Page 9 of Character Flaws
And then there’s his hazel-green eyes that have specks of silver and gold in them. They remind me of the old bowling ball my dad used to own when he was on a league. I used to get a kick out of taking it out of his bag and placing it on the conveyor. It was a swirling kaleidoscope of color. His eyes are just as fascinating.
Theo’s voice houses frustration. “I’ve tried for the last hour to get him to take his medicine. I’ve gone through six of these snack thingies,” he explains, holding up a small baggie filled with treats. “He just eats around it and spits out the pill.”
Woody licks his lips as if to say, ‘sucker.’
I almost laugh out loud, but bite my tongue.
“Patrick made it sound so easy – you know, bada bing, bada boom. Pop it in, hold his mouth closed,blah, blah, blah. But that dog is just messing with me. I know it.”
I can no longer hold it back, as the laughter spills out of my mouth. My self-control is shit prior to coffee. That’s why I never go to class without first having a pot of the strongest stuff possible.
Theo looks wounded.
“I’m sorry, but it’s kind of funny that you think Woody’s messing with you just for kicks. Here you are this big, strong man and he’s just this teeny, tiny, itty-bitty dog. Of course he’s not going to do anything you want if you don’t first prove that you’re the alpha in this situation.”
It makes me wonder if Patrick is the top when they’re intimate. My face flushes a bright red, which I’m sure he can see the minute he quirks a brow at me.
“Alpha. Hm. I see…since you’re so smart, why don’t you give it a try.”
He holds out his hand and thrusts the bag of treats into mine.
“Fine,” I capitulate, gently placing Woody on the floor between us.
I open the baggie, pull out the sticky snack that smells weirdly of stinky feet, stuff one of the pills in it and pinch the treat closed.
Dropping to my knees, I command Woody to come with a hand gesture.
“Good boy. Sit.”
He sits.
I hold the treat a little higher than his head in front of his snout so he’s craning his neck, he opens, I place it on his tongue, he closes, I grab his snout gently and hold.
“Good boy, eat it all gone. Now swallow.”
And just like that, I’ve demonstrated to Theo how to be alpha.
When I finally glance over to him, he’s shaking his head, rolling his eyes in disbelief.
And then he smiles. It’s this bright, wide smile that has me losing my balance. I teeter on my feet, since I’m in the squat position, and begin to topple back about to land on my butt. His reflex is fast as he reaches out to grab my arm to steady me.
His smile is way too disarming for this time of day. And let me state again for the record, prior to my morning coffee. I’d need a Starbucks warehouse and a pair of strong UV Ray Bans to protect myself against the effects of Theo’s smile.
“Whoa, you okay there?”
I try to recover. “Yeah. Damn vertigo.”
He helps me to my feet and pats the cushion next to him on the couch. “Come sit, otherwise we might need to find you a helmet.”
He snickers to himself as I look to him, then to the spot on the couch, and back to him. I can’t trust myself sitting next to him when I now know what he looks like. He’s too gorgeous and I’m too off kilter to trust myself in not trying to jump in his lap.
I remain where I’m at.
“Okay then,” he says in a self-deprecating tone. “I guess I’m not alpha with women, either.”
Oh geez. I’ve insulted his manhood.
Because my mother taught me never to be intentionally rude, my butt hits the cushion next to him begrudgingly. Our legs are inches apart and I can feel the warmth and heat from his body. He’s like an inferno and I suddenly have the chills and fever, shivering from the electric energy he gives off.
