by Parker, Ali
“Guess not.” Yara laughed, and she turned up the music again.
I twirled Raina around in my arms and joined in the dancing that they had been having so much fun with. After a while, I stopped to make us all some grilled cheese so I could at least pretend a little bit that I wasn’t just allowing this to turn into a total sugar-fest.
Raina hung over my shoulder as I made the food, and Yara continued to teach Winnie the words to the songs that we had grown up listening to.
“I hope it wasn’t too hard on you today,” Raina told me gently.
I shook my head. “A lot easier knowing that I had you to come home to,” I replied, and I kissed her on the cheek.
She smiled and went to collect plates for our dinner.
I knew that as long as she was around, we were going to be just fine.
Chapter 58
Raina
“You take care of yourself, okay?” I told Reed firmly.
He looked up at me and raised his eyebrows. “You have nothing to worry about,” he assured me. “I’m feeling a lot better, really.”
“Well, just make sure you don’t let this get to you too much,” I told him, eyeing him for a moment. I had popped in to visit my brother in the wake of the great de-engagement that he’d been through, and I could tell he was still struggling. That said, he was sober and had started working from home again to keep himself busy. So that was certainly something.
“I won’t,” he promised.
I gave him a quick hug and checked my watch. We had been out for lunch together, and then I had walked him back to his apartment and helped him move in a new bed. He had wanted something that had no connections to his ex, and I was more than happy to help.
“What are you up to tonight?” he asked.
I grinned. “A date with Harry,” I replied. I had been so looking forward to it all week long. I couldn’t believe it was finally here.
“Well, you go out and have a great old time,” he told me. “I’ll speak to you soon, all right?”
“You sure will,” I replied, and I headed out the door and back to my apartment.
I showered, changed, and threw on some makeup, enough that I hopefully wouldn’t look too out of place at the fancy joint Harry was taking me to this evening. I had checked out the menu online. It was all Asian fusion, and it all looked fucking delicious.
I was so excited about getting to spend an evening with him. God knew we could use it in the middle of everything that had been going on.
Harry picked me up at my place, and I slipped across the seat and planted a kiss on his cheek as soon as I got into the car.
“You look gorgeous,” he murmured. Then he planted his hand on my thigh and pulled us away from the building.
I knew that we weren’t going to be waiting much after the check to get back here, but I still wanted my actual date time with him, too.
He took my hand as he led me into the restaurant, and I leaned my head on his shoulder proudly, pleased to be seen out with a man like this. They led us to the table, and we took our seats and looked over the menu.
“You ever been to this place before?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Good,” I said, “because I think you’re going to have to give me a little guidance.”
He smiled at me. “Anytime,” he replied, and he helped me pick out some dishes that he was sure I would like. I let him take control, enjoying being able to take my foot off the pedal for a while.
Sure enough, all the food he picked out for us was delicious.
We talked about nothing in particular, movies, books, the music we had listened to when we were younger. It was a welcome break from all the heaviness that we had been handling lately, and I was glad that I got to share it with him.
“Okay, this place needs to start doing takeout,” I remarked as I finished up our meal. “Because I want to be able to have this at home on the couch.”
“I’m sure I could manage to bring you some dessert there,” he remarked, cocking an eyebrow.
I had to stifle a giggle. God, he could be such a flirt.
“That sounds fun,” I shot back. “My place? I’m sure we could come up with something sweet.”
“I’ll get the check,” he replied, and he waved down the waiter and paid up for everything.
I beamed as he led me back out to the car, his arm tight around my waist, holding me in close to him, letting everyone know that I belonged to him.
We were making out as soon as we made it through my apartment door, and it felt so fucking good to just give in to the intensity of my feelings for him. Nothing else, just us. I needed this.
He pushed me roughly back against the door and slid his hand up my dress, cupping his fingers around my panties and massaging me softly through the fabric.
“God, I want to be inside you right now,” he murmured.
I could only moan in response. Then, I felt his hardness pressing against me through his pants, and I knew that I was more than ready to give him what he wanted.
“Don’t move,” I breathed in his ear.
I slipped down to my knees in front of him and slowly unzipped his pants. I didn’t take my eyes off him once, and it seemed like his gaze was pinned to me, passionate, needy, full of want. Pulling his pants and his underwear down, I leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on the line that ran from his abs down to his hips.
I moaned, and I slowly guided his length into my hand, stroking him a couple of times before I leaned toward him and took him into my mouth.
“Fuck,” he groaned, and he grasped my shoulders as I coaxed him all the way inside of me.
I had never done something like this before, but I trusted my instincts and let them set the pace for what I was going to do. He tasted good—like clean skin, maybe a touch of salt from the drop of liquid that had leaked from his tip—and I swirled my tongue all around him, getting used to the feel of him in my mouth. He felt bigger here somehow, and I couldn’t wait to feel him filling my pussy soon enough.
