Page 99 of Situationship
“What do you want now? You have the time and opportunity to make FurGet Me Not a full-time thing.”
“It’s not the right time. With Maddison switching to NYU, tripling tuition costs, and a gap in animal care for the people who can’t afford it. Jesus, it’s all spiraling down and I don’t have a plan to fix it.”
She tilted his head up. “Yes, you do. You told me about it the summer before senior year. College, vet school, five years under your mentor, then open your own practice. Maybe this is the universe’s way of saying it’s your time.”
“My life is a little different from yours. Maddison’s bags are practically packed to move on to the next stage of her life. I don’t have the luxury of time, which means things that don’t matter will have to wait.”
She started to step back at his comment and the tone in which he’d made it, but stopped. Though his comment stung, she knew he’d made it out of frustration. His plans were his coping mechanism. So while her pride might have taken a small hit, he needed her right now, not her hurt feelings.
Colin was a man who loved deeply and was fiercely protective of those around him. He had so much responsibility, terrifying responsibility, on his shoulders. She wanted to take some of the weight for him.
She leaned down and held him tightly. She didn’t know how long they stood there, but she allowed him the time he needed to process everything. Then she felt a shift. The warm energy around them crackled, and his hand hold was no longer about comfort.
“Shouldn’t you be next door enjoying movie night?” he asked even as he slowly kissed her stomach.
“Harley’s babysitting and it’sFrozen,” she said. “Spoiler, it ends in a snowy musical number.”
He kissed her neck, lifting her shirt as his lips moved over her bare skin. “Where’s Maddison?”
“Babysitting Harley.”
“I figured out how you can help,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“Oh yeah.” He tugged her into his lap. He kissed her cheek, her chin, working down to the curve of her neck—a gentle brush of the lips that had butterflies taking flight in her belly.
“Far be it from me to decide what kind of help you need.”
He looked up, his hooded gaze heated with desire. “I need you, Bianchi. I just need you.”
Just as she wasn’t great at reaching out for help, he was an island. But he was letting her ashore.
“Then I’m yours.”
He didn’t speak and neither did she, letting him set the pace. Reaching out, he stroked her hair behind her ears, then slowly trailed his finger down her jaw to her lips. Lowering his head, he replaced his finger with his mouth, nibbling her lower lip between his. He kissed her gently, then not so gently. His moan reverberated deep inside her chest, making her panties go damp.
His hand slid down her thigh and back up, under the hem of her dress. Higher and higher until he hit pay dirt and smiled. “Thong. Daffodil yellow?”
“Red and white striped.”
“Like a lifeguard?” The fingers that had been tracing the lace edge of her panties stilled. “Are you here to save me, Bianchi?”
“Do you need to be saved?”
“By you, always.” His hand was on the move again, gliding down the lace edging to her core, dipping his finger under. She let him drive her a little crazy.
“I thought I got to take care of you.”
He didn’t comment, rubbing up and down, his mouth on her neck. He pushed a little harder, just enough to have her quivering. Someone moaned. That someone being her of course.
“You are,” he said. “But I have one request.”
“I think we can do better than one, Dr. West.”
“Then how about the first request.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thong—a daffodil-yellow thong.
“Where did you get that?”
