19. Goose
Chapter 19
Goose
It took some coaxing, but eventually Gemma let both me and Cannoli into the house. When his little body began to shake in my arms from the cold, she’d finally relented.
Was buying her a puppy part of my master plan to win her heart? Absolutely. It was formally titled as Phase 1.
If he could work his way in, it would clear the path for me. But the scowl on her rosebud lips betrayed it wouldn’t be an easy task for either of us.
Locking the glass door to the patio, she placed both hands over her face and groaned. “What the fuck am I supposed to do with a dog?”
“First, we need to get him cleaned up and dry.” I stepped past her, carrying Cannoli up the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Gemma cried, hot on my heels.
“If you can babysit him in the tub for a minute, I’ll grab the stuff I bought from my car.” I turned into the guest bathroom, setting the puppy down inside the tub and kneeling beside it. “Can you hand me a towel? I’m gonna rub the snow out of his fur first.”
There was a beat of hesitation before her steps sounded behind me, and she placed the requested item in my hand.
Cannoli’s tail wagged as I rubbed him down, his head turning from side to side, offering me a toothy grin. “You like that, don’t you, buddy?”
“You know he can’t talk back, right?” Gemma grumbled.
Peeking behind me, I found her leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. Yeah, she definitely wasn’t on board the puppy train yet, but I had faith. He was the sweetest little thing, but he wouldn’t stay that way for long. Golden Retrievers grew quickly, and I’d been warned by the breeder that our boy would be full-grown in less than a year, packing on a few pounds a week until then.
Note to self: set up an auto-delivery on dog food.
Standing, I tossed the damp towel to the side. “Stay here with him. I’ll be right back.”
Panic filtered into her hazel eyes, and she held up both hands. “Wait!”
Moving closer, I dared to cup her cheek, my heart swelling when her eyelashes fluttered as I kissed her soft skin. “What’s wrong, kitten?”
Peering up at me, she chewed on her lower lip. “I’m out of hot water.”
“Out?” My eyebrows rose. “Like, permanently?”
“No.” Her head shook, moving my hand along with it. “But it’ll be at least an hour before the water heater warms enough.”
I hummed, wanting nothing more than to grab her and the dog and cart them over to my place—where there was never a shortage of hot water—but that would put a wrinkle in my carefully laid plan.
Shifting so she could peek around my shoulder to a view of Cannoli, she sighed. “He was already shaking from the cold.”
Aw, see? He was already growing on her. I knew she wouldn’t be able to resist his puppy charm.
“I’ve got an idea,” I assured her. “Stay here and keep watch over our little guy.”
Gemma’s lips pursed, but she nodded.
Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, I bounded down the stairs. Searching the kitchen, I found two pots, which I filled with water before placing them on the stove and turning on the burners. It wasn’t an ideal way to heat water for Cannoli’s bath, but it would work in a pinch.
Hustling outside, I made a few trips back and forth from my car, bringing in overflowing bags filled with dog toys, treats, and food, along with a soft cushion for him to sleep on. I had every intention of spoiling the shit out of that dog, just like I had plans to spoil his mom.
“Sasha!” Gemma’s voice carried down the stairs. “What’s taking so long?”
“Be up in a sec!” I called back, snagging a bottle of dog shampoo from one of the bags and stuffing it in my back pocket.
The water wasn’t boiling yet, and I dipped the corner of a kitchen towel into the pot to test the temperature. Warm, but not too hot. Perfect.
Turning off the heat, I grabbed the first pot and headed back upstairs.
When she saw me, Gemma’s brows drew together, creating an adorable little wrinkle between them. “What are you doing?”
“Fold a towel and place it on the floor,” I instructed.
Scrambling to her feet, she did as I asked, and I set the pot down. “I’ve got one more on the stove. Be right back.”
Once I returned with the second pot of warm water, I knelt beside where she was keeping watch over Cannoli. “Think you can help?”
She blew out a breath. “Help how?”
“I need you to hold his head up so when I pour this first pot of water over him, it doesn’t get in his eyes.”
Reluctantly, she rose on her knees, running her hands along Cannoli’s jaw and gently tilting his face toward the ceiling. “Have you done this before?”
“Nope. Kinda winging it. But isn’t that what all new parents do?”
She didn’t bother to hide her scoff. “Dogs are not the same as children.”
“Maybe not,” I conceded. “But you can’t deny that their owners love them as much as any other member of the family. Haven’t you ever seen stories on the news where people run back into burning buildings to save a beloved pet who was left behind?”
“Yeah. I always thought they were insane.”
It looked like I had my work cut out for me.
“Hold him steady,” I told her.
Threading her fingers through his fur, she held Cannoli in place while I brought the pot over his collar, tilting it so warm water cascaded down his back. The look of pure bliss on his puppy face had me chuckling.
“He looks happy,” Gemma remarked.
I bumped shoulders with her before setting down the empty pot. “It’s because he knows he’s home.”
“Yeah, sure,” she muttered under her breath.
Whipping out the shampoo bottle, I poured some into my hand, working it into Cannoli’s coat. His energetic little body nearly vibrated beneath my touch as he soaked in all the attention and love I gave him.
“My hands are soapy. Do you mind pouring the other pot to rinse him off?” I tilted my head toward where the warm water lay waiting.