But I wanted to lavish him with attention now. I wanted this to be all about him. He felt magical in my mouth, like this was something I shouldn’t have waited so long to indulge in. He groaned as I sealed my lips around him, applying a little pressure, experimenting with the way that he reacted when I did this to him. I couldn’t believe how much this was turning me on. I felt so powerful, so sexy, so wanted in that moment, knowing that I could have done anything I wanted to him and he would have let me.
He slowly guided himself a little deeper, and I took him as far as I could. It was such a new feeling, but I liked it. I could already feel the start of an addiction growing deep down inside of me. I loved this. I loved him. Any time I got to be with him, no matter what it was spent doing, was time well spent.
I went down on him for a little while longer, letting myself grow accustomed to the feel of his cock in my mouth, but soon, it seemed like he couldn’t take any more. He reached down and pulled me to my feet before pinning me to the door again and burying his face into my neck.
“Your room,” he ordered me. “Now.”
He practically swept me off my feet as he carried me through to the bedroom, and he tossed me down on the bed before sweeping down to join me. The weight of his body on mine was soothing somehow, something solid and sure in the mess of what had been happening, and he quickly reached beneath my skirt and pulled down my panties.
In moments, he had sheathed himself and was inside me. The feeling was so startling and so good that I couldn’t help but cry out. I didn’t care if the neighbors heard. Hell, maybe I hoped they would, just so I could show off to everyone how amazing my lover, the man I loved, was for me.
He moved deep, pushing my legs back so he could slide all the way inside me, filling me to the hilt. I gasped, and he covered my mouth with his and tasted me, like he was starving for me, drinking deep from me.
I knew how he felt. With all the crap we’d gone through recently, it felt like we could hav
e fallen apart from one another. But instead, it seemed to have drawn us together even closer. The passion I felt for him was powerful, the lust sure, the love intense. Nothing could change that.
I would never have asked for such a sharp test to what we had so soon after it had started, but if it meant that I could be as sure as I was in how much I loved him, then I would take it. I had known before, but now I knew. Now there wasn’t a doubt in my mind, and I knew there never would be.
He spread my legs wide, wrapped his arms around me, and pounded me hard. My body was his, my mind his, my heart his. Every part of me belonged to him, every part of him to me. It didn’t take long until I could feel myself getting close. I dipped my hand between my legs and began to play with myself as he fucked me, and soon, the combination of sensation was enough to get me there.
I came, my body shaking underneath his, and he held me close as he continued to move inside of me. I buried my face in his shoulder and cried out against his skin, and a few moments later, I felt him release within me.
He didn’t move for a long time, and neither did I. I didn’t want to. But eventually, he drew himself out of me once more, and with a sigh, he collapsed onto the bed next to me.
“That was so fucking good,” he murmured, and he rolled over to put his hand on my waist. We were both still half-dressed, and I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the state we were in.
“It was,” I agreed, and I touched his cheek. For a moment, we just stayed there, the two of us lingering in this quiet moment before we had to break it with something that resembled reality.
“I love you,” he told me.
“I love you too,” I replied.
He kissed me again. It was almost enough to stir something in me once more, but I was far too exhausted for that.
“Is Yara going to bring Winnie down to the shelter tomorrow?” I asked him.
He nodded. “Yeah, she’s looking after her at my place tonight, but they’re going to come down to the shelter tomorrow.”
I smiled. I was looking forward to spending more time with Winnie, and it would be nice to see Yara again after our silly Backstreet Boys dance off at Harry’s place.
“So I can sleep here, if you want,” he continued, kissing me on the temple.
I draped an arm over his chest. “Getting a little forward now, aren’t we?” I teased him. “I think you need to take a step back, mister. I’m not the kind of gal who lets you just stay the night after only a few months.”
“Hmm, then I’m on the couch?” he asked playfully.
I nodded. “Only if I can come and join you,” I replied.
He wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him. I loved him so much in that moment, it made my heart ache. I might not have loved before, but I knew that love like this didn’t come around too often.
And I was damn grateful that, after all this time, it had come along for me.
Chapter 59
Harry
“We’re not going to be late, are we?” Raina asked as she checked her hair in the mirror of the car and then slipped into the front seat.
I shot her a look. “If we are, it’s totally your fault,” I replied.
She clasped her hand to her chest in faux shock. “I think you’re the one who climbed into the shower with me this morning,” she pointed out.
I cocked an eyebrow. “Well, you’re the one who thought it was a good idea to get all naked and wet and sweaty while I was right there,” I teased.
She leaned over and kissed me. I smiled. Last night had been perfect, and I was hoping that today was going to be just the same way.
We were meeting Yara and Winnie at the shelter, and I was hoping to get some last details finalized with Marjorie to make sure that everything we needed was in place for the charitable work we were going to be doing with the shelter. I was looking forward to getting everything moving there. It would be good to have something that I could lay claim to as my own, utterly and completely, after it felt like so much had been pulled from my grasp and control.
