Silver Spoon

by Cheyenne Meadows

  "Come on, boy. Let's meet your new owner." He gave the dog a pat on the head, collected the leash, and led him up a flight of stairs. Finding her apartment, he rapped on her door.

  Riley answered quickly, wearing jeans and a light blue short-sleeved shirt. "Spoon! You're back. I wasn't expecting you so early. How was…" A curious expression turned to surprised delight when she spied the pony-sized dog beside him. "Oh, my. Is he yours?"

  Sniffing her hand, the dog obviously decided she fell into the category of friend as he laid his big head against her thigh. She reached down to scratch behind his ears, her gaze never leaving the animal.

  "Actually, I was hoping he would be yours."

  He met her look, easily reading the confusion. "I just returned from… my business trip. He'd been abandoned and needed some care. I couldn't leave him behind, so I took him to a vet to get him all taken care of. But, I'm away so much for my job that I'd have to board him all the time, which isn't fair to him. So, I was sort of hoping you might be in the market for a new pet?"

  Holding his breath, Spoon waited for her to make a decision, praying she would accept the dog with open arms. As he watched, she kneeled down to look the canine in the face, her hands braced on the wide neck.

  "You're quite handsome. And look at this bow!" A long pink tongue flicked out to lap across her face. Riley giggled and hugged him tight. "Okay. You can stay." A worrisome frown appeared on her face as she ran her hand over the animal's prominent ribs. "Poor guy. We're definitely going to have to fatten you up."

  "Already in progress. I have a car full of supplies and the vet recommended a certain dog food to get him back in shape."

  She stood back up with a large smile on her face. "Thank you. I don't know what I'll do with him, but I'll figure out something. At least I live close to work so I can run home during lunch to let him outside."

  He matched her grin, thrilled with her easy acceptance of the animal and the situation. She'd make a good mother. The thought startled him as he hadn't really had occasion or reason to consider children before. Not willing to delve into such deep thoughts, he focused his attention back on Riley and her new pet.

  The dog shifted closer, lining up his upper body at an angle then pressing solidly against the front of her legs.

  Spoon grabbed her before she toppled over. "Careful, I think he has this thing for leaning."

  "It seems so. He's wonderful. Thank you." She leaned in to kiss Spoon, a chaste meeting of lips before she pulled back. "Do you want to come in? I can fix you something to eat."

  The dog whined, looking up at Spoon with a pleading expression.

  "Oh, I bet he needs to go outside."

  "Probably. I just picked him up from the vet and have no clue the last time he went."

  Riley dashed inside, then returned a second later, to shut and lock her door. "There's a nearby walking trail. We can use it. They have a little doggie poop station with bags and a place to throw away the waste."

  He arched his eyebrow at the idea, but dutifully followed along. Another part of pet ownership he never considered. Waste removal.

  Soon, they found the spot Riley spoke of, gathered a couple of bags, and let the dog lead the way with his nose to the ground, obviously tracking other dogs while searching for the perfect spot to do his duty. Large shade trees cast shadows across the trail intermixed with bright morning sunlight in the more open areas. Benches dotted the walkway, situated under larger trees in order to offer a cool resting area for those who wanted to linger a bit longer or simply sit and watch others while lazily soaking in the great outdoors. The area encouraged one and all to slow down, step back from the rat race, and take the time to notice nature's beauty while getting a bit of exercise at the same time.

  "How was your business trip?" She walked beside him, easily keeping up despite his and the dog's long strides.

  "Successful." He didn't want to spend his time reflecting on the mission. Once completed, he preferred to push all those memories to the back and seal them in. If he dwelled too much on the violent nature of his Wind Warrior position, it would begin to eat on him, and consequently, he could lose his edge. That would lead to mistakes, which more than likely would result in death. With definite plans for the future and a potential relationship with Riley, he had every reason to stick around for the next five or six decades at least.

  His cell phone rang. Pulling it from the holder, he checked the caller ID. "Damn him." Punching the silence button, he quickly replaced the device.

  Riley looked up at him in bewilderment. "Damn who?"

  He sighed, debating about revealing something so personal about himself at this stage in their relationship. To date, the only ones who knew of his family situation were the other Wind Warriors.

  Noting the concern in her emerald eyes, he began to explain. "My father."

  "You mentioned him briefly before with a definite negative cast," she pointed out.

  "Yeah. He's a perfectionist and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do anything to please him."

  The canine found a tree and hiked his leg. Both he and Riley paused to give him time to empty his bladder.

  "Sounds like a tough childhood." She returned to the topic at hand.

  Spoon shrugged.

  "I take it he calls you often now. Why are you avoiding him?"

  He blew out a breath. "He works in the diamond industry. With a limited amount of newly mined gems being found, he's throwing all his substantial money and power to garner the lion's share of what's available."

  The dog finished and they began walking once more.

  "I don't understand what that has to do with you."

  "He wants me to come to work for him as a go-between with the mine owners. Butter them up, offer them deals, do anything within my power to ensure they will give him first choice of their goods."

  "And you don't want to?"

