Pawsitively in Love (19 page)

Austin rubbed his foot up and down Evan’s calf, like he couldn’t stand to lie still. He tugged at his cock impatiently and arched his back. Evan smiled as he rolled the condom down. He’d never felt so fond before, he’d never wanted to watch someone get more and more turned on. He’d never wanted to sink slowly in and never ever leave again. Austin pushed on Evan’s calf insistently.

“Okay,” Evan said with a grin. “I won’t make you wait anymore.”

“Yes, please,” Austin mumbled. Then he drew in a sharp breath when Evan slowly pushed inside. “
Yes
.”

Evan put his elbows on the pillow beside Austin’s face and he kissed him. He kissed him while he pushed farther inside. It felt… incredible. It wasn’t just the heat or the tightness, although that was amazing too. It was because it was Austin. Austin who made him laugh and loved his dog and had amazing friends and a beautiful family and a smile like sunshine. Evan couldn’t get enough. He didn’t even want to.

“If you don’t start moving, I think I’ll die,” Austin said. He gripped Evan’s hips and pulled him in hard.

“Would that really be such a bad way to go?” Evan breathed. He couldn’t believe he was joking. He could barely believe he could speak. It was all warmth and breath and skin and it was overwhelming as hell.

“You’re such a cheeseball,” Austin whispered into Evan’s ear. Then he bit it gently.

“Y-you love it.”

“Evan?”

“Yeah.”

“Please fuck me now,” Austin murmured.

“Yeah. Okay. I can do that.”

AUSTIN HAD
to do a double take when he woke up, slightly sore, a little tired, and so satisfied.
Evan’s room.
He nearly forgot for one insane second before the weight of Evan’s arm around his middle and the fact that he was completely naked hit him. Him and Evan. Last night. Fuck yes. It had been so good. So damn good. Austin wriggled back into Evan’s lap. Evan tightened his arm around Austin.

“You awake?” he grumbled.

“Sort of. You?”

“I could be persuaded to be awake,” Evan said. His voice was sleep rough and sexy as hell. Nothing like the pristine Evan Austin had known at first. Kinda like those jeans. Made Austin wonder just how much more sexy realness there was for him to discover.

“What would persuade you to be awake?” Austin asked.

Evan chuckled. “I think you know.”

“Shower?”

“If it’s the right kind of shower,” Evan said. He growled and bit along Austin’s neck until Austin was breathing and squirming in his arms.

“I definitely think that kind of shower could be arranged.”

IT TOOK
them a while to get showered and dressed. Neither of them
were very motivated to do so. But Austin had to get to work eventually, and Evan had chores to do.

“You coming over again tonight?” Evan asked when he walked Austin and Maggie to the door.

“I think I could do that. You free?”

“I think I could be.” Evan leaned over and gave Austin a long kiss. Then he patted him on the hip. “You’d better go before Jessica finally quits on you.”

“I wouldn’t blame her.” Austin rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Have a good day.”

“You too, babe. I’ll text you later.”

Evan waved and watched Austin roll away in his car. He was about to go back in the house when Peggy came out with her eyebrows raised.

“That looked pretty cozy,” she said with a smug smile.

“Yeah. I guess it did,” Evan answered.

“So you two—is it official?”

Evan nodded. “It’s official. We’re together.”

“
Finally
. I’ve been watching you two dance around each other for weeks. You’re such an adorable couple.”

“Thanks.” Evan didn’t know how to deal with the conversation, but it did feel… really good. He wanted to brag about Austin, and while he didn’t have a group of friends to drag Austin around to meet, he did have Peggy, and he liked that she’d noticed how they were together.

“So is he coming over tonight?”

“Um, Yeah. He is.”

“Would you two like to come over for dinner or are you… busy being a new couple.”

Oh, God.
Peggy really didn’t keep much to herself. “I think we can make it over if Austin closes the shop in time.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Peggy said with a sly shark grin.

IT HAD
been the best three weeks of Austin’s life. Hands down.

Three weeks of dates and kisses, sleepovers and lazy breakfasts before he shuffled off to the shop. Three weeks of watching Dexter and Maggie cuddle together while they watched movies that they barely paid attention to. It had been… perfect.

