Page 38 of Touch Me

“Cassie, this is Max, and that good boy, right there in your face, is Henry. Henry, give her some space. Sit,” Jace orders.

I would like to say my kitty didn’t twinkle at the commanding edge in his voice at that moment, but that would be a lie. Henry promptly sits, tail still wagging, tongue lolling out the side of his enormous mouth. He has bright blue eyes and little white patches on his chin and chest and is just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. If something this big can be classified as cute.

“Hi, Henry.” I hold out my hand for the enormous beast to sniff. “Is he friendly? Can I pet him?”

“Of course. But just know, once you start or show him any attention at all, he’ll never leave you alone,” Jace says. “It's a good thing you came when you did, Max. Cassie and I were just heading out to dinner. We would’ve missed you.”

“Sorry,” Max says, looking back and forth between Jace and me, eyes wide. “I thought I told you I was coming a day early. I have a conference out of town, and my mother is taking Mattie for the weekend.” He looks at me, confusion etched in his furrowed brows. “She just doesn’t have a car big enough to bring Henry to you tomorrow.”

Jace nods. “You did tell me. I just forgot.”

Max’s smile lights up his face as he looks at me. “I can see how that might’ve happened.” I’m not sure if he can smell my strawberry lip gloss or if I have that just-masturbated-in-the-shower-glow, but I think he’s flirting with me.

“Oh, wait right here,” Jace says before darting down the hall to his bedroom.

I step toward Henry and put my hand out again for him to smell. He takes a few sniffs before covering my entire palm with a sloppy lick. Leaning in close, he nudges my belly with his nose, and I giggle, offering him my hand again, but he pushes past, his cold nose wetting my shirt.

“Henry, no,” Max grumbles. “Leave her alone, she doesn’t want to.” He closes his eyes, shaking his head.

I look up at Max as he walks closer to grab the dog’s leash. He’s gorgeous. Tall, tan, and strong, with deep blue eyes and light brown hair. And he fills out a suit pretty well, if I do say so myself. But he’s staring at me as if I’ll disappear if he takes his eyes off me.

“Cassie, was it?”

“Yes, Cassie. Nice to meet you.”

He grabs the dog’s leash and struggles to rein in Henry as he continues to assault my middle with his nose.

“Henry, don’t be weird. Sorry, he has this thing, but it’s weird, don’t worry about it.” He huffs as he tries to pull the dog away. As if any man could pull this dog away—he has to weigh nearly two hundred pounds.

My shirt has a little wet spot where he keeps poking his nose. “What’s his thing? What’s he trying to do?”

Max rubs his hand down his face and sighs. “Well, you know how most dogs like to sniff... you know... crotches?”

“Yeah?” I answer, drawing the word out like a question.

“Well, Henry’s kind of lazy and doesn’t want to reach his head down that low. So,” Max runs his free hand down his face again, “he prefers belly buttons.”

“He wants to sniff my belly button?” The dog cocks his head when I say the words. “But he already did. Several times, in fact.”

“It, uh, has to be bare,” Max answers, clearly embarrassed by the dog’s behavior with his face flushed, but I’m not sure if it’s from struggling with Henry or out of utter humiliation at the dog’s very particular kink.

“Bare, like lift my shirt up?”

“You don’t have to, really.”

Henry grunts as he noses my middle again. “Will he calm down if I do?”

“Most definitely, but you really don’t have to.”

“Uh, I guess it’s okay. I mean, you look like you’re starting to sweat, and you haven’t even moved him.” I slowly lift my tank top enough for a cold nose to immediately bury itself under my shirt and knock me back into the table again. He takes a few short sniffs around my belly and swiftly sits back on his haunches, clearly satisfied.

Max straightens up, relaxing his stance and loosens his grip on the leash. “Thanks for that.” He brushes his jacket sleeve across his forehead and blows out a breath. “He’s weird, I know. Part of his charm, I guess.” He extends his hand to shake. “I’m Max. Nice to meet you. Sorry I couldn’t properly introduce myself before Henry got his rocks off sniffing your belly button.”

I chuckle, shaking his hand. “It’s fine.”

“So, how do you know Jace?”

“I’m friends with his sister. He’s letting me stay here for a little while until I get on my feet.”

---