Page 28 of Here Comes Santa Paws

He licked his lips. “I kind of have a soft spot for prickly teddy bears.”

I scoffed. “You’d better not be calling me a teddy bear.”

He made a sarcastic, dismissive expression. “Oh, you’re totally right. Not a single teddy bear quality. You didn’t help me get Carol out of my car or sacrifice half your Sunday to help me or let a cranky dog?—”

I closed the distance between us, cupped his head with my free hand, and shut him up with my lips. I’d barely made contact before he melted into me and wrapped an arm around my neck. Our bottles clanked as we haphazardly set them on the counter. He looped his other arm around my neck as I hooked mine around his waist. His kiss was eager and demanding—making me dizzy.

I spun him and pressed his back against the counter, and he let out a needy whimper. Our mouths moved against each other in sync, and our tongues caressed. Elias demanded as much from me as I did of him. Each sweep of his tongue made me crave more.

He slid his fingers into my hair, and without thinking, I hooked my arms under his ass and lifted him onto the counter. Glass clinked as sticky beer spilled onto my hand.

“Shit.” I stepped back. “The beer,” I said, stating the obvious.

Elias blinked at me. His lips still formed a kiss. He blinked again and craned his neck to look behind him. “Shit.”

He hopped off the counter as I yanked the towel from my oven handle and handed it to him instead of suggesting he take his pants off to let them dry.

“Do you kiss all the people who foster pets for your shelter?”

Elias let out a startled laugh. “No, but it could boost foster sign-ups. Though, point of clarification. You kissed me first.”

“To shut you up.”

He pressed his open palm to his chest and pouted sarcastically. “I’m so sorry my gratitude made you uncomfortable.”

“Apology accepted.” I wanted to kiss him again but stopped myself. My emotions were already sending out feelers in his direction. I needed a breather to figure my shit out.

He finished dabbing his ass with the towel, then dropped it on the beer puddle on the counter. “On that note, I’d better get home and feed the gremlins. See you soon.” He flashed a teasing smile. We had no plans to see each other, but I had no doubt we would.

I watched him walk out of my kitchen, stop to baby-talk Carol, then leave with a finger wave. A big feeling swelled in my chest that I refused to name.

His teasing smile would star in my dreams as much as that kiss.What the hell am I going to do now?

Chapter 14

Elias

“You’re chipper today.”

“Hmm?” I tried to ignore Gramps’s assessing stare as I stirred the sauce for his favorite beef stroganoff recipe.

My cheeks burned like Gramps could see the dirty thoughts in my mind. It wasn’t my fault that my thirsty brain replayed the power of Roman’s hold and the hunger in his kiss on repeat. Damn near to the point of complete distraction. My grandfather didn’t need to know that the reason I kept smiling to myself was because my gorgeous, grumpy neighbor kissed like a sex god and had a peppermint stick in his pants I wanted to lick.

I’d nearly texted him a dozen times today to check on Carol, but I knew he’d see right through it. If I wanted a chance for something more to happen, I needed to play it cool. I’d sensed he was on the verge of either panicking or kicking me out yesterday, so I’d left. Fooling around with my neighbor was messy enough, but one who was planning to move away soon? That was a recipe for disaster for my heart.

Or it might be the perfect situation to blow off steam without any expectations. Roman wouldn’t demand anything of me or my time. I’d never really been a hook-up kind of guy, but there was a first time for everything.

“Chipper. You. Why?” Gramps carefully walked over to me while aiming his pointer finger at my face and moving it in a circle. He pulled a fork from the silverware drawer and jabbed a piece of the twice-tenderized round steak simmering in the beef broth and spices. Gramps’s eyes narrowed as he studied me up close.

“You’re walking well. How are you feeling?” He didn’t take the bait from my attempted subject change.

“Did something good happen?” His voice softened.

Gramps was probably worried about me with all the extra crap going on. I could throw him a bone.

I rummaged in the pantry for the noodles I needed for Gramps’s favorite stroganoff. “We’ve adopted out a few animals this week thanks to Sunday’s event and received interest in our first pop-up event.”

“That’s great, kiddo.”

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