My jaw falls open in shock. With a gentle touch, he uses his finger to push it closed.
“Say something, even if it’s just to let me down and tell me to get lost,” he pleads. But yet again, he’s rendered me speechless. Yes, me, the author, is without words to describe how I feel, hearing him echo what’s been building inside of my heart for weeks now.
I kiss him, instead.
I pour everything into the kiss. All my hope, all my fear, all my desire. And he meets me with every press of his lips, every touch of his hands caressing my body, holding me tighter into him.
He pulls back, a wide grin on his face. “Does this mean you’re okay with being more than friends who fuck?”
“As long as you still fuck me.”
He stands up, lifting me with him, and strides down the hall to my bedroom. “As if I could ever stop. You’re mine now, angel.”
Even though my deadline with Carol is looming and I should be writing, I let Sawyer keep me in bed for most of the day. He claimed he needed to practice “having sex as a boyfriend, not just a hookup,” and who was I to argue that?
Now we’re standing outside Cooper’s school, waiting for him to get out so I can hopefully give my son the best surprise of his young life. When I told Sawyer about the puppy I met at the shelter this morning, he begged to come with us so he could witness Cooper’s reaction.
“He’s gonna freak,” Sawyer says, his arm around my waist. I swear he’s almost as excited as I expect Coop to be.
“I know, this puppy is just so perfect,” I sigh happily. The bell rings, and he drops his arm. We agreed to keep the PDA low until I’ve had a chance to talk to Cooper. Not that I think he’ll mind, but my kid deserves that courtesy.
Cooper comes out of the school, waving goodbye to his friends. When he sees Sawyer standing next to me, his eyes light up and he runs the distance separating us. His hand shoots out, and the two of them go through their ridiculous handshake routine.
“Hey Mom, Sawyer! I didn’t know you’d be here today!” My kid is basically vibrating with excitement as we walk over to my car. “Are you coming over? Are we going to the LEGO store? What’s going on?”
“Slow down, kid, I’ll explain in a minute.” I laugh as he tosses his backpack in the back seat and climbs in. Once we’re all buckled in, I turn to Sawyer, who’s got a giant grin on his face, then twist farther to face Cooper.
“I got a call from the animal shelter yesterday,” I start, and Coop audibly gasps. “They had two puppies transferred in from another shelter, and before they move them to foster homes, they reached out to see if we wanted to meet them. I stopped by first thing this morning after I dropped you off, and I think —”
“We’re gettin’ a puppy?” Cooper yells, and Sawyer and I both laugh.
“It looks that way, as long as you like her,” I say, my eyes starting to tear up. Who knew granting my kid’s number one wish would be so emotional? Sawyer’s hand sneaks across to mine, and he gives me a squeeze. It feels right that he’s here with us for this.
“Let’s go! Why aren’t you driving?” Coop gestures impatiently. “I need to meet her!”
I turn forward, brushing away the tears, and turn the car on, pulling slowly out of the parking lot while Sawyer and Cooper talk about his day, giving me space to pull myself together.
And an hour later, the three of us walk out of the Dogwood Cove Animal Shelter, Cooper holding a surprisingly calm black and brown bundle of fur in his arms.
“Are you okay with her name?” I ask as we get her settled in a crate on the seat next to him.
“Chloe? Yeah, it’s cool. I don’t want to confuse her,” he answers seriously, his eyes glued to his puppy. “Are you sure she’s okay in there? It doesn’t feel like prison?”
I do a better job than Sawyer at hiding my laugh and shoot him a glare over the roof of the car. “I’m sure, buddy. She’s crate trained, that means she likes it in there. It makes her feel safe.”
He sighs, still sounding worried, but eventually nods. “Okay but let’s get home fast.”
“You got it.”
When we reach the house, Sawyer helps us get all of the puppy stuff inside. After making sure Chloe does her business in the backyard, I let Cooper bring her inside, and the two of them run around the house, his giggles making my heart feel ready to burst.
“I wish I didn’t have to go to work,” Sawyer says, walking up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist as Cooper and Chloe explore his bedroom. “This is probably the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”
I lean back against his chest. “Are you going to give the dog a nickname?”
The vibrations of his chuckle pulse through me. “Maybe.”
Cooper and Chloe come racing back into the kitchen, the puppy skidding on the floor. Sawyer steps back from me, and it seems Coop didn’t notice how close we were.
