Chapter 29 Sydney
TWENTY-NINE
SYDNEY
“Are you ready, buddy?” I say to Angus as Steele unlocks his front door.
We finished all the adoption papers this morning, and now, the little guy is about to see his new house for the first time.
The Renegades have had two away games in a row, so we held off on finalizing everything until their bye week.
Steele has seven full days off, and so do I, which means we won’t have to leave Angus alone before he has a chance to get used to the place.
I still can’t believe this is really happening.
When Steele first suggested it, part of me thought he’d change his mind after a day or two.
I made sure he understood that caring for a senior dog was a lot of responsibility, but he never wavered in his decision, not even for a second.
After more than a year at Furever Friends, Angus officially has a home—with the very last person I would’ve ever expected.
He’ll live here with Steele until I move out of my apartment, then I’ll take him.
I’ll be helping out as much as I can, which means I’ll probably spend the majority of my free time with the two of them.
What a hardship, amirite?
“Okay, dude,” Steele says as he pushes the door open and steps aside. “It’s all yours.”
I step forward, warmth radiating throughout my body as his hand flattens on the small of my back.
He ushers us inside, and I immediately lower Angus to the floor so he can roam around.
At first, he just stands there, taking it all in.
His little eyes bounce from the small entryway to the wide arch that leads to the kitchen as he takes a few tentative steps.
But when he turns to his left and sees what awaits him in front of the large stone fireplace, his tail begins to wag, and he happily trots over for a closer look.
Tears well in my eyes when he reaches his brand-new bed, which is filled with a mixture of familiar toys from the shelter and some that Steele bought on his own as welcome gifts.
He sniffs at everything for a few moments as he tries to make sense of it all, my heart hammering in my chest because I want him to like it here more than anything in the world.
With his last experience in an actual home being a scary one, I worry that maybe he’ll have trouble adjusting, and doing this may cause more harm than good.
But that doesn’t seem to be the case as he hops onto the plush bed, turns around several times, and plops down in the middle of all his things like he’s done it a million times.
“Oh my God,” I choke on a quiet laugh, my hands shooting up to cover my mouth as tears spill down my cheeks.
Relief washes over me, every bit of anxiety I was feeling moments ago fading away when he yawns, his eyes growing heavy and slowly falling shut.
With his age and the busy day we’ve had already, I’m not surprised that he’s exhausted, but I’d be lying if I said I expected him to be comfortable enough to fall asleep within minutes of being here.
“Being a dog owner is easy as fuck,” Steele says, his arms wrapping around my waist from behind. “I’m a little offended that he didn’t check out the water fountain I got him, but I guess there’ll be time for that later.”
I turn in his embrace, running my hands up his chest and over his shoulders before locking them behind his neck. “Thank you for doing this. You were right. He deserves more than to be caged up for the remainder of his life. He’s going to be so happy here.”
“You don’t have to thank me, baby,” he replies, his hands sliding down to my ass and gripping gently. “I would do anything to see you smile. Plus, having Angus here means waking up to your beautiful face more often. It’s a win-win.”
My cheeks heat. Under all the tattoos and snark, this man is nothing but a giant marshmallow.
He makes me feel like I’m the most important person in the world, going above and beyond to show me how special I am every day.
With Steele, it’s easy to let my walls down in ways I’ve never felt comfortable doing before, because I know he likes me exactly as I am.
Pushing up to my tiptoes, I press my mouth to his, granting him access the moment his tongue slides along my lower lip.
He tastes like mint, his bergamot cologne going straight to my head as he deepens the connection.
I moan into it when his fingers flex, squeezing the flesh of my ass through my leggings.
“I need to fuck you,” he murmurs, running kisses down my face and neck. I arch into him when he nips at the sensitive skin beneath my ear, a quiet gasp filling the space between us as he soothes it with his warm, wet tongue.
I get lost in the feel of him, my clit throbbing intensely between my legs while he works me over. I need to reel it in, though, because as much as I’d love to let him bend me over the back of the couch until I’m a wet, sticky mess, we don’t have time.
