Brayden #2
“Sleep well?” I teased.
“Shut it. I was up late last night.”
“So was I.” I wiggled my brows and mimicked giving a blow job.
He flushed pink, chuckled, and shook his head. “You’re a menace.”
“Eh, you learn to live with it, and if that doesn’t work, you get Spencer to shut me up.”
Rune let me go first out the door.
“Why, thank you, kind sir,” I quipped and rounded the corner, only to run straight into Keeley. I shot my hands out of my pockets and gripped her waist, steadying her. “You okay, darlin’?”
Her smile stopped me in my tracks. “I am now. You’re exactly the person I wanted to see.” She looked behind me and added, “And you, too, Rune.”
“Aw, darlin’, you wound me.” I wrapped her tighter in my arms, giving her a playful hug. I wanted it to be so much more, but she’d made it clear it wouldn’t happen.
“Oh, shut it,” she replied with a grin and patted my chest before she stepped away.
I swallowed back the utter grief of her shifting out of my arms and stuffed my hands back in my pocket, uselessly trying to remove the temptation to touch her again.
“So we’re running a charity event later today, and I was hoping you’d be able to help. I know it’s last-minute. I dropped the ball on speaking with all of you, but it would really mean a lot if you could spare an hour.”
Rune opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word in, she added, “It’s for the animal shelter. They’re doing an adoption drive. Kamirah Minns asked me for help last week.”
Rune nodded. “Cleo and I were going to catch up with Joey this afternoon. If they can come, I’m in.”
“Absolutely. The more the merrier. Miller?” She looked at me with those doe eyes and a sweet, hopeful smile, and I caved.
“I’ll ask Spencer.”
She grinned and clapped her hands. “Yay, thank you.”
“Y’all’re saying that like it’s a done deal,” I teased, raising a brow at her excitement. It was either that or take her in my arms and kiss the fuck out of her.
“I know you’ll come through.” She stepped in closer, leaned into my ear, and whispered, “You’re just that kind of good boy.”
I groaned, my cock pulsing and a shiver of desire passing through me. “Yes. Okay. Fine. I’ll be there.” I shook my head. “You’re twisting my arm, darlin’.”
She squeezed my biceps and winked at me, all the while sending me a smile that shot straight to my balls. Fuck me, this woman was potent.
“She has you wrapped around her little finger,” Rune murmured when she was out of earshot.
“All the way around. That woman could do any-damn-thing she liked to me.”
Last week she’d talked me into participating in a sporting equipment drive, and I’d persuaded the rest of the team.
We’d collected balls, pads, skates, football boots, lacrosse sticks, and every other piece of equipment you could think of from sporting goods stores and distributed it to LGBTQIA+ youth centers all over San Diego.
The lobby of the arena was filled with crates of equipment by the end of the few hours.
Today it was a pet adoption drive. Ultimately, I didn’t care what we were doing, as long as it made Keeley smile.
***
Spencer hadn’t even been annoyed when I’d arrived home and told him the news. Of course, the blow job I’d given him the moment I stepped inside had eased the sting of him having to hold off on taking my ass for a few more hours.
Now we were out in the fall sunshine, and there were volunteers minding dogs in pens and cats in cages.
There was a section with reptiles, too—not that I’d ventured that way—but Minns was loving it.
He had an albino python wrapped around his shoulders, and his boyfriend had a lizard climbing all over him.
Kamirah was hanging with me in the dog enclosure.
They were furry bundles of joy that needed a bit of love.
The poor babies were hesitant, and I’d watched more than one stop themselves from seeking out affection.
Whatever the reason they’d been bought to the shelter, their trust had been broken.
I wanted to give every one of them love and then help find their forever home.
“This is Jagger,” Kamirah said as she walked the cutest brown pup over to me.
He was a little on the skinny side, and his fur looked like he’d been shaved in places, but it had nearly grown back.
“He came in as a stray with a broken foot. His fur was all matted, and he had so many fleas on him that his skin was red and raw from scratching, but you’re all better now, aren’t you baby? ” Kam cooed.
Jagger jumped up and licked her, then spun away and chased his tail.
“He’s so darn cute,” I said, then held out a rope to him. “You wanna wrestle, bud?”
Jagger latched on and pulled a few times but got bored quickly. He went back to running and jumping, then rolling over and scratching his back on the grass. He reminded me a lot of myself—easily distracted.
I fell to my knees next to him and gave him tummy scritches until his long tongue was lolling out the side of his mouth and he looked drunk on attention. I was a little bit in love with him already.
“Can I pet him?” a little boy asked.
“Sure, buddy. He especially loves tummy scratches.” I stood and stepped back, letting them have some time together. Then I watched as he and Jagger fell in love.
A guy who must be his dad crossed his arms over his chest and watched affectionately. “We weren’t supposed to be getting a dog. Zach wanted a lizard, but he’s scared to go near the snakes. I think he’s found his pet, though.”
“Looks like it.”