The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller(39)

Kaeleb smirks back at me and I can tell he’s thinking the same thing.
Quinn bolts around the corner, pink clutch in her hand. “I’m ready, let’s go Josh.” Glancing over her shoulder at me, she adds, “Have fun you guys.”
“What? What about us?” My expression turns inquisitive as I watch her hook her arm in Josh’s, who still hasn’t complimented her appearance. It’s slowly but surely beginning to turn from mere frustration into high irritation.
Quinn giggles, clearly not as upset as I am with his lack of commentary. “You guys are staying in, obviously. You can’t leave Walter all by himself on his first night. Maybe you can give him a piece of cake!”
“NO!” I shout back, causing everyone in the room to jump. I quickly compose myself and add, “No chocolate. It’s not…good for dogs. Nothing other than puppy food, got it?” I glare my warning at both Quinn and Kaeleb. Their faces are full of shock as they nod slowly.
I continue staring until I feel they’ve grasped the importance of my order before my thoughts change course. Honing in on Quinn, I narrow my eyes in her direction and purse my lips. “You knew about this all along, didn’t you?” Kaeleb laughs out loud, giving me my confirmation. “Why did you make me get all dressed up if we’re not even going out?”
Quinn gives me a knowing look. “Because dummy, it’s your birthday. And your real gift from me was the look on Kaeleb’s face when he first saw you. For you to feel as beautiful as you are.” Her eyes dart to Kaeleb. “While I’m sad I missed it, the way he’s looking at you right now tells me that my gift was definitely delivered.”
My eyes drift to Kaeleb, standing there with a gorgeous, crooked smile playing on his lips as he lifts his hand to gently brush the hair off my shoulder, tickling my skin with the pads of his fingers.
“Breathtaking,” he murmurs under his breath. My face flushes with the potent intimacy of his stare as I’m reminded of his confession in the bedroom. I turn away quickly, self-conscious about my involuntary reaction.
Clearing my throat, I look back at Quinn, who’s smiling as her eyes bounce between the two of us.
“Thank you,” is all I can manage before she gives Walter another pat on the head and turns with Josh to leave.
Just as I’m about to speak, Kaeleb calls out to her, stealing the words from my mouth. “You look gorgeous, Quinn. You deserve to know that as well.” They both halt, turning in unison as Kaeleb’s eyes slide over to Josh, his face tightening into a sneer. Josh says nothing, but Quinn’s eyes glisten slightly as she gives us a sad smile and a shrug of her shoulders. “Thank you, Kaeleb.”
She gives him a nod of her head and then they’re gone, leaving us alone in the living room.
Before I can think any more about it, Kaeleb’s strong arms wrap around my body and pull me into his chest gently, careful to not squish dear Walter in the process. He kisses the top of my head, my temple, the top of my cheek and the corner of my mouth. But that’s as far as he makes it before Walter stands in my arms, placing his tiny paws on my shoulder to lick our faces with his own puppy kisses.
Kaeleb breaks away and pulls Walter out of my arms, propping him along his forearm and setting him on his hip. Shaking his head, he brushes the hair from my face before curling a hand around my neck. His tongue crosses his lips as he leans in to give me a scorching kiss. My body melts into his as Walter continues whining his protest.
Our mouths border on ravenous as Kaeleb wraps his arm around my waist and urges me to step backwards. I willingly comply, retreating under his direction as he leads. Memorizing the feel of his body, my hands float along the curves of his muscles as they work their way up to his neck. As soon as my knees hit the couch behind us, I thread my fingers through his hair and pull him closer, which earns me a groan in return.
He lowers me down, his mouth continuing to work against mine the entire descent. Only after I’m seated does he break the kiss, ending it with a gentle peck to my lips and a graze of his nose along mine. I inhale deeply, savoring both his scent and his taste, as he moves to place Walter on the floor. Once his hands are free, he sets his knee on the couch and gently presses me to lie down. Lowering his body, he settles his hips between my legs, and as the warmth of his mouth trails down my neck, my body impulsively begins to grind against his. The friction of our movements shoots a powerful surge to the center of my body, and an unfamiliar yearning begins to raid my senses. My entire body starts to thrum and my heart pounds beneath my chest with nervous anxiety.
My being a virgin has never been a secret between us. Kaeleb knew it the first time his hand simply brushed over my breast, the way my body responded to the touch, and he let it be known right then and there that there would never be any pressure from him to do anything I wasn’t ready to experience.
But right now, he’s all I want to experience.
Unfortunately, someone has other plans.
Just as Kaeleb’s lips work their way back up my throat and find my mouth, a cold, wet nose jams itself right in between our faces. Surprised, we quickly disengage and turn our heads, only to find one very eager Walter. Stretching as far as he can, his paws are right underneath my head and his whines rise in pitch until they are ear shattering.
Kaeleb’s forehead falls to my neck as his shoulders shake with laughter. “Well, that’s a first. I cock-blocked myself.”
Still whirling from my euphoria, my only response is a giggle as he places a tender kiss against my skin. He reluctantly presses himself off of my body and once seated, offers me his hand and pulls me up right next to his body. With a contented sigh, I lean against his shoulder and curl my feet under my legs, watching as he helps maneuver Walter onto the couch. Obviously very pleased with the attention, Walter’s yips die down and we patiently wait as he turns circles, searching for the perfect spot—AKA Kaeleb’s lap—until he plops down with an exhausted grunt.