“Punch buggy,” Brielle yells, and my eyes flash to her. She laughs out loud and points at me. “Ha! Made you look.”
I smirk as I pull into the drive. “I’m going to punch you in the buggy in a minute.”
The car falls silent as we pass the animal shelter sign.
“What are we doing here?” Willow asks.
I stop the car and turn toward them. “I thought we might get a puppy.”
“What?” they all screech. “Oh my God.” The children jump out of the car and run up into the building.
I turn my attention to Bree, and she smiles over at me with an affectionate glow in her eyes. “That may just be the hottest thing you’ve ever done.”
I smile, nodding as I look out through the windscreen. “I don’t know whether to be offended that my previous attempts to be hot have been so… underwhelming. Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult, Miss Brielle?” She giggles as she hops out of the car. “Compliment, you baboon. Now get out of the car.”
We walk down the aisle of the shelter, inspecting the puppies.
“This one!” Samuel calls out, filled with excitement.
I peer in to see a shaggy looking mutt. I screw up my face. “We need a dog that doesn’t grow too big.”
“Right,” Bree hums as she studies the dogs. “What kind do we want?”
“Something friendly that doesn’t bark a lot,” I reply. “Or make a mess.”
Bree raises a sarcastic brow and I shrug. It sounds good in theory.
“Look at this one,” Sammy calls as he drops to his knees beside a cage.
A little brown and white puppy with droopy ears and big brown eyes looks up at us.
Willow falls to her knees beside them. “Oh my God, it has to be this one,” she cries.
I read the ticket:
Female Beagle
10 weeks old
In need of loving home
Gentle temperament
Great with children.
The puppy stares up at me with her big brown eyes.
Bree drops to the floor. “Look at her sweet, little face.”
“Let’s just keep looking, shall we?” I mutter, swiftly moving along.
I get to the end of the aisle and glance back to see that the three of them haven’t moved from their position beside the female beagle.
“Have you looked at every dog?” I ask them.
“We want this one,” Willow tells me with confidence.
“Bree, can you Google beagles and see what they are like, please?”
“Sure.” She takes out her phone and begins to read the information. “Great with children, lovely housemates, gentle, loyal. Not messy. Very quiet.”
I study her face. “Are you just saying what you think I want to hear?”
She giggles. “Totally.”
I roll my eyes. I can’t believe I’m doing this. “Are you sure this is the one you want?”
The three of them all smile and enthusiastically.
“Fine. That was easier than I imagined.” I walk over to the assistant. “Excuse me, can we take the ten week old beagle, please?”
The young girl smiles and then goes through a series of questions and then finally replies. “Great choice. She’s a beautiful little girl. I’ll get her ready and meet you out the front in ten minutes.” She takes the puppy from her cage, and Willow and Samuel start to bounce on the spot, unable to control themselves. “I’ll meet you out the front.” She smiles before she disappears through the office door.
We walk into another section of the shelter and my face falls. It’s filled with kittens.
“Oh my God,” Willow gasps.
“Look at this one!” Bree shrieks.
We walk over to see a little white fluffy ball of fur staring back at us.
“This one,” Samuel calls to us. “He looks like the one that attacks bears.” The three of them all burst out laughing.
I go to the front counter and wait for the girl to return with our puppy.
“Oh no, he got me.” Willow laughs, and we turn to see a little ginger and white kitten standing on his back two legs. He’s put his paw through the cage and somehow got it snagged in Willow’s knitted jumper.
She giggles as she tries to unhook herself, and Samuel and Bree begin to help her. The kitten is a livewire, playing with them through the cage.
Willow’s eyes find mine. “Dad, can we have this kitten, too?”
“No.”
“Please,” she begs. “Oh, please, Dad. I’ll look after him. I’ll even pay for his food from my pocket money.” “Willow, we just got a dog.”
She smiles sadly at the kitten and continues to play with it through the cage.
“Why can’t she have it?” Bree whispers.
“I don’t want a fucking cat,” I mutter under my breath.
“This isn’t about you. This is about taking her mind off the situation at school. This cat could be the perfect friend for her.”
