Page 19 of Relinquish

“Sure.” She nods.

Seconds later, as we walk side by side, she smirks. “Do you realize you worry too much? You’re going to give yourself an ulcer.”

If she only knew. I’ve stressed over everything since I was a child. But when your father runs out before you even get the chance to know him, and your mom gets cancer when you’re in your teens, you don’t have many options other than to worry.

What will we eat? Will we have running water? Electricity? Is a social service worker coming to take me away? I might develop an ulcer, but I’ve managed to survive much worse. However, that’s a conversation for another day. Or never.

She brushes her hand over her skirt. “My clothes are a little messy, but thankfully, dry cleaning can work wonders. I’ll have to go home and change into something else before I come back. I left my gym bag at home today, so I don’t have anything else with me.” She groans, “I forgot. I rode the bus because my car still isn’t fixed.”

“I can take you to your house.” Images of Lola naked pop into my mind, which triggers my blood to rush to my cock. Smooth, creamy shoulders. Round, full breasts. The sweet curve of her belly as it leads to her molten sex. Watching her quiver on silken sheets with her hair splayed on the pillow.

Stop being a pervert. She didn’t give you permission to brain fuck her. I heft Sam higher into my arms and adjust my hips in a desperate attempt to keep the tightness in the front of my pants from highlighting my erection. I haven’t been this fucked up over a woman since I was a teen chasing after the rapidly developing Misty Philips.

That situation hadn’t panned out any better than this one is going to. She was raised with the proverbial silver spoon, and all I had was a one-pronged plastic fork. Fuck. I’m not looking for a relationship anyway. Relationships equal giving up control, and I’m not relinquishing control to anyone.

How do you keep forgetting she has a boyfriend? Not to mention, she doesn’t like control freaks. One experience with what you enjoy in bed, and she’d leave in horror.

***

Lola

The overgrown puppy rests on the leather bench seat with his nose pressed against the window, leaving large smears as he looks from left to right while watching the parking garage with keen interest. At least, I think it’s interest. How would I know? I’ve never had a pet.

“Are you sure you don’t mind driving us?” I cross my legs, exposing my knee and several inches of thigh. Heat creeps up my chest as I grab the edges in an attempt to appear less desperate. “Sam and I could take the bus.”

“It’s not a big deal. Truman said nothing new was on tap this morning and to take all the time we needed getting back.”

I motion to the interior of his vehicle with my open palm. “This is a nice pickup, and he’s going to make a mess.” There isn’t one speck of dust inside his vehicle. At least there hadn’t been until Sam climbed into the back.

That isn’t entirely true. Before we got in, Sam hiked his hind leg and peed on Cade’s front tire, which put an end to the debate over the dog’s sex and the pristine condition of his ride.

“It’s fine.”

I stare at him out of the corner of my eye. What’s his deal? He’s made it clear he isn’t the type to get involved in other people’s messes, and Sam is a mess. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I needed to clean it this weekend anyway. Is your car getting fixed yet?”

What would he think of the sack of trash in my front floorboard and the empty soda containers in the backseat? It isn’t horrible, but if he thinks his pickup needs to be cleaned, then he’d probably need a hazmat suit to get inside mine.

“Yes, I should get it back tomorrow. Again, thanks for the ride. When I come back to get him, I’ll have to remember to bring some type of cover to keep the hair off my cloth seats.”

Sam, apparently bored with the traffic, hops down from his perch and places his paws on the console between us. His tongue flaps in time with his panting.

Oh, no. I reach out in slow motion as a large drip of slobber lands on the leather storage compartment. He’s going to snap. “Sam, move back.” I shoo him back into the backseat. “Get back where we put you. Cade has been gracious enough to allow us to ride with him, and this is how you repay the favor?”

“Lola, for the last time, stop worrying about my truck. When I bought it, I paid for the protection package, so it should wipe right off.” His voice holds a level of irritation I haven’t heard since the day of the street debacle.

“Okay, I get it. I won’t bring it up again.” I glance down at the bandage on my arm. “Thanks for the Band-Aids, but I told you it wasn’t serious. A couple of scrapes, no big deal.”

The Band-Aids are waterproof and flexible, not my ordinary kid’s character variety. Everything about him, right down to the matching red and white labels on every single folder and binder in his office, screams dependable and efficient. Not that I’m stalking him or anything, but I couldn’t help peeking into his office when I walked by. Either he’d been an Eagle Scout, or he’d served in the military; so far, I haven’t gotten the nerve to ask.

He flicks on the turn signal and eases into the adjacent lane. “You were right. It wasn’t as bad as it looked. But picture it from my point of view. You came out of an alley carrying some unidentifiable hairy beast with blood dripping off your arm. Of course, I freaked out.”

I giggle at the visualization. “I’m sure it was a sight.”

As we ease down the exit, my stomach clenches. “Are you sure a shelter is a good idea? We’re not going to get into trouble for leaving Sam with them, are we? I would hate to get a ticket for doing the right thing. Obviously, I’ve never done this kind of thing before.” My jaw tightens. “And they’d better give him back.”

“It’s going to be okay. This is a good shelter. I’ve never had a pet before, but one of my close friends fills in part-time as a vet here and at another no-kill shelter on the Kansas side of the line. She has good things to say about both places. Everything is clean, the cages are decent-sized, and there are runs for the animals to exercise. Before they’re adopted or returned to their owners, the shelter requires the animals to have proper shots and be spayed or neutered.”

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