by Anthology
I pulled her hands from her face and tugged her by the legs to the edge of the bed as the beads of water rolled off my wet body onto her. "Our dog. And you can't get mad at him. The poor guy has never been laid and it's hard for him to see a hot piece of ass like you in his old spot and not get all riled up. You could have at least let him finish first."
Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "Say another word about how I should just lay there and take one for the team and I will cut your balls off."
I leaned forward, and placed my hands on either side of her head, my mouth a breath away from hers. "I can think of something else you can do with my balls."
"You think so huh?"
"Mmmhmm," I groaned as my erection pressed against the lace of her panties as I placed a kiss against the corner of her mouth. With each press of my lips, I trailed my mouth down to where her collarbone disappeared below the collar of her shirt. It needed to disappear. More water droplets fell from my wet body onto her, as I shoved the T-shirt up, exposing her bare breasts. So perfect. They easily fit in the palm of my hand as I kneaded each one before taking my time sucking each nipple into my mouth.
Tess let out a small whimper as I trailed a hand down her torso, between her thighs, stroking her. "You're awfully wet for someone who says she was being violated by a poor dog."
She reached between us and cupped my balls, squeezing them hard, causing me to wince a bit. "Oh, I thought you liked it rough?" she cooed with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
"I'll show you rough," I rasped and yanked on the lace of her panties, shredding them.
Sex didn't fix our problems, but the intimacy helped us reconnect on a level we both needed. It pushed the bullshit of this job aside and allowed us to focus on each other.
I took her hand from my sack and wrapped it around my length, guiding her to stroke my hard-on. Together, we stroked her clit with the head of my cock, coating it with her need. Tessa moaned as I bucked my hips forward, entering her in one thrust. My eyes shut tight as she clenched around me, taking a moment to adjust to my girth.
I captured her mouth with mine in a hungry kiss. My need to erase the day and get lost in my woman was overpowering everything else as I started to move. Pulling her ass off the edge of the bed further, I thrust harder, pounding into her at a rapid pace. Our bodies smacked together in a primal way, chasing our release. A wet nose nudged me in the ass, taking me out of the moment.
"Get out of here. She's mine," I yelled at Ami as he nudged me again. I grabbed a pillow off the bed and threw it in his direction as he darted from the room.
"Aw, you should have let him finish," she said breathlessly, trying to laugh.
My mouth pulled into a smirk. "I'll show you how to finish." I reached between us and rubbed small circles on her tiny bundle of nerves. The moment her breath hitched and she clenched around me again, I knew she was done for. I was right behind her, collapsing on her chest. "Now that's what I call a welcome home."
Last night only fixed so much. In the light of day, exhausted didn't even begin to cover how I felt, but I dragged my ass out of bed after only three hours of sleep. My quads ached from the miles we'd covered, and my forearms pulsed like they were on fire from holding the lead so tight for so long. Being a handler took a toll on the body and mine felt like it was getting too old for this shit. Ami didn't even bother lifting his head from his spot on the couch as I padded my bare feet across the hardwood to the kitchen.
He'd earned being a couch pig for the day.
After Tess had rolled over and passed out in orgasmic bliss a few hours ago, I had pulled the turkey out to defrost. He was a small little dude and I'd been watching enough Food Network lately that I was going to nail this turkey day feast. Well, day after but I was going to prove to my bride that I could put in the effort.
I pulled the onion, celery, and bread out and set them on the counter next to the cutting board. According to the Food Network, since this was my first go, I was better off cooking the stuffing separately rather than trying to stuff the bird. Anything I could fuck up less was the route I wanted to take.
There was something to be said for how much I enjoyed chopping the celery up. Maybe it was getting to take my frustrations out on a harmless vegetable with a sharp object or in my mind I thought I was a Goddamn chef when in reality—the celery was butchered to hell.
When it came time for the onion, moisture filled my eyes from the sting of the aroma. Ami lifted his head and was staring at me. Judging me. I pointed my knife at him. "I'm not crying, asshole. Stop judging me."
