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“You’re unbelievable,” Chelsea said, lifting the shirt over her head and handing it to me. Her breasts overflowed from her sports bra, and my mouth dried out.
When I smirked at her, she glared. “I meant a thank you kiss, not the sweatshirt,” I said, staring at her exposed skin. “I can’t complain about a thank you likethis,though.”
Chelsea sucked her lip into her mouth, chewing on it and covering herself with the sweatshirt she still held. “I don’t know about that.” Why was she nervous?
“Why not? You seemed to enjoy yourself last night.” I stepped over the threshold, closing the distance between us. A dark blush tinted her cheeks, traveling down her neck and turning her chest a light pink. “Let me take you out again.”
She looked away from me, but I could feel the excitement radiating off her. “Graham, I’m not so sure.”
“I wasn’t really asking.” I took another step, and she mirrored it with a step backwards. I repeated the action until her back was flat against the wall. She hissed at the cold contact, but she clamped her lips shut. When she pressed her legs together, I knew she was remembering last night as clearly as I was. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at noon.”
Chelsea nodded. “Where are we going?”
“You’re supposed to trust me, remember?” I grinned, tracing the curve of her jaw and tucking her hair behind her ear. Chelsea held her breath, groaning when I stepped away from her and made my way to the door. “Wear something you don’t mind getting dirty.”
Chapter 14
Chelsea
“You’re really not going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked when Graham turned off my street. He looked proud, peering at me from the corner of his eye. His gaze lingered on the tears in the thighs of my jeans when he stopped at a red light.
Then, he shook his head. “Of course not. You’ll see when we get there.” Graham chuckled, turning his eyes back to the road and clearing his throat. “I like your jeans, butterfly.”
My cheeks felt warmer, and I cursed the way I blushed so easily, resisting the urge to cover them. “I’m sure you do.”
I was confused when he pulled into the parking lot of the Happy Paws Shelter. I lifted my brow, looking at him. “The shelter? Why are we here?”
“For our date.” Graham shrugged, like it was perfectly normal to go to the pet shelter for a date. When he parked and climbed out of his truck, he chuckled. “Just give it a chance, huh?”
Nodding, I got out of the car, and Graham grabbed my hand, holding onto it when he walked towards the building. I followed, not fighting against his grasp. His hand was strong and made mine feel smaller—safe in his hold, and it was comforting. My stomach flipped.
When he opened the door, the sound of dogs barking flooded the parking lot, and a grin stretched his cheeks. The door slammed behind us, and a petite woman by the reception desk looked up. She waved excitedly, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder.
“Hey, Rachel,” Graham said with a nod her way.
“Oh hi, Graham!” Her voice was higher pitched than could be natural. Then she looked at me, and her smile dropped. “Who’s your friend?”
Graham put his arm around me, tugging me against his side. “This is Chelsea. We’re seeing each other.” I quieted my gasp but looked up at him, knowing his smirk was in response to my reaction. He tightened his arm around me, and my stomach fluttered.
“Oh really?” Rachel’s face dropped. “I didn’t realize you had a girlfriend.”
He laughed, and the sound rivaled with the barking from the dogs. “We haven’t really put a title on it, but she let me bring her on a date to the shelter, so I think it’s getting pretty serious.”
I tried to stifle a laugh that turned into an obnoxious snort, and I covered my mouth when Graham beamed at me.
“You’re ridiculous,” I said between giggles, swatting him on the arm and letting my hand linger.
Rachel laughed loudly, clearing her throat at the same time. “That’ssofunny,” she said, cocking her head to the side and clicking her tongue. The smile on her face was forced, and it looked almost painful. Was she jealous?
I looked at Graham, whose eyes were still glued to me, and my heart started to pound against my ribcage. He wasn’t interested in her. My chest squeezed, and I pressed up against him when his hold on me tightened.
“Shall we?” he asked, pointing toward the double doors that led to a brightly lit hallway.
The chorus of barking was even louder when we were in the linoleum and concrete hallway, surrounded by large built-in kennels. Dogs posed and jumped in front of the doors to their spaces when we walked by, but we didn’t stop until we reached the last one. The dog in this kennel spun in excited circles before jumping at the gate and letting out a high-pitched howl that sounded a lot like yelling.
“Bullseye!” Graham shouted, unlatching the kennel door and throwing it open. “Hey, buddy! Come here!” He knelt, welcoming the bounding dog into his arms. The dog’s tongue fell from the side of his mouth when Graham started to rub him behind the ears. The dog whined and dropped onto his back, exposing his belly and pawing at Graham’s hand.
“This is Bullseye. He’s been here a few months, but he and I are friends, aren’t we?” Graham’s voice changed when he addressed the dog, and the dog responded to it, wagging his tail.He had a big black ring around his eye, and the rest of his body was covered with black and white patches. It was obvious where he had gotten his name, and I giggled. “Bullseye, this is Chelsea. I think you’ll like her.”