“Sure.” The way she drew that word out, she didn’t sound confident, but it gave me hope that she hadn’t just thrown her hands up and walked away. Gemma was bonding with our pup, even if she didn’t realize it yet.
Sliding my slippery hands up his body so one had fingers hooked into his collar, keeping him in place, and the other wrapped around his jaw, I nodded. “All right. He’s ready.”
“I can’t believe there’s a dog in my bathtub,” she muttered before tipping the pot over and rinsing away the suds.
With a smile, I released my hold, knowing what was coming next and that Gemma would be completely unprepared.
Her shriek split the air when our little fluffball’s body shook, sending droplets of water flying throughout the room.
“Sasha!” She threw me an accusatory glare.
“What?” I shrugged, my grin growing wider. “That’s how dogs dry off. Everyone knows that.”
She peeked down at her pajamas, which were wet enough to need changing. Throwing both hands on her hips, she huffed out, “Well, I didn’t.”
Hauling Cannoli out of the tub, I removed any traces of moisture from his coat with a towel before standing. “Did you eat yet?”
“What?” Confusion flickered over her features.
“Did you eat?”
My abrupt change in topic had her sputtering. “Well, no, actually.”
“Perfect. I’ll get started on dinner, and you can get changed.” Pressing a kiss to her cheek, I chirped, “See you downstairs in a bit.”
I could feel her gaze burning into my back as I walked past her and out of the bathroom, Cannoli trailing behind me.
It was shaping up to be a great first Christmas. I could feel it.
After cooking my mom’s recipe for buzhenina, a Russian herb-roasted pork tenderloin, for dinner, I’d spent a few hours playing with Cannoli on the living room floor. Gemma watched on from the couch, but more than once, I caught the corner of her lips twitching at the display we were putting on at her feet.
Now that he lay dozing on his bed, the firelight casting his golden fur in an orangy glow, she gazed fondly at him while her fingers stroked lazily through my hair.
She was comfortable, content, and, dare I say, relaxed.
That meant it was the perfect time to enact Phase 2 of my plan.
Even though it was the absolute last thing I wanted to do, I let out an exaggerated yawn, throwing both hands over my head in a stretch. “Oh boy. It’s getting late. I think I’m gonna head out.”
By the time I got to my feet, Gemma had sat up on the couch, her eyes wide as she stared at me with an expression of alarm. “What? You’re leaving?”
God, hearing the panic in her voice was like a knife to the heart, and I almost abandoned the whole thing to wrap her up in my arms and promise I would never leave her. Ever.
Stay strong, man. You’re doing this for a reason.
Stepping toward the door, I grabbed my coat, punching my arms through the sleeves, praying I wouldn’t make it past the threshold before she stopped me.
“Sasha?” The waver in her voice had me glancing over to find she hadn’t moved from her perch, but the glassy shine of her eyes betrayed she was moments away from crying.
I ran a hand through my hair, pushing it out of my face with a sigh. “I’m trying to respect your wishes.”
Her lower lips trembled. “What wishes?”
“You made it pretty clear that you want our relationship to remain purely physical, which means if I spend the night, it won’t be about sleep. It will be an all-night fuck fest.”
Gemma took in a shaky breath, color rising to her cheeks. I wondered if she was remembering our last night together, after I’d brought her home from the team Christmas party. I’d had her screaming my name on repeat for hours with her pussy molded around my cock in just about every position imaginable.
“But-but—” she stammered, trying to put her thoughts into words. Gesturing to Cannoli, she said, “But you bought me a dog.”
“Yeah, about that.” I pulled on the back of my neck. “I tend to get a little carried away when I’m excited. I shouldn’t have brought him home without asking you first. I’ll get all his stuff loaded up, take him back to my place, and see if the breeder can find another home for him.”
Her body lurched off the couch. “No!”
Cannoli whimpered, his head lifting and eyes cracking open for a split second before he settled back into sleep.
“No?” One of my eyebrows arched.
“I mean . . .” Gemma twisted her hands, gaze dipping to the floor before continuing, “He’s kinda growing on me.”
There it is.
Don’t worry, baby, I know you don’t just mean the dog.
“Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll come back tomorrow and work on crate training him.”
My hand was on the doorknob, poised and ready, when she called out, “Don’t leave.”
“Gemma.” Her name was said on a groan as I dropped my forehead to the smooth wood surface before me. “I’ve made it very clear what happens if I stay.”
I forced myself not to look when I heard her footsteps padding across the room. I had to make her believe that I was giving her exactly what she wanted—sex and nothing else.
Well, with the addition of a few mixed signals, like the puppy and cooking her dinner so she got a small taste of what she was missing out on.
I wanted her off-kilter, confused enough that she began to question her choices. And hopefully, it would lead her straight into my arms. Forever.
The minute her hand gripped my bicep, the tension and apprehension left my body. Her touch centered me, made me whole.
“I know what I’m asking. Stay, Sasha. Please.” Her whispered words had the power to bring me to my knees—a place I’d happily spend the rest of my life if it meant she was in it.
A switch flipped inside me, and I spun us around. Pinning Gemma to the front door, I growled, “Right answer.”
My mouth crashed down on hers, cutting off her gasp of surprise.
This might just turn out to be the best Christmas of my life.