Saving the Beast, page 22
I find Mrs. Potts in the kitchen, packing up a bag of snacks and drinks for her and Chip.
“You’re up rather early,” she chimes as I rap my fingers on the kitchen counter, loving that she knew I didn’t have a game today.
Grinning, I look around to see if Chip is here before I murmur, “How would you feel about not going to the aquarium today?”
She looks at me with a confused stare. “What are you thinking?”
Shrugging, I say, “I thought we could maybe take a trip to the animal shelter. You’ve always said how beneficial a pet might be for our little Chocolate Chip. I figured it was about time we made that happen.”
Her face lights up, her eyes glowing joyfully. “Really?”
It’s not like she asked me to get him one before and I said no. I think she never felt comfortable getting one without me, which is my own fault for making her feel like she lives in my house when it’s just as much hers.
Nodding, I can’t help but beam along with her. “Of course.”
She rushes around the kitchen island and throws her arms around me, and I freeze. “He is going to love that so much.”
Relaxing, I wrap my arms around her, hugging her gently. “Good. Should we make it a surprise? I’ll leave before you, and then you can pretend you’re still going to the aquarium, but instead meet me there?”
She pulls away, nodding frantically. “A perfect plan, Griff.”
“All right. When were you guys planning on leaving?”
“In about fifteen minutes. The aquarium opens at eight a.m. Do you know when the shelter opens?” she asks me, simultaneously grabbing her phone. “I’ll check quickly.” She pauses, looking it up. “Oh, perfect. Eight a.m. So, we can stay right on schedule.”
My chest thumps a beat harder at the pure excitement radiating from her. She’s the best mom in the world. Chip honestly could not have gotten luckier.
After grabbing a water from the fridge and a banana, I leave for the shelter, desiring to beat them there. When I reach FurEvermore Rescue, I head inside, wanting to talk to the staff quickly before Mrs. Potts and Chip arrive.
“Hi! Welcome in. I’m Amy,” one of the workers greets me pleasantly, welcoming me over to the counter. “What brings you in today?”
“Hi. I am actually waiting for two more people to arrive. But I just wanted to start the process because I have no idea what it looks like …” I trail off, hoping she can pick up even a smidgen of what I’m saying.
She smiles. “Are you guys looking to adopt today?”
Nodding, I say, “Ideally, yes. My …”
What do I call Chip? My housemate? My roommate? Guilt tugs at my chest for the label popping into my mind. But I hope wherever Gavin is, he knows that no one can or will ever replace him. He will be my little brother forever, and I will always love him. In a way, I have two brothers—at least, it feels that way. Chip might not share any relation with me, but he’s always felt like a little sibling, growing up.
So, I hope Gavin doesn’t hate me when I call Chip, “My brother. He has autism and doesn’t speak, so we kind of thought that a friend who can’t talk might be the perfect companion. They can communicate in their own way.”
She frowns kindly. “That’s so beautiful. I’m sure we will have the perfect friend for your little brother. What’s his name?”
Gavin.
“Chip—well, it’s actually Charlie, but we call him Chip,” I say.
“That’s adorable,” she sings, and I hear the door opening behind me, grabbing my attention.
Looking back, I find Mrs. Potts and Chip walking inside. He’s beaming brighter than I’ve ever seen.
Widening my eyes, I smile. “Surprise! Are you excited?”
He nods relentlessly and claps his hands.
“He is very excited!” Mrs. Potts smiles.
“Awesome! Well, Chip, let’s go find you a new friend!” The worker speaks directly to Chip.
We follow her back into an empty meet-and-greet room.
“All right, what kind of pet are we looking for? Dog? Cat? Big or small?” the worker asks.
Mrs. Potts glances at me, but I gesture my hand out, giving her the floor to decide.
“Probably something on the smaller side. Sometimes, Chip can get overwhelmed, and I think a smaller dog might be best,” she answers and looks at me for reassurance.
