if she succeeded at seducing him, as Sofia wanted her to do, he’d realize he was her life mate the moment they did. Life mates felt each other’s pleasure and then passed out at the end. Although the passing out part wasn’t guaranteed. There were instances where it didn’t happen. But the shared pleasure part definitely happened every time and would give away that they were life mates.
She wasn’t sure what to do now. Tell him, not tell him. Seduce him, not seduce him.
H.D. shifted beside her on the couch. When she glanced down, he craned his head around, and licked her hand where it rested on his shoulder.
“Hey, sweetie. Feeling neglected? Sorry, I’m just trying to sort out what to do about your daddy,” she murmured, rubbing him between the ears, and then smiling faintly, she asked, “Any advice?”
H.D. tilted his head and then got to his feet, rested his paws on her chest, and licked her chin.
Chuckling, Ildaria scooped him up and got up from the couch. “How about a treat to make up for neglecting you?” she asked, carrying him to the kitchen.
Recognizing the word treat, H.D. panted excitedly, and went wild in her arms, desperate to lick any bit of flesh he could reach: hands, neck, chin.
Laughing, Ildaria set him on the floor in the kitchen and moved to the refrigerator. She retrieved a container of cherry yogurt as well as the homemade dog treats G.G. had given her, and set both on the counter, then retrieved a bowl and spoon. She quickly scooped out some yogurt, and then retrieved a treat from the second container before returning both to the fridge.
“Come on,” she said lightly to H.D., heading out of the kitchen. Sitting on the couch, she set the bowl of yogurt on the coffee table, and then offered the homemade bone-shaped cookie to H.D. The pup nearly took her finger off snatching it from her.
“Keep that up and I’ll stop giving you treats, buddy,” she warned. Not that he listened. He was too busy devouring his cookie. Shaking her head, Ildaria grabbed her bowl, and started to sit back, only to pause when she realized she’d forgotten a spoon. Setting the bowl down, she hurried to the kitchen for one. It only took her a moment, but she returned to find H.D. with his front paws up on the coffee table and his face buried in her yogurt.
“H.D.!” she barked.
The Bichonpoo startled, jerking back before his chin was out of the bowl and bringing it down on top of himself.
“Oh damn!” Ildaria gasped, hurrying forward to snatch up the pup before he could spread the mess around. She started to bring him to her chest, but then realized she was still wearing her work clothes, and held him away from her body instead.
“Well, it’s your own fault,” Ildaria said firmly when H.D. yipped in protest at the way he was being carried. But she also moved a little more quickly, rushing up the hall to the bathroom to set him in the tub. She expected H.D. to try to scramble out right away, but he surprised her and instead dropped to sit and set about trying to lick the yogurt off himself.
Ildaria didn’t risk leaving him alone though. She quickly undid the buttons of her blouse, removed it and hung it from the hook on the bathroom door, then knelt beside the tub in just her skirt and bra.
H.D. was still trying to lick himself clean. An impossible task. There was no way he could reach the yogurt on his head and back. Which meant bath time for H.D. The only problem was Ildaria didn’t have any dog shampoo for him. But she didn’t want to leave H.D. on his own for the length of time it would take to fetch it. At least, not until she’d rinsed the worst of the yogurt off him.
Grabbing the handheld showerhead from its holder, she pointed it away from H.D. and turned on the water, waiting and repeatedly checking the water sprinkling out of it until it felt warm enough. Then she pushed the button on the handle until the sprinkle turned into a light spray. She used that to rinse H.D. off.
H.D. did not like baths. That became apparent rather quickly. The minute the first splash of water hit him, the pup began trying to climb out of the tub and up her chest, soaking her through. Ildaria tried to urge him back into the tub,