We arrived just a minute or two late, and Yara greeted us both with a hug.
“I tried to stop Winnie, but she went right on in and to the puppy room,” Yara explained. “And honestly, I’m disgusted that you went out of your way to avoid telling me that this place has a puppy room.”
“You should meet some of our older dogs,” Raina replied. “They’re even sweeter.”
“Oh my God, don’t,” Yara protested, holding her hand up. “I’m having a hard enough time not taking them all home as it is.”
We headed inside, and Marjorie was already there waiting for me. She beamed when she saw me and gestured for me to come over.
“So, I have a few plans drawn up based on the ideas that you put forward,” she explained, and she handed over a few papers to me. Her spidery handwriting covered most of the page, and I felt like I was going to need a translator to go over it.
“I’ll hang on to that for now,” Yara replied, and she grabbed it from me, probably sensing that I wanted nothing more than to kick back and relax a little.
Marjorie nodded and smiled, and Raina headed behind the counter to grab her stuff and get herself all checked in.
“So, we have an extra pair of hands here today, I see?” Marjorie remarked, looking Yara up and down.
Yara did a twirl on the spot, like she was showing herself off. “You sure do,” she agreed. “And I’m happy to help any way I can. You just say the word, and I’m there.”
“Well, Winnie’s with the puppies right now,” Marjorie said. “Why don’t you keep some of the older dogs company? They don’t always get the same attention as the little ones, and I think they deserve it just as much.”
“Of course they do,” Yara agreed, and she nodded toward the door. “This way?”
“That way,” Marjorie said. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
With everyone else out of the room, I snuck behind the counter and stole a little kiss from Raina.
She giggled and batted me away. “I’m at work,” she reminded me.
“Hey, you’re volunteering,” I replied. “I can still kiss you, right?”
“I suppose so,” she agreed, and she turned to plant her lips against mine once more. But when she pulled back, she had that steely look of certainty in her eye, and I knew she was ready to get going.
“Okay, so I have a lot of vaccinations to do today,” she murmured, apparently to herself. “And then some new intakes.”
I decided to leave her to it and headed off to see what Winnie was up to. Sure enough, she was still in the puppy room, practically rolling around on the floor with a few of the younger guests of the shelter. It was pretty sweet to see, even though I knew that Tink would have been seething with jealousy if he could see what she was up to.
“You mind if I join you?” I asked, crouching down beside her.
She gave me this huge grin as soon as she saw me and nodded toward the half-dozen puppies in front of her. “When Nico comes to visit, can we bring him here?”
“I hope so,” I said. I had no idea if Nico’s condition would allow him to come to a place like this, but I hoped so. I could already see him playing with the puppies, just a little kid again with no thought of his illness or all that it had taken from him.
I stayed with Winnie for a little while, but I decided that Yara could probably do with a little help, given that it was her first time at the shelter. I knew that the first time I had come here, it had felt like I was being hit over the head with a huge stack of cute dogs, all of whom could have come home and lived with me if they’d wanted to.
I found her out in the back, kneeling down next to one of the kennels, apparently with no care for her expensive jeans getting tore up.
“You found a friend?” I asked as I joined her.
She glanced around, and as soon as I saw her eyes, I knew that she was totally in love with the dog that she had found.
“Oh my God, I think I’m in love with h
im,” she gushed as she turned her attention back to the sweet little thing that she had been attending to. “He was just in the kennel all by himself. He wasn’t playing with the other dogs. Marjorie says that he doesn’t get many visitors.”
The dog that she was cooing over was an elderly mastiff, with beautiful brown eyes and only three legs. I could totally see why Yara loved him so much already. He was handsome and had a gentle air about him, and the way he tilted his head up to say hello to me made my heart melt.
“I don’t think I can leave here without him,” she murmured, petting his head once more.
I grinned. “And here I thought you were meant to be the sensible one out of the two of us?”
She shook her head. “Not when it comes to sweet old dogs who need a home, apparently,” she replied, reaching out to scratch his head. “I love you. He lifted his head up when he saw me coming. I think he knew that I was going to fall for him.”
True to her word, it didn’t take long until Yara was at the front desk signing the paperwork she had to in order to take Quincy—the dog who had stolen her heart—home with her. She was almost teary as she made it all up, and I was so happy for her. She had loved Tink from the moment she had met him, and I knew that she had the capacity to give so much love to another dog that needed it, too.
“Don’t you have a boyfriend to think about now?” I teased.
“Well, if he doesn’t like Quincy, then he’s out,” she replied, as though it should have been obvious.
“See, that’s how I know you’re going to be a good dog owner,” Raina remarked. “You’ve got to put the dog above the man. At all times.”
“Does that mean I can come and visit Quincy when I see you?” Winnie asked with excitement.
Yara nodded. “Maybe he and Tink could be friends.”
“I think Tink wants to be friends with everyone,” I said. “It’s not going to be too hard to convince him.”