I nod and agree, “Sounds great.”
Leila and Mrs. Potts spend the next few minutes discussing Chip’s personality traits and the ones they might be looking for in a dog. After a surprising number of questions, Leila tells us that she has the perfect little guy for us. She dismisses herself from the room and returns a few moments later with a furry friend in her arms.
“This is Rex. He’s a Tibetan spaniel. He came to us about two months ago as a stray. We believe he had an owner because he was well cared for. But no one ever came to claim him. He’s about three years old.”
Rex is the perfect size, not too small and not too big. His floppy ears bounce as Leila lowers him to the ground and lets him off his leash.
“He’s a super-friendly boy, and he loves to cuddle. Once you guys become friends, he will be attached at your hip,” she informs us, and I can’t believe that we haven’t done this sooner.
Chip scoots from his chair to the floor, and Rex doesn’t waste a second before beelining it straight into Chip’s lap.
“Oh! They are fast friends!” Mrs. Potts giggles as Rex licks Chip’s face.
Happiness blooms in my chest at the scene playing out in front of me, reminding me of the girl who’s asleep in my bed at home—the one who makes me happier than I’ve ever been.
I bounce my knee up and down, and Mrs. Potts notices and smiles. She pulls out her phone and types rapidly, seconds before mine vibrates in my pocket.
Mrs. Potts: I think we’ve found the one. I’ll take it from here. You should go home and fill Blair in on our newest member of the family.
For so many reasons today, my body is filling with joy. Mrs. Potts and Chip are my family, and seeing her say that in her message makes my heart swell. I’m not alone and never have been.
After saying goodbye to Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Rex, I head home to Blair. I just want to be near her, bathe in her presence. She has become such an important part of my life, and I’m tired of holding my feelings back from her. Life is too goddamn short.
As I walk into the house, I find Blair walking down the stairs in her pajamas with messy bedhead and sleepiness in her eyes.
My heart starts pounding in my chest with each step I take toward her. She means fucking everything to me. I’m falling so hard for her, and if she doesn’t catch me, I think I might perish on the ground below.
“There you are. I was wondering where you went—”
Cupping her face, I crash my lips into her, kissing her roughly and deeply. She parts her lips, and I take no time tasting her mouth with my tongue, breathing in the minty freshness. Her hands flatten on my chest as she kisses me back with the same intensity.
We pull away, breathing hard, and stare into each other’s eyes.
“I’m never going to get enough of you,” I whisper into her parted lips.
She smirks and bites down on her bottom lip. “Good. Now, kiss me again.”
I claim her lips with mine, and we match every push and pull as we fight for control. Bending down, I hook my hands around her legs and lift her up, wrapping her around my waist without breaking our kiss.
Shifting her weight and locking her against me with an arm around her, I grab her cheek with my free hand, guiding our kiss until we’re in sync. Fuck, I never want this to end.
“What were you coming downstairs for?” I murmur, blood rushing to my core.
“Just to see what you were doing. Why?” she asks, kissing me again after answering.
“Just checking before I carry you back upstairs,” I groan and plunge my tongue back into her mouth.
Desperation doesn’t come close to describing the way I need her.
“If that’s okay with you,” I whisper, getting her permission before taking a step forward.
She nods and sinks her tongue into my mouth before saying, “Yes, please.”
“I don’t want to rush you,” I counter.
Every part of my body hums with desire.
She giggles. “You have no idea how long I’ve even wanted to kiss you. This isn’t a rush. I want this. I want you.”
Without another word, I press my lips to hers and carry her up every step, not stopping until I’m standing in front of my bed.
A deep and desperate gasp shudders past my lips as she runs her tongue up the side of my neck and nibbles on my earlobe.
I toss her backward onto the bed, and she shrieks, “Ahh!”
I tower over her, feeling like a man who has been starved for days. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted you.”
The way she’s staring up at me, waiting for me to make a move, is driving me crazy.
