by Amber Lynn
“Why don’t you set him down and unload some of his stuff?” The idea of having the dog running loose was a little terrifying, but they needed to see if they were going to be stuck with him in Lisa’s arms all night.
Lisa glanced down at the dog, the floor and then back up at Ryan. “Why don’t you get one of those treats out for him and we’ll see how it goes.”
Ryan was more interested in getting on with their night so he could learn more about Lisa. He understood that with both her and Pepe they were going to be hard to get through to, but he was sure it was worth the time and effort it would take.
He tried to think about the first questions he wanted to ask when they got settled down. It was unbelievable to him how nervous he was about the whole thing. Dylan’s questions from the day before had been playing over in his head, especially the part where he questioned why Ryan was interested in seeing Lisa, but wanted nothing to do with his teammates.
It was pretty simple that his teammates weren’t going to move back home with him, and there was a possibility that maybe Lisa would be willing for a venue change. It was presumptuous to think things would work out well enough between them that in a couple months she’d be willing to drop everything and go with him. That fact didn’t stop Ryan from wondering what she’d think of his place.
Ryan shook his head to try to get the thoughts out of his head as he looked down and hurried to complete his task of opening the treats. He grabbed one of the cookies and broke it in half, putting the rest of the package on the edge of the coffee table.
Lisa looked hesitant as she lowered Pepe to the ground. The dog didn’t rush over and immediately start gnawing on Ryan’s ankle, so he considered that a win. As Lisa started looking through her bag, Ryan knelt down so he could see Pepe on the other side of the table.
The dog looked smaller outside of Lisa’s hold. Pepe wasn’t a single color. He had a brown body as a base, but had various shades of browns, white and reds spotted and stripped around his body. He was a cute little fellow, emphasis on the little.
“Do you like peanut butter, Pepe?” It felt slightly silly talking to a dog, but he figured it was the best way to get his attention.
The dog looked at him and behind his little black eyes was a ton of distrust. Rather than come over and try the cookie, Pepe sat down and looked up at Lisa, waiting for some kind of instructions from her. Ryan still thought he was winning because he hadn’t been attacked.
“I was pretty sure that’s how it’d be. A part of me hoped you two would immediately get along and I could try to convince you it was some kind of sign we should at least be best friends, but we’re going to have to get there on our own. Is it okay if I sit down?” Lisa had her hands full of things she’d taken from the bag, and even without the toys and tiny chew bones, the bag looked like it was full.
“You aren’t planning on leaving him here with me when you leave, are you?” Ryan was prepared for the challenge if she thought he needed it, but it was weird to have to wonder if that was why she’d brought so much stuff for the dog.
The confused look of her furrowed brow was enough to tell him she didn’t understand what he was talking about. He thought about swiping his hand across his face in relief, but decided it was best to keep his hands where they were. Standing up, certain the dog wasn’t going to run over for the treat, he put the cookie on the floor in front of the table.
“I’ve never owned a pet, but it seems like you brought a little bit more than we need for a few hours of watching movies,” Ryan explained when Lisa didn’t say anything.
“Oh,” she said looking down. “I wasn’t sure what he’d want, so I brought everything.”
“I guess that makes sense. Let’s go ahead and sit down so I we can pick a movie.”
Ryan wasn’t sure how he could help her unload things, so he took a seat on the couch and waited for her to get settled. It didn’t take her long to put the toys down and set the bag off to the side. Pepe was out of Ryan’s direct line of sight, making it hard for him to see how the dog was taking the offerings.
“He’ll probably curl in a ball and fall asleep by the time we finish picking out a movie. We went on a long walk today to make sure I could eat whatever snacks you came up with, and it looks like I needed it.” Lisa shook her head for a second before covering her eyes. “I can’t believe I just told you that.”
