Chapter TwelveRoe
Chapter Twelve
Roe
I stay collapsed against the locker until the boys have left, my body hazy and relaxed after the epic release it was just given. I take a shaky breath. I have never had such a powerful orgasm before in my life. Unfortunately, I am one of those girls who really struggles to reach that sought-after explosion of sensation. I can be pulverizing my clit to mush with a vibrator for hours only to come out of it frustrated and unsatisfied. I have never had a sexual partner bring me to completion before.
Having Brett and Law restraining me while West fingered me to oblivion was hot . Maybe a bit of voyeurism is all I needed to get me going.
Groaning, I force myself to bend and pull my skirt on. I was too fucking tired for this bullshit, and now I had to walk home too? Fucking prick.
The click of a closing door has me jumping back to my feet, holding my shirt against my chest as I search the deserted hallway.
Someone had witnessed the Dukes and I just now .
Well, fuck.
"Ughhh!!!" I groan up at the sky as dark storm clouds obliterate the sunny day we had just had. I am about two streets off from Katies, but I don't think the rain is going to hold out. Great, just what I needed!
I am pissed that I used up all my energy during sports. The altercation with the Dukes didn't help whatsoever. My muscles were jelly, and my soul felt drained.
I am mentally preparing myself for a jog when I look back down from the sky and lay my eyes upon a freaking monster.
I freeze.
It's a bear. I swear to fuck, it is a goddamn bear. In the middle of a fucking rich person's city. Did one of them own a pet bear, and it got loose? Australia doesn't even have bears, for fuck's sake.
Oh, God. Is it a drop bear? It's a fucking drop bear. Are they real? I thought drop bears were a fantasy we told to play tricks on tourists.
The bear shakes its giant body, its chocolate brown fur waving with the force. And then it runs at me. Giant paws with giant claws eat up the space between us until it's suddenly right before me, his open maw inches from my chest.
I close my eyes as the beast opens its mouth, surely ready to shred me to pieces. A scream builds in my throat when I feel its hot breath against my cheek, and then… my scream comes out as a disgusted squeal as a giant, wet, and stinky tongue licks the entire length of my face.
I open my eyes and scrub at my face as the bear drops back to four paws before it sits at my feet with its great, long tongue lolling from its puffing mouth.
I blink stupidly. "You're a… dog?"
As if in answer, he lets out a booming bark before rolling onto his back, legs splayed and confirming that, yes, indeed, he is a male.
Squatting down beside him I study him a moment before reaching out a tentative hand and scratching his belly. He lets out a sigh and wags his ginormous tail.
I can't help the laugh that bursts from my chest. "You may look like a big scary bear, but you're just a giant teddy, aren't you, boy?" And then, because who can resist baby-talking to a dog, "Who's-a-fluffy-mcshnuffle-butt? Who's-a-big-baby-puppy-dog?" I croon, now down on both knees, elbows deep in his monstrous coat of fur .
The dog soaks up the attention, tail flailing like a windmill in a cyclone.
A crack of thunder breaks through the air, and the dog is on his feet in an instant, knocking me over in his haste. I attempt to rise, but the giant goofball practically lies on top of me.
"Not a fan of thunder?" I ask, giving him a comforting pet as I get back to my knees. "No wonder you are out here all on your own. The storm scared you, didn't it, boy? Where is your home?"
I look around, but there is no telling which house he belongs to. There is no dog house nor 'beware of dog' sign anywhere.
I glance at the sky and then back down at the dog. He looks up at me with the saddest puppy dog eyes I have ever seen.
"Alright, alright! You better come home with me then," I say. Seemingly understanding my every word, he bounces to his feet and does a few happy jumps around me. "We better run if we're to beat the storm, though."
I break into a jog, not entirely sure if the dog will follow, but I don't even have a second for doubt before he's loping at my side, his mound of fur moving like it's an entirely different sentient just attached to the skin and bones beneath.
A smile splits my face in two. "How about a race?"
The sky breaks open as we sprint up the final few lengths of the driveway. We skid to a stop underneath the veranda, both of us puffing with exertion. The dog's fur is slightly flattened under the weight of the water, which he quickly fixes with an impressive shake of his entire body, leaving his fur standing on end.
"Ah!" I squeal, shielding my face from the onslaught of smelly, second-hand rainwater. "I smell like wet drop bear!"
