Page 84 of Don't Puck His Best Friend
"Okay, okay, I'm happy to see you too!" I laugh, trying to fend off his slobbery affection.
Cole leans against the doorframe, watching us with this soft expression. "Rex is going to steal my girlfriend."
"Too late," I say, scratching behind Rex's ears. "I'm already in love with him."
The words hang in the air for just a second—"in love"—and even though I was talking about the dog, both of us feel the weight of them. Cole's eyes find mine, something flickering there that makes my breath catch.
But then Rex barks, breaking the moment, and Cole shakes his head with a smile. "Come on, boy. Let's get you outside before hump my girlfriend’s leg. That’s my leg to hump."
I giggle, watching him walk down the hall. I throw the blanket off and follow them to the kitchen, feeling more comfortable here than I probably should after just one night. But there's something about the way Cole moves around his space—confident but not cocky, at ease but still considerate—that makes me feel welcome.
He lets Rex out and then turns to me. "Breakfast?" he asks, already pulling eggs and bacon from the fridge.
"You're going to cook for me?" I lean against the counter, enjoying the view of his bare back as he moves around the kitchen.
"Don't sound so surprised." He glances over his shoulder at me. "Besides, you look like you could use some sustenance after last night."
Heat creeps up my neck at the reminder. "Confident, aren't you?"
He winks, and I roll my eyes even though my stomach flutters.
"Fine. But I'm helping."
"You can be in charge of toast. Think you can handle that?"
I narrow my eyes at him. "That sounds suspiciously like you don't trust me with real cooking."
"I just want to cook for you."
I smile at that. “Okay.”
I grab the bread and pop two slices in the toaster, determined to prove I'm not completely hopeless. Cole shows me how to adjust the settings, his body warm behind mine as he guides my hand, and suddenly I'm not thinking about toast at all.
"Harper," he says, his voice lower now, breath warm against my ear.
"Hmm?"
"You're very distracting in my shirt."
I turn in his arms, looking up at him through my lashes. "You want it back?"
His hands slide to my hips, pulling me closer. "Definitely not."
We're kissing again, soft and sweet, when the toaster pops and makes us both jump. I pull back to check on my handiwork and groan. "It's burnt."
Cole looks over my shoulder and tries—unsuccessfully—not to laugh. "That's... wow."
“I’m never going to hear the end of this,” I joke, looking up at him. His eyes scan my face, and that look makes my heart flip.
"I'm impressed." He pulls out the burnt slices and drops them in the trash. "Here, let me show you."
This time, he stands behind me while we put in fresh bread, his arms caging me in as he adjusts the dial. "See? Not too dark, not too light."
"Got it," I say, but I'm barely paying attention. I'm too aware of his chest pressed against my back, the way his breath tickles my neck, how his hands have moved from the toaster to my waist. I lean against him, pressing my ass against his cock.
"Harper?"
"Yeah?"
