Total pages in book: 220
Estimated words: 212755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1064(@200wpm)___ 851(@250wpm)___ 709(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 212755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1064(@200wpm)___ 851(@250wpm)___ 709(@300wpm)
“How about a shower, pup?” I had to fight back a smile as he sat back on his knees, stretching and yawning again. “Before you fall asleep.”
He groaned, looking bashful for the first time. “It feels like I’m ready to crash.”
Taking a cue from his calm manner, I reached out and caressed his cheek, wanting him to know I hadn’t changed my mind about our tentative plans. “Then I think the best plan is for you to stay here tonight. It’s already late and I’d like the chance to make breakfast for you tomorrow.”
His eyes lit up, but he reined in his excitement. “Are you sure? We kind of talked around how late it would be, but I don’t want you to feel obligated.”
Obligated for what?
Was he talking about more than just sleeping over?
“I don’t.” Leaning forward, I gave him a quick peck, trying to make him smile. I succeeded. “It’s practical, and it’s what I want. But I won’t talk you out of leaving if that’s what you would like.”
I figured making sure he knew I wasn’t kidnapping him would be a good idea.
He shook his head before he had a chance to get a single word out. “No, I don’t want to leave. This was…this was fun.”
I had to agree.
“Because you’re the cutest pup ever.” As he groaned, I gave his cheek a kiss and let out a low laugh. “Shower time, pup.”
As I rose, sticky briefs and all, he looked up at me, a bit bemused if I was reading him right. “You really didn’t mind? No second-guessing or just changing your mind?”
About his pup side or sleeping over?
Both?
What kind of morons had he dated?
“None.” Crouching down, I kissed his head as I ignored how gross I felt. “I knew what I was getting into before we even got here tonight. You said you were a pup and I knew what that meant. Hell, most completely vanilla people should know what that meant. There’s been shit on cable about it, not to mention the Pride images that pop up every year to shock the normies.”
His grin said I was finally getting through to him. “I was at a coffee shop last June and this older lady was looking at the news on her tablet.”
Bishop’s giggle said the story was going to get interesting. “She ended up running into the good stuff and suddenly her tablet was full of nothing but pups and leather Daddies and all kinds of fun pictures. She was so shocked she nearly dropped her tablet.”
I snorted. “She’d been browsing something interesting before for that to have come up in her news feed.”
His eyes widened as I took his hands and helped us both to stand, keeping one hand in mine once we were on our feet. “I hadn’t thought of that. She seemed so surprised.”
Doing my best to keep my eyes level with his, I chuckled. “She was probably surprised that her naughty secret had shown up on the front page of her tablet.”
“You think?” He was so focused on the story he didn’t seem to realize he was wonderfully, beautifully, sexily naked.
Or maybe he just wasn’t fazed by nudity?
“I know we think of BDSM and places like the club as a new thing, but we didn’t invent the wheel.” I winked as he shook his head, trying not to grin. “We did, however, make it bright and shiny and put it on TV.”
Laughing, he squeezed my hand as I started leading him toward the bathroom. “I’m going to pretend everything is new and my grandparents were wonderfully naïve and only had sex twice.”
Now I was the one shaking my head. “I hate to break it to you, but—”
“No.” His head jerked back and forth. “Don’t ruin my innocence.”
Barely managing not to laugh, I coughed a few times and nodded. “I love your innocence and I would never ruin it.”
Tarnish it a bit…yeah, I might do that.
I didn’t think he’d mind, though.
His cheeks pinked, but he nodded and tried to take the whole thing very seriously. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
He was such a dork.
A big sexy, sweet dork.
“You’re welcome.” I leaned over and kissed his cheek, getting an even deeper blush from him. “You’re also a cute pup and I’m having a great night with you.”
So I was a bit of a dork too.
“I don’t even know what to say that won’t sound ridiculous, but I’m having a great night too.” He seemed to be looking to change the subject when he finally glanced around the bathroom. “Wow, this is bigger than my first apartment.”
Barking out a laugh, I nodded. “Mine too.”
Giving him another quick peck, I released his hand and went over to start the shower that was a bit on the generous size. “I bought the house as a fixer-upper a few years ago. One of the first big projects was this bathroom and the kitchen.”