Chapter Twenty-Seven
Taylor
March painted Port Hudson with glimpses of spring, though we’re three weeks in and winter still lingers in the breeze.
I cross my arms against the evening chill as Barney sniffs his way around my backyard.
Seth and I are going on our first caving adventure tomorrow with my father, and we won’t be able to take Barney for his usual Saturday outing, so we spent today with him instead.
I can’t believe my big furry friend hasn’t been adopted yet.
Seth and I have been spreading love to other shelter dogs with playtime at parks, but Saturdays are reserved for Barney.
We’re all attached to him, and I’m this close to making him mine.
But I still worry that if I adopt him, it will be difficult to give other shelter dogs love, too.
I also think my father needs Barney more than I do.
He always asks if I’m bringing the nuisance when we have dinner together and perks up when he sees him, but he balks at the idea of adopting him.
On the plus side, my father’s health has been holding steady, and we haven’t had to visit the ER lately. He’s also been keeping in touch with Patsy, and that connection seems to be good for his mood.
Just like a certain man is good for mine.
I look through the patio doors and see Seth pacing, phone pressed to his ear, the set of his shoulders all business and tension.
He looks every inch the man who keeps a hundred balls in the air at once and still makes time to send me sexy texts and toss a Frisbee or a ball for a pup.
I can’t stop thinking about what he said the night of the gallery opening about falling in love with him, or about my shocking, truthful response.
But the even bigger shock is that I’m not absolutely terrified to be falling in love with him.
He catches sight of me through the glass, and his mouth curves in that quick, distracted smile that still manages to send my heart into a flurry.
Our lives have been busy these last few weeks, one of which was spent living in opposite time zones.
His mornings in Melbourne were my nights in New York, but when we talked, it still felt like we were in the same room.
Between his expansion, a new design client, and keeping up with Knox’s projects until Mila returns to work at the end of the month, life’s been a blur.
I’ll be glad when I can focus solely on Seth and my own designs again.
But Seth and I have managed to find some balance, making time for each other, for the dogs, and for family.
Belinda and Lara check in often and treat me like I’ve always been part of their family.
Group texts with Victory, Sutton, and Pepper keep me in the loop.
We meet up for an occasional lunch when our schedules align, and if she’s able, Becca joins us.
Unfortunately, Pepper misses out, since she lives in Virginia, but we send her pictures.
In between work and our alone time, Seth, my father, and I have been pushing hard, training for the caving trip.
I love the challenge, the adrenaline rush, and the physical exertion, and sharing it with my two favorite men has been something rare and special that I didn’t know I needed.
Of course I hold my breath on every outing with my father, but it’s not as scary with Seth watching out for him, too.
Barney bounds over with a stick in his mouth, tail wagging.
“Hey, buddy. You want to play?” I ruffle his fur and then throw the stick across the yard for him. I toss it for him a few times, letting him burn off his energy before we head inside.
The sound of Seth’s voice fills the living room, smooth and controlled but threaded with tension. I wonder if his business associates can hear that, or if it’s just me because I’ve come to notice all the little nuances that make him who he is.
I brush my hand over his back as I walk by, and without breaking his conversation, he catches my fingers and gives them a squeeze, then lets go, watching me head into my office with Barney on my heels.
Barney circles once before settling down on the big new doggy bed I bought for him to use at my father’s house, only to find out my father had already bought him one.
I sit down and go back to work reviewing the last round of updates to Knox’s itinerary for his trip next week, half listening as Seth’s voice rises in the next room.
Barney’s ears perk up with Seth’s sharp tone.
Sounds like someone needs to go for a run.
After ending his call, Seth appears in my office doorway looking like a caged tiger. God help me, the sight of him like that, eyes dark, jaw tight, broad chest rising with every breath, does ridiculous things to my body.
