Page 94 of Where There's Smoke
I placed my phone screen down on the arm of the sofa and cuddled into Elliot’s side.
He kissed the top of my head. “I'm proud of you,” he said, his voice quiet, but I could still hear him perfectly. The praise did something funny to me, melting my insides and making meinexplicably happy. I was going to hold on to that feeling because my family’s anger was only ramping up.
I had naively thought that, by not answering their texts, my family would get the message and leave me alone.
After so many years, I really should have known better.
Sitting on a blanket I’d lain out on the grass at the back of the firehouse, I watched Dotty as she ran around, chasing a butterfly. She was now a rambunctious little puppy who wanted to get into everything, and thanks to her way-too-clever little brain, she usually did.
At one point, she tumbled over her own feet and looked at me like she was personally offended by her own accident.
“Sorry, I can't keep you from falling over your own legs,” I cooed, chuckling.
Part of me could have sworn that the puppy gave me the stink eye before continuing on with her chase.Attitude, thy name is Dotty.
“She’s going to be a terror, isn’t she?” Samson asked as he joined me in the yard, sitting down next to me with a lot more grace than I thought possible for a man of his size.
“There's going to be a crazy puppy phase for sure,” I agreed.
Without even bothering to ask, I crawled into his lap and nuzzled into his chest. Relishing in the comforting scent, I melted into his strong arms. He wrapped me up in his embrace, kissing the top of my head as we both watched the puppy.
“I think I'm going to have to buy her more chew toys.” Unsurprisingly, considering how good he was with dogs, Sam had taken to spoiling our little firehouse princess quite often.
“That may be a good idea. Though, I do think her favorite chew toy is Elliot's socks.”
Samson chuckled. “I think he's only just started to forgive her for that.”
Dotty had been getting into everything and chewing anything she could find. She was just a puppy and eager and excited. Thankfully, we'd been able to keep her out of anything dangerous, and she was quickly learning.
The only thing she seemed to refuse to learn was to not chew Elliot's socks.
Thankfully, my pack mate was quite forgiving with the adorable puppy. It was hard to stay mad at her when she made those adorable faces at you. Elliot liked to pretend otherwise, but he was a sucker for her, just like the rest of us.
Wiggling in Samson’s lap, I turned so I was facing him, my knees on either side of his hips. I hadn't thought the move through entirely, because he was already hardening, cock pressed right against my seam, making me heated and slick.
“Oh.” My face heated. As I went to move off him, his hands tightened around me, and he shook his head, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Nope, I think you're right where you need to be.” Sam pulled my hips closer.
Huffing, I shook my head before leaning in and kissing him. What I had intended to be a quick, chaste kissed turned into something filthy when he grabbed the back of my neck and deepened it. The feeling of his tongue sweeping against the seam of my lips was enough to change any thought I had about leaving. He demanded entrance, and I happily let Sam in, forgetting about my plan to leave. Our tongues met, dancing around each other, and my skin buzzed with the sensations and where my mindknewthey could take us.
I was already getting wet; my body immediately kicked into overdrive when any of my alphas paid me this kind of attention.
This is exactly why we haven’t gotten anything done the past few days.
Our moment ended when Dylan, the lanky firefighter who worked with the guys, came out into the garden, clearing his throat. “I really hate to interrupt you guys, but a car just parked at the front of the station, and I'm pretty sure the woman storming in is Melody's mother.”
Samson and I looked at one another, groaning as we realized what that meant.
“It took her less than twenty-four hours to turn up here.” I sighed, my shoulders drooping as all the joy I’d been feeling disintegrated.
“I suppose we should get up and see what she wants.” He grimaced. “It’ll be better to just bite the bullet and deal with this now.”
“Orwe could stay right here and give her a show. Maybe she'll be scandalized enough that she'll run away and never return.”
Samson swallowed my laugh, kissing me quickly before pulling us both up to our feet. “As much as I like that idea, sugar, I would much rather have an audience of our pack mates than your mother. Besides, there’s no telling if she’d just walk up to me and yank me away by the ear. No, thank you.”
I nodded in agreement as I took his hand, still feeling deflated. “Fine. Let's go see what she wants.”