He didn’t even know how to express how much he loved being part of a couple—even a new, tentative couple like him and Evan who were still feeling each other out. He supposed it wasn’t just that it was a couple, but that it was the right one. It was how his skin tingled when Evan touched him, how he couldn’t keep his own hands off Evan’s skin. How since the first night they’d been together, neither one of them seemed to be able to spend a night alone. They were insatiable. They were addicted. Austin was more than okay with that.

He’d made dinner that night, since they’d spent the rest of the week doing takeout with friends and barbecue with Peggy and Jeff. He’d wanted to do something nice and homey, where they could eat and talk—and probably do a bit of staring at each other, who was he kidding?—something warm and filling, but romantic. That’s what Austin had been going for.

They’d just sat down with Austin’s alfredo lasagna and a huge spinach salad when the doorbell rang. Dexter and Maggie both sprinted to the door immediately. They didn’t bark, Austin had been working on that with Dexter since Maggie already knew not to, but they were both at attention, waiting to see what would happen next.

“You expecting anyone?” Austin asked. He got up to go make sure Maggie didn’t do anything dumb like jump up on whoever was at the door. She was usually very well trained, but sometimes she was still a young dog, and her excitement got the best of her. He and Evan had learned that the wrong way when she’d knocked Scout over onto the grass. Scout had thought it was hilarious, and she’d rolled around with Maggie and giggled, but it had scared the hell out of Austin for a moment.

Evan pushed his chair out and got up as well. “No. But I hope nothing’s wrong with Scout.” Other than Austin, and now their little group of friends once when Evan had them over, nobody ever came to his door—he’d told Austin that much. “This better not be a salesman,” he grumbled.

Austin took hold of Maggie’s collar and scooped Dexter up into his arms. Dexter’s little body was trembling with excitement. Austin knew he wanted to bark up a storm at whoever was on the other side of the door. He was being such a good boy keeping it in.

Evan unlocked the door and cracked it open. Then he made a small gasping sound and pulled it open the rest of the way. A slightly thin woman with dark brown hair, pale skin, and an angry expression stood in Evan’s doorway with a rolling suitcase. There was a car pulled up right behind Austin’s, a battered SUV that he couldn’t make out completely. What he could tell was that it was stuffed full of belongings. Austin had a bad feeling about whatever was going on. Evan looked like he didn’t know what the hell to say.

“Um… wow. D-Della,” he finally choked out. “What on earth are you doing here?”

Della. Austin should’ve known. She looked like Evan in a way. Sort of. But there was something different about her eyes. And that anger. Evan never had such irritation rolling off him.

“Who’s he, Ev?” She pointed right at Austin.

“Austin’s my boyfriend. Here. Come in. I’ll make you some tea.” Evan stepped aside and Austin did as well. Told Maggie to go lie down on the pillow that Evan had bought for her. She did, and he put Dexter right next to her on it and told him to stay. Della wheeled her suitcase in and then sat down onto the couch and looked around.

“Nice place. It sure beats the hellhole we came from.”

Evan, who’d been puttering around with tea and kettles and cups—probably to do something rather than any real desire for tea—came back into the living room area from his partially open kitchen.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re doing here?” Evan asked. “You haven’t called in days. I thought you were angry with me.”

“I don’t want to talk about anything with
him
here.” She pointed at Austin again. Austin felt immediately uncomfortable in the house that had almost started to feel like a second home.

“Dells, you’re being rude. His name is Austin. He’s my boyfriend.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a boyfriend?”

Austin felt a short sting of hurt before he realized that Evan probably had some very good reasons not to have heart to hearts with Della about his relationships. Her reaction to Austin would be one of them.

“I just hadn’t had the chance.”

“Well, I don’t want to talk while he’s here. He doesn’t live here, does he?”

“No, but we were just about to sit down to dinner.”

“You know, Ev, if you want time with your sister, I can leave. I don’t mind. I have stuff to do for tomorrow at the shop.”

Austin didn’t miss the glare sent his way for calling Evan by his nickname. He felt supremely uncomfortable. Worse than even when she’d first walked in.

