Page 14 of Finally

Something cold and wet pressed against my nose, startling me awake. I found myself staring into a pair of chocolate brown eyes. “Well, good morning to you too, Charlie,” I said. She answered with a lick up the side of my face and I laughed. I sat up in bed and she climbed up next to me so I could show her some proper affection. I loved dogs and had always wanted one, but between my chaotic childhood and being in the Marines, it had never been the right time. Perhaps now that I was more settled, I could look into getting one.

“If I had a dog, I’d want her to be just like you. You’re a good girl, aren’t you?” I cooed. Charlie rolled over on her back and I obliged her with a belly rub.

“I’m so sorry she woke you. I left her downstairs with her breakfast and came back up to get dressed. I had no idea she’d go looking for…” Topher said, his voice trailing off.

I looked up from Charlie and saw him standing in the doorway. He was half-dressed in black slacks and a pale blue, long-sleeved shirt that had yet to be buttoned. My morning wood, which had deflated during my chat with Charlie, suddenly sprang back to life as I got a glimpse of smooth, tanned skin and the thin line of hair that disappeared under the waistband of his pants. My fingers itched to touch him, but I curled them into fists instead, keeping them hidden on either side of me.

Forcing my eyes back up to his face, I steeled myself for his reaction to my blatant ogling, but he wasn’t paying any attention to what I’d been doing at all. Instead, his eyes were trained on the sheet that had pooled in my lap and I was sure he could see my erection that had begun tenting the thin material. He swallowed thickly and a soft moan escaped me as I followed the movement of his Adam’s apple. The sound of his sharp gasp had us both staring at each other.

Tension filled the room, but instead of the angry, frustrated tension I’d been feeling lately, this one was full of sparks and heat and seemed to possess an energy all of its own. Whatever else he may think of me, one thing was perfectly clear. Topher found me attractive. And as much as I didn’t want it to, my body still craved his.

Charlie nudged my hand, letting me know that I wasn’t finished petting her. I looked down at her and ran a shaky hand over her soft coat. I chuckled as her tongue lolled out of the side of her mouth then I glanced back up at Topher.

“It’s okay. She’s a sweet dog and I needed to get up anyway. Although, I have to admit, it was a bit of a shock waking up to a girl in my room,” I joked.

Topher laughed and I smiled up at him, liking the sound of it. “Yeah, I imagine it was. Anyway, we’ll just get out of your hair so you can get ready. We need to leave soon if we want to get out of the city before the lunchtime traffic hits,” he reminded me. I nodded and he called Charlie, who jumped off the bed and trotted over to him, wagging her tail and looking up at her daddy adoringly. His eyes skimmed over me one last time very quickly, and then he was out the door, shutting it behind him.

I sat there for a few minutes, staring at the space where he’d been and willing my heart to slow its frantic pace. Part of me was irritated that he’d looked at me with such clear desire. He had no right, not after what he’d done. But another part of me had felt a sense of longing that had been absent from my life for far too long. Sure, I’d had my share of fun over the years and had even dated a guy for a few months when I first got out of the service, but no one had ever made me wish for more. No one except for Topher, that is. Of course, that was a very long time ago. Things were different now.

I tossed back the covers and climbed out of bed. I felt drained from yet another sleepless night, but there was no time to lounge around. We had a long drive ahead of us that day and if we wanted to arrive before nightfall, I was going to have to get moving. A shower was the first order of business. Hopefully, it would help clear the last of the fuzziness from my brain, and while I was in there, maybe I could also figure out how I was going to survive being locked in a car with Topher all day without losing my mind.

An hour and a half later, after dropping Charlie off at the campaign headquarters, we were finally on our way. I could tell that Topher was reluctant to leave her, but Maddie assured him he’d take excellent care of her. As much as I hated to admit it, it was rather adorable watching Topher fuss over her like a worried parent. He stared sullenly out the window as we left the parking lot.

“I’m sure Charlie will be fine until you get back,” I told him. He looked over at me in surprise and I felt a twinge of guilt that I hadn’t tried harder to get along with him. Just because he didn’t want me didn’t mean he wasn’t a good man.

Topher sighed. “I know. She adores Maddie, and luckily, he’s never minded staying at my house, so she doesn’t have to deal with too much change. The staff love it when I bring her in, and she loves going there. In fact, I think they spoil her more than I do,” he said with a chuckle. “I just hate having to leave her. She’s my baby, or at least as close as I’ll probably ever get to having one.”

I knew I shouldn’t ask questions, and I certainly shouldn’t care about hearing his answers, but the words were out before I could stop them. “Is that something you’ve ever considered? Children, I mean.” I kept my eyes trained on the road, but I could feel him watching me, probably wondering why I suddenly wanted to talk when I’d been avoiding him as much as possible ever since I’d arrived on the job.

I sigh. “Look, I know things have been…tense between us, but we’re going to be in this truck for a long time and we can either spend the entire trip in silence or we can pass the time talking, like normal people. What’s it gonna be?”

Topher continued to stare at me for several moments. Just when I thought silence was his answer, he spoke. “Sure. We can talk, but why don’t we start with something simple?”

I glanced over at him and grinned, relieved that we wouldn’t be spending the entire drive in awkward silence. “Fine by me. What did you have in mind?”

“Hmm.” He scratched his chin as if giving it careful consideration then snapped his fingers as an idea occurred to him. “How about music? I remember back in the day, you had pretty decent taste in music. What do you like now?”

My smile grew. “You only liked my taste in music because it was the same as yours,” I joked.

“True,” he admitted unapologetically. “Now, answer the question.”

“Okay, okay. I guess my tastes haven’t changed all that much. I like a few country songs, a little hip hop, but mostly rock and roll. Especially the older stuff.”

“Ahh, yes. The big hair bands!” Topher exclaimed with a happy sigh. “Bon Jovi, Def Leppard…”

“Whitesnake,” we both said at the same time. “Oh man, they had awesome music.”

“They did. I actually got to see Def Leppard in concert a few years ago,” he boasted.

“Oh yeah? Were they any good still?”

“Incredible. It was hard to believe they were older than me when I saw them running and jumping all over the stage,” he said with a laugh. “Have you been to many concerts?”

“Nah. There wasn’t much time for that in the service, but I have been a bodyguard on a few music tours.”

“Really? Anyone I might have heard of?”

“Maybe. Ever heard of Goliath? Havoc’s Run? Carter’s Creed?” I asked.

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