Page 119 of Hateful Games

Exasperated when I fail in getting them off, I stand and shout louder, “Rose!”

I should’ve known my wife would come armed with a small army. I’m left speechless and impressed yet again. And that’s before I see a sixty-pound gray and muscular angry pit bull round the corner. Behind him my beautiful wife glides into the room, still clad in her wedding dress that I slowly want to peel off her body.

It’d be a shame to ruin it by ripping it off.

“Yes?” she serenely asks, taking in the scene.

“Call off your dogs, Rose.”

She tilts her head. “They seem to like you.”

To show how much, the Chihuahua starts to hump my leg. My nose wrinkles in disgust while he goes to town. I can’t seem to shake him off because then he switches to biting my shoe.

I don’t know whether to be flattered or embarrassed. It’s definitely the latter. A tiny male dog has apparently labelled me as his girlfriend.

Didn’t know in mere seconds my life could stoop so low.

The pug, on the other hand, scurries away to Rosalie who scoops her up in her arms, uncaring the little dog is ruining the dress. I’m even more perplexed when a blinding and adorable smile splits across her lips.

Adorable and Rose don’t belong in the same vocabulary.

Or so I thought.

“Come here, Maggie,” she coos some more unintelligible worlds, kissing her all over her wrinkly face. “I loove you so much.”

I scowl at how easily that little furball gets her affection. Maneuvering my leg away from the horny devil on my feet, I take a step forward and an angry growl pierces the air. My gaze snaps toward an alert pit bull.

Rosalie glances at him before fixing me with a sly smirk. “I bet my commitment is starting to look like a real impossibility, isn’t it, hubby?”

My jaw grinds. Another growl is aimed my way and before I can do anything, tiny legs wrap around my ankle once more. “For fuck’s sake. I’m this close to kicking him, Rose.”

“Hurt my babies and I swear no stupid paper is keeping me from divorcing your ass after I whop it.”

The pit bull ignores that blatant threat and instead rubs his nose affectionately against her leg. Like he’s all in for the plan.

Bending, I lift the puppy by his tag in the air. Big mistake. He immediately starts to bark nonstop, bleeding my eardrums. I drop him back to the ground and he’s back at my leg. He gives me a side-eye when I scowl at him.

“Who the hell even brought them here?” This isn’t how I imagined my first night with her. Hell, this is straight out of my worst nightmare. I don’t mind pets. But who needs three freaking dogs? All different than the last but equally infuriating.

“Uncle Raghu.”

“Who?”

Anger and hurt flashes in her eyes. “One you rejected to be my bodyguard, who would actually protect me with his life.”

“How close are you two?” I question. I remember him asking me around two months back about wanting to work for me, mainly on Rosalie’s security detail. But the last man I would hire is the one who has worked for more than twenty years for Mihir, her father. I would never hire a person I didn’t trust, especially around my wife.

Though, now I’m wondering differently.

“None of your business.” Softening her features, she calls, “Fire, come here.”

The little shit instantly listens and trots toward her. I watch all three of her dogs stare up at her adoringly. My chest burns with a rare emotion that I dare not name.

“What’s the angry one’s name?”

“Bunny.”

“You’re kidding me?” I chuckle. “Your Bunny looks like he eats other bunnies for fun.”

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