AllFreeNovel
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A movie I don’t remember the title of plays on the flat-screen in front of my bed. Braxton is splayed across my chest, her leg looped over my hips, holding me like a koala would a damn tree. I’m relaxed, at ease with her in my arms and in my bed.
I brush my lips over the top of her head, back and forth, back and forth, while humming a song that filled my bedroom from the movie a handful of minutes ago. It’s been easier to keep Braxton awake than I thought it would, but I think the bowl of sour gummy worms I ordered her to eat has her pretty wired up now.
She uncurls her fingers, leaving my shirt wrinkled in their absence, and then reaches into the bowl at my side, digging around until she pinches a blue-and-pink one. I crinkle my nose when she tilts her head to look at me and reaches up to dangle the worm in front of my mouth.
“Are you sure you don’t want one?” she asks, a barely there smirk tugging at her lips.
“I would rather eat sand, baby girl. Thanks, though.”
She giggles, plopping the candy into her mouth instead. I watch her chew and then lick the sugar granules from her lips, eyes twinkling the entire time.
“You’ve never liked sour candy. It’s weird for you to have an entire shelf designated for bags of the stuff in your pantry if you won’t eat it,” she notes, smacking her lips together.
“Mm, I don’t like it, but you do,” I murmur before stealing a kiss, pushing the lingering taste of the candy to the back of my mind. “And I’m hoping you’ll be here enough to eat them. Was that wishful thinking?”
“Not at all.” Her lips part, tongue pressing into my mouth. I give it a hard suck, fighting a grin when she pushes at my chest. After I release her tongue, she glares playfully at me. “Actually, now that I think about it, it might have been.”
I bark a laugh and drop my head back to the pillows piled behind me. “You’re too sore for a spanking, Braxton. But keep it up and I might not care.”
She wiggles against my side. “Ooh, is that a threat or a promise?”
“It’s neither now that I know you’d enjoy both.”
“That’s rude.”
I push my hand down her side and take her ass cheek in my hand, giving it a squeeze through the silk pyjama shorts she packed in her overnight bag earlier.
“Sorry, princess.”
“There is one way you can make it up to me.” She says it almost shyly, and I’m immediately curious.
“Let me hear it.”
Pushing herself up on her forearm, she holds my gaze and says, “I know we haven’t talked a lot about the fundraisers or the adoption day yet, but it’s already only a month away, and there’s still so much to figure out. One idea Sadie and I had would probably do well enough that we wouldn’t need to involve as many sponsors this year. I think it would sell amazingly.”
“What’s the idea? I don’t know shit about this stuff, sweetheart. You’re gonna have to spell it all out for me so I can do a good job here.”
She nods, a smile peeking out. “So, Sadie told me that usually they set up a few fundraising events before the adoption day to grow some publicity and, combined with their usual sponsors, gather the money for the event itself. The adoption day is meant to bring in as many potential families as possible, and the more we prepare beforehand, usually the better the turn out.”
“Okay, and what’s this idea of yours?”
A flush slithers up her neck and paints her cheeks as she darts her eyes away. I gently pinch her chin and turn her back to me.
“It can’t be that bad,” I add, hoping to encourage her.
“Do you think you could convince the VW to do a calendar photoshoot with the dogs that are going to be up for adoption?” She says it all in one breath and then sucks in a long one.
It takes everything in me not to start laughing at her nervousness. Not because it’s funny that she’s nervous, but because she thought for even a second that I could deny her anything she wants.
“I think this is the perfect time to test how badly Alexander wants to fix my image. I’ll make it happen.”
Her following smile is all I need to know that whatever I have to do to make it happen will be worth it.
“Oh my God. I love you so much,” she gushes, covering my face with kisses. I tighten my grip on her ass and lay my other hand over her thigh, pulling it further up my body. “This is going to be amazing. Thank you, Maddox.”
I steal her mouth in a longer kiss before she has the chance to pull away again and rub my palm over her leg, feeling the skin become peppered with goosebumps.
“I love you,” I whisper against her lips, heaving a breath. “You’ve been up long enough now if you want to go to sleep.”
