Chapter 37
brAXTON
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. A heaven full of shirtless, muscular bodies and thigh-hugging black boxer briefs.
I’ve been in a perpetual state of sweaty since the six Vancouver Warriors players showed up an hour ago for this photoshoot, each player more excited than the last to get started.
Their excitement might also have something to do with their third-round win against Minnesota and the fact they’ve made it to the fourth and final round of the playoffs, but I’ll take it regardless.
With a four-day break between now and the start of the fourth round, we’re also closing in on adoption day. It’s two weeks away, and this photoshoot is the perfect way to finish our preparations.
“Colt Warner! For the love of God, please stop thrusting at Maddox. You’re scaring Bernie,” Diamond, the photographer Sadie hired, huffs.
She keeps trying to pull Colt’s attention back to the dachshund who’s staring up at him, head tilting side to side beneath his miniature cowboy hat, but the country boy seems to have the attention span of a toddler.
Maddox belts out a laugh and shoves his teammate back over to the dog he was paired with. Bernie sits patiently as he waits for Colt to sit back down and pull him into his arms.
“Smile, Colt. Or I’m going to take away the matching cowboy hats,” Diamond threatens, starting to snap some photos with her expensive-looking camera.
The white backdrop set up behind Colt and Bernie takes up most of Diamond’s studio, but even with the addition of the massive men, it surprisingly doesn’t feel too crowded.
“You look so sexy over here, all in charge and shit,” Maddox murmurs, suddenly beside me, mouth at my ear.
I lean into his side, humming at the feel of him all warm and bare brushing against my arm.
It’s been a test of my self-control to keep from jumping him already, and it’s only gotten harder and harder to keep my hands to myself the longer I’ve had to stare at him half-naked.
He’s a walking wet dream, all rippling muscles and tattooed skin.
He hasn’t had his turn being photographed yet, so I can only assume it’s going to get worse the minute I see him posing with a dog. I’m suddenly thankful for my decision to put on a sundress today and not a pair of pants. At least there won’t be visible evidence of my arousal with a dress.
“I haven’t had to do much so far. Diamond is doing a great job at keeping you guys in line all on her own.”
He laughs softly. “I like her. She’s got balls. You have to have a pair of steel ones to be able to rein in these guys. They’re old enough to know better than to jerk around but crazy enough not to care.”
I press my cheek to his bicep and slip my arm around his front, dipping my fingers in the crevices of the muscles there, unable to stop myself. A rumble grows in his chest before he grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers, keeping me from continuing whatever it was I was trying to do.
“Baby, I’m already fighting off a boner at the image of you in this pretty dress. Please, don’t make it any worse,” he says tightly, almost begging.
“Yeah? You like it?” I glance down at the green dress before flicking my eyes back up to him. “I figured since you agreed to let me wear your jerseys just on game days instead of every day, I would still try to keep to theme.”
I’ve bought more green-coloured clothes in the past month than in my entire life, but it’s better than having to wear a heavy jersey in the warm weather.
“You look fucking gorgeous, Curly Fry.”
I blush at the compliment, darting my eyes away. “Thank you.”
“I love that I can still make you blush after this long,” he admits, the weight of his stare heavy on my cheeks.
“I don’t think I’ll ever not blush at the things you say to me.”
He dips his head, and his hot breath hits the tip of my ear. “Good. I like the colour pink on you. On your cheeks and that pretty pussy of yours.”
I nearly drop my head back and groan but choose to press my thighs together instead, feeling the damp material of my panties stick to the skin beneath.
“Stop it right now. I’m telling Diamond to put you next so that you can get dressed sooner,” I mutter.
Moving to step away from him, I hear his strong laughter and feel a tug on my hand. I have to blink away the lust from my eyes before looking back. He’s grinning so wide his dimples are out in both cheeks. Asshole.
“I’m sorry. Forgive me?”
I stare at him, expression flat. “No. Now, get ready to pose.”
He releases my wrist with another loud burst of laughter, and I leave him standing there, a slickness between my thighs that makes me feel far more annoyed with myself than him.
Diamond is pulling her rainbow-coloured hair up into a bun when I reach her, a slight sheen across her forehead from the heat of the overhead lights.