  "Not in the least. I have no interest in the diamond industry or in gems in general. I love what I do now and intend to do that job until I retire."

  "Have you told him that?"

  "I try, but he doesn't listen. I figure I'm going to have to suck it up, drive down there one day, and tell him face to face. My kid brother has always wanted to work in the company. He just finished his MBA, yet my father refuses to hire him, telling him that I'm the only one he wants doing the job. No matter what Matt does to prepare himself for the position, good old boss man never notices."

  "Ouch." Riley cringed. "Poor guy."

  "That's our father. Pissy old bastard."

  "Your mother?"

  "She goes to her parties, plays the perfect hostess, lives the good life, and follows along like a sheep. I think she loves us, but has no backbone to speak her own mind, if she even has one."

  "I'm sorry. It sounds like a royal mess."

  Their brief conversation about their fathers replayed in his mind. "You mentioned your father wasn't a saint either."

  She glanced ahead then watched the ground as they moved along. "My father is a long time politician, a big name in the state. My mother passed when he was working hard to achieve a state senate position, leaving him little time to raise a young teenage girl in the midst of traveling all over, giving campaign speeches, and attending debates. He hired a nanny who took care of me until I turned eighteen."

  "Abandonment." His heart went out to her. A young girl who just lost her mother shouldn't have lost the remaining parent to something as trivial as an election at the same time.

  "Somewhat. I didn't lack for anything, except a father's love and attention." She shrugged. "Anyway, when I turned eighteen, he started pressing me to date certain men, telling me they would make a great match."

  "For him?"

  "Exactly. He thought he could barter me off like a prize broodmare, in order to seal a strong political alliance. It took me a bit to figure it all out, but when I did, I put my foot down, moved here to attend college, and never looked back."

  Anger hit him like a
hammer. How dare her selfish father try to arrange a marriage for his own career advancement? What about Riley's wishes? Her happiness? Her own plans?

  "Is he still trying to use you like that?"

  "Probably. I rarely speak to him anymore and certainly avoid meeting anyone he thinks that I should."

  That bastard didn't need children. He needed to be horse whipped instead.

  Her revelation made him realize her stubborn independence came at a high price and out of necessity. She could have easily bowed to her willful father and married into some high society wealth, attended fancy parties, and drove expensive cars. Instead, she pinched pennies, worked at a low paying job while spending her free time following her dreams of being a prominent author of books that others enjoyed reading. Talk about paying your dues.

  "I guess we both have lousy fathers." She slipped her hand in his and gave a squeeze.

  The gesture and sentiment eased his inner pain as did the simple act of sharing his frustrations with another person who could understand completely where he came from. He felt another chain link strengthen in his developing bond with Riley. From a similar background, she proudly blazed her own trail in life and refused to return home and cow to a demanding father's wishes. He respected her all the more. Despite the different circumstances, his eyes opened to her inner strength that mirrored his own. For all her difficulties early on and still today, she turned out to be quite a woman.

  One that I want to keep.

  The thought popped into his mind, but for once didn't set off warning alarms. Instead, it revealed and secured his present feeling for the little redhead. Enjoy today for you never know what tomorrow will bring. Taking his own words of advice, he wrapped an arm about her shoulders, meandered along the trail behind a lumbering humongous dog, and soaked up the calming atmosphere.

  Chapter 10

  "What are you going to name him?" Spoon asked as they settled down on the couch together after lunch. He leaned against the sofa's back while she pressed up against his side, his arm wrapped around her waist. Both were contented to stretch out and relax after their morning walk, followed by no less than four trips each to carry supplies from his car to her apartment. Luckily, he parked close and she lived on the second floor.

  Riley glanced down at the large tan dog sleeping on a bed nearly the size of a twin mattress that presently occupied most of her living room floor. He stretched out to full size, showing off his large frame while emphasizing his lack of a fleshy layer over his stark ribs and hips. Earlier, he'd gobbled down everything she'd given him. When she'd wanted to refill his bowl, Spoon had stopped her, pointing out that if he ate too much, too soon, she would be mopping up dog vomit off her floor. His reasoning had made sense and she wanted to avoid the upchucking for the canine's benefit as well as hers, so she'd ushered the beast to his bed for a nap, hoping he would digest well and be ready for another large meal before long.

  "I'm not sure. Any suggestions?"

  "He didn't seem to respond to any commands I tried in English or Spanish. If he had a name, I'm not sure he would respond to it, either."

  "Hmmm." She considered what she would call such a large animal with a massive head, soft black eyes, and a long pink tongue that tended to slime her with slobber more often than not.

  "The vet thought he might be a year old. Overall he's in great condition considering his living conditions and lack of care. So, whatever you pick will have to last a good long while."

  She briefly tossed around a few options, throwing each by the wayside. "It needs to be reflective of his size and bulk. Something a bit different."

  "Dog?"

  "No." She frowned at him. "Something with character."

  "Titus?"

  "Better, but not quite it."

  They sat in silence for a few beat until Spoon offered up another idea. "Achilles?"

