“Your ex is a bitch,” Addie says, her voice a mix of anger and shock.

“Trust me, I know.”

“And you can’t find your dog anywhere?”

“We’re still looking, but so far no,” I answer, hating the worry and pain that rolls in my stomach at the words. I don’t know why I felt the need to tell Addie everything that’s been going on, but I did. It felt better actually sharing it with her. Christ, everything feels better just being around her. I’ve been fooling myself. I’m more than just attracted to Addie. There’s something about her that just calls to me and I definitely want more of it—more of her. It’s as if, when I get around her, extra electricity fires through my body, making me feel more alive.

“I’m sorry, Black,” Addie says and she stops walking. I turn to look at her and she reaches up, sliding her hand along the side of my neck. She goes up on the tips of her toes and I lean down as she pulls me to her lips. She kisses me, it’s a brief kiss probably meant to bring comfort, but it’s been so long since I’ve had a taste of her that I don’t let her get away. I deepen the kiss, taking it over, owning her mouth and letting her know that I’m still hungry for her. She melts against me and I groan as I feel the weight of her body against mine. Her tongue tangles with mine, just as hungry—just as full of need.

When it’s over I keep her against me, closing my eyes and listening to her breathing as she buries her head against my chest. Nothing much has felt right in my life lately—nothing except Addie. We’ve fought more than we’ve kissed, but damn it I like that too. I like everything about her. I’m going down. I’ve watched it with Gray, White and I saw it up close and personal with Luka and Petal last year. I know the signs and I’m there. I just hope Addie is in this with me. With a kiss like that, all signs point to yes, but you just never know.

Especially with a woman…

“Go to dinner with me, Addie,” I whisper to the top of her head. I hadn’t meant to say it, but I don’t want to let her go.

“Just dinner?” she asks, her eyes dark with what I hope is desire.

“For now,” I respond, waiting.

“I’d like that, Black.”

“Shit!”

“I don’t have to—” she says startled.

“It’s not that. I forgot I was supposed to go by the farm and pick up my brother. He’s going to drive out to the animal shelter with me.”

“You think Kong might be this close?”

“No, but I was hoping Meadow—the woman who runs the shelter—might have connections with other shelters…”

“Then I’m coming too,” she says. Panic immediately hits me. I don’t think I’m ready to have Addie at the farm with my family. Hell, my mother will probably start giving her things to make sure my little swimmers don’t have to swim upstream. I’m not ready to be a father yet…. “What?” she asks, clearly reading me easily and prompting me to get my brain on the conversation and not on getting Addie pregnant—which for some reason was exactly what I was doing.

“We’ll have that mutt and I’m not sure he and I can travel in the same vehicle,” I invent.

“Kong? Oh, crap! I’m going to have to rename him… Can you even rename a dog that’s used to his name already?”

“I don’t know, but there’s no point. It only bothered me when I had to see the damn dog every day.”

Addie doesn’t like my answer, I can tell. I don’t quite get it until she steps out of my arms.

“You just kissed me.”

“I remember,” I smile. She’s got that look on her face that says she’s going to give me hell, but I don’t care.

I like it.

“You can’t kiss me and not expect to see me or my dog at least once or twice a week on the regular, Black.”

“On the regular?”

“Exactly.”

“So you’re upset because I told you that you didn’t have to rename the dog?”

“No!”

“Then I think you’ve lost me again, Princess.”

“I told you to stop calling me that!”

“You’re kind of acting like a princess at the moment,” I tell her and I really shouldn’t be smiling. I know women and smiling when you’re pissing them off might get you de-balled. But, again, I can’t seem to stop myself.

“I’m upset because you just kissed me like you meant it and—”

“Let’s make this clear right now,” I respond, letting my fingers move to thread through her hair. I might even give it a slight tug—I can’t help myself. “I did mean it.”

“Well you can’t kiss a woman like that and then announce you aren’t planning on seeing her that often.”

“I don’t remember saying that,” I respond casually. I want to keep up with this conversation, but I just noticed the red dress she’s wearing has a deep cut along the neck that shows cleavage and when she moves there’s this cute little beauty mark that flashes…

I want to lick that mark…

“You implied it when you said I didn’t need to rename the dog.”

“You know what I like about you, Addie?”

“What?” She sighs to indicate that she’s exasperated with me and that shouldn’t make me want to laugh—but it does.

“You’re direct. Something bothers you, you don’t hold back and you immediately let me know—you say it like it is.”

She studies my face and some of the anger seems to leave and her stance becomes less rigid.

“It’d be nice if you liked my personality or heck my boobs or my ass… not my mouth,” she grumbles.

“I need you to trust me when I tell you, Addie, that I like everything about you.”

“I—”

“From your feisty attitude, to the curve of your neck,” I tell her, letting my fingers slide along her neck to accentuate my words.

“Well, then….”

“To that sexy ass of yours that I alternate from wanting to spank because of your attitude and wanting to spank for the pure pleasure of it.”

“Black—”

“And you don’t need to worry, Addie, because I love your breasts too.”

“You do?” she asks, swallowing.

“I want to bury my face in them,” I confirm.

“That sounds romantic,” she laughs, but her nipples are pushing against her shirt, so I think I’m getting my message through.

“And just recently I’ve noticed this sexy little mark on your chest that I really want to play with,” I tell her and then I lean down to press my lips against the mark.

Addie’s hands come up and her fingers dive into my hair as I place a kiss there and I know that I’m not imagining the way her body shudders against mine when I do it.

“Black…”

“In fact, I want to play with your whole body and that’s going to take a lot of time, Princess. A lot of it.”

“Then I guess we’ll have to rename the dog.”

“I guess so,” I smile, against her skin, placing one more kiss before stepping back. My cock is hard, pushing against my pants and it’s painful, but I resist the urge to adjust myself.

“And I’m still going with you to the shelter,” she adds, letting me know that my tactics didn’t divert her at all.

I sigh, but I don’t disagree. Looks like I’m taking Addie home…

I guess it would be foolish to pray my mom behaves herself—but I send up a small one anyway.