Ami snorted. Yup. The bastard was making fun of me. I could tell from his smirky face. The dog wasn't fooling anyone. I shredded the bread, throwing him a slice and mixed everything else together in a bowl to set aside. As I stuck my hand up the turkey’s ass to pull out the bag of guts, I cringed. Whichever one of the assholes I worked with that said it was like sticking your finger in a pussy was a fucking liar. It was disgusting and felt unnatural.
I dropped the bag in the sink as I shook my hand off and a shiver ran down my spine. When I glanced in Ami's direction again, I swear to God he was laughing.
Just as I slid everything into the oven and set my timer, Tess came out of the bedroom yawning. "What are you doing up so early? I thought you'd be out cold for the day."
Closing the distance between us, I pulled her into my arms and kissed the corner of her mouth. "I'm working on a surprise for you."
She arched a brow and gave me a suggestive smile. "Oh, yeah? What kind of surprise is that?"
I nipped at her bottom lip. "One that says I'm sorry for being a dick when I got home."
Tess shook her head slightly. "No. I'm sorry. I was a bitch before you left and I wasn't being very understanding when you got home. I said things I didn't mean and I hope you'll forgive me."
I nipped at her lip again, pulling her body flush against mine. "Always."
Ami chose that moment to stick his nose up her ass. Tess let out a startled yelp and hopped into my arms.
"Seriously! He is hornier than you are and I didn't think that was possible." Her whine was playful but the dog was a horny bastard.
A slow, mischievous smile pulled at my mouth. "Well, you know … if you would have just let him finish last night …" I trailed off and let my smile grow to a full smirk, trying not to laugh.
Tess choked and scoffed at the same time. "You are the most disgusting human being I have ever met. Put me down ya Neanderthal!" She did her best to scold me but the smirk on her face gave her away.
She slid out of my arms to the floor and shook her head. "Hey, buddy, do you want to go for a ride and get away from your pervert father?"
Ami whipped around in a circle, his tail whacking against my sore thighs.
She got me. Touché.
I needed them both out of the house for a while and it wasn't that I didn't trust Tess with Ami—it was more like I didn't trust him with her. He wasn't just a house pet. He wasn't just another German shepherd someone taught how to sit and stay, roll over or play fetch. He was my partner. He was my best friend and he was a force to be reckoned with and there was only one woman on this planet he'd cower to. And that woman was my mother.
We both knew when Ma talked, we shut up and listened. That's why when I came up with this plan, she was the person I called for backup.
"Did you do what I told you to with the stuffing and did you cover the bird like I said?" she asked through the phone, her voice raspy from years of smoking.
"Yes, Ma. I've watched the Food Network too."
She barked out a sound of disgust through the line. "You don't need no stinkin' Food Network. I've been cookin' for fifty years. I emailed you everything you need to do. Follow each step like I said."
I skimmed over her email on my iPad on the counter. "How the hell am I supposed to know what a pinch or a taste is of something? What the hell kind of measurement system is that?"
"Don't curse at your motha, Jacob! Do as I said. You taste it a
s you go. If it sucks, you add a pinch more. You pinched your sister enough as a child, I would think you'd know what a pinch was. Don't think I didn't know. I know it all."
Groaning inwardly, I wished I'd never come up with this stupid plan.
"Tessa just pulled up with my granddog. If this dinner goes right and you don't screw it up—hopefully I'll get some grandbabies. Now get to work and make that girl a dinner she'll never forget. Love ya. Bye."
Before she hung up, I heard her cooing at Ami and Tess as they came in the door. Who would have thought my killer dog would turn into a puddle of mush around that woman? There was no arguing with her. You couldn't win. It was pointless. My mom was a tough-as-nails New Yorker and she took shit from nobody. The thing I admired the most about her, and I hoped she could teach Tess and me, was how to balance marriage and work. My dad had been a cop for twenty-two years and he’d loved the beat. This city had been one of his favorite places. And then it took him from us. My mother never showed her fear, and how she kept it together when I followed in his footsteps I will never know.