  Twisting, she flashed him a smile. "Oh, I like that." Her attention returned to the snoring canine below. "Perfect. Achilles, it is."

  As the newly dubbed Achilles slept through her calling his name, she decided it would be like starting with a just weaned puppy, only this one came in extra-large super-size, snored, and weighed more than she did. Drool was a given.

  They sat in companionable silence for a while, giving Riley ample time to allow her thoughts to wander. She noted the present situation with Spoon beside her and her new pet at their feet and wondered if she could be lucky enough to see the same scene repeated almost nightly for years to come. Comfortable and content with both males, she hoped beyond measure that her bubble would hold strong and steady, not burst at the smallest needle prick. Like a princess locked away in a tower most of her life, she'd discovered her long lost prince, saw him for the priceless gem he was, and vowed to openly throw herself into the slowly evolving relationship while praying they continued to click.

  "I read your book."

  "Ready for the refund I promised?" She leaned back, resting across his lap, so she could peer up into his face.

  He stuffed a pillow under her head for comfort, shooting her a quick grin. "Not at all. It actually wasn't what I expected."

  "Which was?"

  "Some lame story about a hot temptress who lusts for a werewolf and they spend the entire time in bed."

  She snorted. "I'm sure a lot of men believe that. Romance novels have been put down in the past and some still persist today, believing it's a negligible step above reading straight porn." Her father certainly felt the same, smashing her happiness with a few hurtful words, accusing her of writing scandalous material that would reflect poorly on him. It didn't take much imagination to realize others would feel the same way. Closing her mouth, she fought back familiar sadness at such harsh criticism of her hobby and hopeful future career. Old wounds threatened to reopen.

  "Hey." He leaned in, brushing a brief kiss on her forehead. "I said it wasn't what I expected. The plot was interesting and believable. You couldn't help but root for the heroine and laugh at her antics and the grumbling werewolf that learned he couldn't push her around."

  "And the sex scenes?" she squeaked out, afraid of the answer.

  He grinned down at her. "Now, those were my favorite. I had to reread them a few times."

  Her face heated at the compliment combined with the sparkle in his eyes. "Really? You're not just saying that?"

  "Really." Truth carried in his tone.

  "I'm glad. I always fret over the sex scenes the most. Trying to juggle the fine line of giving readers what they want, yet not going overboard at the same time."

  "Oh, I think you did an excellent job. I loved the sex. You should have put in another shower scene or maybe using the kitchen table."

  If anyone knew about hot and horny couplings, it would be him. At least he liked her written intimacy scenes, which bolstered her unsteady confidence. "Thank you."

  She filed his suggestions away for future consideration as she placed one of her hands on his chest, feeling the hard muscles of his pecs underneath.

  Speaking of naked bodies doing a horizontal mambo…

  Boy, did Spoon possess some serious sex appeal. It oozed from every pore of his muscular body. His teasing smile and dimple in his cheek only added icing to the cake. She longed to strip the shirt off his upper body and run her hands over his chiseled torso, discovering every nook and cranny, as she explored his tanned, supple skin. Only then would she dip her hand lower, flicking open the button fly jeans to unleash his bulge and reveal his prominent erection.

  Resisting the urge to fan herself, she pulled away from the erotic daydream and back to the conversation at hand. No sense in getting all worked up when she wasn't quite ready to jump in the sack with Spoon. As much as she wanted to, she cautioned herself to take things slow and be sure. He was too good a man to risk losing over silly impatience, not that she expected him to mind if she shucked her clothes and jumped on board for a round of ride 'em cowgirl. Now that she thought about it…

  No. No. No. No hopping on board
the Spoon train for an afternoon delight.

  Since when did she turn into a bubbling cauldron of hormones? Since he gave her that come hither look and talked about sex scenes, that's when.

  "Am I keeping you from your writing?" He caressed her belly through the cotton material of her shirt.

  "Not really. I stared at the computer screen and nothing really came to me this morning. I think it was destined to be a bad writing day."

  "Like a bad hair day?" The corners of his lips curled upward.

  She returned his grin. "Pretty similar."

  "Too bad. I was hoping to read some juicy sex scenes over your shoulder."

  "Like I can write sex with you hanging over my shoulder?"

  He shrugged. "You did offer me a position as your sex consultant. Where else would a good consultant be than right there as you wrote?"

  Oh, boy. Her face caught fire. Clearing her throat, she attempted to clarify. "I meant… tell me ideas. Sit down at dinner and I can take notes while you share details. I can draw from your vast experience to liven up the intimacy." Now that she thought about it, the idea of them huddled together over a kitchen table while he shared erotic details of his sexual exploits might not be so great. While her books might benefit, her libido already idled way too fast around him without the extra stimulation.

  "I would rather show you." His voice dropped and took on a husky tone. With the lidded eyes and smoldering expression on his face, she didn't doubt his intentions for a second.

  "That might work, too." She blinked, unable to believe those words slipped out of her mouth.

  It obviously caught him off guard as well, as his eyebrows shot up. A beat later, he clasped her hips, swiveling her around to straddle his lap in one fluid motion that showcased his superior upper body strength.