Page 1 of Taking a Tumble
Chapter 1
A Tumble Indeed
KAZ’RON
If you’d have asked me ten years ago where I thought I’d be now, it sure wouldn’t be ass-first in a puddle of mud, holding a leash, being judged by the pristine cream foxkin who’s led me on a wild goose chase for the past forty-five minutes. I swear to god she’s judging me right now.
A stifled laugh from above follows the appearance of feminine legs clad in ripped jeans.
This day just keeps getting better.
I don’t have to look to know who it is, but I drag my gaze up her gorgeous form, trying not to spend too long detailing the complex floral tattoos on her arm before I meet her eyes.
Tabitha.
If my skin wasn’t already red, I’m sure my cheeks would be flaming in embarrassment. Tabitha bends down and the foxkin–that traitor–hops happily into her arms, settling against her breast and purring.
Yeah, okay, I’d do the same thing if I had the opportunity.
“Rough day?” Tabi’s eyes shine with mirth as she pets the sinister critter’s cream colored fur.
Rolling to my knees, I push myself up with a great amount of effort until I’m standing. I’m not a spring chicken anymore, my joints aren’t as limber as they used to be. Turning toward Tabitha, I wipe my hands on my jeans in a futile effort to clean myself up a little.
“Ah, yeah. You could say that,” I mutter. Words have never come easy to me around the feisty woman in front of me. I’ve had the biggest crush on Tabi since she moved to Ghostlight Falls last year. ‘Crush’ sounds so juvenile, but that’s what it is. It’s also less creepy thaninfatuation.
She’s younger than I am—in her mid 30s—but age is just a number, right? She leans forward to grab the leash off the ground, and her supple tits are suddenly in my face.
Holy Hades. Tabi’s not small. She’s a grown woman with curves I desperately want to sink my fingers—and maybe my teeth—into. Her breasts are pushed above the dip in her v-neck shirt, and I want to bless and curse whoever invented whatever bra she’s wearing.
My dicks twitch and I know I need to look away before I make this situation even more awkward than it already is. She doesn’t need to see me sweaty, covered in mud,andsporting a double boner.
My brain comes back online and I realize I shouldn’t be making her handle the foxkin, so I reach for the leash, too. Our fingers brush as we both take a hold of the rope at the same time, and a spark of electricity and longing gets mainlined to my heart. Her eyes meet mine, she hitches a breath—I think. This would be the perfect meet-cute, every Hallmark movie come to life—if I was cool and confident.
Unfortunately, I’m not. At all. In fact, I’d hazard to say I am what the kids callawkward AF. At least I heard my niece say something like that. The result is that instead of stroking my thumb over her pulse point, or leaning in to claim her lips, I jerkbackward abruptly, lose my balance, and fallbackin the mud puddle.
Tabitha smoothly clips the leash to the foxkin’s collar, biting her plump lower lip as she tries to stifle a laugh. Her eyes light with mirth, and she’s so fucking pretty that my humiliation fades into something more akin to amusement. If my unfortunate escapades bring her joy, then at least the experience was worth it.
”So, how does this cutie keep getting out?” Tabitha questions, and I’m brought back to reality. She hands me the leash, and I put my wrist through the loop before gripping the length of cord tightly. I am not taking any chances that this creature will get away from me again…today anyway.
I look at the foxkin in question.Is she smirking at me?
“She has been taking advantage of new customers who aren’t familiar with her species. I warn them that she’s crafty before I take her out for them to pet, but she always manages to jump away from them when they let their guard down. I swear, I’ll never have another foxkin. This one was a mistake.”
Tabi laughs, and the sound is downright magical. “A cute mistake.”
”She knows it, too,” I grumble.
A hand appears in front of my face, and I realize it’s Tabitha’s. She’s offering me help. Help I gladly accept because I’m not an alpha male willing to pass up the opportunity to touch a beautiful woman in the name of being manly.
Her grip tightens, and with strength I couldn’t have predicted, she yanks me up. Unfortunately since I wasn’t expecting it, I’m unable to counter the force she put into that pull, and my momentum shoves me until I’m falling against Tabi.
For a moment, I’m stunned. Our bodies are touching. I can smell faint traces of mango from her shampoo. Mortificationsets in as I look down, and realize I am covering poor Tabi in mud. The foxkin smushed between us wriggles with fervor until she escapes and leaps to the ground. The creature immediately begins cleaning herself, sending dirty looks my way as she does.
Serves you right for running from me, you little menace.
I don’t say that out loud, though. I’m too busy chastising myself for making an already embarrassing situation worse.
“Oh, gods, Tabitha! I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to…you’re just…shit, here.” Words vomit from my mouth in no coherent order as I pull off my open flannel shirt and begin wiping the mud off of the woman in front of me. Only when the body beneath my palms begins to vibrate do I pause.