Colt is stretched out on his side in front of us, Bernie lazing against his stomach, both of their cowboy hats tilted back, almost hanging off their heads.
“One more, boys. Give me a smirk, Colt. I know you must have a good one. Yes, great. Now, put your hand on Bernie’s back and pull him right against you.
Perfect,” Diamond instructs, dropping to her knees to snap more photos.
“Okay, you’re done, Cowboy. Take Bernie back to the other room—he probably needs a break from all that testosterone. ”
Colt pushes himself up and grabs Bernie in a single hand. His eyes fall back to Diamond as he says, “What are you doing after this? Feel like taking Bernie’s spot for a bit?”
“Not at all. But thanks for your good work,” she replies before turning to me with a warm smile. “How are you liking everything so far? Do you wanna see some of the shots before we continue?”
I swipe a hand through the air. “Oh, no. I trust you. Everything has been great so far. I was actually wondering if you could do Maddox next? I know Bentley was supposed to go, but—”
“Sure! Who is he with again? I don’t think I saw a name beside him when I looked earlier.”
“Right. I actually was hoping to try him with Hades, but I might need some of the guys to move out for a bit to see if Hades is up for it. Is that okay?”
The decision to have Hades pose with Maddox wasn’t an easy one to make, but it made the most sense.
Hades is doing much better, but I don’t know if he’ll do well with the other guys.
Hell, I don’t even know if he’ll do well with Dox, but I feel less stressed at the idea of Dox being able to be with him in case anything were to go wrong.
Hades needs a family, and this calendar might be the best way to ensure that happens. I don’t want him to be excluded.
“For sure. I can get them all to take a quick break while you get them all ready,” Diamond says.
“Thank you,” I breathe, relieved at her easy acceptance.
She gives me another smile before starting to usher the guys out of the room, her orders clear and precise. They don’t put up much of a fight, choosing to start flirting with the poor woman instead.
A tall body wraps around me from behind, and the spicy scent of Maddox’s cologne gives him away. He kisses the crown of my head.
“If you wanted to get me alone, you could have just said that,” he teases into my hair, body shaking with a silent laugh.
“If I told you that you were with Hades today, would you agree?” I ask, ignoring his flirting.
At my worried tone, he holds my hips and spins me around, brows furrowed. “I trust your judgement, Braxton. Whatever you think is best works for me.”
“Okay. I’m going to get him and bring him in here. Just go sit where Colt was and let him come to you,” I ramble.
He nods, face still twisted with concern. “Okay. Breathe, sweetheart. It’ll be fine.”
“Breathe,” I echo. “Right. Okay. I’ll be right back.”
Spinning on my heel, I head out of the open door and toward the small room usually used for dressing changes but today has been transformed into a doggie daycare.
I find Hades lying in his crate, on top of the fluffy VW blanket I stole from Maddox’s house and brought with us, hoping that the early scent introduction would help.
From how cozy he looks snuggled up on it, it looks like he doesn’t mind his scent.
Smart dog.
My heart aches at the lack of playing he’s doing, but I know he isn’t ready to be let loose on his own with the other dogs yet.
I pick his leash and collar up off the ground beside his crate and open the door, quickly slipping them both on as he stands and stretches.
“It’s your time to shine, baby. I need you to really work with me here, okay? Maddox is a good guy. I promise,” I tell him.
He licks my cheek before I stand, encouraging him to walk out before shutting the crate door. While a bit tense, he doesn’t look afraid, and that’s a great sign.
When we get back to the main room, my nerves come racing back. Hades is more relaxed than I am now, even when he sees Maddox sitting on the floor, legs outstretched and arms back, keeping himself upright.
“Hey, buddy,” Dox says softly, keeping still, his warm green eyes flicking between me and Hades.
Hades slows his walk slightly as we approach him, moving a bit closer to me. I’m holding my breath when he stops right in front of Maddox and stares at him.
“Put your hand out in front of you but not too close to him. Just give him the option to come sniff you,” I say.
He does exactly that, and Hades creeps closer, butting Maddox’s hand with his nose. I blow out a breath and crouch at Maddox’s side, stroking Hades’ back.
