There are toys everywhere.”
“He had a fun night, then.”
“You could say that. He even begged to pick everything up, but he has school in the morning, so I made him go to bed.”
“Can I come by?”
“Of course. Are you okay?”
“Yes. No. I need you.”
“Come on by,” she said. “I’ll make you a cup of tea and give you a back rub.”
“Oh, that sounds so good,” he moaned. “I’m on my way.”
They jumped into their respective showers, and when done, Ted gargled with strong mouthwash to cover up the beer before he hopped in his car for the ten-mile ride, and Kelly quickly finished picking up her house. Clutter and dust made Ted nuts, and she wanted him to find her place an oasis where his cares and worries could melt away.
Something was going on with him, but she couldn’t pinpoint it yet, not knowing details about his mental health issues, only gossip. His testosterone behavior in front of Maggie was just off the wall; all that PDA was totally out of character for Ted. She thought later that maybe it was for Maggie’s benefit: look how hot we are, aren’t you jealous?
Obviously, he didn’t understand that Maggie and Justin were so tied together with testosterone that you could almost see the pheromones. It gave her the chills, thinking of it.
More determined than ever, she was going to make Ted forget about whatever was going on that would make him feel bad. Dabbing his favorite cologne behind her ears, she dug through her dresser drawers and unearthed a little-worn peignoir. Holding it up to the lamp, it was sheer but not transparent, perfect for a flirtation, but not too aggressive. Removing the T-shirt and sweatpants she’d put on after her shower, she slipped her arms into the sleeves. The silky fabric just felt sexy.
Checking her reflection in the mirror once more, surprisingly, she felt pretty. It gave her an added boost of self-confidence so that when the doorbell rang, she didn’t hesitate to throw it open and jump at him.
He kissed her right away, lifting her off the ground with his arm around her body and, with the other, shutting the door behind him. Toothpaste and perfume and soap and water and the warmth of her breath went right to his groin, and blood surged into his penis. With his free hand, he unzipped and lifted her up just enough so she could wrap her legs around his waist, settling over his hardness with the softest velvety flesh he’d ever felt. Tears near the surface, afraid to speak, he was careful to move ever so slowly, wanting the feeling to last as long as possible.
“I love you,” he finally whispered, his voice quivering. “I love you so much.”
***
Maggie sat with her legs up on the porch railing. Everything about the night was perfect: the cool temps, the lower humidity for the bayou, the soft breathing and occasional whinny of the night visitors all but invisible around the house, only their eyes shining in the moon here and there revealing their presence.
Having Justin leave like he did was a little disconcerting. Hopefully, he didn’t rush over to Ted’s house and try to beat him up. Learning about a new man also meant she didn’t know exactly how he’d respond to stressful situations.
Without his distracting presence, ideas of the rescue percolated. She’d tried calling Kelly, but she didn’t pick up. There was always tomorrow. For now, she thought about the money. Her divorce settlement had yielded a small fortune, not enough to be wasteful, however. She’d have to plan carefully, and the rescue must have some kind of income. The adoption fees would only cover so much. There would have to be donations, as well. She’d have to have a tax-exempt foundation. All the legalese ran through her head. With her laptop open, she googled and made notes until long after midnight.
Sometime between the time Justin had left and she went to bed, he’d tried texting her, but she wouldn’t see it until morning.
Chapter 4
At seven, the birds woke Maggie up with their incessant chirping, the happy noise going straight to her temples. “Ugh,” she moaned, rolling over in bed.
“Woof.”
She looked over the edge of the bed at Brulee, who stood with a wagging tail.
“I guess you have to go.”
The night before, after finishing off the last glass of wine, she must have forgotten to take her doggie for a last-minute bathroom break.
“Poor dog.”
She slid her legs off the bed and held her