“That’s what the dog is for.” I frown.
“Do you think Sammy’s going to take his hands off that dog. I’ll look after it.” She puts her hands together, pleading with me as she bounces on the spot. “Please. I’ll beg,” she whispers.
I look at her flatly. “Bree, if this isn’t already you begging, I dread to think what is.” I exhale heavily and glance over at Willow who is currently smiling down at the ugliest cat in the world.
Fuck’s sake.
The lady appears with the puppy, handing it to Samuel, but my focus is on Willow.
Fine…
I’ve totally lost control of this situation. “We’ll take the ginger kitten, too, please.”
Willow and Bree start to shriek and clap their hands.
“Dad, you’re the best!” Willow cries.
Bree smiles up at me, her eyes linger tenderly on my face.
“Don’t say a word,” I warn her.
She giggles and links arms with Willow as they continue to play with the cat.
Great. Not only do I now have to deal with having blue balls, but I have to watch out for a cat attacking my dick in my sleep.
Brielle
“The movie is starting, guys,” Sammy calls.
The microwave pings right on cue. Willow takes out the second bag of popcorn and tips it into the bowl.
I’ve just made a beautiful dinner and the house is alive with playful baby animals. It’s been a wonderful day.
I walk into the living room to find it dark, with the kids lounging on their beanbags and Julian on the couch. He’s covered himself with a huge blanket, and he pats the sofa next to him. I smile, liking that he wants to sit next to me.
Tillie, our puppy, and Maverick, our kitten are now curled up on their little beds next to the children.
I lie down and Julian covers me with the blanket, pulling my feet onto his lap. God, I just want to kiss him.
Seeing him trying so hard with the children is literally exploding my ovaries.
“What are we watching?” I ask.
“The Terminator,” Willow tells me, her eyes glued to the screen.
“I’ll be back,” I say in my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice.
Julian rolls his eyes.
“I feel like I should get up and go to the bathroom just so I can say I’ll be back,” I chuckle
“God help us,” Julian mutters dryly.
I giggle. “I crack myself up.”
“We know.”
I laugh again, and for two hours I sit, completely lost in the movie. “How much do you reckon he would eat to be that size?” I ask.
“Please don’t talk.” Julian sighs.
So serious. I wiggle my foot on his lap to annoy him and he grabs it and grinds it against his cock, staring straight ahead at the TV, stony faced.
Oh, this is fun.
He rubs my foot over his dick again, flexing it so I can feel it move beneath my skin.
My insides begin to melt.
I wonder what it would be like to have him in this house? To have him sneak into my bed at night, and to hold him as I slept. I have this nagging little voice in my mind telling me that I’m developing feelings for him. Especially after today.
I’m not. I know exactly what this is.
It is just fucking, right? But somehow it feels like more, and we bounce off of each other so well. His flirty little comments, his constant worry over me, his eyes lingering on my face when he thinks I’m not looking, and his comfortable complaints about my terrible sense of humor… they all leave me thinking things I shouldn’t be thinking.
Stop it.
He rubs my foot over himself again, and I smile to no one in particular.
I want to have sex in this house. I want to break him so that he can’t help himself. If we have sex here, he’ll have to accept the fact that the woman he thinks is too good for him is also the woman he can fuck.
They’re both me. I’m the same person. I don’t know why he wants to keep us separate, but I think fear has a lot to do with it.
When I’m in the hotel, it’s on his terms. His mother said that he is happy when things are on his terms. Then and only then. I need to move this whole thing to be on my terms… but how?
He grinds my foot again and I watch him, knowing he’s turned on. He needs it. He’s so sexual. I imagine he’s the kind of man that would want you every day if you were his wife.
His wife.
What would that be like?
What would it be like to have him love me and take care of me forever?
I close my eyes.
Stop it.
I feel his cock jerk beneath me, and my eyes flicker up to him.
His eyes are rolled back in his head. My mouth falls open and he smirks to himself.
Is he for real?
He just came in approximately four minutes.
The movie ends and he jumps up. “I’m going to shower.” He disappears up the stairs without another word, leaving me to shake my head.