Page 24 of No Going Back
Themistakeas she called it.
“Griffin.” She whispered his voice before pressing her lips together.
She was going to send him away again. Kick him out of her life yet again.
At least one of them was smart enough to follow through.
But instead of kicking him out, she slowly lifted one finger, pointing it at a spot just behind his head.
He didn’t have the chance to turn around to see what she was motioning toward. A second later something smacked into the back of his skull. Tiny claws grabbed at his hair as the squirrel he’d forgotten about fought for balance.
His natural inclination was to grab the thing and launch it across the room. But, as much as Dianna seemed irate at the small animal, she’d given it a name.
One it shared with one of his favorite cookies.
So instead of chucking the invasive rodent, Griffin stood still, wincing as it yanked on his hair and ears.
Dianna’s eyes focused on where the squirrel was perched on his head. “Do you want me to grab him?”
“No.” Griffin slowly backed toward the door. “I’m going to go outside. No matter what happens, don’t try to grab the squirrel.” Taking Dianna to the hospital to start a round of rabies shots was not how he wanted to spend this day.
“You’ve got about three more steps.” Dianna watched as he moved through her house, guiding him with her soft, slightly husky voice. “A little to the left.”
He angled himself to the side, following her directions.
“Not your left. My left.” Her shoulders slumped a little. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” She didn’t have anything to apologize to him for. “I’m guessing this is your first squirrel removal scenario.”
Her mouth hinted at a smile. “Hopefully it will be my last too.” She chewed her lower lip, stepping forward to follow him. “You’re almost there.”
The squirrel suddenly shifted around on his head and Griffin rushed the last bit, managing to get his upper half out the door just as the animal leapt, landing all the way on the other side of the porch. The second Snickerdoodle hit the grass he was off and running, scrambling up a tree before settling onto a branch to hurl what were likely squirrel insults his way.
“I don’t think he’s happy I kicked him out.” Griffin pulled the screen door closed, making sure it was completely latched before turning to face Dianna. “How did the squirrel get in here?”
She sighed. “It’s a long story.” She pinched her lower lip between her teeth again, worrying it a second before meeting his gaze. “Did you really buy the house next door?”
He nodded, hating how disappointed he was at her dismay. “I did.”
“So I guess we’re neighbors then.” Dianna glanced down the hall before adjusting the cutting board covering her front. “We should probably have a conversation.” She took a step, keeping her front his direction as she backed away. “I’m going to go put a robe on. I’ll be right back.”
He wanted to tell her not to put a robe on for his benefit, but he already guessed it wasn’t for his benefit in the first place.
Or maybe it was since his cock was already a little too interested in the sight of Dianna’s bare legs and the fullness of her ample tits. It was fucking ridiculous at this point how quickly he reacted to her. Ridiculous and frustrating.
Dianna was back less than a minute later, a flower printed, satiny robe wrapped around her tempting body, the cutting board and spatula gripped tight in her hands.
Griffin nodded at the kitchen utensils. “Those were your weapons of choice?”
“I wasn’t trying to fight him.” She went to the kitchen and dropped both items into the sink, turning to Griffin as he followed her into the small room at the back of the house. “I was hoping to use them as barriers and urge him back out the door.”
Griffin pointed at the back door that still sat open. “This door?”
Dianna pursed her lips as she moved to slam the screen into place, hooking the lock through the eye. “I’ve spent months trying to make friends with that freaking squirrel. He just started taking peanuts out of my hand. I never expected he would think the next step in our relationship was to move in together.”
“In my experience that’s a pretty common progression for most relationships.” It was probably also the reason every one of those relationships crashed and burned, frequently with the assistance of lighter fluid.
Dianna laughed, the sound surprisingly light. She glanced at him as she pulled the coffee carafe off the maker, her laugh dying off. “Are you serious?”