I shook my head of the thoughts and got to work making the biggest feast I'd ever attempted in my life.
It had been thirty minutes since I'd texted Tess, telling her I was waiting for her to come home. The table was set. I went on that website Pinecone or Pineterest to find out how the hell to set a fancy table. Nailed it. Two place settings with our wedding plates. Or my grandmother’s china as my mother called them. Green bean casserole, stuffing, and Tommy my freakin' Turkey was fucking golden brown. The biscuits were too. It was a lot of fucking work and I hoped the payoff would be worth it.
The locks to the front door clicked before the door swung open and Ami bolted inside, his choker chain jingling along with him. Tess shut the door with a thud and flipped the deadbolt. "Something smells amazing in here."
As soon as she turned the corner from the front door to the kitchen she stopped short, her hand over her mouth, as her eyes filled with moisture. "You did all of this?"
I nodded and took a step toward her. "I did it for you."
"Jake," she whispered as a tear slipped down her cheek.
"I wanted to give you the Thanksgiving you deserve, doll. There are going to be a lot of nights like last night where holidays are ruined and date nights are broken. The job comes first in a lot of ways, but I don't want it to come between us. I will do whatever it takes to make it work. We can make our own traditions. Our own holidays and plans. I may not tell you everything I go through on every call but I will do better to let you in." I gestured to the table before pulling her into my arms "This is my peace offering."
Her lips crushed against mine, accepting my offer. Our kiss grew hungry and desperate as I pulled her body tighter against mine, threading my fingers through her dark hair.
If I was a smart man, I would have paid attention to the metal on glass clanking noise in the background. If I was a smart man, I would have been able to stop the chaos from happening before it did. If I was a smart man, I would have locked the fucking dog in the bedroom before he ruined everything … but I wasn't a smart man. I was a stupid man, who was only thinking with my dick.
Everything happened in a time warp of speed and slow motion as I opened my eyes and caught sight of Ami out of the corner of one. The bastard went from being propped on his hind legs eating deviled eggs off of a plate to leaping onto the table, sending the food flying in every direction. By his behavior you'd never know he was one of the best-trained canines in the United States, let alone the region.
"No!" Tess screamed.
"Nein! Runter!" I hollered, and took off after him as he went after the turkey. I hadn't carved it yet. Why the hell hadn't I cut it yet? He got hold of the leg, taking the whole thing with him and jumped off the table, making a beeline for the bedroom. Hot on his heels, I sprinted after him while Tess's laughter filled the air.
"Come back here, motherfucker!" I didn't mean it with the love I usually did.
It was war.
Ami leaped onto the bed and ripped a piece of meat off of the leg, chewing viciously. When I grabbed hold of it, a low menacing growl reverberated off the walls. I rolled him onto his back so fast he didn't have time to bite. We struggled a while longer until I forced him to submit and we were both panting. He snorted and did his best to get me off of him. Dogs like him did not like to submit. They didn't like to be shown they weren't the Alpha male. When you spent more time with a dog than you did anyone else on the planet you tended to act like one some of the time. And when you had one of the highest driven dogs out there it was hard to explain to anyone how your relationship was different than that of the average house pet. We worked, lived, and breathed together. We fought and loved even harder. The sheets and comforter were covered in food, slobber, and God only knew what else. It was one of many come-to-Jesus battles we'd had, and it wouldn't be the last.
I stormed out of the bedroom with what was left of the mangled turkey tucked under my arm like a football and slammed the bedroom door behind me with my mouth pulled into a hard line. Tess sat on the kitchen counter with her legs crossed over one another with an amused smirk on her face.
"Don't even say it," I warned and tossed what was once a turkey onto the table. It didn't even make it onto the serving plate. I stalked over to the sink and washed my hands, scrubbing a little harder than necessary.
Small hands crept under my shirt and up my back, followed by well-placed kisses against the back of my neck. I knew she had to be on her tippy toes to reach the way her body was pressed against mine. "It's okay, babe. The food isn't the end of the world."
