Page 80 of Bleed the Shadows
I’d never thought there would come a day when a kiss on the cheek would make me horny as fuck, but pressing my lips to Maeve’s velvety skin after our date had accomplished the impossible. The temptation to drag my mouth to hers, to strip offher clothes and bury myself inside her, had been a sweet kind of torture I hadn’t wanted to end.
I’d replayed the night a hundred times in the week since our date, savoring every moment I’d gotten to look at her achingly beautiful face, savoring every brush of her hand against mine, every glimpse of flesh under her dress.
But the kiss was what kept me up at night, knowing she was right next door while I sweated and tossed in my bed, and sometimes, when I got desperate, beating off to the memory of my lips on her cheek.
I hadn’t looked at the camera feed. It seemed disrespectful now. I knew Maeve wouldn’t like it, and I suddenly cared a whole hell of a lot about what Maeve liked and didn’t like.
After almost four months of being something she definitely didn’t like, I was ready to change her mind.
I spotted a tree through a clearing up ahead and stopped, my breath fogging the air. Maybe this was one of those you’ll-know-it-when-you-see-it moments, because I knew right away it would be perfect.
I trudged toward it, my heart lifting as it came more fully into view.
So full it was almost overgrown, it wasn’t as symmetrical as some of the trees I’d passed on my way through the woods. Pine cones still hung from some of its branches, and when I tipped my head back to gauge its height, I was pretty sure I saw an old bird’s nest hidden in its upper branches.
It was wild, like Maeve.
I crouched to look at the trunk. Plenty of room to cut.
I checked my phone, then got started. I had other stops to make on my way home.
49
MAEVE
I wasbone tired when I finally got home from work the night after the dance. Remy and I had been out late the night before and the store was packed with shoppers trying to finish their holiday shopping. I’d been on my feet for eight hours straight, pulling clothes from the floor and ringing up purchases, and I was ready for a hot bath and bed.
I was on my way to the door when the yellow dog trotted over to greet me.
I dropped my bag and crouched to pet his thick neck. “Hi there, boy. You okay?”
He whined in answer, shoving his head into me as he absorbed my affection.
Worry nagged at my stomach. It was cold enough that my breath fogged the air. The dog shouldn’t be outside.
“Are you hungry? Let me get you some food.”
I picked up my bag and he followed me to the door. Inside, I filled his food bowl with kibble and brought it outside with the second bowl and the bottle of water.
This time I set everything down by the door, hoping the building would give him a little shelter from the cold.
He went straight for the food, devouring it in less than two minutes before lapping at his water bowl. Then he came over to me again, rubbing against my leg.
“You’re a good boy,” I said. “You know what? I have an idea. Wait here.”
I opened the door and reached inside, then grabbed my nice coat from the hook where I’d hung it after the dance. I didn’t wear it that often anyway.
I brought it outside and lay it on the concrete ledge that had once acted as a loading dock for the old factory building. It led to the door of the loft, and the building’s brick facade definitely cut some of the chill.
I turned the coat into a little nest and patted the wool. “Come here, boy. This will help you stay warm.”
He hesitated, then walked over, sniffed the coat, and lay down in its folds.
“Good boy.” I stroked his head and thought about June. She’d been such a sucker for dogs. I’d always thought I was more of a cat person, but the yellow dog was starting to change my mind. “Stay as long as you like.”
I straightened and made my way inside, hoping the dog would be okay. Maybe I could take him with me when I went back to the apartment to live with Bailey.
The thought made my chest feel heavy, not because I didn’t love Bailey and not because I wouldn’t have loved to keep the yellow dog, but because it would mean leaving the Butchers.
