Chapter Eight
Tennyson
When my lips touched his for the first time, my world tilted on its axis. It was as if all things became clear all at once. Sure, we’d talked a few times before dinner, and he was both easy to talk to and interesting. And sexy. Just hearing his voice did things to me. But when our lips caressed that first time—it just was everything.
And it was over far too soon. I went to deepen the kiss just as Shrimp started barking. Of course he did.
“Umm.” Greer bit his bottom lip only inches from mine. “He needs to go out.”
“Okay.” Because what else could I say? Ignore your dog and let me knot you first. Puddles on the floor be damned.
“I-I’d rather stay here with you. Not here, exactly, but in your bedroom.” Sexy omega.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is all the rooms.” I waved at the tininess that was my apartment.
“I assumed the door was the bedroom,” he half apologized. Which was so not needed, but his sensitive heart had me savoring every word.
“The water heater. When I was telling you about traveling before, having a tiny apartment makes that worth it.” It did, too, except all of a sudden, I wished I had more. Not to be all materialistic, but having your omega over for the night should involve more than a sleeper sofa with a springy mattress and card table turned breakfast nook.
“That works. I have my family’s old home, and while it is nice to have the place that brought me so many memories, it tends to be a little lonely, and maintenance is less than fun when you work all the time.” He bit his lip again as he grabbed the dog’s leash off the doorknob and fastened it to Shrimp’s collar. “That made me sound ungrateful.”
“No, it meant you were open and honest with me. I liked that.” I sidled up to him, using all my willpower not to suck his lip from between his teeth. His I-am-nervous tic. A-freaking-dorable. “I’d like it if you spent the night, but I acknowledge that’s fast, so I figured I’d ask before the walk so you will have time to decide while on said walk and not be in the heat of things when rash decisions might be made.”
He just looked up at me, his lip still there underneath his tooth and the color fading slightly, his hand on the doorknob.
“I mean, you can decide at any time. It wasn’t...I’ll just shut up now.” What was it about this omega? Sexy. Kind. Smelled amazing. Hard working. Funny. Yeah that was what.
“No, I just thought maybe you would walk with me.”
I was an idiot.
“I would love to.” What I’d wanted to say was that I was not normally such an awkward mess. I’d let my guard down with him and consequently stumbled over things that I normally had down pat, like getting laid.
We headed out of the apartment and down to the sidewalk hand in hand. The evening had turned to night, the streetlight guiding our way. For the most part, we walked in companionable silence, stopping to chat with a fellow dog owner as politeness dictated and for the inevitable poop collection. At least our city was dog friendly, and there were collection receptacles pretty much everywhere.
Shrimp began to slow down as we reached the spot where we met.
“He seems tired,” I mused. I had a feeling Shrimp rarely ran out of energy.
“No, it was me who slowed down. Remember over there?”
As if I could forget.
I tilted my head so that my breath tickled his ear in hopes of catching a little bit of the shiver I felt run through him the first time I kissed his cheek. So small a gesture, and yet he responded to me as if he were mine. Oh, how I wanted him to be mine.
“I remember it every time I touch myself,” I whispered, fearing it was too much—too soon. Except I’d already invited him to stay over, something I never did, not that he’d be cognizant of that. But staying over wasn’t a thing for me—until then, or at least I hoped until then.
He shivered, and my jeans became far too tight. Or was it perfectly tight? Possibly both.
“Me, too,” he confessed just as a huge-ass dog came barreling at us, his leash trailing behind him and his owner screaming at him to stop.
I found myself jumping between Shrimp and the dog and commanding the dog to sit. Not that a dog running away from his owner was likely to obey, but it was still worth a try. The dog stopped just enough for me to grab his collar and find the end of his leash, my heart beating as the man running after him stopped, hands on his thighs, completely out of breath.
Once I believed I had complete control over the dog and Shrimp was not in danger, I looked back to see Shrimp in Greer’s arms, completely unfazed.
“He’s a nice dog, just not obedient,” the man said, still out of breath. “Thank you so much for catching Nanny.” Of course, the dog was named nanny.
There were so many things I wanted to tell him about ways to keep control of his dog and why running after your dog never works well, but I needed to be sure Greer was all right. Shrimp seemed no worse for the situation, but that didn’t meant Greer was. Shrimp was his baby.
And then my mind went there. Greer swollen with child. I was a fucking goner when it came to this guy. We hadn’t yet finished a whole date, and I was fantasizing about babies with him.
The man took the leash from me and I stepped back, wrapping my arm around his shoulder and kissing his cheek.
“Thanks,” he mumbled.
“Anytime.” And I meant it, too.
“Here.” He held his hand out to the man, a coupon in his palm, and I broke out in laughter.