I spun around and caught her in my arms, backing her into the adjacent counter. "It is. It's all ruined."
"No, it's not," she whispered against my mouth before her tongue flicked against my bottom lip.
A low groan escaped my throat. "Just remember who started this," I warned before I nipped at her jaw. My hands found her ass and I gave a gentle squeeze before lifting her up onto the counter.
Tess flashed me a devastating grin and it was over. All my anger faded. Replaced by carnal need.
My heart thumped erratically as my cock pulsed against my pants, growing hard. A delightful shiver of desire ran through her as I reached for the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head, tossing it to the kitchen floor. The white lacy bra she wore, a stark contrast to her olive skin, was a tease. She liked for everyone to think she was such a lady, but only I knew the truth. Tess spread her thighs wider and wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me flush against her. My erection pressed into the hot center of her core. I could feel the heat through the thin material of our sweats.
"Hold on to me," I commanded as I lifted her off the counter enough to yank her bottoms and panties past her hips before I set her back down.
Tess squealed. "The counter is freezing!"
"You won't be cold for long," I growled, my voice laced with primal desire as I lay her back against the counter the rest of the way.
I held one of her dainty shoulders with one hand and slowly trailed my other hand downward, skimming the front of her torso, over the swell of her breasts to her jeweled belly button. Leaning forward I flicked the tiny diamond with my tongue as my fingers snaked between her thighs, followed by my mouth—placing flesh-searing kisses in my wake until I settled between her legs and buried my face between her thighs. Her hands stroked my bald head as moans filled the kitchen, drowning out Ami's whines and scratching sounds from the other side of the bedroom door.
We lost track of time—of the world going on around us. The only thing that mattered—was us. Our heavy pants filled the air—and the damn dog's howls. We laughed and smiled as our bodies exploded in fiery sensations, our souls colliding in passion and love.
As we sat on the floor, leaning against the kitchen cabinet doors and each other for support in our exhaustion and bliss, Tess reached over to the bowl of mashed potatoes that had been knocked onto the floor not far from. They seemed re
latively unharmed so she scooped out a taste with her index finger, licking it off. Her brows rose in surprise. "Holy crap. You made real mashed potatoes?"
I nodded and mimicked what she'd just done, taking a taste with my finger. "Yup."
"They're really good. Everything looked amazing, Jake. Thank you for this, really." She leaned her head against my shoulder and let out a contented sigh.
I knew it was time for me to share a little more than I had been. My ruined dinner and sex weren't going to be the fix every time something happened at work. "I want to tell you about the other night, but I need you to listen and try not to react until I'm done, okay?"
Tess's head moved against my arm in agreement, but she remained silent.
Swallowing hard, I cleared my throat and began. "It's hard for me to tell you everything I see every night. And most nights I'm not going to tell you everything. I don't want to bring the job home with me and I need to figure out a way to not do that anymore. Some nights it'll be possible and other nights it won't be. Last night … it wasn't and I'm sorry."
Her delicate hands caressed my arms. "It's okay, babe."
I shook my head dismissively. "No, it's not. Some things you do have the right to know. We got shot at last night …" I paused as her body tensed beside me, but she stayed silent as I'd asked. She didn't have to ask if I was okay, because I was sitting next to her but trying to distinguish physically and mentally okay was a discussion for another day. "The guy was a crazy killer and he was armed. We were basically walking into an ambush on that track and we got lucky. I don't want you to worry more than you do, but you need to know when I leave this house it could be the last time you see me. So I don't want to fight over dumb shit and go to work mad. I need to leave knowing I have you in my corner. That I have one good thing in my life to fight for and come home to."
A wet stream rolled down my arm and I knew she was crying before I even gazed in her direction. Tess was a fighter. She wasn't one who was brought to tears easily, but I knew this could be the conversation that could do it. But we needed to have it. I pulled her tighter against me as she brushed her tears away.
