Page 81 of Keeping it Real

He braced her against the wall.The steam from the shower cast a shroud around them, and the air was filled with the sound of their wet bodies slapping against the wall.She dug her nails into his back right before the world went black.He swore against her neck as his body shook with its own release.

Sheridan clung to him like a wet noodle while he tenderly dried her off with one of the giant towels.He slipped one of his T-shirts over her head and carried her to his big bed.The sheets were cool against her damp body.She shivered.He pulled the comforter over her, tucking it beneath her chin.Through the fringe of her lashes, she watched him squat before the fireplace to click the fire on.The glow of the flames illuminated the droplets still clinging to his body.

“Alek,” she mumbled.

He was beside her in an instant, placing a butterfly kiss on each of her eyes.“Shh,” he told her.“Sleep.”

“I want you.”Exhaustion threatened to overtake her, and the words came out more garbled than she would have liked.

“I’ll be right back,” he told her.“I promised Finn I’d tuck in Hattie.”

Could he get any more perfect?

The man tolerated having a dog in his house for the sake of another man’s son.That he loved Finn was becoming increasingly apparent.She knew he desired her.And she was beginning to hope it could be something more.Sheridan fell asleep, allowing herself to dream of the future.

She woke with a start eight hours later.The sun was almost up.She was in Alek’s bed.Alone.The pillows next to her were cold.So were the sheets.She felt around on the nightstand for her phone, only to realize it was probably still down in her purse.

Finn!

Scrambling from the bed, she barely managed to avoid stubbing a toe as she searched for her clothes.Of course, Alek had tidied up the bathroom after their shower.Her scrubs were likely already in the laundry.Not wanting to waste time hurrying to her own room, she reached into his dresser drawer and stole a pair of joggers.She ignored the fact that they sort of fit her and raced to the catwalk landing overlooking the two sets of staircases in the house.

A sound below had her peeking over the railing.Alek was sprawled out, asleep on the carpet, his head on one of the couch cushions he’d moved to the floor.Several of the throw blankets covered his body.But it was who was beside him that had her heart stopping.Hattie rested her head on Alek’s stomach while he had his hand planted on the dog’s shoulder.

Sheridan crept down the stairs.She needed to find her phone so she could grab a photo.Neither Aunt Eileen nor Peri would believe this.Before she could, however, Hattie made another one of those odd sounds.

“Hattie?”Sheridan called quietly.

The dog whimpered when she moved.Alek jerked awake at the sound.

“She okay?”he said.

“I don’t know.”She knelt beside them on the floor.“What happened?”

Hattie groaned when Sheridan tried to pet her.Her eyes were glassy, and her tongue lolled a bit.

Alek scratched his chin.“She was really restless when I came down to check on her.Kept asking to go out.Every time I put her in the yard, though, she just went in circles.She never did anything else.I think she’s probably missing Finn.I tried to get her to go upstairs and sleep on his bed, but she wasn’t having it.She seemed to calm down if I was beside her.I figured I’d sleep down here with her so you could get some rest.”

Sheridan kissed him.“You are ...amazing, do you know that?”

He grimaced.“That’s not what my back is saying to me right now.I’m going to need to be worked over by a massage therapist this afternoon.”

She kissed him again.“Is that what they’re calling it these days?Come on, Hattie, girl.Let’s go have breakfast.That always makes you feel better.”When she arrived in the mud room, she was surprised to see that the dog’s dish was full.

“Did you already feed her?”she asked Alek when she returned to the family room.

Alek was folding up the blankets and reassembling the couch cushions.“No.I don’t think she touched her food from last night.”

A lick of unease hit her.Hattieneverleft food unfinished.She looked around for the dog.

“Where’d she go?”

The words had no sooner left her mouth when they heard Hattie throwing up.

“No, no,no!”Alek shouted, sprinting toward the laundry room.“Not in my equipment bag, Hattie!”

The dog ignored him, continuing to spew all over Alek’s practice clothes.Hattie gave them a doleful look before dropping down in a pile of laundry.Her breathing was strained.

Sheridan’s own breath was coming up short.“We need to take her to the vet, Alek.Right now.”

---