my neck. She smelled fucking fantastic. Feminine, sweet, delectable.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to hug her back without getting sweat or paint on her. “I thought you didn’t get in until Thursday.”
“I changed my ticket.” She let go just enough to smile up at me impishly. “I’m glad to see you too.”
I laughed. “I’m glad to see you. You just surprised me is all.”
“That was my plan.” She stepped back, and I figured my odor was probably repulsing her.
“I stink, sorry. I went for a run earlier and I never showered. Then I painted the garage.”
“I never mind the smell of sweat. It means hard work.” She brightened. “Will you run tomorrow? I’d love to go with you.”
“Sure. We can run tomorrow. I’m off again.”
“Great! Although I’m probably way out of shape.” She made a face. “My work schedule is so crazy, I don’t run as much as I used to.”
“You look great,” I told her. And it was true—she did look great. Maybe not quite as skinny as the last time I’d seen her, but the added curves looked good on her. My eyes wandered without my brain’s permission to her slightly fuller chest and rounder hips. Quickly, I attempted to look at her face again, but then my gaze lingered on her mouth. I remembered what it had looked like the other night in my fantasy as she’d wrapped her lips around my cock and moaned like it was the best thing she’d ever tasted. `
My dick twitched beneath my running shorts, and I cleared my throat. “You’ve got a favorite murder? Is there something I need to know?”
She glanced down at her shirt and smiled. “It’s a podcast about true crime. I’m addicted.”
“Never heard of it.”
A sound of exasperation escaped her. “You live under a rock! I can’t believe you’re still not on social media.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Okay, I can, but it makes it really hard to stalk you.”
I shook my head. “People like you are exactly why I don’t want to be on social media.”
She hit me on the shoulder. “I’m kidding! I just want to keep up with your life. I miss you.”
“So come home more often. Talk to my face.”
She grinned. “I do like seeing your face. Want to go grab a beer? Maybe some food?”
“Sure. Just give me a few minutes to clean up out here and grab a shower.”
“Okay. No rush.”
“Want to come in and meet Renzo? I don’t think you’ve met him yet.”
She clapped her hands and followed me to the back door. “I haven’t! I think you got him right after the last time I was home.”
I opened the door for her and let her go through. “I got him after my dad died, so that sounds about right.”
Renzo came up immediately to assess this new potential friend or enemy, and thankfully obeyed my commands to stay down and be quiet.
“Oh, he’s so beautiful,” Meg gushed. “Can I pet him?”
“Sure.”
She leaned down and gave Renzo all kinds of love and attention, and pretty soon his tail was wagging, his expression was joyful, and I could tell they were going to get along just fine. It made me feel good, seeing Meg with my dog.
“I have to put some shit away out there. Do you want to wait in here or come outside?” I asked her.
“I’ll come out,” she said, straightening up. “I’ll play with Renzo while you finish up.”
“He’ll love you forever.”
She sighed as we went back outside. “At least someone will.”
After I was done in the yard, Meg waited in my living room and played with Renzo while I headed up to shower and change. “He does love you,” I told her. “Usually I have to shut him in his bedroom while I shower, or else he follows me into the bathroom.”
“Maybe I just smell better right now,” she teased.
“That’s a given,” I said, heading up the stairs.
An hour later, we were sitting across the table from each other at Hop Lot Brewing Co., one of my favorite local spots to grab an IPA and some ribs off the smoker. Meg ordered a blonde ale, and we decided to share a full rack and a basket of fries.
Since Hadley Harbor was such a small town, I was pretty recognizable and a lot of people came by our table to say hello. Many of them asked where Renzo was, and a couple of them knew Meg as well. If they didn’t, I introduced her, and we ended up