Page 98 of Leashed

Chapter Thirty-Five

The speaker popped to life, a deep voice booming through the connection. “Yes, I’m pressing it. Hello?”

“Dio?” Sage called out, placing her hand on the sleek silver entrance handle. “Dio, it’s Sage. Please, we met a few weeks ago? Is Bo there? Please tell me he’s there.”

The intercom went silent, popping on and off intermittently until it held the link again. “Who?”

Dropping her forehead to the wall, she jiggled the door. “Sage. Please, Dio. I drove all night to see him. Is he home?”

Another pop. Another crackle.

“He’s busy. You can come by tomo—Ryan! Snap that collar on him and get him leashed!”

The door’s lock buzzed, cutting him off. Tearing it open, she ran past the glass elevator and took the stairs two at a time, using the railing to swing around the corners until she hit the third floor. Pushing through the door, she was stopped in her tracks by a crash echoing through the hall, a low snarl growing louder. Bo’s door flung open and a soaking wet beast of a dog barreled out, sliding into the wall and leaving a huge hole in the plaster with his hip. He regained his footing, untangling his legs from his leash and bounding toward her, a strange limp to his gait.

Bracing herself for the onslaught of enormous wet dog, she flattened herself against the hallway as he reared up on his hind legs, transforming moments before his lips descended on hers, his fingers tangling in her hair.

Her hands flew to his neck, holding him close as his teeth nibbled her lip, his tongue diving into her mouth with nothing short of desperation until he pulled back, his muscles tensing under her hands. His glazed blue and green eyes assessed her suspiciously for a moment, his chest heaving in short bursts.

She ran her thumb along the nape of his neck, brushing against the thick collar lying slack against his throat and he flinched. “Bo?”

A quiet voice called down the hall, “It’s okay, Bo. It’s her.”

The relief washing over his face while his muscles relaxed against her was palpable. He dove back in with a vengeance, his lips and tongue insatiable as she tried to keep up, only to be left a panting, gasping mess when he moved across her jawline to her neck, inching her toward the apartment.

She was vaguely aware of two other men as they stumbled through the doorway, lips locked and hands grasping frantically for each other until Bo lost his footing and crashed into the wall. Pulling her with him, he didn’t miss a beat, save for a ripple of tension passing through him under her fingertips.

“We’ll be back in a few minutes, Bo. Pleasure to meet you, Sage.”

Snapping from her lust-filled haze, she braced herself on Bo’s chest and pushed away, glancing toward the door as it shut. “Who w—”

“Ryan,” he panted as his hands cupped her face, his lips ghosting over her ear and sending a shiver down her spine. Sliding her hand down his arm, she frowned at the strange roughness of his skin as she intertwined her fingers in his, shooting away when he flinched again and cursed under his breath.

“Bo—”

“War wound,” he muttered, his gravelly voice hoarser than usual, his uninjured hand gently pulling her flush to him. “‘S nothing.”

She opened her mouth to protest, eyes fluttering closed when he took advantage of the opportunity to slide his tongue over hers, his fingers gripping her coat and tugging.

“Off.”

Oh, yes sir.

Slipping her hands between them, she fumbled with the buttons while he was absolutely no help, his hips pressing against the thin fabric of her dress, his wet hair brushing against her shoulders as her coat fell to the floor and he discovered more bare skin for his tongue to taste.

Easing them along the wall, he pulled her around the corner toward his room, his foot booting the door open before he dropped his head into the crook of her neck and let loose another combination of curses she wasn’t sure she’d ever heard. She inched her hand along his shoulder as he took in a few shallow breaths, hooking her thumb in the loose collar. “Are you o—”

“Very, very okay,” he growled, nipping her neck softly and covering her hand with his while he backed up into the dim room, his arms and lips ensuring there was no break in contact until he limped back in the darkness and lost his balance.

Shocked back into reality by the loss of his intense heat, she watched him stumble the extra few feet to his bed and sink into it with relief.

“Bo?”

He leaned back on his elbows, smirking at her when her eyes widened and she looked away.

Naked.

So very, very naked.

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