Page 98

Rose, Sophia, Dorothy, and Blanche waltz through my door as if they own the place. Dick already darted ahead, without a doubt claiming his dog bed for the rest of the evening.

"Thanks for letting us stay the night." Brooke hides a yawn behind her hand and stretches her arms far over her head. Snow piles fall off coat-clad shoulders and onto the ground, but I can’t find it in me to care about tiny puddles in my hallway.

"Of course. Anytime." I help her take off her coat, then get on my knees to help unlace her thick, knee-high snow boots. Poor Brooke is dead on her feet and swaying dangerously as I pull the first shoe off her foot. "Hold on to my shoulder, Sweetheart."

One of her hands lands on the side of my neck, and the other one in my hair as she carefully steps out of her boots.

"Thank you, Baby. Come here."

She pulls my hair until I lift my chin, and I snake my arms around her middle.

"Exhausting day, huh?" she whispers as I hide my face in her sweatshirt and take a deep breath.

"Yeah.” Now it's my turn to hide a yawn in the soft cotton. "Wouldn't trade it for the world, though." As predicted, today was really damn fun. I could do this for a week. Well, if I had about two weeks of no responsibilities to recover afterwards, which is kind of impossible with a dog.

But something's up. She stares ahead, her mind a thousand miles away, her fingers in my hair slowly coming to a standstill.

So, I get up, quickly kick my own shoes aside and then nudge her chin until her eyes land on me.

"What's going on?" One of her curls stubbornly falls into her face. I brush it behind her ear.

She stares at me. One blink. Two. Then she lets out a deep sigh.

"I'm anxious." She pushes the side of her face into my hand like a cat. "The deadline is next week. I don’t trust the optimism trying to sneak its way into my heart, and my thoughts are racing quicker than Lando Norris on his best day."

“I’m sorry.” I kiss the side of her head and pull her with me to my living room. The dogs are curled up on the couch, sated from their dinner at Caleb’s and a day full of new people and hugs.

"Do you need some distraction?" I ask, walking backward until my butt nudges against my kitchen island.

"That depends." She hooks her finger into the collar of my shirt and pulls me down to her eye level. Ugh, I love it when she does that. She holds my gaze, then her lips curl into a smirk. "Did you buy condoms, by any chance?"

Oh, hell yes. I grin and nod. "Upstairs."

Without another word, she laces her fingers with mine and pulls me along.

"Start getting naked," she demands with a mischievous grin as soon as we enter my bedroom, then kicks the door closed behind us.

I pull my sweatshirt and t-shirt over my head and throw them aside.

Before I can comprehend what's happening, her lips are on mine again, her quick fingers unfastening my belt. Then suddenly my pants are on the ground, and she's on her knees, tongue darting over her lips.

"Oh, fuck." I thread my fingers through her hair, careful not to push her. Because knowing her, it’d have the opposite effect and I’ll be in for a round of torture. Delicious torture, but torture nonetheless.

I’ll keep that option open for the future, though.

And for a moment I can think straight, because her hot breath is feathering over my cock, and this is not the time for these kinds of important decisions.

"Damn, Brooke." Her tongue expertly swirls around my sensitive head and makes me suck in a sharp breath. She doesn't even wince and takes my cock deeper into her throat. Her mouth is warm and wet, and she starts sucking me, and ohmygod-

"Fuck, Baby.” I groan, fighting against my body that wants me to fuck her throat. “You’re taking me so well." Her hands are on my butt. She pulls me in even deeper, tongue swirling around my length, and strokes whatever her mouth can’t take.

Oh, fuck. How does breathing work again?

She gets me right to the brink with her mouth and her delicate fingers, then suddenly—

"On the bed. Now." My cock falls from her lips with an obscene plop, a thread of spit spanning to her mouth.

“You’re killing me, Brooke.”