Page 50 of Suck My Puck

He blinks and his hand falls on my hip. He grips me tight. Like he needs to feel me right now. Like he needs to be close to me.

I focus on the look in his eyes. That detached sadness lingers. It makes my heart ache seeing him like this.

The need to comfort him, to make him feel better, to feel close to him surges through me.

I lean up and press a kiss to his forehead.

He lets out a soft hum. I feel his body relax underneath my touch.

Still holding his face in my hands, I lean back and look at him. That sadness in his eyes has faded. His gaze drops to my mouth at the same second that he pulls me against him.

I gasp softly. We’re going to kiss.

I know we shouldn’t. Because the second we do, I’m going to break my “just this once” rule, rip his clothes off, and have my way with him.

My brain is telling me to stop, to stop touching him…but my body is in control…

I hover my lips over Braden’s mouth, hungry for his lips and his tongue.

I touch my lips to his. And then I hear someone yelp.

We break apart, and I sit up. Braden does too.

“Did you hear that?” I glance around at the darkness, wondering where that sound came from.

“Yeah, what the…” Braden’s voice trails off when I hold up a hand, shushing him.

I hear a softer yelp this time. It sounds more like a cry.

“It sounds like someone’s crying,” I whisper.

He slides off the roof of his SUV and helps me down.

He’s frowning as he peers around in the darkness, walking away from the car. A second later, he blurts, “Oh shit.”

Then he runs off into the darkness.

“Braden, don’t just run off!” My heart pounds seeing him disappear.

But a second later, he comes back, cradling a puppy in his arms.

“Oh my god.” I walk up to him.

The floppy-eared puppy is covered in dirt and is shivering. It makes a sad whimpering noise, then starts to cry.

I gently pet its head. “Poor thing.”

“It was stumbling around in the dark,” Braden says. “I can’t tell if it’s abandoned or lost.”

I shake my head, upset. “I’d bet anything it’s abandoned. People dump their unwanted pets outside of the city sometimes.”

Braden looks striken. “That’s fucked up.”

“Yeah,” I say softly. “We can’t just leave it here.”

Braden is shaking his head even before I finish talking. “No way. We’re taking him home with us.”

Chapter 17

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