and it’d arrived via bike messenger. The itinerary had involved craft beer tastings, farm-to-table food, indie bands, and ax throwing.
Drunk people armed with sharp projectiles wasn’t a circle of hell, but it could definitely be a ticket there if something went wrong.
“Why?” I was surprised by Alexander’s about-face. He’d been as against attending as I was.
“It’ll be good PR and networking. But bringing you is the only thing that’ll make it tolerable.”
I scowled because there was no way I could resist his charm, no matter how badly I wanted to. “Will you stay with me the whole night?”
“Try to keep me away.”
My nipples tightened at the heated dare.
Things with Alexander had been intense from the start. I used to think it was too fast, too much, too deep. But in the days since finding out about his former hobby, it became obvious that he’d actually been holding back.
Not anymore. I had every possessive bit of him.
And I loved every bit of him.
Which was why I shrugged. “Sounds good.”
“Liar,” he muttered before hauling me across the couch to sit on his lap.
“Okay, the night itself sounds like torture,” I admitted. “But spending it by your side sounds good.”
“You sure? We don’t have to go.”
We didn’t. If I said no, we’d spend another night in his fortress of solitude.
Or, since I couldn’t remember the last time I’d spent a night without him, his fortress of duo-tude.
Schooling my features, I pretended to mull it over so I would have the upper hand for negotiations. “I’ll go if I can bring home the chicks we just got at the rescue.”
His hold on my hips tightened, and his expression turned unreadable.
I rushed to explain. “They’re so cute, and I’m worried a cat is going to sneak in and have themselves a Kentucky unfried dinner, if you know what I mean.” I gestured out the big window. “And there’s so much land, we could put the coop far from the house, so you won’t even see it.” At his stretching silence, I figured my negotiating skills sucked and took the loss. “I’ll go with you no matter what.”
“You said home.”
My brows lowered. “What?”
“You said you wanted to bring them home. Here.”
Well, shit.
I hadn’t even noticed I’d said it, but since I spent a lot more time at his place than at my apartment…
“It’s pretty much the truth.”
“You can have them,” he said, his voice thick with lust and love. “You can bring home every animal in that shelter for all I care. Just keep calling this home.”
I recognized the gleam in his gaze, like he wanted to kiss me. Like he was dying to.
He didn’t have the chance.
Because I kissed him first. Partially to evade more conversation courtesy of the profound moment, but mostly because I liked kissing him.
I may have started it, but he took over. Holding me. Controlling me. Moving me how he wanted to deepen the kiss until my core was soaked, my heart was pounding, and my lips were deliciously swollen.
When we finally tore ourselves apart, I said, “I don’t want all the animals. Only the chicks. And I won’t get attached. Chickens can be total assholes and are kinda stupid, so they can die easily.”
He grinned. “You’re already attached.”
I really was. I’d thought they’d be a safe way to dip my toes into pet ownership since they weren’t technically a pet. But the more I’d watched them squawk and run around, the more I loved them.
“We’ll go get a coop and supplies on your day off,” he said.
I returned his grin and snuggled into his chest. After a few minutes, I lifted back up.
He moved his focus from the TV to me. He always did that. Giving me his full attention, no matter what else was happening. It made me feel like I was the most important person in existence.
“You okay, flower?”
“How do you feel about pit bulls with incredibly stupid names?”
Alexander
STANDING ON THE back deck, I watched Briar fuss with her chickens. Her ‘chick army’ as she called it, as if they were badass predators and not harmless balls of feathers she was already spoiling.
She’d offered to set them up farther from the house. But, even with the stalker cam I’d installed so she could keep an eye on them, I knew Briar would be outside all the time to see them in person. Which meant I wanted the coop close to the house because I’d be outside all the time to see her.
Once they were fed, watered, and locked