17. Bruce
CHAPTER 17
brUCE
Why is this fucking game so fucking addictive?
Forcing myself to power down the console, I lie on my back and think about what happened earlier.
One second, I was inside Lilly in a dream; the next, there she was.
Why the hell did I have that dream? And why did she look so magnificent standing there when I woke up?
It must’ve been that stupid suspension bridge effect messing with my mind again. The barking startled me awake, and then there she was. That must be it because I don’t like any other explanations for the way my body reacted.
Turning onto my left side, I grasp my pillow and hope for sleep.
Nope.
Maybe I’ll have better luck on the right side?
It’s even worse.
After tossing and turning for what feels like an hour, I decide that it’s time for one of two home remedies that help me sleep: a snack or jerking off.
A snack seems like the better option as it’s not likely to make me think of Lilly again—which would be counterproductive if the goal is to clear her from my mind.
Tossing on my robe, I head for the fridge. I’m not surprised when I hear the pitter-patter of small, fluffy feet behind me. Colossus never misses a chance to go to the kitchen—not since he’s figured out that that’s where his treats reside.
As we approach the kitchen, he runs ahead of me, which is odd.
When I enter, I understand.
It’s Lilly. She’s standing with her back to us.
Without realizing what I’m doing, I rub my eyes, feeling like I’m in a wet dream again.
Lilly is wearing some sort of a sleep romper that consists of a thin strappy top and tiny shorts—as in, most of her back, arms, and shoulders are deliciously bare, as are her smooth, sexy legs.
My robe tents. Of fucking course. Coming here was a big mistake.
Maybe I can back away before?—
Colossus dashes toward her, and when he gets to the fridge, he looks up and whines.
Odd. He doesn’t usually do that.
“I’m sorry,” she says to him, sounding very guilty. “I was just curious.”
What is she talking about?
No. I don’t care. It’s better if I leave.
I take a soft step back, but she must hear it, or feel the air vibrate from my fucking hard-on—because she turns.
Fuck.
If I thought her outfit was sexy from the back, it pretty much makes my balls turn blue from the front.
Since I’m busted, I make sure the table is between her eyesight and my crotch, then employ the best defense in such a situation—offense. “What are you doing here?”
She shoots the dog a guilty glance. “I couldn’t sleep, so I came here for a bite to eat. When I saw his food in the fridge, I got curious, so I?—”
“You’re eating dog food?” I ask incredulously.
She stashes the bowl she’s been holding back into the fridge. “It’s made by a private chef and from human-grade ingredients. I just wanted to taste it.”
The dog whines louder—a sound that tugs at something in my chest and forces me to stride over to the fridge and snatch the bowl in question. With a loud thud, I put it on the floor.
As usual, the puppy attacks the meal as if it’s his first one after a year-long fast.
“That’s a mistake,” Lilly mutters under her breath.
I look down at her—and regret it instantly. Her romper is loose at the bodice and she’s not wearing a bra, so I get an eyeful of her deliciously perky little breasts, and even spot a pale pink nipple that is hard as a pebble—no doubt from the cold emanating out of the fridge.
Why the fuck did I get so close to her? For such a tiny creature, she exudes a powerful gravity field that draws me in—but giving in would be the worst idea ever.
“How was that a mistake?” I ask, figuring more defense is my best move at this juncture.
She lifts her adorable chin. “Colossus whined, and you fed him right afterward. That’s positive reinforcement. Now he’s much more likely to do that again the next time he wants to get his way.”
Fuck. She’s right. “Should I take it away?”
She glances down. “Too late.”
Yep. He’s all done—and that was his whole breakfast.
“That’s the shelf with human snacks.” I point at the section of the fridge that was my own destination.
Did she just look at the protrusion in my robe?
Shit. I forgot about that.
Thinking unsexy thoughts is futile, so I misdirect her attention by reaching for food. The problem is, at that exact moment, she reaches for the same item—and our fingers brush.
If my cock had a voice, he’d be roaring in frustration.
Gasping, she grabs a spinach artichoke twist and stuffs it into her mouth, as if I were going to steal it from her.
Once again, my reaction is sexual instead of the usual fight-or-flight I get when I see people eating—but in my defense, what else can you expect when she’s wrapping her lips over such a phallic-looking object?
“Does my eating bother you?” she asks after she swallows. “Please tell me if it’s like the panna cotta.”
“I’ll tell you,” I say and grab one of the avocado deviled eggs. Like her, I swallow it almost without chewing.
“Good,” she says and stares at my lips intently. Her voice has a peculiarly breathy quality that makes my cock twitch.
Damn it. I need to step away. Now. But for some reason, my feet refuse to move. We stare at each other, barely a foot of space separating us, and my heartbeat picks up as the moment stretches—the way I ache for her pussy to stretch around my cock.
No, what am I thinking? I need to stop this. Right now. Move, feet, move back now. But they disobey, taking the tiniest step forward, and I hear her breath hitch in her throat, see her eyes widen as she realizes what’s happening. And then… Oh, fuck, somehow I’m kissing those soft, tempting lips, and she—holy fuck—is kissing me back. Her delicate arms wrap around my neck, and she all but climbs me like a baby koala would a prime eucalyptus tree—and it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced.
A sudden bark wrenches me out of the kiss.
I pull away just as Lilly leaps backward, like she’s been burned.
For a dog trainer, she sure is skittish of barking.
The source of the bark is obviously the dog, but he’s not distressed, as I initially assumed. He’s actually looking up at us excitedly and wagging his tail for all he’s worth. My guess is, he thought the kiss was something fun and wanted to get in on it.
Lilly and I stare at each other, our breaths uneven, and then we say in perfect unison, “That was a mistake.”
I frown immediately, some of the heat leaving my body. I know why I’d say that, but why would she? I’m the employer here, not the other way around, and she’s not the one?—
“A mistake?” Lilly hisses, her eyes turning slitty, like those of a fox.
Before I can retort, she turns on her heel and dashes away.
I look down at the puppy to see if he understands what’s just happened.
Doubtful. He stares after Lilly’s disappearing back disappointedly.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, then pick up the dog to calm myself further. It works—it’s amazing what a little ball of fur can do for one’s state of mind. He’s like a Xanax that eats and poops.
Doing my best not to think about that kiss, I carry him back to my bedroom and place him in his bed before I dive into mine. Closing my eyes, I try to sleep, but without the dog distracting me, the kiss comes to the forefront of my mind. The kiss and its aftermath. And the more I dwell on the latter, the angrier I get.
Why would she say it was a mistake? If Forbes is to be believed, I’m a catch and certainly not someone you treat like a foot fungus.
Maybe she’s a socialist, or some other “ist” that hates the wealthy?
I have no idea, but I know this much: something like that kiss must never, ever happen again.