Page 78 of Big D!ck Energy

“So... lie completely.”

“I prefer creative interpretation of events.” I leaned down, pressing a kiss to the exposed skin of her neck where my shirt had slipped. Her skin was warm, still carrying traces of her shower, and I had the sudden, vivid memory of how she'd tasted last night, this morning, both.

She tilted her head, giving me better access, and I took full advantage.

Ricky whined softly, clearly conflicted about this development. On one paw, his mother seemed happy. On the other paw, I was touching her, and he still hadn't fully forgiven me for existing in her life.

“Dallas...”

“Mm?”

“If you start something right now, I'm never going to finish this outline.”

“That sounds like a you problem.”

She laughed, swatting at my hands, but there was no real force behind it. “Boundaries. We discussed boundaries.”

“Did we? I don't recall that conversation. Must have been distracted by something.” I nipped at her earlobe. “Or someone.”

Karen chose that moment to return from her living room exile, leaping back onto the island with a pointed meow that sounded distinctly like get a room. She sat directly on Davina's keyboard, her considerable fluff spreading across the laptop screen.

“Karen!” Davina groaned. “I was in the middle of…”

The cat slow-blinked at her, unrepentant, then began grooming her paw with aggressive nonchalance.

“She's helping,” I offered. “She agrees you need a break.”

“She's being a menace.”

“Menace is a strong word for someone who just wants attention.” I reached over to scratch behind Karen's ears, and she allowed it. “See? She likes me.”

“She tolerates you.”

“I'll take it. That’s more than Ricky gives me.”

At the sound of his name, Ricky's head popped up again. He stared at me for a long moment, then turned his back, presenting me with his tiny spotted rump as he curled tighter around Davina's feet.

“He's warming up to you,” Davina said, but her voice was shaking with suppressed laughter.

“He literally just showed me his ass.”

“That's how dachshunds show affection.”

“That's absolutely not true.”

“How would you know? Have you ever owned a dachshund?”

“I've never owned any dog. I'm learning on the job here.” I gestured at the menagerie surrounding us. “I went from zero pets to a judgmental cat and a wiener dog with trust issues in the span of twenty-four hours.”

Karen meowed, as if to remind me that she was not, in fact, my pet. She was merely allowing me to cohabitate in her space.

“You're doing fine,” Davina said, finally abandoning her laptop and swiveling on the barstool to face me. “Ricky's barking has decreased by at least thirty percent.”

“He barked at me for eleven minutes straight this morning because I walked past his water bowl.”

“See? Progress. Yesterday it was fifteen minutes.”

The truth was, standing there in my sun-drenched kitchen with this woman who'd somehow become the center of my universe, surrounded by animals who had very strong opinions about my worthiness, I realized something terrifying.