Page 23 of Sweet Bred

“Yeah. Definitely.”

A comfortable silence lingers in the air for a moment, and then Juliet says, “So…is this technically still our first date? Or has it turned into date number two?”

“I think it’s all kind of blending together,” I say.

She smiles. “I really like spending time with you, Shaw.”

“I really like spending time with you, too.”

“I’m keeping this sweatshirt, you know.”

“Is that a fact?”

“Mm-hmm.”

My eyes drop to her lush mouth. When she wets her lips with her tongue, I feel like I might combust.

Slowly, I lean forward. She leans into me, too. When our lips meet, it feels like the air around us shimmers.

Her lips taste like sugar. I slowly slide my lips over hers, drowning in how good she feels.

I could keep her on this couch all day. Kiss her for hours. Give her every kind of pleasure. Touch her, taste her, spoil her with bliss until she’s completely mine. I want to give her everything. I want to take care of her.

And start making babies with her as soon as possible.

The thought feels a little crazy, but not wrong. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re meant to be. The rest of my life belongs to her. I can picture it all: the wedding, the babies, the beautiful wrinkles she’ll get as the years go on.

But all of that belongs to the future. Right now, this is where we are. On the cusp of becoming us.

Juliet looks at me with flushed cheeks, her honey-colored eyes shining bright. “That was nice.”

“Nice is one way to describe it,” I say.

She laughs. “What word would you use?”

“Perfect.”

“Hmm. I can get on board with that.” She bites her bottom lip and smiles at me. “So, Shaw. What should we do with our day off?”

“It’s so lovely to meet you, Juliet,” says Mackenna, flashing a friendly grin. Juliet and I just arrived at the wildlife sanctuary that Mackenna and Reid run together. Knowing my sister-in-law, I knew she would be welcoming to Juliet. My brother is the one I’m less confident about.

Reid appears with baby Ari nestled in a carrier against his chest. He’s friendly when I introduce him to Juliet, and looks proud when Juliet coos over Ari. But when the girls are busy chatting, he pulls me away for a private conversation.

“What the hell are you doing here with her, Shaw?” he says, keeping his voice low. “Isn’t she engaged?”

“Not anymore,” I say.

He stares at me. “You’re going to need to tell me more than that.”

“I’ll catch you up soon. For now, just trust me. We aren’t doing anything wrong.”

His staring continues a few seconds longer before he sighs and says, “Okay. I’m taking your word for it. But we’re talking later.” He looks over at Juliet, who’s laughing about something with Mackenna. “So she’s the one, huh? You’re really sure?”

“I’m really sure.”

“Well…I wish you luck, man. I look forward to getting to know her better.”

After giving us a tour of the sanctuary, Mackenna invites us to stay for lunch. So we end up staying for a while longer, eating on a picnic bench set in the shade of a couple big oak trees. Ari keeps us all entertained with her cute little noises and gestures, and when Mackenna asks Juliet if she wants to hold her, Juliet jumps at the opportunity and takes the baby into her arms. It all feels so natural and meant to be, like Juliet is already part of our family.

---