Page 4 of Merry with a Single Dad

At the command, Gigi yipped and held up her paw for me to shake. “I’ll make sure to take her to Cassie before I bring her over, but you can take her while I’m gone, right?” she asked, referring to my best friend who owned Purrfect Paws—a salon for cats and dogs.

“Of course. That won’t be a problem at all. And Hudson will love having another dog to play with,” I said.

“From the smile I’ve seen every time we meet, I think it’s safe to assume things are going very well for you all?”

“Yes, things couldn’t be better,” I said. Celine and I talked for a few more minutes about Chris and Hudson and how extraordinary our life together was. I started dating Chris a couple of months ago.

It was so funny to think of how things had progressed for us since our one-night stand over a year ago.

I never thought I’d see him again since he was in Love Beach on business when I met him at The Cove Bar and Grill. I had Cassie to thank for that. She’d practically thrown me into Chris’s arms the night we saw him sitting alone at the end of the bar. It wasn’t like me to have a one-night stand, but he was so perfect I couldn’t resist. I left his hotel room, never in a millionyears thinking I’d see him again because he was in town on business. And when he showed up on my doorstep almost a year later looking for a dog trainer for Luke, his precarious golden retriever, I thought I had to be hallucinating.

I wasn’t.

The very hot man from that unforgettable night had been standing right in front of me.

Unwilling to repeat past mistakes and resistant to the idea of mixing business with pleasure, I turned him down the first couple of times he asked me out. The man was determined, and I lost the battle of heart versus head. But that cute smile and sexy body did something to me, and eventually, I agreed to dinner. That led to another night of mind-blowing sex . . . and now here we were.

But it wasn’t just me and Chris.

It was me, Chris, his son, Hudson, and our three dogs—Moose, Rufus, and Luke.

Life had certainly changed for both of us. In the blink of an eye, we were an instant family. Things were crazy at times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Life was perfect.

Chapter Two

Chris

“There’s my angel,” I said, wrapping my arms around Emily’s waist. “I missed you.”

“You just saw me a couple of hours ago.”

“I know.” I grinded against her to let her know I couldn’t help thinking about our afternoon delight. “I still missed you.”

She giggled. “Me too,” she said, turning around to kiss me and prove just how much she missed me.

Thump! Whack! Woof!

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” I said, breaking away to give Moose, Rufus, and Luke some attention.

Wagging tails, lolling tongues, and happy barks welcomed me home after a long day at the bank.

“Hudson just finished his homework and is taking a shower,” Emily said.

I pulled her to me and asked, “How much longer do you think we have?”

Her laughter made me smile even as she pushed at my chest. “Not that long.”

“I can be quick,” I said, waggling my eyes.

She pressed her lips to mine. “That’s very tempting, but I’ve been working with dogs all day and feel gross.”

I ran my hands up and down her body. “You feel perfect to me.”

“How is it you can make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world when I’m covered in slobber?”

“Because youarethe most beautiful woman in the world.” I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her again.

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