“Come here,” I growl, and she sits up on her knees.
Grabbing the hem of her top, I lift it up and over her head.
“Can I?” I ask her as I trail my fingertips down the sides of her perfect, full breasts.
Her head rolls back. “Please, dear God, yes, touch me.”
Leaning down, I take one of her hardened nipples into my mouth, sucking on it and flicking my tongue over it repeatedly.
She moans softly, and my cock fights against the confines of my pants, begging to be set free. But it’s not time yet. I want to focus on her right now.
Cupping her other breast, I massage it with my hand before pinching and rolling her nipple between my thumb and pointer finger. Her back arches as I run my tongue across her chest and take her other nipple into my mouth.
It’s not enough. I need more of her, all of her.
“Lie back,” I release her from my mouth and slide my hands down to the waistband of her bottoms and panties.
She lifts her hips for me, and I meet her lust-blown pupils and hold them as I slowly slide her clothes down over her hips and off her, leaving her completely bare before me.
Stepping back, I stand to my full height and look down at her, taking in every inch of her body. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
She bites down on her bottom lip, grinning.
Quickly, I remove my sweatshirt, tossing it to the floor.
Gently, I grab onto her bent knees and spread her legs apart. “I want to see all of you. Open those legs for me, baby.”
She does as I asked, and as she opens up to me, I push my pants to the floor. She’s making me too fucking hard, and the constriction is killing me.
Her eyes widen as she watches my pants fall to the floor, and she wets her lips as she stares at my growing erection, still trapped in my boxers.
“I’m not going to fuck you right now, Blair,” I tell her honestly. “I meant what I said. I’m not rushing this. I want to take my time and savor every moment.”
She juts her bottom lip out, pouting. “Griffin.” She rolls her head back and looks at me with hooded eyes, her chest rising and falling with panting breaths.
“You can beg all you want. But it won’t change anything,” I tell her as I drop down onto one knee in front of the bed. “Don’t worry though, my little prisoner; I’m still going to make you come. You’ll just be wrapped around my face instead of my waist.”
It’s the only warning I give her before I run my tongue up her core, tasting her sweet pussy.
“Ahh! Fuck!” she cries out.
Taking just the tip of my tongue, I circle it around her center, teasing her as I skip her clit every time.
“Griffin.” She says my name with pure frustration this time, wiggling her hips, desperate for any friction.
Surprisingly, her frustration gives me an idea.
“Stay right there. Don’t move a muscle.”
“Where are you going?” she whines.
I ignore her question, walk across the hall to her room, and go straight to her nightstand. I pull the drawer open, happy that my assumption of where she keeps her toy is correct. I grab her vibrator and stroll back into my room, nearly drooling from the image of her sprawled out on my bed.
I turn it on and glide it across her thigh as I kneel before her again. She jumps from the contact, then relaxes immediately once she realizes what it is.
Pressing the toy against the crease of her thigh, I give her what she wants, running my tongue up her center and sucking her clit into my mouth, and she calls out my name between moans. After a few moments of the most beautiful sounds leaving her lips, I pull away and run one of my fingers across her wetness before gliding it inside of her and gently adding another.
“God, you’re so tight, baby,” I groan, feeling her clench around my two fingers.
Sliding the toy up her thigh, I press it against her clit, feeling her jolt from the pleasure.
“Oh fuck! God, that feels so good!” she cries out.
I could come just by listening to her.
I pump my fingers in and out of her, syncing up with her gasping breaths, and within seconds, she is tightening around my fingers and begging for release.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Don’t stop!” she begs me, and I continue.
Fuck, you’d have to kill me to get me to stop.
“There you go, baby, just like that. You’re doing so good.”
My words are her undoing, and she rides my hand as she falls apart at every seam.
“Griffin! Oh! Oh my Gooood!” She pulses around my fingers, over and over, and when her breathing starts to calm, I pull the toy away from her center, granting her reprieve.