Ryan reached over and took her hand from her face. It was cute to see her cheeks turning red, but he didn’t want her to be embarrassed about anything she said. He interlocked his fingers with hers and put their hands on the couch between them. Her palm was a little sweaty, but it wasn’t cold, so he hoped he didn’t need to have a reason for them to hold hands.
“I can’t believe you’re worried about eating whatever you want without some kind of preparation. One of the reasons I was first drawn to you in the driveway was because I didn’t think I’d have to worry about us going out to eat and you only ordering a salad while I was eating a huge steak.”
Telling a woman you liked curves in a partner didn’t always go over well, and Ryan was pretty sure he’d screwed up his explanation of what he liked. It would be easier for him if society didn’t seem to think everyone needed to be the size of a skeleton.
“You actually like the fact I’m lumpy?”
“I hope that doesn’t bother you. And I wouldn’t call you lumpy, especially since I’ve met your vicious attack dog. I wouldn’t want you to sic him on me for insulting you.” There were women who hated muscular guys, so Ryan should’ve probably verified that wasn’t going to be an issue, but he didn’t really want to linger on body types.
“It will only bother me if you’re saying that because you think it will get you in my pants tonight.” Lisa didn’t seem as shy as the first night about telling him he wouldn’t get lucky.
“I hope my skills of seduction are a little better than that. Plus, you assured me Pepe would help ensure I’d keep my hands to myself.”
There hadn’t been a peep when Ryan and Lisa started holding hands, so he had a feeling they were on their own when it came to keeping things relatively chaste between them. Ryan hoped by the end of the night he’d get a kiss that was a little more than a peck on the cheek, but he was going to play that one by ear.
“Have you really never had a dog before? I know you told me that last night, but he really doesn’t like other people and his growling show isn’t as severe as it usually is.”
“You know, I was hoping we were going to talk about things other than eating and pets. And now that I hear those things together, they really don’t belong in the same sentence. Tell me something about you that no one else knows.”
Ryan was worried the question would scare Lisa, but he really didn’t want to think about trivial things when there was so much more to learn. He kept coming back to that idea when he got distracted, but he hadn’t come up with a great way to move things along.
“So our small talk has finally gotten to you. I was curious how long it would take. Are you going to answer the same question if I turn it on you?”
She didn’t even partially balk, which surprised Ryan a little. He at least expected her to make him answer the question first.
“I fully believe that turnabout is fair game.”
“Good.” She hesitated before sharing what was on her mind. “How big of a secret are you really looking for? There’s a lot I keep to myself, but none of it is really scandalous.”
“If it makes you feel better, I can go first.” Ryan wasn’t sure how his secret would go over, but it was best to get it out of the way.
“Really? I’d appreciate if you would so I can get an idea of something at least partially comparable.”
Ryan tilted his head slightly to the side. He was pretty sure she wasn’t going to have anything even remotely comparable, but she could try.
“I tend to be a private person, so I could probably list at least twenty things without straining too hard, but in the last few days ther
e’s been something I’ve been keeping to myself because I’m sure no one else would believe it.”
Lisa’s head tilted to match his and then she closed her eyes. “Keep in mind nothing you say is going to get you in my pants tonight.”
“You keep going back to that. I’m starting to wonder if you’re hoping I actually make a move.”
Her eyes were still closed, so Ryan took the opportunity to do something he’d wanted to do from the moment he first saw her at Casey and Dylan’s. Leaning in close, careful not to breathe and alert her of the movement, Ryan started by kissing just the left corner of her lips, but quickly moved his face over a little so their lips could fully align.
He let out a breath of air as he licked the taste of cherry from his lips when he straightened back up. They hadn’t even involved their tongues in the actual kiss and Ryan felt like his body was on fire.
“For the first time ever, I’m actually thinking about my future and who I want to spend that future with.”
Ryan wasn’t lying when he said people he knew would laugh at him if they heard him admit that. The good news for him was that Lisa wasn’t laughing. The look on her face was a little more akin to shock than humor.
