Chapter 24

Landon

As I glance over at the stunningly gorgeous woman sitting next to me, my heart flips over, and I can’t believe my good luck. It’s not like I deserve all the happiness that I’ve found lately. But I’ll take it. I drive down the street, on the lookout for random cracker eating ladies in the street, the Chihuahuas safely in their crate in the back seat. I will freely admit how much I missed them. The silence inside the huge house has been deafening.

I’m so used to shitty outcomes that I can hardly believe all of the wonderful things that seem to have been dumped into my lap. I like to think of Carla as my own personal angel, leading me toward my highest good. I got my dogs back from Guy Monroe, Taco killed it at the agility trial. Oh, and I finally summoned the nerve to tell Brooke how I feel about her. And she took my breath away when she returned my sentiment.

It’s hard to process my joy since I’m much more accustomed to misery. The whole world seems different now. I swear the sun shines brighter than ever before even though summer is a month away.

I get to the stop light and glance at her. “We never got around to those nachos. Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, how about some Chinese from that place you like?”

“That sounds good.” I make a right turn. “I’m always up for some lo mein. Do you still want chicken fried rice and egg rolls?”

She grins. “You remember?”

“Like I told you before, you’re impossible to forget.”

I remember every single word you’ve ever said to me. Every nuance of your expression. Every stroke of your hand.

A few minutes later, I pull into the parking lot of the Chinese restaurant and head inside and place my order. “Lo mein, chicken fried rice, and egg rolls,” I say. “Oh, and don’t forget the fortune cookies. My fortunes have turned, so I might even need two.”

“Sure.” The man scribbles down my order, and I pay him in cash. “It’ll be fifteen minutes.”

Usually, when I get carryout, I just wait in the lobby. But there’s no way I’m doing that. I’m anxious to spend every moment with Brooke and the dogs. I walk back outside and inhale the fresh spring air.

As I approach the car, Brooke talks to the dogs, telling them they’ll be home soon. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna take good care of you guys. How about some bacon from Wendy’s?”

They bark and jump up and down. Brooke lets out a laugh as Merle just sighs and drops his head on his paws. “They’re a riot. I think they really understand the meaning of the word bacon.”

I nod. “And to think, I was so close to losing them forever.”

She frowns. “I still can’t believe what Guy tried to pull.”

“I’m not surprised. I always got a bad vibe from him. I think he has a thing for you, so he was trying to impress you.”

Her face scrunches up into a cute pout. “Well, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. I told him exactly what I think of him and his behavior.”

“That’s right. If he ever shows up on my doorstep again, he’ll get a knuckle sandwich.”

She chuckles. “Landon, what am I gonna do with you?”

“I’ve got a couple of ideas, but we can’t talk about it now. I don’t want the kiddos to hear.” I nod my head towards the dogs.

She blushes. “You’ve got a dirty mind.”

“My lady, I haven’t even begun to bring the filth.”

A few minutes later, I step out of the car and get the Chinese food. On the way back home, I go through the Wendy’s drive-thru for a bacon hamburger with extra bacon. There’s no way I’m going to touch the burger...beef lo mein will be plenty of protein for me, but I know the dogs will devour the treat especially for them.

When I pull up to the house, Brooke helps guide the dogs inside, and I carry the food and the trophy. The Chihuahuas and Merle run all over the place, their excitement apparent in their barks and flailing tails. Their noses drag the ground as they inhale all the new smells.

“Welcome back, fellas!” I head to the kitchen and put the food on the counter before kneeling down to pet them. They climb all over me. Taco gets all the way up to my chest and sticks out his little tongue. I stop him just before he starts licking my hair.

Brooke lets out a laugh. “They’re just the cutest! Even the hair licking. Come on, Landon. You’ve got to admit it.”

I glance up at her. “Enough about how wonderful they are. How about me?”

She walks closer until I can smell her. It’s a mixture of gardenias and lust. “You’re more than cute.”

I stand up. “Oh really.”

“You’re sexy.”

It’s been years since I’ve been called sexy, not that I’m complaining. Blood rushes to my dick. Normally, I’d will it to stand down but not today. I wrap my arms around her waist and plant a kiss on her soft lips. I close my eyes and get lost in the moment.

When I feel the dogs jumping near my ankles, I open my eyes. “Okay, guys, who’s ready for their snack?”