The giant brute tips his head to the side before jumping onto his hind legs and giving my face another gigantic lick.
"Ugh!"
He wags his mighty tail looking proud of himself.
"We ought to give you a name, hey boy?" I suggest, scrutinizing him. "Bear. No, too common. Ruffles. Hmmm… Shaggy, Muffin, Wookie. Ted. Oh, I know! Captain Floof!" He lets out a happy whine, enthusiastically wagging his tail as I get to the last name .
I bend and give him a big cuddle, instantly regretting it when I am smothered in wet dog.
"Captain Floof, it is!" I announce.
We walk to the side of the house where I am pretty sure Katie said the mudroom was located. Sure enough, I find the sliding glass door that leads to a small room decorated in tiles ranging from deep gold to dark brown. Captain Floof strolls past me as I slide the door closed, instant warmth caressing my skin as the wind and rain are blocked out. A shoe rack sits to the left as I walk in, a large indoor plant sitting beside it. I kick off my shoes, leaving them on the floor because I just cannot be fucked right now, bending down just to lift them another thirty centimeters to the rack. Captain Floof sits patiently by an open-style cupboard that contains bundles of towels.
"Let's get you toweled off, hmm?"
Captain Floof groans and huffs in a pleased tone as I scrub him off with a towel. He still reeks, though; I will have to get him into the tub with some nice bath oils. I frown, thinking of how the hell I would dry him afterward. A towel is all well for the mild splattering we got from the rain, but a fully soaked and submerged dog with the length and volume of fur Captain Floof had? That I would not enjoy .
A knock on the door to the house sounded and a tentative Mrs. Deeptol, Katie's housekeeper, whom I had briefly met yesterday, opens the door a crack and peeps through. She is a middle-aged woman with a rounded figure and greying hair. Her husband, Mr. Deeptol, is the groundsman of the estate. Katie has them housed in a gorgeous little granny flat not far from the main house.
"Good evening, Miss Ro- oh!" she squeaks in fright when she spots Captain Floof.
"He's friendly!" I say, petting the dog on his big head. "Mrs. Deeptol, meet Captain Floof!"
Mrs. Deeptol looks skeptically at the dog before taking a deep breath and facing me again.
She clears her throat. "Miss Katie left on a business trip this afternoon but should be back tomorrow evening."
I frown. "Oh. She didn't mention…" I break off. I had grown fond of my aunt over the few days I'd been here, but I didn't appreciate secrets.
Seemingly sensing where my thoughts had taken me, Mrs. Deeptol quickly elaborates, "It was an extremely last-minute decision. The Elder Dukes…"
I snort. The Dukes strike again.
"I get it. It's fine, Mrs. Deeptol. Thank you for informing me. "
Captain Floof lets out a sigh and collapses to the floor in a mountain of fluff.
Eyeing the dog, Mrs. Deeptol continues, "Miss Katie gave me leave to finish early today. I have prepared a selection of meals in the fridge for dinner and a bowl of chocolate chip mousse as well."
"Thank you, that sounds fantastic! Truly," I say, already drooling over the mention of dessert. Maybe I could skip dinner…
Mrs. Deeptol lingered a moment, so I gave her an encouraging smile to get on with it. The damp clothes I wore were seeping into my skin, and I was freezing my fucking tits off.
"There's a bathroom through the door to the left," she tilts her head towards it. "The tub should be a sufficient size for… Captain Floof."
"Thanks, Mrs. D!" I grin, meaning it. "You go and enjoy your evening off with Mr. D."
Is that a blush I spy on her cheeks as she smiles goodbye?
The door clicks shut, and I look down at Captain Floof, who glances back at me with his beautiful browns opened wide. So fricking' cute!
"Alright then, Captain Floof! Let's get you a bath going! "
The bathroom was spacious and matched the calming tones of the mudroom, with a huge cream-colored bathtub sitting in one corner, a toilet, shower cubicle, and vanity and sink combo to match. Captain Floof climbed into the tub as soon as I had the plug in and water going.
"Not your first rodeo, huh?" I say, amused. Searching through the cabinets, I find some bath oils: rose, lemon, lavender. I decide on a mild cedarwood, only using a touch in the water so as not to overload the dogs' heightened senses.