Chapter Eight
Pepe’s sharp yips woke Lisa up slowly the next morning. She knew that meant he needed to go out, but she was still too tired to move. Ryan had kept her up all night talking, a fact she didn’t mind, but she wasn’t used to staying up until three. Her shift started at noon, and thankfully the alarm hadn’t gone off. Anytime she could wake herself up before the alarm felt like a win.
An arm tightened around her as a brush of lips touched her forehead. “I was going to let you sleep and take him out, but I wasn’t sure I could get the leash on him without him attacking my arm.”
Lisa stretched as much as she could with the restrictive arm holding her. Ryan loosened his hold a little to give her some room, but he kept contact.
“What time is it?” She’d been worried there would be some disorientation waking up in someone else’s bed, but between the way the bed molded to her body and how comfortable she was in Ryan’s arms, she felt like she belonged.
“Almost ten. I wish you didn’t have to go to work today.”
That made two of them. They were in bed together, but only because Ryan said it was too late for her to drive home, and Lisa agreed with him. They had stayed on the couch talking until one and moved into the bedroom. Ryan had given her a shirt to sleep in and offered to sleep on the couch, but Lisa wanted to keep learning more about him, so she had no problem curling up next to him.
Pepe’s yips turned into a growl, causing Lisa to groan. “I should probably get things packed up and head home so I can get ready. Are you doing anything tonight? I was thinking maybe we could actually watch a movie.”
As they kept talking the night before, watching the movie almost became a joke. Ryan would tell a story about something from his past and every once in a while he tried to ask what movie she wanted to watch, but they never even turned the television on. It was unreal how they could do nothing but talk.
Ryan groaned and rolled over on his back. “I’ll be here. Do you want me to watch Pepe while you’re at work?”
Lisa had been slow to open her eyes, but the offer cleared the haze fogging her mind and her eyes sprung open. The dog in question was still growling, not exactly menacing, but he was becoming impatient. Lisa looked down to see the top of his head barely clearing the edge of the bed as he stood up next to it.
“Do you really think that’s a good idea? You just said you didn’t take him out because you were worried he’d bite you.”
Ryan smiled as he came into view. Lisa slightly hated him because he looked gorgeous. The dishevelment of his hair didn’t detract at all to his looks, whereas Lisa was sure the mess of hair she felt on the top of her head made her look like she’d just survived a hurricane.
Leaning down, Ryan caught her lower lip between his lips and sucked it into his mouth. Lisa tried to focus on the fact he didn’t have morning breath and how annoyed that should make her. If she didn’t focus on that, she would’ve been reduced to a puddle as the tingling sensations started snaking through her body.
Ryan shifted so his body partially covered hers and she could feel a very solid part of him underneath his boxers. Her eyes had closed again with his face so close, but they popped open when she got a good feel of his size.
His eyes were open and she felt him smile against her lips before he lifted his head up. “Maybe we should get Pepe taken care of and get you ready to head home.”
“You’re not even going to try to push things further? It feels to me like you might want to.”
It was morning, so he probably needed to use the bathroom, but as engorged as he felt, it wasn’t just because he needed to pee. Lisa wasn’t unexperienced when it came to the bedroom, a fact they had covered during their long conversation. That didn’t mean she’d felt anything that big.
“I think I made it pretty clear yesterday that I can’t wait to push things, but you have to get to work, and if you give the okay, I have to convince Pepe he likes hanging out with me.”
Ryan rolled over after a quick kiss and sprung out of bed. He was way too alert for a woman who generally needed two cups of coffee before her eyes even opened. Being greeted by him in bed had jumpstarted the usual process, but Lisa still had some fog to clear.
She followed his move, pulling the shirt she’d borrowed down. He tried to convince her she wasn’t lumpy, but he hadn’t gotten a good look at the dimples on her thighs. Pepe didn’t seem to care about her insecurities as he started jumping at her legs.