“We can’t,” I breathe, doing absolutely nothing to push him away.
He feels too good, his open-mouthed kisses lowering to my collarbone and making me whimper in response.
Goddamn, I want to play. I want to put him on his knees and fuck his face until he can’t breathe, then I want him to stand up and do the same to me.
“Why not?” he replies, the words ricocheting off my heated skin.
“Angus won’t care. He’s out cold.” No sooner are the words out of his mouth than the security system chimes, notifying us of a car entering the property.
Steele stands to his full height, his jaw clenching tightly as he realizes what’s going on.
“Sydney, please tell me people aren’t at my house when I’m trying to get my fucking dick wet. ”
I cringe, fluttering my lashes. “Umm…I can’t.”
His head falls back, and he pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance as a slow sigh leaks from his lungs. “This is a joke, right? I’m horny as fuck, we have the whole day off to bang each other’s brains out, and I have to spend it with who, exactly?”
I smile innocently, tucking my chin in an attempt to be as cute as humanly possible as I deliver the answer to his question. “Everyone?”
His eyes go wide, his nostrils flaring for a moment before he schools his expression.
I want to give him praise for not losing his shit at the clearly unwelcome surprise, but I think better of it because I can tell his sanity is hanging by a thread.
So, I keep my mouth shut, tucking my lips over my teeth while I wait for the inevitable inquisition.
“Is there a reason you didn’t tell me that we were having company today?
What am I supposed to feed them? What will they drink? ”
I put two placating hands up between us.
“Everything is fine. Food and drinks were already ordered, and they’ll be delivered soon.
I planned on telling you, but I guess with all the commotion today, it slipped my mind.
The fans have loved your photos with Angus at the shelter so much that I thought we could announce his adoption on your social media.
What better way to do it than by having a homecoming party for him with all your friends in attendance?
” I pull my brows in, feeling a little sheepish because I should’ve run all this by him.
It’s his house, after all. I’m just trying to solidify his spot on the team by making sure everyone sees what a great guy he is.
There’s no way my dad will let him go if the city wants him here. “Are you mad?”
His expression softens, and he steps in, taking my cheeks in his palms. His touch immediately calms me, and I release a heavy exhale, nuzzling into it.
“No, I’m not mad. I was just caught off guard because I wasn’t expecting anyone.
I get what you’re trying to do, though, and I appreciate it.
It’ll be good for the little dude to get some attention, too.
But next time, please let me know beforehand, so I don’t have a raging hard-on when people arrive. ”
I nod, stifling a guilty smile as he dips down and presses his lips to mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, ready to deepen the connection when the chime goes off again.
“Shit!” I say with a start, leaving his warmth and scurrying to the entryway.
Looking out the window, I watch as several cars pull down the short driveway, parking in front of the garage before everyone begins to emerge.
It’s the whole gang—Liv, Maddox, Stella, Emmett, Austin, Finley, Theo, Norah, and even Boner are here to welcome Angus to the family.
Jett and Bailey had an ultrasound appointment, so they’ll be joining us later on.
I can’t stop the butterfly wings that tickle the inside of my stomach, excitement flowing through me as some of my favorite people in the world approach with gift bags in tow.
My sweet puppy deserves it all, and so much more.
As soon as they hit the brick walkway that leads to the door, I pull it open, a big, bright smile on my face because I can’t fucking help myself.
Time and time again, this group drops whatever they’re doing to help one another, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.
They understand that Steele’s future with the Renegades still hangs in the balance, and they’ve done everything I’ve asked them to do to guarantee that he doesn’t have to leave.
I’m sure it’s a tiny bit selfish on their part, since they’re all getting along and that’s translating into wins on the field, but I know they can see that I’m changing, too.
Not only did I accept the job my dad offered, but I’m also happier—more carefree—and a lot of that has to do with the way Steele shows me day in and day out how special I am.
As someone who spent her life trying to be seen without fitting into someone else’s mold.