I grab the burger out of the Wendy’s bag and break up the bacon strips into little pieces. They erupt into a chorus of barks and salivating tongues. “Okay, boys, quiet. Patience.” I try to make the most of Brooke’s positive reinforcement techniques. But apparently, they’re too hungry to listen or care.

I put a little bacon in each of their empty bowls, and they gobble it up. “Geez, wasn’t Guy feeding you?” Merle gets half of the beef patty and gobbles it down in one gulp.

Brooke rolls her eyes. “I doubt he treated them to bacon. They were probably eating the dog food he buys in bulk for the shelter.”

“Gross! Burrito, Chili, Fajita, and Taco have very discerning taste. They won’t eat if they don’t like their food. Do they look skinny to you?”

Her eyes scan the little dogs up and down, but I wish she’d be turning her appraising gaze on me. “I don’t think they were gone long enough to lose any weight.”

I grin. “You took a rain check on the wine last time you were here, how about I pour us both a glass?”

“Sure,” she says.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about adopting out Fajita since he’s breeding stock. Maybe a reputable breeder could take good care of him, and he could provide the world with a passel of champion Chihuahuas.”

“What about the rest?”

“I’m not sure yet. I don’t want to give them all up, but I won’t let them go unless I find them the perfect home.”

Wow. That had been hard to say, but now that I had, it feels like the right decision. They each deserve special attention from someone who would love them unconditionally.

“It’s so good to hear you say that. I know you’re crazy about them.”

“Yeah, I am. There’s no denying that. And there’s no denying that I’m also crazy about a certain talented trainer.”

“Oh really?” She smiles wide. “Well, I happen to be crazy about a certain famous author.”

A few minutes later, we sit down at the table and enjoy our Chinese food and a little Cabernet Sauvignon. Brooke opens her fortune cookie and laughs. “It’s a good day to have a good day.”

“I like that one.” I smile and crack open my cookie. “Let’s see what’s in store for yours truly…” I open the slip of paper. “Don’t eat the paper.”

Brooke chuckles. “That’s the best fortune cookie ever.”

“What kind of bullshit is this?” I laugh along with her as I admire her seafoam eyes. “You know, I never thought I could be this happy again. But there’s something about you that makes me feel so alive. Brooke, you already know how I feel about you…”

“And you know how I feel about you too.” She smiles.

“I realize it may be a little too soon for this conversation, but…”

“What?”

“I want you and Merle to move in with me.” I look at the dogs. “With us.”

Her eyes grow wide. “Landon, are you sure?”

“I haven’t been this sure about anything in a very long time.”

She looks into my eyes. “My answer is…”

My heart pounds against my ribs. It’s probably loud enough for her to hear it. Brooke walks over to me and sits on my lap. She runs her fingers through my hair and steals a kiss.

“Yes, Landon! I would love to move in.”

We kiss again. The sensation of her soft lips against mine makes me so hard. The dogs are barking, but I block it out. The only thing on my mind is Brooke.

I take her into my arms and carry her to the bedroom. She laughs softly as I kick the door closed behind us. “Do you have a threshold fetish?”

I smile as I playfully toss her onto the bed. She looks so sexy laying there. It isn’t lost on me that this is the first time we’ve actually made it to the bedroom.

Brooke gnaws on her lower lip, and I can’t tear my eyes away from her perfect mouth. I imagine it wrapped around my cock as she takes me deep down the back of her throat. She grabs my hand, pulling me down next to her. I sit up and pull her onto my lap slowly and gently. Brooke wraps her legs around my waist. I should have gotten her pants off while I had the chance.

“I’m not wearing panties.”

Her admission stuns me, and my hands move to the fly of her jeans, so I can unbutton them and tug her zipper down. “You are so naughty.”

My cock hardens uncomfortably at the words. My muscles go rigid, and I can feel myself pressing against the fly of my jeans. Too many clothes. I flop backward so I can wiggle out of my jeans as Brooke does the same. Once she’s naked, I grab her and pull her against me, delighting in the feel of my cock pressing against that perfect heart-shaped ass of hers. It’s begging to split her wide open and pound inside her. It’s been a long time since I’ve had her.

Too. Damn. Long.

Brooke lets out a strangled groan, and her hands grab at me.

“Fuck me, Landon.”

I cluck my tongue. “Those dirty words worked the last time to get me to rush. You’re not doing that to me this time.”