“Just a second. I have to get my clothes on and find your leash.” Lisa tried to calm the dog down, but he was too excited to listen to her commands.
“If you hook his leash to his collar, I’ll throw on some pants and take him out.” Ryan had already grabbed the pants he’d worn the night before and was putting one of his legs in them. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, a condition Lisa would’ve loved to keep him in. It was unfair how his muscles had muscles on top of them.
“I hope you’re planning on putting a shirt on too. You walk out of here like that with a cute dog on a leash and you’re going to be a magnet to every woman within a mile radius.”
Ryan got his other leg in the pants and pulled them up. The smile on his face was slightly mischievous and Lisa wasn’t sure she liked it.
“And you’re worried I’ll run off with one of these other women with Pepe in tow?” He may have thought it was funny, but he walked over to the walk-in closet and grabbed a black shirt.
“After last night?” Lisa shook her head. “No, I guess I don’t see that happening. I’d just prefer you not giving other women a look at the merchandise. I don’t know what exactly is going on between us, but I’m starting to already feel territorial. Take that however you want.”
Ryan chuckled and made his way over to where Lisa was picking up her dress. She was acting a little irrational, but she wanted him to know early on that she wasn’t the kind of girl who went along with open relationships.
“Does that mean I can object to you wearing dresses that show off these thighs of yours that I want to sink my teeth into?”
Lisa was about to take steps towards the bathroom so she could change when Ryan came up from behind her and ran one of his hands along her right thigh. If his kisses were enough to melt her into a puddle, his soft intimate touch on the outside of her thigh was even worse.
“Thankfully all of my dresses go down to my knees, so you won’t have to worry.” Lisa twirled around in Ryan’s arms and looked into his eyes, trying to do the same thing she’d spent most of the night doing. She thought eventually she’d find a hint that he was joking about there being a chance of something going on between them.
She felt like after their never-ending talking the night before that she knew him pretty well, but the overwhelming differences between them kept telling her the
ir interactions were all pretend. She didn’t want that to be the case, but she also liked to think she lived in the world of reality.
“I think I’m going to be worried no matter what you’re wearing. Here’s his leash, go ahead and attach it and I’ll take him out.”
Lisa didn’t know when he’d had a chance to get the leash they’d left out in the living room. She didn’t ask as she took it from him and bent down to put it on Pepe. The dog changed his yip to one that Lisa heard as it was about time. She smiled at him and petted his head.
“I have to get home to shower and get ready, so try not to take too long. He’ll pretend he doesn’t have to go, even after he’s been waiting this long, but he does.”
Even with a shirt on, Ryan was too good-looking to be out walking a dog and not draw attention, but Lisa was going to have to let him deal with keeping the women off of him. Lisa needed to go to the bathroom and try to make sense of her hair before stepping foot outside of the apartment.
“I’m sure we’ll figure it out. If you want to save time and shower here, feel free.” Ryan nodded his head towards the bathroom. “I know I don’t have your shampoo and such, but I imagine you can make do with my stuff. Spare towels are in the cupboard over the toilet.”
Using his bathroom already felt a little like she was intruding in his personal space, so Lisa wasn’t sure how comfortable she’d be getting naked. She supposed if he came back before she was done, he’d get a little show and maybe try a little harder to push things to the next level. She couldn’t come right out and tell him that’s what she wanted, so a nudge in that direction may have been a good thing.
“I’ll think about it. You guys be careful out there.” Lisa tried to smile, even though she was nervous.
“I’ll bring him back safely.” Ryan tried to hide his smile, but he didn’t do a very good job. “Let’s go, Pepe. We’ll grab one of my sticks on the way out to use to keep women away from us.”
“Very funny,” Lisa called out as the pair left the room. She had a feeling the stick wouldn’t help, because Ryan wouldn’t use it correctly. He’d never hit a woman, and that’s all Lisa could think of that would actually keep them away.
