Page 113 of Men or Paws
Except it wasn’t just any kiss, but one from a man possessed.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Rocco
I slid my arm across the top of the front seat of my Ford De Luxe and around Beth’s shoulder. “You’re too far away from me.” I gripped the top of the steering wheel for leverage, trying to pull her closer.
Beth sighed. “If I were any closer, I would be on your lap.”
I grinned. “Offer accepted.”
“Behave.”
“Rocco dejected.”
“You poor baby.” Beth laughed, then her eyes lit up as “Hopelessly Devoted to You” by Olivia Newton-John started playing on the garage sound system. “I love this song. I can’t believe I’m sitting in the car fromGreaseand listening to the movie soundtrack.”
I glanced over at the other cars in my garage. “Tomorrow, we can sit in the Lotus and listen to the soundtrack fromPretty Woman. I’ll be Richard Gere and you’ll be Julia Roberts. Remember, he did let her drive that car in the movie?”
“Offer accepted.” Beth smiled. “I’m glad we snuck away from the party for a little bit.”
I squeezed her hand. “Me, too.”
My birthday party was originally supposed to be just me, Beth, and Douglas, but quickly grew to ten people after Beth urged me to have a celebration that wasn’t so pathetic.
I initially protested, but when she bribed me with a couple of kisses, I gladly changed my mind. It was the most fun I’d had in a long time, excluding the first kiss last night from Beth that rocked my world.
Even though we were enjoying the bowling and the time with our friends, we were both craving something more intimate, if not at least for five minutes. Beth had suggested we go for a walk, but we ended up in the garage.
Not that I had a problem with that.
“Thank you,” I said, squeezing her hand.
Beth turned to me. “For what?”
I shrugged. “For being thoughtful, for realizing the best way for me to celebrate my birthday was to surround myself with the people who mean the most to me.”
Marcello was there with his wife, Jade.
So was Oliver and his girlfriend, Laura.
And of course, Douglas and Gwen.
“You’re welcome,” Beth said. “And thank you for letting the people I love join in on the fun.”
I told Beth she could invite her brother, Josh, since I had been wanting to meet him for the longest time. Luckily, the timing was perfect since he had a night off from his comedy tour. And of course, it would have been rude to invite Josh without Holly, especially since she was Beth’s best friend.
Holly even brought Sage, who immediately took a liking to Houdini, and vice versa. Last we saw them they were cuddled on the floor next to the wine bar downstairs, noses nuzzling in their doggie dreams. How they were able to sleep with all that noise from the bowling was beyond me.
“My pleasure,” I said. “It’s been fun hanging out with Josh and Holly and getting to know them. I hope you’ve been having fun as well.”
Beth nodded. “I have, but there’s one thing that would make this night complete.”
“Absolutely. I’ll get these clothes off.” I kept a straight face and pretended to lift up my shirt.
She laughed and playfully pinched my leg. “Didn’t I tell you to behave?”
“I’m a horrible listener.”
