Chapter 32
MATEO
“If you keep looking at me like that, we’re going to be extremely late,” Emmie said, glancing at me over her shoulder.
“You’re topless in my bedroom,” I pointed out. “You’re lucky I’m being good and sitting here staring when I could be doing something else.”
It was taking an outrageous amount of control to not grab her and throw her on the bed. If she didn’t put a top on soon, I would do just that.
“Not my fault a pair of tits turn you on so much.”
“Not just any pair of tits—yours.” They were perfect little mounds with just the right amount to fit in my mouth, dusty rose nipples and all. It’s honestly a miracle I was still sitting here and not having my mouth attached to them.
Emmie just shook her head and grabbed her sports bra, slipping it on over her head. I scrunched my nose at the gorgeous sight before me being covered up. I should implement a no clothes allowed in the apartment rule.
It would be an easy one, seeing that she stayed here more often than not these days. My bathroom held her toothbrush, a brush, tons of bottles for face care, all different kinds of shampoo, and conditioner. Even my closet had some of her clothes.
As much as I wanted to do whatever I wanted to her, I knew she was right. The last thing we wanted was to be late today, so I held back my inappropriate remarks.
“I can feel you pouting,” Emmie remarked.
“I’m not pouting…I’m sulking.”
“Well, if you behave, maybe I have a surprise for you later.”
I perked up at that. “A surprise?”
“Mhmm.” She turned around to face me, hand placed on her hip. “Does this look okay to wear today or is it too casual?” Any response died on my lips.
I looked her up and down, running a hand across my mouth. She was wearing a matching workout set in a deep forest green. It reminded me of the one she wore to Pilates a few months ago.
The leggings made her legs look extra long, a peek of skin and abs showing between it and her sports bra. Her red hair was pulled into a ponytail, curled pieces framing her face that she spent a good half hour doing. The whole outfit was simple and casual. Perfect for today.
She paired it all with a set of white Nike sneakers lined with the same green. Emmie ran her hands nervously down her thighs. I could practically see her mind working, trying to decide if she needed to change again.
“Come here.” I gestured for her to step between my legs. My lips twitched. She didn’t even hesitate. My knees braced the side of her legs, my hands grabbing the backs of her thighs. “You’re stunning.”
“It’s not too casual? There will be cameras there. I don’t want to come off like I didn’t care to dress up.”
“Em…” I peered up at her, hands rubbed the back of her legs. “You look perfect. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone by dressing up. Hell, you’d look out of place in anything else.”
I loved that about Emmie. She was authentically herself, always wearing what she felt comfortable in.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
She let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing.
“Don’t worry, it’s going to be fun.”
“Thank you so much for coming. We’re excited to have you both here.” The owner of the Buffalo Humane Society, Wendy, beamed at Emmie and me as she led us down a small hallway.
Two photographers followed behind us. The clicking of pictures was a bit annoying as they tried to get every angle they could. When my agent, Jonathon, scheduled this visit, I was expecting maybe two people following me around and taking pictures before going on their merry way.
The moment we stepped inside, there were five photographers standing there. Emmie and I didn’t even get a second to prepare. But knowing who would benefit from us being here made me swallow any complaints I had.
I returned her smile. “Thank you for having us. I’ve been waiting all week for a visit.”
“Sorry for tagging along,” Emmie apologized, to which Wendy waved her off.
“Nonsense. You’re more than welcome here.” She stopped in front of a worn down door, scratch marks littering the bottom half. The floor beneath our feet was in the same condition with scratches, chips, and dark spots from all the foot traffic.
The Humane Society building was larger than I expected. Time hadn’t been kind to it. Even the reception area had worn flooring, scuffed walls, and dim lighting that made the space feel smaller than it was.
“Everyone is really eager to meet you. Are you ready?”
I nodded. “More than ready.”
Wendy gave us another wide grin before opening the door. The door was a lot thicker than I thought and blocked a lot of noise. As soon as we stepped through, it hit me where we were. My eyes widened as I took in all the dogs.
The room was large, three sections fenced off to keep the small dogs, big dogs, and puppies separate. Chain-linked dividers split the space, some newer than others. Barking echoed off the high ceiling, all the pitches blending together.
My eyes darted to each section. Emmie was silent beside me as she did the same.
