My Cone and Only (King Family #1) - Susannah Nix Page 0,37

and getting hard pretty much whenever she was around. My nethers were in near-constant agony, and hiding the evidence of my urges was getting harder every day.

I’d learned my lesson, at least, and after that first day I made sure not to show up in the mornings until she was dressed and about to leave for work. Not that those practical park service khakis she wore didn’t crank my engine—because they weirdly really did. But if I had to see her in that short little robe of hers again, I might actually lose my damn mind. The sight of her nipples peaking beneath the thin cotton and her smooth bare thighs was bad enough, but when that cursed thing had gaped open, exposing the swell of her soft, round breasts, I’d nearly had an aneurism from all the blood hightailing it to my dick.

She had to have felt my hard-on when I’d hugged her last week. I should have kept my distance, but I hadn’t been able to help myself. What was I supposed to do when she looked so much like she was about to cry? Withhold comfort from her because my willie didn’t know its place? Screw that.

I was just grateful she hadn’t said anything. As long as we both kept pretending my rock-hard cock hadn’t poked her in the stomach, I might survive the next few weeks with my dignity intact.

Also, no more hugging. Hugging was definitely off-limits until I got these pants feelings under control.

Aside from the terminal case of ball ache, I’d loved spending this time with Andie. Knowing I’d get to see her had me looking forward to getting up in the mornings. Every day felt like I was seven years old again, waking up at the crack of dawn on Christmas, and Andie was the present waiting under my tree. For the first time in my lazy-ass life, I was rising with the sun, full of energy and eager to get moving so I could share a cup of coffee with her before she went off to work.

We’d talk about the things I planned to tackle on the house and what her work day had in store for her. I loved hearing about all the stuff she did to look after the wildlife up at the park. How complicated it was managing all those fragile, interdependent habitats and protecting the natural balance. She was so damn smart—she always had been—I wondered sometimes what she was even doing being friends with me.

After she headed out to save the forests and whatnot, I’d work at her place all day while she was gone, taking a special kind of pride in the fact that I was protecting something she loved so much. Building a better home for her and restoring a treasured piece of her family’s heritage.

Maybe it wasn’t as cool or important as the work Andie did at the state park. But it was important to her. And that made it important to me.

I had the run of the house during the day when she was at work. Just being in her space, surrounded by her belongings and her scent, made me feel closer to her. I made damn sure to be respectful. I wasn’t about to betray the trust she’d placed in me by invading her privacy and poking through her stuff. I cleaned up after myself carefully when I used the downstairs bathroom or kitchen. But sometimes I’d linger inside for a few minutes longer than strictly necessary. Reading all the funny embroidery designs she’d made and hung up around the house for decoration. Looking at the family photos she had sitting out—a few of which even featured me. Smiling at the collection of magnets and ticket stubs stuck to her fridge, some of them mementos of places we’d been together. I never went so far as to enter her bedroom, although once, in a particularly weak moment, I’d stood in the doorway just to breathe the air where she slept.

But by far the best part of every day was the evening when Andie came home from work. As soon as I heard the sound of her Jeep Cherokee turning into the driveway, I perked up like a damn cocker spaniel. I’d watch her climb out of her car—looking sexy as hell in those damn khaki cargo pants that had no business hugging her hips and ass like that—and my junk would throb with every sub-bass pulse of my heart. I was one