Barney pops up to all fours, tail wagging, as Seth comes to me. He gives Barney a half-hearted pet, then braces his hands on the back of my chair, leaning down until his breath brushes my neck. “I’m going to take the next call while I’m out for a run, before I kill someone.”
I swivel in my chair, my legs grazing his as I push to my feet. “Maybe I can help you relieve that tension,” I say as I undo the buttons on his shirt.
His mouth curves, one brow lifting. “That’s a risky proposition. I’m wound like a fucking top.”
I slide my hands beneath his open shirt, then kiss his chest as I unbutton his pants. “Then I look forward to making you unravel.”
He exhales hard and grabs my waist, hauling me closer. “You drive me fucking crazy, you know that?” he rasps.
I laugh. “That’s the goal—”
His mouth captures mine, swallowing my words in a fierce, claiming kiss, and immediately takes it deeper, all heat and hunger and pent-up energy. Oh, yes! The desk presses against the backs of my thighs as he feasts on my mouth and rips open my jeans, stripping them off in seconds, panties, too.
He spins me around, and my palms land on the desk, sending papers flying as he drops his pants and drives into me. Pleasure sears through me like wildfire, and “Ah—” flies from my lips.
Barney barks, trying to push his nose between us.
Seth doesn’t miss a thrust, growling, “Down boy,” as he sends scintillating sensations scattering through every inch of my body.
“You feel so fucking good…so tight…” He fists his hand in my hair, tugging my head back, and then his mouth is on my neck, tongue and teeth driving me wild.
Every powerful thrust takes me closer to the edge, until I’m hanging on by a thread.
I’m vaguely aware of Barney dancing around us, but when Seth sinks his teeth into my earlobe as he drives in harder, I shatter like glass.
“Seth—” shoots from my lungs, and he doesn’t relent, pounding into me like he can’t hold back, keeping me at the peak so long, I can barely breathe.
When the clutches of my climax finally ease and I start coming down from the high, he withdraws. I gasp, instantly mourning the loss, but he spins me around and lifts me onto the desk. Barney barks as Seth buries himself deep in one hard thrust and reclaims my mouth.
Barney goes paws up on the desk beside us.
“Not now, Buddy,” Seth says, laughing against my mouth.
He gives Barney a gentle nudge off the desk, then proceeds to fuck me like it’s the end of time and he can’t fathom going out any other way.
Papers scatter. I giggle, and Seth curses.
That lethal sound is filled with lust and greed as he gropes and bites and kisses the ever-loving hell out of me.
Pleasure consumes every inch of my body.
This is what I crave. The connection, this closeness, the power of this incredible man who has become the breath to my lungs, the fuel to my fire, the blood that feeds my heart.
This explosion of want and need is as all-consuming as our luxurious lovemaking in the wee hours of the night, when we wake up reaching for each other like we need the closeness to survive.
As the world spins away and we ride the highs of our passion, I’m starting to think we just might.
Seth holds me close, our bodies shuddering through the last ripples of pleasure as we try to catch our breath.
Barney barks, and we both look over. He’s lying on the floor, his tail thumping happily.
I whisper, “I think he wants an encore.”
Seth dips his head beside mine. “You and me both, buddy.” The alarm on his phone chimes. “Shit. Call in two minutes.” He lifts his face, gazing at me through a lustful haze. “You’re a wicked woman. I’m too full of you to think about work.”
Oh, how I love this man. “I promised to alleviate your stress. I never said I’d leave your ability to think intact.”
He lowers his smiling lips to mine in a slow, sensual kiss that has us both moaning for more. But I know how important the call from his Melbourne team is, so I press my hand to his chest, prying us apart. “Go. Before I beg you not to.”
His eyes spark with heat. “Are you trying to tempt me? Because it’s working.” As he leans in for a kiss, his phone rings. He stops short, utters a curse, and quickly reaches down to pull up his pants. “When I’m off this call, you and I are going to give Barney that encore.”
“I’ll pencil it into my schedule, but it’ll cost you overtime. Emphasis on O.”