The big dogs took up most of the far side.
Most seemed restless as they paced and jumped around, tails whipping behind them like they couldn’t decide what to do with all the other animals and people.
Some put their paws on the fencing and stared at us, tongues hanging out.
A few others hovered in the back, watching with cautious eyes.
The smaller dogs were the loudest with high pitch yips, followed by their little legs running around in tight bursts of energy. One spun in a circle near the gate, chasing its own tail.
The puppies were a category of their own. With clumsy paws and oversized ears, their little bodies tripped over each other as they walked around and played. One stared at us through the fencing, its tail wagging so hard its whole body moved.
It was pure chaos but in a controlled manner. Volunteers stood in the different sections, playing with the pups and making sure their water bowls were full. Three other photographers stood around the space, cameras raised to their eyes as they snapped pictures.
All these cute, innocent animals looking for a loving home to feel loved and safe in made my chest ache. It was clear they were well taken care of, the shelter doing all they could to make sure of it, but there was definitely a lot more that could be done.
“We sectioned them out so you can spend time in each one, seeing all the different kinds of dogs up for adoption,” Wendy explained as she moved farther into the room.
“How many do you have right now?” Emmie asked as we followed behind.
“We have seventy dogs and about thirty cats. We’re not a kill shelter, so some of them have been here a little while.”
My hand tightened around Emmie’s as the number hit me square in the chest. That was a lot of animals waiting for homes. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit.
Wendy led us toward the smaller dog section first. Little faces stared at us through the chain linked fence. A few yipped and wagged their tales, excited to see new faces.
“Can we go inside?” I asked.
“Please do. They would love that.” Wendy grabbed the latch, quickly stepping through the gate, the two of us slipping in after her. My feet were instantly surrounded by dogs. Scruffy ones, long-eared ones, ones with crooked teeth that were beyond adorable.
I let go of Emmie’s hand to squat down, reaching out to offer love to as many as I could reach. Wendy was busy saying something, but I didn’t hear her over the rushing in my ears. I was excited to be here, but I hadn’t fully realized what I was getting myself into by doing this.
Me just being here, taking stupid ass pictures posing with dogs wouldn’t solve anything. I’d get a few likes on a post, maybe some comments…but that was it. It wasn’t real change.
A cute dachshund pawed at my leg and licked eagerly at my hand. I glanced over to find Emmie sitting cross-legged on the floor, a pile of dogs in her lap as they fought for her attention, tongues out and tails swinging. She didn’t even try to stop them, just laughed while they licked her face.
This, right here, was what people needed to see. To feel. They needed to walk in, sit on this floor, and actually connect with one of these animals before taking it home.
A sudden idea formed in my head—a crazy idea, but I hoped it would work.
I stood and turned to Wendy. “Wendy.” My tone was sharper than I intended.
She turned mid-conversation, brows pulling together. “I can—what’s up?”
“Can you call in more staff?”
Her expression shifted, confusion flickering across her face. “I can, why?”
I glanced around the room at the dogs, the kennels, Emmie still sitting on the floor. Something in my chest locked in place, and my idea started to take form.
“Because,” I said, pulling my phone out of my back pocket, “we’re going to find every single one of these animals a home.”
For a second, she just stared at me. Emmie glanced up, absentmindedly petting the pup in her lap with wide eyes. I was going off script, and it would either blow up in my face or work out perfectly.
“Are you… I’m sorry—what did you say?” Wendy seemed at a loss for words.
“There are better ways to help than me just posing for pictures while holding a couple dogs and cats.” I pulled up the giant group chat I had with the entire team on my phone as I explained. “I have a plan, but we’re going to need more help here.”
Wendy must have noticed how serious I was because she clamped her mouth shut and offered a nod.
Me: Get down to the Humane Society on 64th and Main. Now. Bring everyone who’s free.
The message was blunt, but I knew my team. If I asked them for something, which I rarely did, they’d come through.
Next, I pulled up my agent’s number. Jonathan barely got out a greeting before I started talking.
“I’m not posing for pictures today,” I started off. He made a noise, but I didn’t give him a chance to argue. “We need to do more than that, and I’ve got an idea.”
I ran a hand through my hair, already thinking three steps ahead.