Once the bath is almost filled to the brim (because, I mean, this freaking dog is huge!) I get to work, running my hands through his thick fur. He is well cared for. That much is obvious by the well-fed bulk of him and the fur that is free of knots and reasonably clean, dirt and mud from our run aside. As I scrub up towards his ears. I find a collar hidden beneath the mass. I maneuver it around until I have found the buckle and undo it.
' CHAOS ' is written in bold letters on one side of the dog bone-shaped tag. I flip it over and find the owner's number.
"I guess we should get you home after your bath, huh?" I ask, disappointment a heavy weight in my guts .
Captain Floof huffs and shakes his boofy head. I may be reading too much into this because who the hell cares that he was shaking the water from his ears, but I believe he was answering my question with a firm no .
I smile, "hell yeah, Captain Floof! We are having a slumber party!"
A booming bark rattles my eardrums, but I could not bring myself to care.
An hour and a half later, because drying Captain Floof took a long freaking time, even with the hairdryer I had found, I am showered myself, with warm pajamas and slippers on, a hot meal is heating up (having already dug out and heated some kind of beef and vegetable stew for Captain Floof) and we are ready to settle in for a movie night.
We snuggle up on the couch, Captain Floof resting his giant face in my lap. I scroll through Netflix with one hand, the other shoveling spaghetti bog down my throat. Every now and then, a chunk of beef or string of pasta drops and lands on Captain Floof's nose, and I lose it as his long tongue smacks every inch of his snout beside where the food sits. I take pity on him in the end and give him a hand.
I choose some zombie movie with Brad Pitt and settle in to watch, absently petting and scratching the dog's soft fur. And by God, does his fur look and feel fantastic! The bath, blow-dry, and brush down did absolute wonders to the brute. I had left his collar aside for now, not wanting to acknowledge the fact that Captain Floof, who could highly likely actually be Chaos, had a home to go back to. A family, perhaps. But for tonight, he was mine, and I was his. I would call the number tomorrow morning before school. If the owner couldn't pick him up, I'd ask Trent to make a pit stop; sure he would go along with it.
When the movie ends, and my stomach is sickeningly full from the chocolate mousse that inevitably followed the spaghetti, we head to bed, Captain Floof huffing in contentment after he had circled the same spot on the end of my bed five times and collapsed in a heap.
"Goodnight, Captain," I said, reaching for my bedside lamp.
As the light died out and I settled in under the blankets, the distraction of puppy dog cuddles and zombie gore was no longer enough to keep my thoughts at bay.
Western Mazzuchelli. Fuck. I squeeze my legs together as the telltale throb of arousal heats my core. He knew what he was doing. With his fingers. With his words. He was an expert at how to make a woman feel pleasure. And I hated it. I hated how my body responded to him. Hell, my body has had a mind of its own since the first time I saw him, balls deep down somebody else's throat. He is an entitled prick who thinks the world revolves around his every whim. He thinks a woman's place is behind him. Or on her knees. Or spreadeagled beneath him… fuck. I roll over in agitation as my traitorous body burns with need.
Captain Floof, seemingly noticing my change in mood, moves until he is beside me. I spoon him, sighing as I breathe in the light cedarwood aroma of the bath oils in his fur. He is like a giant stress ball and it isn't long before I am drifting off to sleep.
"Yes?" a masculine and vaguely familiar voice says through the phone. It's morning, and I've got an hour before school, but I'm ready to go. I wanted to make sure there was time to get Captain Floof home before I had to leave for the day. I don't think Mrs. Deeptol wanted anything to do with dog sitting if her expression this morning was anything to go by.
"Um, yes- Hi," I stammer. No greeting or anything. Strait to business. Must be a Duke associate or something. "Uh, my name is Roe. I have your dog, Cap- I mean, Chaos. "
Captain's owner is silent for a long while. It is excruciating, and I am ready to hang up the damn phone and keep the freaking dog. But then he breaks the silence.
"I'll be there in five."
And he hangs up.
Mother fucking asshole!
I spit and seethe for a moment, ignoring Captain Floof's curious expression as I stomp past him on my way to the front door.
It's not until I've buzzed through the car at the gate that I realize I never gave the guy an address. When the car rounds the bend and a lead weight drops in my stomach, I understand why.
I raise my chin high, arms crossed across my chest as the midnight blue Mustang pulls to a stop.
The window slides down.
"Roe," he says.
"West."