Here Comes Santa Paws (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

13. Roman

Chapter 13

Roman

When I invited Elias inside, he handed me a giant lint roller with a red bow.

“The shedding can be a lot.” Elias approached Carol, where she rested on the bed I’d placed next to my couch. “Hey, girl. How are you?”

The dog had shed way more than I expected in the last twenty-four hours. At this rate, I’d probably have enough fur by the end of my fostering period to make a mini Carol.

“I might need a dozen of these to stay on top of it.”

Elias’s lips twitched as he moved to sit cross-legged a couple of feet from her. Carol cracked one eyelid and watched him suspiciously.

“Nice bed.”

So what if I’d picked up a new one when I went to the pet store at lunch today. “It has memory foam. Proper support is important for joint health.”

Elias nodded sagely. “She looks cozy.” He pulled something from the paper bag he’d brought and placed it near her head. Carol didn’t fully open her eyes, but she sniffed and then gobbled up the treat. “I grabbed a fresh bag of these for you. They’re her favorite.”

That was thoughtful. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” His cherubic smile wasn’t as grating as it’d been before.

“She didn’t eat much of the food I left out for her, and she seems to be sleeping a lot. Is that normal?” I stood nearby with my arms crossed over my chest.

Elias stood and walked over to the kitchen. “How much did you give her?” He set the bag of treats on my bistro table.

“The amount you told me to.”

He wasn’t fazed by my attitude. “Has she vomited or been whining or anything? Is she drinking water?”

“No vomit, inside at least. I hadn’t thought to check the backyard. She is drinking water.” There’d been a distinct drop in the water level between my refreshing it this morning and getting home from work.

“Good choice of dog food.” He jerked his chin to the bag of premium food I’d also grabbed today. “That’s what I have at home, but it’s too pricey for us to use at the shelter.”

“The person at the pet store told me how to transition her from what you gave me to this. Is that okay to do?” I probably should’ve asked.

“It’s totally okay.” His encouraging smile triggered one of my own.

Tension leached from my shoulders, and I cleared my throat. “She was pacing the living room earlier. Is that unusual?”

Elias tilted his head and walked back to Carol. “She looks tired, but it could be stress from so much change this week.” He sat on the ground next to her, then turned to me. “Have you pet her?”

I scowled at him. “I’m not a heartless monster.”

Elias grinned. “I’m not implying you are. I only mean that if she lets you touch her, she’s likely not injured or in pain. I haven’t had any luck getting her to relax enough around me to pet her, but if she’s letting you, that tells me she’s okay.” He felt her abdomen. She gave me an aggrieved “why are you allowing this?” look.

“That makes sense.” It might make me an asshole, but I did get a slight thrill out of being the person she liked. She’d chosen the grumpy asshole instead of the bubbly animal whisperer. There’s a first time for everything.

“Did she act weird throughout the night?”

I frowned. “How should I know? I was sleeping.”

“In the bedroom with you?”

I scoffed. “Absolutely not. She’s not allowed on my furniture.” I didn’t appreciate Elias’s knowing smirk.

He stood. “You’re doing a fantastic job with her. She wasn’t this relaxed around me at the shelter or my house. You clearly bring her comfort, but change is hard and can make animals feel funky like it does with humans. Just keep a close eye on her, and if you notice more changes, let me know, or we can call the vet. They always make time to check out shelter animals when needed, and it won’t cost you anything.” He closed the distance between us and squeezed my arm. “Trust your gut. If you think something’s off, then call. We’ll figure it out.”

“Okay, thanks.” The tension coursing through my body all day wooshed out of me. “Want a beer?”

I liked having Elias in my place and wasn’t ready for him to leave.

“I’d love one.” He followed me back to the kitchen.

I opened my fridge and bent to the bottom shelf where I kept the beer. I scanned what I had. “IPA, stout, or winter ale?” I glanced over my shoulder and caught Elias checking out my ass.

“Stout, please.”

I bent over farther and grabbed two stouts from the back of the row. Might as well give him a view to enjoy. I straightened and pulled a bottle opener from a drawer. After popping the caps off, I passed him one.

“Cheers.”

He clinked his bottle against mine. “Cheers to you bailing my ass out twice this week. Thank you,” he said sincerely.

I nodded and tipped the bottle back. The cool malty beer coated my throat. As I lowered the bottle, I watched Elias’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the movement. Then, the little imp had the nerve to lick his lips.

Elias might be the death of me.

“Good beer,” he said.

“Yeah. Picked it up from the store.” I loathed small talk, but there was something different about this. Tension crackled in the air and the temperature felt like it had climbed ten degrees.

Elias moved to lean against the counter a couple of feet in front of me. He set the beer on the counter after taking another long swig that had my dick swelling. My drought must have been longer than I’d realized if watching someone drink beer was turning me on. Though I suspected watching Elias type at a computer might do it for me.

He played with the beer label, then looked at me from under his eyelashes. “Carol is so fond of you.”

“We all make mistakes.”

Elias studied me like an alien life-form. “Did you just make a joke?”

“No.”

His smile grew. “You’re full of surprises.”

“So are you.” My voice came out rough.

Elias took a step closer. “Carol isn’t the only one fond of you.” He said the words in the same soft tone he used with her.

I wasn’t a nervous dog. “Oh yeah?”

He licked his lips. “I kind of have a soft spot for prickly teddy bears.”

I scoffed. “You’d better not be calling me a teddy bear.”

He made a sarcastic, dismissive expression. “Oh, you’re totally right. Not a single teddy bear quality. You didn’t help me get Carol out of my car or sacrifice half your Sunday to help me or let a cranky dog?—”

I closed the distance between us, cupped his head with my free hand, and shut him up with my lips. I’d barely made contact before he melted into me and wrapped an arm around my neck. Our bottles clanked as we haphazardly set them on the counter. He looped his other arm around my neck as I hooked mine around his waist. His kiss was eager and demanding—making me dizzy.

I spun him and pressed his back against the counter, and he let out a needy whimper. Our mouths moved against each other in sync, and our tongues caressed. Elias demanded as much from me as I did of him. Each sweep of his tongue made me crave more.

He slid his fingers into my hair, and without thinking, I hooked my arms under his ass and lifted him onto the counter. Glass clinked as sticky beer spilled onto my hand.

“Shit.” I stepped back. “The beer,” I said, stating the obvious.

Elias blinked at me. His lips still formed a kiss. He blinked again and craned his neck to look behind him. “Shit.”

He hopped off the counter as I yanked the towel from my oven handle and handed it to him instead of suggesting he take his pants off to let them dry.

“Do you kiss all the people who foster pets for your shelter?”

Elias let out a startled laugh. “No, but it could boost foster sign-ups. Though, point of clarification. You kissed me first.”

“To shut you up.”

He pressed his open palm to his chest and pouted sarcastically. “I’m so sorry my gratitude made you uncomfortable.”

“Apology accepted.” I wanted to kiss him again but stopped myself. My emotions were already sending out feelers in his direction. I needed a breather to figure my shit out.

He finished dabbing his ass with the towel, then dropped it on the beer puddle on the counter. “On that note, I’d better get home and feed the gremlins. See you soon.” He flashed a teasing smile. We had no plans to see each other, but I had no doubt we would.

I watched him walk out of my kitchen, stop to baby-talk Carol, then leave with a finger wave. A big feeling swelled in my chest that I refused to name.

His teasing smile would star in my dreams as much as that kiss. What the hell am I going to do now?