Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
His voice trailed off and I assumed he’d gestured toward me based on Eli’s thoughtful hum. “Yes, I can see your problem.”
I was glad they understood that part at the very least.
“Alright, well, I can easily get him some biker shorts and an external tail harness. We’ve got those just lying around everywhere, right now. There’s a new line coming out shortly and we’ve been getting ready for that.”
Leif made a thoughtful sound. “So he’s possibly been watching you a bit more often than usual?”
Oops.
Eli laughed.
Yep, that’d been how he caught me. I’d been greedy.
“Yes.” Eli didn’t elaborate on that too much, thankfully. “But that means I have spare pup parts all over the place right now. I’ll drop those off soon. I can’t stay much longer, but I think we’ve gotten the main points out into the open.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong about that.
“Yes, I have a lot to think about.” That was probably an understatement, but Leif didn’t seem like he was horrified. “Will the parts be self-explanatory?”
Eli giggled, making me smile and blush. “Yes. But I won’t send over anything too difficult to use or that’s designed to arouse. Baby steps, you know.”
No, we really didn’t know.
Leif didn’t argue about that, though. “Yes, one step at a time.”
How was he taking all of it so well?
“But before I leave, I think we should reassure the nervous pup.” Eli shifted but I couldn’t figure out what he’d done, even when Leif made his confused thinking sound again. “He’s going to be worried about what’s changed and what hasn’t. He’s also going to need to hear that you don’t think less of him.”
Leif huffed but Eli cut him off and sounded like he’d rolled his eyes. “I know you don’t think less of him or I’d be taking him with me. Pups make very cute and very loyal friends.”
They did?
He would?
I was starting to be very grateful that Leif seemed to still want to keep me.
“I’m not going to justify that with a response.” Leif sounded offended but I couldn’t figure out what part had offended him. The whole conversation had gotten completely off track. “Fine.”
I’d missed something, but it wasn’t until the couch shifted and I felt Leif beside me that I realized what I’d missed.
Him moving.
“If you need help—” Eli’s frightening words were cut off by Leif’s scoff.
“No, thank you. I can cuddle my…my Ender perfectly fine.” Leif was getting more and more offended by the second but nothing in Eli’s tone said he was worried, and I was still very lost.
But I was getting cuddled, so I couldn’t complain.
“Come here, drama queen.” Leif shifted until he seemed to be sitting sideways on the couch, and then wrapped his arms around me until I was cuddled into his chest. It was our the movie had gone unexpectedly sad position, and one I generally didn’t end up in unless a dog had died or something had gone very wrong.
For a moment I worried that it would bring up bad memories, but all I felt was warmth as I buried myself closer against him. Leif chuckled and tightened his hold on me. “Alright, first, I will always think you are a lunatic who makes impulsively bad decisions and nothing will change that.”
Really?
Nothing?
“Second, while I haven’t really noticed the pups, that’s not because I find them distasteful or weird. You’ve just spent more time watching them, and I’m very…content might not be the right word, but it’s not wrong. I’m happy in my life, so I might’ve missed how you were curious about something. But that’s my bad, not anything you did wrong.”
Yeah, he was happy in his life.
He liked his work, and he liked that he could pay the bills, and he liked that he had someone to hover over.
Me.
“There’s nothing wrong with being happy.” I wasn’t quite as content as he was, but it wasn’t something I was upset about. “You’ve got a lot going in the right direction now.”
It hadn’t always been that way, but it wasn’t his fault.
“Third, you need to tell Eli that you feel safe and you’re not worried, because I don’t think he’s going to leave until he knows you’re alright.” Leif’s slightly dry tone made me smile…well, I smiled until Eli spoke.
“Smart men are very sexy.”
Oh no.
Popping out from under my blanket, I glared at him. “No. No flirting. No confusing him.”
Leif might not be my boyfriend or anything, but I certainly wasn’t going to let Eli have him.
Ugh.
That drama queen smirked. “Fine.”
Leif groaned and sounded tortured. “Don’t give me anything else to be confused about.”
I definitely couldn’t promise that, so I focused on snuggling back into him to show Eli that Leif was my snuggle buddy, and not his anything.
“It seems you’re fine for the time being, so I’m going to head back to work.” Gesturing toward the window, he chuckled as I blushed. “Feel free to watch as long as you obey the rules.”