“Good boy,” I praise before sitting beside Maddox with my legs tucked beneath me, leaning into his side. “You can pet him now. Right where I am.”
His fingers brush mine as he pets his back. “Does this mean he doesn’t hate me?”
“Yeah, I think he might actually like you. That’s a really good sign.”
“I think he likes us together. He didn’t seem to be a fan of me the first time we met.”
“He’s made so much progress since then. Plus, it wasn’t like any of us had a good energy that day. It wasn’t a happy meeting,” I say.
Maddox makes a low noise in his throat. “Do you think he’ll get adopted?”
“I hope so. He deserves a loving home. Someone just has to give him a chance.”
As if he knows we’re talking about him, Hades pushes closer, demanding more attention. Maddox chuckles while I let out a wet laugh. When it comes to this dog, I can’t seem to stop crying.
“Have you thought about adopting him yourself?” he asks, swiping the wet from beneath my eyes.
“I have. But I’m not sure if I’m the right person for him.”
“What? You’re the perfect person for him. Nobody is going to love him as much as you do.”
Hades pushes his face into my chest, and I kiss the top of his head, breathing in the lingering coconut smell from his bath yesterday.
It scares me how clearly I can see us together—Hades and me.
Maddox too. We’d play fetch all day in a spacious backyard with a big red doghouse by the fence for Hades like Snoopy has in the Charlie Brown cartoons and then spend the night in front of a brick fireplace.
It’s a dream that I’m scared I could never make a reality.
“My life is so hectic—what if I couldn’t give him the time he deserves? Someone else could. Someone who wouldn’t have known about him without this calendar we’re shooting for today. It has to be perfect,” I say.
Maddox holds my waist and kisses my cheek, nodding. “There’s no rush. Let’s call Diamond back in here and finish this up. We can go from there, yeah?”
A knock on the open door comes at the perfect time, and all three of us turn to see our lovely photographer peering in at us. Her smile is contagious, and I find myself smiling back, waving her in.
“Hey. We’re good to go. Hades should let Maddox move him around well enough for the photos, but if everyone could stay a bit back just in case, that would be great,” I tell her, noticing the guys starting to fill the space behind her.
She walks toward us, eyes bright and a finger tapping on the top of her camera. “Actually, why don’t you stay for these ones? Hades is calmest with you, right? Plus, the three of you look really great together. Like a family.”
My stomach does a weird twirling thing.
“Hear that, baby girl? A family,” Maddox whispers in my ear.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to ruin the whole vibe. Maddox doesn’t even have clothes on,” I ramble, fighting back the urge to run and hide.
“Can one of you do something useful and go get Maddox his clothes, please?” Diamond yells at the guys, and it’s Bentley that rushes out the door a second later. She shoots me a wink. “There. This will be perfect for the whole family thing you’re trying to bring into the adoption day.”
She’s right, so I don’t fight her on it.
A minute later, Bentley is back and handing Maddox his clothes.
My side is cold when he stands to get dressed, but it’s not long before I’m burning up again, the sight of him in all of his glory stealing my breath.
It’s still hard to believe that this man wants me and continues to do everything he can to cherish me.
I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
A beat later, he’s dressed in a pair of light blue jeans with a small rip over the knee and a black T-shirt that hugs his biceps in the most delicious way. His feet are bare, and it fits the look perfectly.
With hearts in my eyes, I blink up at him and smile. Hades is turned away from me but flush to my body, waiting for Maddox to join us again. As soon as he does, any previous tension and anxiety at the idea of being photographed slips away, replaced with an almost giddy feeling of excitement.
“I’m going to steal these photos and plaster them all over my house,” Maddox says confidently.
I scoot closer as he drops an arm over my shoulders and pecks my cheek, interlocking the fingers I have buried in Hades’ fur with his.
“I like that idea,” I murmur.
“Stay just like that!” Diamond shrieks before rushing around and dropping to her knees again a few feet in front of us, camera lifted and pointed directly at us. “Just like I said! A family.”
Yeah. We are a family.
The term replays in my mind over and over again, growing more perfect each time. I soak up this moment, praying that I get to experience this feeling of pure bliss every single day for the rest of my life.