had the balls to with any of her ex-boyfriends. She trusted he wouldn’t think less of her, wouldn’t be baffled why she wanted to explore a certain fantasy.
Three more weeks and then she’d have to find someone else who’d stay, who’d make her feel safe and trust him. She’d have to scrounge up the same courage to be this woman with a new man, but then it’d matter when they had quiet moments like this. They would be building more between them instead of coming to an abrupt end. Yes, she wanted that fantasy relationship with Ian. He didn’t want a relationship, had told her from the beginning sex was all he could offer, and that knowledge dug a pit in her stomach.
Common sense told her to end them now. Get out before things got any more confusing, but he was watching her with an intent expression, seeming to hold his breath for what she’d say next. It was dumb to read anything more into the pensive look on his face.
So, she let out a breath and said, “What’s in the bag, Ian?”
His mouth crooked up. “Show me to your room and I’ll show you.”
Didn’t take long for Jocelyn to rip off her clothes and make her way to her bedroom. He followed close behind and she glanced back. He was stepping out of his underwear, bag in hand.
She climbed into her four-poster bed, onto the soft red comforter. He was right on her heels. The plastic bag rustled as he put it down and then his hands were running up her waist, over her breasts up to her hair. She trembled. The pads of his fingertips felt like silk along her skin. They were so close they were practically spooned together.
He loosened the band around her hair, leaned down to her ear and whispered, “I’ve a fantasy of my own.”
His fingers continued moving up and down her skin. It was hard to concentrate with the pinpricks of sensuous caresses taking priority in her mind. His chest was hard and smooth at her back. “Oh,” she murmured.
“Aye. Will you let me make it a reality?”
His hands had already half-convinced her to say yes to anything, but what did he have in mind? Did she care when he plucked at her nipples until they snapped back taut? His cock a hard, concrete promise pressing at her entrance…
No. Not really. She swallowed, because what did he fantasize about? What turned Ian on? “Yes.”
“Lie down,” he said, but she heard the smile in his voice. “Give me a moment. I’ll be back.” The bag rustled again when he took it off the bed. “Bathroom?”
She told him but couldn’t lay back and try to relax while the faucet turned on and off, on and off. Looking at her one wouldn’t know that it drove her a bit wild for Ian to spank her clit with his dick before driving into her hard. Damn. She was getting wet just thinking about it. In a sense, she knew getting her off got him off.
Seriously, what the hell was he doing in the bathroom?
The door creaked open and she laid down.
“You know, I saw you,” he said, coming back into the room.
She giggled and propped herself up on an elbow. “Was hoping you wouldn’t. It’s killing me. What you got?”
He flipped his hand over and showed her a black piece of cloth, silk, and a…glass dildo. Her gaze flicked to his. “Oh.”
“Come here.” He climbed into the bed with her, resting on his haunches. She hesitated and he put down the cloth. “Nervous of what I want?”
“Curious,” she said with caution.
“You can tell me to stop if you don’t like it. I’m not tying you up but blindfolding you.”
She bit her lip. “But you think I will? Like it?”
He made a sound of assent. She took another moment and nodded, allowing him to play out his fantasy. He folded the strip of cloth once more and pressed closer, their gazes met and she inched forward, head tilting up. His mouth was inches away and a shocking thought hit her—they’d never kissed.
Unbelievable when she thought of all the things they’d done. On their own accord, her fingers lifted to his mouth. Not at all plump or full, but soft, paler and pinker than his tanned skin. She wanted to kiss him then to know how he tasted, if he kissed with the same fervor of passion as he fucked, but he froze at the touch.
Maybe he realized the same thing—they hadn’t kissed. Or maybe he’d made sure they never did. Kissing was an intimacy they should avoid, that much she could agree with as Jocelyn looked deep into his startling blue-gray gaze. She wanted to see something other than lust. She wanted to find true intimacy, a connection in the way he gazed at her. If she saw anything, it was because she wanted to see it. Jocelyn let her hand drop away and closed her eyes.
Gently he secured the silk around her head and over her vision. When done, he pushed at her shoulder and she took the silent command to lie back.
“Relax, I’m not going to do anything we haven’t done before.” He added and again a laugh colored his words, “Many times.”
His hand grasped her left thigh and she jolted. He made a soothing noise and slid in between her legs, one hand gliding up her torso. Maybe it had everything to do with him touching her without being able to see him do it, but her senses felt heightened. His touch always sparked an insatiable desire within her, but now it burned that need to cinders, transformed it into something new, inconceivable.
And then his mouth traced the outline of her jaw, down to her neck and lingered until she moaned. One hand continued to alternate between massaging one breast and pl
ucking the tightened peak. His mouth replaced his hand.
The warmth of his tongue drifted from her nipples. Cold. The dildo. He caressed the tip over her nipple. The beaded nub became painfully erect at the differing sensations. He’d glide the glass over and around her nipple, spreading the moisture from his kiss, and then it was his mouth again.
She fisted her hands into the covers when he licked his way to her other breast and teased another moan from her lips with the same care. The bed shifted. Anticipation made her skin prickle and shortened her breaths. Suddenly, he cupped her mound, groaned against her skin as his fingers dipped into her wet channel. Petting her pussy, he continued the seduction on her breasts. It made her ache. Made her forget seduction wasn’t what she wanted from him.
She couldn’t care or think as his mouth and dildo made its way down to her sex. Slick from his fingers, he suckled her clit into his mouth and pressed the glass to the entrance of her slit. Warm and cold. Soft and hard. So goddamn wanton.
He was going to use a sex toy to get her off and she’d agreed. She couldn’t see him, but he could see every inch of her. Was his cock still hard? Dripping pre-come on her comforter because this drove him over the edge? She moaned. The reality of what they were doing crashed down on her so suddenly she came without much provocation.
It didn’t stop his seduction. She couldn’t see it, but felt the cool glass press along her inner thigh. She gasped. He ran his tongue down to her cream and licked it all up. He groaned against her pussy and worked his way back up to her clit. Each time she came, he’d repeat the action and then work the dildo in deeper. The glass borrowed the warmth of her body. He changed the angle of thrusts and her fist balled into the comforter. His fingers brushed against her with every downward stroke, adding another element of friction that would send her over the edge, again.
He ripped his mouth away and bit into the soft part of her inner thigh. “You’ve drenched my hand and mouth. And I’m not done with you yet.”