Page 64 of Corporate Bondage

Adoption paper signed, I took the carrier from Colt. “Thanks for bringing him.”

“You have two weeks in which you can bring him back,” Willie explained. “He’s already trained to go outside, but you’ll have to teach him pretty much everything else.”

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Colt jogged to his car and returned with a large bag of puppy chow. “Every adoptive parent gets a month’s supply and free vet check-up for a year with Doctor Shaw. You have our number so if there’s anything you need to know, feel free to call.”

I waved at them goodbye and handed Keith the carrier so I could grab the chow.

“Why do we need a dog?” he asked, following me to the kitchen. My house had turned into our home for the past three years, and we had expanded the structure to make it roomier for two males who sometimes needed their personal space.

“So we can stop fawning over Tate and Bryan’s kids,” I answered. “I figured this is the easier way. Think about it. No trust fund, school fees or college expenses.”

“Is this what you really want?”

I stopped and turned to him. “Yes, I do. I think we’re ready. Don’t you?” I had taken a chance that he would be as enthusiastic about being a parent to our four-legged child as much as I was. If he didn’t want a dog, however, I’d never subject him nor the animal to that condition.

“What the heck, it can’t hurt.”

I smiled, relieved as Keith set the carrier on the floor, sitting as he opened it. The puppy wedged itself as far back into the carrier as it could go. I watched them get acquainted as I searched for a bowl for the dog. I hadn’t been able to buy any dog treats and such yet because I hadn’t wanted to tip Keith off to what I was planning.

“Hey, come on out here, little guy.” He didn’t reach in to get the puppy but spoke to the animal, drawing him out of his shell. “I won’t hurt you. Daddy Keith’s just trying to meet you.”

Keith was the same around Bryan and Tate’s three kids. He acted surly and still cussed to give a nun a heart attack, but he toned it down for the kids. Therapy had helped us both in ways we never even thought possible. The feelings of inadequacy and unwantedness we struggled with were distant troubles of the past. Nothing was completely gone, but we functioned better since our therapist had armed us with the tools of effective communication to improve our relationship. Sometimes we still got explosive with each other, but we had learned to walk away. Keith was no longer plagued by his dreams of my father, and I’d let go of the anger I felt for the dead man after he nearly destroyed our lives.

One thing that never changed about us and which I was glad for was our active sex life. There were times we went for a week or two without, mostly because of the demands of our jobs. When we were inside each other, Keith inside me or me inside him, our passion blazed. I still remembered the night Keith had turned to me and asked me to make love to him. Now depending on our mood, we flip-flopped on each other.

My mother had died a year after Pa. She never quite recovered from the devastation that followed his death. The FBI raided the casino and seized everything including my restaurant. As I’d watched the last bit of karma shredding all my hard work, Keith had surprised me with my obsession and dream. Our gourmet ice cream shop and sweet treats were even a bigger hit than the restaurant, and this time my business was all legit, bought and paid for by Keith.

I smiled as the puppy wandered from the carrier and sniffed Keith’s hands. He started licking Keith’s hands before climbing up into his lap and jumping around excitedly.

“Hmm, I think he likes you.”

Keith grinned up at me. “Well, y’all have made me likable these days. I didn’t have much say in it.”

I filled the bowl I found with water and went to sit beside Keith on the floor. I rested the bowl on the floor, and the puppy wagged his tail all the way over to the bowl where he lapped. I wrapped an arm around Tate’s waist. “Now are you happy I got you a puppy?”

He tipped his head back to kiss me. “Sure. I hope you have the same enthusiasm when your engagement ring gets here.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Say what? When?”

He shook his head. “I won’t tell you. I’ll just pop it as a surprise.”

I groaned. “You might as well tell me. It’s no surprise now that I know.”

“It’s a surprise since it’ll drive you crazy wondering when.”

“I bet I can make you tell me,” I told him, licking his ear. “Meet me in the bedroom in five.”

“What about the puppy?”

“He can explore his new home. Are you coming?”

Half an hour later, panting and speechless from his climax, Keith lay beneath me, his toes still curled. I pulled out of him and kissed him. “Now will you tell me?”

His face took on an odd expression, and I followed his gaze to the puppy that lay on the carpet watching us. We both glanced at the door we had left opened and then at each other.

“Oh God, do you think he saw anything?” Keith asked me.

“If he didn’t, he sure heard a lot. You were pretty vocal about what I was doing to you.”

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