baby, but with Bruce not coming back, I’m thinking it’s because he got picked up and doesn’t have a choice in the matter.”
“I want to keep looking,” I say as I pull back onto the road. “Maybe he’s still out. Maybe—”
He cuts me off. “Baby, I appreciate that you want to keep searching, but I want you back at my place. If he is out, he’ll show up, and if he doesn’t, I’ll call animal control in the morning as soon as they open.”
“What if he’s hurt?” My stomach turns at the idea of him being hurt and alone.
“I can’t think of that right now, and I don’t want you thinking about that either. He’ll be okay, and he’ll be back. How far are you?”
“I don’t know, probably five minutes.”
“I’ll see you in five then. I’ll meet you at your place. You can pack a bag and get Mouse. We’ll stay at my house tonight.”
“I’ll see you there,” I agree, but I don’t go right home. I drive down a few more blocks, continuing to yell out the window for Bruce while tears fill my eyes. When Tyler calls again, I ignore his call but head back to my house and pull into the garage. Before I can even open the door, Tyler does, and then I’m in his arms.
“Baby, he’ll be okay,” he says against my ear while rocking me from side to side. “He’ll be home tomorrow.”
I pull in a few deep breaths and get myself under control. Once my tears have dried up, I let him lead me into my house. He goes in search of Mouse while I pack a bag, and when I’m done, we go to his house. He makes me eat and then takes me to bed, where I spend most of the night wide awake, just in case Bruce comes back.
Suggestion 8
PUT THE PAST IN ITS PLACE
LEAH
As soon as Tyler pulls into a parking spot outside the local Humane Society, I open my door and hop out. I hear him curse but ignore him and run to the front door. This morning he called and asked about Bruce, describing him to the person on the phone as I sat across from him on the bed, biting my nails. Relief filled his eyes, and I knew they had him. My body went slack, the tension I’d held on to all night releasing instantly. I hurried and got dressed, and Tyler did the same; then we drove over here.
Now I want to see my boy. He’s not my dog, but I’ve fallen in love with him, and I don’t know what I would do without him.
An arm circles my waist as soon as I wrap my fingers around the handle; then the door is tugged from my grasp as Tyler spins me around. His face lowers toward mine so all I can see are his eyes, and he looks angry. “You ever jump out of my truck before I’ve put it in park, baby, and you and I are going to have a conversation about spankings.”
“W-what?” I stutter, searching his gaze.
“Don’t do it again. I know you wanna see Bruce, but I’d like to keep seeing you, so help me out with that,” he growls, and I nod, wondering why I am all of a sudden turned on.
I shouldn’t be, should I? I’ve never been spanked in my life. My parents didn’t even spank me when I was little. The idea of him doing it should not cause my nipples to tighten and my clit to pulse, but it does.
I lick my lips and then say quietly, “Okay, I’ll help you out and not jump out of your truck again.”
His eyes search mine, and then his expression shifts, growing dark in the blink of an eye. “Fuck, now I wanna make out with you but can’t because we need to get Bruce, and then I need to get to work.”
“Then maybe you should let me go so we can do that,” I suggest softly while dropping my eyes to his mouth.
He makes a frustrated noise before letting me go. He opens the door without another word and ushers me inside with his hand on my lower back. When we get to the front counter, we ask for Bruce, and they tell us they’ll bring him out. I wait with my hand held in Tyler’s, bouncing on the balls of my feet. As soon as Bruce comes through a door at the side of the