I rise to a sitting position and drag her up with me. Her tongue darts out to moisten her bottom lip and my cock twitches. I could get lost in her. “You belong to me. Only to me.”

“Yes,” she rasps, wrapping her arms around me.

One of my hands clutches her chin, and she leans into my caress. My other goes to her inner thigh, tracing a featherlight touch up to her wet pussy. The silky soft skin against my fingertips causes a moan to rip through me. She wraps her legs around my waist again, putting pressure against my groin as she stares up into my eyes. She knows what she’s doing.

She’s killing me.

As Brooke leans in to kiss me, my control snaps. Seeing her passion-filled eyes, claiming her mouth all the while imagining all the places she could put it, sends me right over the edge of rational thought. I slide my hand around to the back of her neck to pull her even closer. She moans as I mold my mouth to hers, claiming her lips and tongue. I tangle a hand in her long, thick hair, giving a little yank. I can’t get enough of her as I explore every single crevice of her mouth.

She returns my passion with everything I never knew I wanted. The sounds of her pleasure drive me forward, pressing me so close to the edge I wonder if I’ll ever be able to find my way back. It’s like I’ve forged new neural pathways since I met Brooke, like my brain has been rewired for happiness instead of gloom. She’s my light. Her passion is given freely, without restraint, and that vulnerability fuels my desire even more.

When we finally break apart, her lips are swollen. I’ve claimed her as mine. “I love you.”

It’s official. No more skating around the word.

She smiles at me, and my heart fills to overflowing. “I love you too.”

When I look at her again, I see a dreamy look in her eyes born of a connection neither one of us can deny. There’s so much promise in this moment, hope for our future. I hold her tight to my chest, pressing her full breasts against me as Brooke lets out a moan. It’s so gritty, all I can do is grind my hard length against her, demanding entry with my body. Her breath hitches so I do it again and again until she’s a writhing mass of limbs.

My cock pulses and throbs, but I don’t indulge it. Not until she comes at least once. Not until I taste her.

I push her backward until her back hits the mattress, grab her legs and pull them apart. Nothing’s going to stop me from getting what I want. Her wetness coats the inside of her thighs and her perfect pussy. When I spread them wide, I see her engorged clit waiting to feel the pressure of my tongue as I lick it. She’s so beautiful, and I inhale a ragged breath.

My woman. Mine.

“I’m going to taste you, Brooke.”

“Yes.”

But I don’t taste her there. Not yet. Her thighs clench in protest as I lean down and capture a rosy nipple into my mouth. Using my teeth and tongue, I tease it until it’s a turgid peak. She cries out in pleasure as I take turns sucking each nipple. Her back arches, reaching, searching, but I don’t stop or offer any form of relief. I won’t stop until she’s screaming my name.

“Hold on to your knees.” She narrows her eyes at me so I lift them and repeat, “I said to hold on to them.”

She claps her knees in each hand, holding herself open for my gaze and exposing every inch of herself. As I lean in, I inhale the warm scent of her slick heat. The moment I taste her, I’m addicted. The moans she makes harden my cock to an uncomfortable length, and it strains, wanting to fuck her so badly I can barely hold back. The moment I insert a finger deep inside her and curl it forward, she comes all over my tongue.

“Fuck me, Landon. I want to feel you inside me.”

She doesn’t have to ask again as I climb up her body and position my cock at her hot, wet entrance. I pull her closer to me, holding my dick with one hand and her hip with the other one. As I push home with one powerful thrust, my heart gallops in my chest. The sight of her perfect little pussy sucking me deep inside triggers something inside me. Something feral. The moment Brooke clamps her eyes shut, and I feel her start to quiver, I reach between us to strum her clit with my thumb. She’s going to come all over my cock if it’s the last thing I do.

Her pussy is so tight around me that I can feel every single contraction she makes as she hurtles her way toward her orgasm. I lean down so that I can press her nipples against my chest. I want to feel as if I’m possessing every single inch of her. She grabs my hips to suck me in deeper, and it’s my undoing. I thrust into her with long, wet strokes and her tight pussy welcomes me.

When she finally screams my name in ecstasy, I hurtle over the edge right after her. My name is the last word I hear before I succumb to the grip of my own pleasure. She’s perfect. And the moment I scream out, I’ve staked my last claim because my soul has become linked to hers.

Forever.