Rylee held out the treat to the dog, and he eagerly ate it from her hand. “I like that. It’s strong and powerful, just like you are. Right, handsome?” Zeus barked as if he understood and agreed with her. She laughed and continued to rub and pet him while he licked her fingers and made soft whining noises in his throat.
“We probably should head back,” Noah finally said.
Rylee looked at her watch and was surprised to see that they’d been away from the picnic for nearly an hour. “Wow, I didn’t know we’d been gone so long.”
“Time tends to fly when you’re having fun with someone you really like.” Rylee looked up sharply at Noah. His words were casual, but the look on his face was anything but. “It’s been almost an hour, but to me, it feels like only minutes since we got here.” Rylee swallowed hard, and nodded. Despite the voice in her head that begged her not to, she said, “I feel the same way.”
Neither of them attempted to move, neither tried to speak. They continued to stand there, surrounded by the random noises from the dogs and the distant sounds from the picnic, and let the unspoken words, and undeniable attraction, float in the space that separated them. The moment was broken when Zeus began to whine again.
“You can’t get enough of the most beautiful woman here either, can you, Zeus?” Noah spoke softly to the dog, but his eyes remained locked on her.
She blushed and quickly squatted down by Zeus’s cage. “I’ll come and visit you again before I leave, handsome,” she promised, and rubbed him once more before they left.
They walked silently down the road toward his mother’s house. Nick met them once they reached the yard.
“Hey, angel.” Nick put his arm around Rylee and pulled her close to him before he leaned down and kissed her on the neck. “I was just coming to look for you.”
“I was showing Rylee around the place,” Noah said.
“Cool. Did you meet all of the beasts?” He looked down at her.
“I sure did.” She smiled back. “They’re amazing…this entire place is amazing.” She hugged him tightly. “Thank you for inviting me here,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m glad I finally got a chance to see it. I’m very impressed.”
Nick leaned down and gave her a long, lingering kiss that she felt all the way to her toes. As she lost herself in the sensations of his kiss, she remained acutely aware of Noah’s presence in the background, watching them.
She opened her eyes and looked into Nick’s smiling face. “You’re very welcome,” he said. “Hopefully, this is the first of many weekends you’ll spend here.” He nodded toward Noah with a smirk on his face. “That is, if my brother doesn’t mind you hanging around all the time.” “It’s cool with me. But I think you should know that you’re not the only one around here who wants Rylee for yourself,” Noah warned.
Rylee’s heart fluttered wildly in her chest as she waited for Nick to respond.
“Oh, yeah?” Nick turned to face Noah. “Anybody I know?”
Noah nodded slowly, his face somber. “Zeus has a crush on her.” He sounded so serious that it took a moment for them to realize what he’d said. Finally, Nick’s head fell back, and he erupted with laughter.
“I knew Zeus was a smart dog. He’s definitely got damn fine taste in women.” Rylee’s laughter joined his. She glanced at Noah and saw that he was laughing as well, but his eyes remained serious.
“Come on, beautiful.” Nick kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Let’s go.”
“That sounds good to me.” She smiled at Nick, and then looked over at Noah again.
“Thanks, Noah,” she said softly.
Nick glanced briefly at Noah. “Later, bro.”
As she and Nick walked away, Rylee heard Noah softly mutter something. She wasn’t completely sure, but it sounded a lot like, lucky bastard.
Chapter Thirteen
As soon as they got back to his house, Nick lifted Rylee and carried her into his bedroom. He
“We probably should head back,” Noah finally said.
Rylee looked at her watch and was surprised to see that they’d been away from the picnic for nearly an hour. “Wow, I didn’t know we’d been gone so long.”
“Time tends to fly when you’re having fun with someone you really like.” Rylee looked up sharply at Noah. His words were casual, but the look on his face was anything but. “It’s been almost an hour, but to me, it feels like only minutes since we got here.” Rylee swallowed hard, and nodded. Despite the voice in her head that begged her not to, she said, “I feel the same way.”
Neither of them attempted to move, neither tried to speak. They continued to stand there, surrounded by the random noises from the dogs and the distant sounds from the picnic, and let the unspoken words, and undeniable attraction, float in the space that separated them. The moment was broken when Zeus began to whine again.
“You can’t get enough of the most beautiful woman here either, can you, Zeus?” Noah spoke softly to the dog, but his eyes remained locked on her.
She blushed and quickly squatted down by Zeus’s cage. “I’ll come and visit you again before I leave, handsome,” she promised, and rubbed him once more before they left.
They walked silently down the road toward his mother’s house. Nick met them once they reached the yard.
“Hey, angel.” Nick put his arm around Rylee and pulled her close to him before he leaned down and kissed her on the neck. “I was just coming to look for you.”
“I was showing Rylee around the place,” Noah said.
“Cool. Did you meet all of the beasts?” He looked down at her.
“I sure did.” She smiled back. “They’re amazing…this entire place is amazing.” She hugged him tightly. “Thank you for inviting me here,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m glad I finally got a chance to see it. I’m very impressed.”
Nick leaned down and gave her a long, lingering kiss that she felt all the way to her toes. As she lost herself in the sensations of his kiss, she remained acutely aware of Noah’s presence in the background, watching them.
She opened her eyes and looked into Nick’s smiling face. “You’re very welcome,” he said. “Hopefully, this is the first of many weekends you’ll spend here.” He nodded toward Noah with a smirk on his face. “That is, if my brother doesn’t mind you hanging around all the time.” “It’s cool with me. But I think you should know that you’re not the only one around here who wants Rylee for yourself,” Noah warned.
Rylee’s heart fluttered wildly in her chest as she waited for Nick to respond.
“Oh, yeah?” Nick turned to face Noah. “Anybody I know?”
Noah nodded slowly, his face somber. “Zeus has a crush on her.” He sounded so serious that it took a moment for them to realize what he’d said. Finally, Nick’s head fell back, and he erupted with laughter.
“I knew Zeus was a smart dog. He’s definitely got damn fine taste in women.” Rylee’s laughter joined his. She glanced at Noah and saw that he was laughing as well, but his eyes remained serious.
“Come on, beautiful.” Nick kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Let’s go.”
“That sounds good to me.” She smiled at Nick, and then looked over at Noah again.
“Thanks, Noah,” she said softly.
Nick glanced briefly at Noah. “Later, bro.”
As she and Nick walked away, Rylee heard Noah softly mutter something. She wasn’t completely sure, but it sounded a lot like, lucky bastard.
Chapter Thirteen
As soon as they got back to his house, Nick lifted Rylee and carried her into his bedroom. He
Similar Books