“Babe….”

Austin saw the indecision in Evan’s eyes. He couldn’t just tell his sister to fuck off and find a hotel room. Austin doubted he could do that if Mary Beth were the one standing there. He doubted he’d even want to. But he obviously didn’t want to kick Austin out either. Austin decided he’d be the adult, since Evan’s sister was obviously not going to play nice. He’d known she was difficult—Evan’s words not his—sometimes. But he was rather unimpressed by his first taste of her.

“It’s okay. I really don’t mind. I’ll be out of your hair in a minute or so, and you two can catch up.” He gave Evan his softest, most supportive smile. Then he walked into Evan’s room, gathered the things he’d brought to spend the night, clipped Maggie’s leash on her, and slipped out the front door.

He was shaken up. Austin hadn’t really encountered many people in his life who didn’t like him—and definitely not that strongly and that quickly. It hurt his feelings a little, even though he knew it was more her than him. But it had definitely been the best thing to get out of the situation. Let Evan deal with it.

What a weird night….

To go from looking forward to dinner and a movie and another fun night in Evan’s bed, to, well, that? It had been quite a quick turn. Austin’s phone buzzed before he even had a chance to turn on his car.

I’m so sorry, babe… I had no idea. I’ll text you tomorrow.

He sighed.

I know you didn’t. It’s not your fault. Talk to you tomorrow xoxo.

He started his car and got about three blocks before his stomach growled.
Looks like a burrito for dinner for me….
Somehow it seemed depressing to try to cook for himself after he’d made dinner for Evan already.

EVAN WANTED
to scream. Like, literally if it wouldn’t have made the whole situation about a million times worse, he would have. Screamed. Out loud. He picked up Dexter, who in all rights he should’ve sent home with Austin just in case things got weird between him and Della. He cuddled his dog against his chest.

“You want some dinner?” he asked quietly. Austin’s beautiful lasagna was sitting on the table along with their salad and bread and wine. It would have been such a wonderful dinner. Evan thought of the cheesecake he had in the fridge for them to share later. He’d gotten so excited about their night. He leaned over and blew out the candle.

“Sorry to ruin your seduction scene,” Della said. She didn’t sound particularly sorry. More like glad that Austin was gone. Evan was going to have to deal with that in a second. First he needed to get some information from her.

“Sit. Please. I’m hungry, and we need to talk.” Evan sat down and served himself a generous portion of the lasagna, plus some garlic bread and salad. He gestured at the food.

“Please eat some. Most of this won’t be good past tonight.”

Austin had put so much effort into the lasagna. Evan felt like the biggest asshole on the planet. He vowed to make it up to him as soon as he possibly could.

“Really, Della, why did you come up here? It’s not that I’m not happy to see you, I am. I just didn’t expect you.”

She scoffed. “You look super happy to see me.”

“Well, some warning would’ve been nice. I was in the middle of a date. As you can see.”

“Right. And of course getting some action for your
dick
is more important than me.”

Evan was shocked. She’d never said anything that caustic about him before. “I can’t believe that just came out of your mouth.”

“What? I knew you were distant since you moved. Now I know why. You’re worse than Mom. She has her slot machines. You have your… whatever his name is.”

“His name is Austin, and we only met in the spring. I haven’t been distant to you, Dells. I call you all the time. You don’t always answer, but I call. Why are you here?”

She shrugged. “Because home blows? I hate it there, and so I left.”

“What do you mean left?”

“I packed up my shit, put it in my truck, and drove until I got here.”

Evan felt like his heart was about to pound out of his chest. No. He loved Della, but
no
. He’d just finally been getting things together. He was happy. He didn’t even know how to process the fact that Della was in town, possibly to stay.

“Did you find a place up here? Somewhere to work?” he asked. Stupid question. Of course she hadn’t. The likelihood of her having a job waiting for her was equally slim. Or zero.

“I will.” She didn’t sound very interested in the whole job search. Della’s tone was disinterested in general. She picked at the gorgeous lasagna that he hoped would still be good the next day and stared listlessly at the wall.