Page 72 of Legend

Me:Keegan found a lost dog in the park. We tracked down the owner and she didn’t want him back. So yay, now you have a dog!

Courtney Adams:I don’t want a dog Tom!

Me:Try telling Keegan that??‍??

Courtney Adams:Can’t it just stay at your place?

Me:Fuck no. He’s obsessed with Archie. I’m not competing with a fucking dog for my boyfriend’s attention

Courtney Adams:You sound ridiculous

Me:His name is Phillip

Courtney Adams:Who’s Phillip?

Me:The dog

Courtney Adams:I’m not keeping the fucking dog Tom!

Chapter twenty-four

Archie

“Hannahjusttextedback,”I tell Tom, looking up from my phone. “She said she can be round in an hour. What are you grinning at?”?

“Just telling Courtney about her new pet.” he says, still tapping at his phone.

“She’s going to love you,” I say wryly, looking down at the dog snoozing in my lap and giving his grey fur a stroke. He sighs happily and snuggles in closer.

“Who’s Hannah?” Tom asks, setting his phone down.

“Robbie’s dog groomer.”

Tom nods and then narrows his eyes at Phillip. “I hope he doesn’t think that once he’s all clean and groomed he’s going to be allowed to just lounge all over you.”

My lips twitch at Tom’s possessive tone, but I manage to hold on to a straight face. “I’m sure he doesn’t think that, babe.”

At that moment, Phillip cracks one eye open and stares at me, his ear twitching, as though he’s?fully comprehending our conversation and doesn’t like me answering for me. Bloody hell, I’m getting just as paranoid as Tom.

“He’s not fucking sleeping in our bed,” Tom growls.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I assure him, holding my hands up. Talk about putting a dampener on our sex life. No way would I be lettinganyoneshare our bed, and definitely not a randy dog. “Besides, he’s going to be living at Courtney’s, right?”

Tom lets out a long-suffering sigh. “You know as well as I do that when Keegan’s here, the bloody dog will be too. So he’s not sleeping in our bed.”

I shrug. “I don’t think he should be sleeping in anyone’s bed just yet. He’s a new dog. We don’t know him very well, or if he has any ticks or triggers…”

“Okay, but even when he isn’t a new dog—” Tom starts.

I cut him off by sliding out from under Phillip, leaving the cushion behind so he can continue to snooze. Then I stride over to where Tom’s sitting in the armchair opposite and climb onto his lap, straddling him.

“Trust me, you’re the only one I ever want to share a bed with,” I murmur.

He quirks an eyebrow at me. “Ever?”

My stomach flips with the admission, but I just smile and brush my lips to his. “Ever.”

His hands come up to grip my waist, pulling me closer against him as our lips meet in an intense kiss.

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