She lifts her head up and looks at me, and the darkest red I’ve seen colors her cheeks. “That. Was. Amazing.”
Standing back up, I adjust my length, wanting nothing more than to free myself.
Her eyes widen as they fall to my hand. “Your turn.”
She rises to her knees and crawls over to me, flipping her hair to one side of her head.
Fuck, I’m not going to last five seconds.
Her fingers hook into my boxers, and she tugs them down, letting my cock spring free. I moan as it bounces against her cheek, my eyes rolling into the back of my head.
“Oh my God,” she mumbles, her eyes bulging from her head as she takes me in.
I stay silent, unable to form a single thought, let alone a word.
She holds my stare as she licks her lips and wraps her fingers around me, pumping me torturously slow.
My eyes disappear into my head again, and my head falls back. “Fuuuck.”
The wetness of her tongue swipes across my tip, and I nearly lose it. She sucks me into her mouth and continues to take me deeper and deeper.
“Blair,” I whimper loudly, feeling pleasure course through my veins. Her mouth feels so goddamn good. “Hand me the toy.”
She starts to pull away from my dick, and I miss her warmth for the second she’s gone. She hands me the vibrator, and I turn it on, setting it on the bed.
This time, it’s me who pulls away. “Flip over.”
She flips onto her back, hanging her head slightly off of the bed, and opens her mouth with a smirk on her lips and a gleam in her eyes.
She guides me back into her mouth, and I step forward, sliding further down her throat. Grabbing the toy, I lean forward and press it against her center, her back arching immediately.
She moans with her mouth full, and it vibrates around me, sending a hot shiver up my back. My balls start to tighten, and I know I’m not going to last much longer. But I’m not letting myself come before her.
Fuck no.
I wet my fingers on her center before sliding them back inside of her, finding that perfect rhythm from before. I can feel her starting to clench around my fingers, and her moans quicken around my cock.
She moans faster and faster, and the moment I feel her come around my hand, I fly over the fucking edge.
“Fuck, baby, I’m coming,” I groan and pull out of her mouth, ready to come on her chest, but she grabs me, sucking me back into her mouth as months of built-up desire finally find release. “Fuuuck!” I breathe through my moan as pleasure whips through me in waves.
Slowly, I pull my fingers from her, shut the toy off, and toss it onto the bed. She releases me from her lips, and as I pull her up as she swallows hard.
Cupping her face, she looks into my eyes, out of breath, with flushed cheeks. She’s never been sexier.
“Be mine, Blair. Only mine.”
Her eyes shimmer, and her lips tip up as she sits up taller. She hovers her mouth an inch from mine and whispers against my lips, “I already am.”
I’m picking Blair up after class right now, and even though it’s only been a few hours since I’ve seen her, my heart starts racing the second she walks into view in the parking lot and makes her way over.
I step out of my truck and walk over to her, meeting her halfway, grabbing her backpack, and slinging it over my shoulder.
Leaning down, I steal a quick kiss and throw my arm around her. “Hello, beautiful. How was class?”
“Ehh. Boring. We’ve been working on the same chapter for about two weeks now. Some of the students have been struggling, so the professor wants to review some stuff again before moving on,” she fills me in. “How was your morning skate?”
I shrug. “Same as usual. Nothing exciting to report.”
“That’s good. Are you excited for the game tonight?” she asks, looking up at me.
I nod. “Yeah, it should be an easy win. We’ve crushed this team before, and they haven’t been playing that great as of late.”
She looks forward with that focused look on her face. “Yeah. I was digging into their stats in class. They’ve only won three games this season, and the wins were against the worst-ranked teams in your division. Their goalie save percentage is only seventy-six percent, which I found out is not good for a goalie, so as long as you guys get lots of shots in, you shouldn’t have a problem. Eventually, you’ll beat them.”
I slam to a halt and stare at her with admiration and shock. “Umm, hello?”
She turns to me and laughs. “What?”
