Page 88 of Deception & Daylight
But my man is not deterred as he slides his hand beneath the waistband, finding me wet and ready for him. “Is this what my girl wants?” he asks.
I moan as he circles my clit. “More,” I breathe.
His eyes are still fixed firmly on the road while his fingers play me like a violin, driving me closer and closer to the brink of orgasm. Just when I think I’m going to combust, he removes his hand from my pants and licks them clean.
“What the fuck, Miles?”
“Maybe next time you’ll learn to be patient.”
I grumble an impressive stream of expletives, even for me, and Miles smirks, tugging my hand to rest on his thigh before weaving his fingers through mine. “Have a nap. We’ll be home before you know it.”
When we pull up outside of Miles’ house, there’s a familiar figure sitting on the porch swing. Lucy’s smile lights up when she sees us, and it’s hard to believe it’s only been three days since I left.
Miles briefly kisses his mom on the cheek and heads inside with our suitcases, leaving us behind on the porch. I join her on the swing, glancing around at the landscape and the place I get to call home.
It’s much too early in the season for the leaves to be changing, but I can almost smell a shift in the air. I’m eagerly waiting for the day when I’m surrounded by hues of yellow and orange, listening to the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze. It’s a heady feeling, knowing I’ll be here when that happens.
“Welcome home, sweet girl,” Lucy says, wrapping me in her motherly embrace as the swing sways gently on its hinges. “I knew he’d bring you back to us.”
“I never should’ve left.” I admit. I knew it then, but I wasn’t ready to accept what was right in front of me, letting fear hold me back from the inevitable.
“With distance comes perspective. Now show me that rock!”
I hold out my hand for inspection, and Lucy practically melts. “The pictures don’t do it justice. My boy did well.”
I rest my head on Lucy’s shoulder, locking eyes with Miles as he steps out onto the porch with two cups of tea and a packet of biscoff cookies. “Be still my heart. A girl could get used to this,” I say, taking my first sip from my favorite mug.
“I sure hope so,” he says, smiling brightly.
Miles
The movers arrive two days after Maggie and I get back to Oak Ridge, and we spend the morning unpacking her things. Having her in my space, nowourspace, feels fundamentally right, but there’s still one thing missing — a promise I intend to keep.
“Are you almost ready?”I ask through the locked door to our bedroom. I’ve been banished from the premises since I can’t keep my hands to myself long enough to let her get dressed. If I had it my way, she’d never wear clothes while we’re home.
“Almost. Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Nope. You’ll just have to wait and see.”
Fifteen minutes later, I pull up outside of the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, where Ivy is waiting for us on the stoop. “Ivy needed some help with something. We’ll just be a few minutes.” The lie flows effortlessly off my tongue as I interlock our fingers and pull her along the sidewalk.
When we enter the building, Ivy guides us through a long hallway that looks more like an office building than a typical animal shelter. Each dog has their own enclosure with glass doors and windows, bedding, and all the essentials. They yip and bark when they see us, tails wagging in greeting, but I only have eyes for Maggie. She smiles at them, and I can tell she wants to stop and pet every dog she passes.
Ivy glances back with a smirk on her face, coming to a stop in front of a door with a sign on the front that says “Hello. My name is Max. I am a 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mix. Likes: cuddles and belly rubs. Dislikes: Capitalism and the 1%.” Below that, there’s another sign that says “Adoption Pending.”
Maggie practically melts into a puddle when she sees the floppy eared tricolor spaniel mix. “He’s so cute!” she says, brows drawn together as she crouches down to place her hand on the glass. Max boops her palm against the barrier and I see the moment she falls head over heels in love with him. Ivy produces a key, unlocking the door but my girl is too distracted to notice. “Hi, Max. Do you wanna meet your mommy?” I ask, catching Maggie off guard.
Maggie stands, bringing her hands to my chest.“What did you just say?” she stares at me incredulously, while over her shoulder, Ivy attaches the lead to Max’s collar. I shrug in response, leaving her to mull over my words.
Smiling, Ivy says, “Come with me.” We follow her into the adjoining meeting room with a plush armchair and toys. Bypassing the chair entirely, Maggie seats herself on the floor against the wall, waiting for Ivy to set Max free. Once the leash is off, Max barrels towards my girl with hearts in his eyes. He flops down against her legs, offering up his belly. His tongue lolls out of his mouth as she rubs his tummy, and she giggles when his scratch reflex kicks in.
“Is he really ours, Miles?” she asks, looking up at me with pleading eyes. Max takes that moment to curl up in her lap, resting his head against her thigh.
“I don’t think I could say no even if I wanted to, Wildcat. He’s as gone for you as I am.”
Epilogue
Miles
