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"I’ her lower lip between ainst her belly, and I’m afraid it will scare her

"What about you, Pete?" she says She reaches down ers beneath ers around htly

I bury my face in her neck I’ll just let her touch roan as my balls crawl up toward my body, and I spill into her hand Her hand stills for a second, but her eyes close as she hter I thrust into her fist, which is noith the product of us She doesn’t let go Her hand is tight and sure She rolls her thu od-awful mess on her belly I still and look up into her face She’s laughing I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look quite so happy She wraps ainst her Her other is trapped between us, and she’s still holding onto rip, and hiss as she squeezes hter I throw the shirt that’s over her tits to the side and layto catch my breath "I’m sorry," I say I didn’t mean to do that

She takes my face in her hands and lifts it so that I look at her She’s grinning "Are you kidding?" she laughs "That was a"

"Yeah, it kinda was," I say I kiss her I can’t stop it I have to "We’re a les, and I have never, ever heard a happier sound

"Are you all right?" I ask What if she’s delirious froainst the pillow, her chest shaking with laughter "I think I just cah, too I can’t help it It’s contagious--her happiness She’s fking happy And so aan

I wake up in Pete’s arether Pete had taken off his boxers and used them to clean up the mess between us, and then he slid into bed nad, just like ainst his chest and kissedthat was I don’t think it was nearly as aet me off, and all I had to do was touch hiht of it Perfect That’s what it was Perfect

He stirs when I start to move, and his arie is retching beside the bed, and I need to get up I’ to have to call the vet This isn’t normal for her Not at all I suppose it can wait until the sun colance at the clock on the bedside table, and it’s not even ht back," I whisper to Pete He rolls into his pillow, and I’m not even sure he’s awake He makes a low sound, but it’s more of a mumble I pull Pete’s shirt over my head and slide into my jeans Then I stickunderwear, but I just need to go to the bathrooie’s mess I pet her head for a second, and she looks up at me like she’s sorry The hallway is dark when I step out, and it takes o back and clean up the floor and go pee really quickly, but then I see Maggie standing at the front door, scratching at it She needs to go out It’s the ood section of town "Oh, Mags," I say "Can’t it wait?" I throw roan I suppose I could wake Pete up I really don’t want to go down by ie with me

Papers rustle at the kitchen table, and I ju there, and he closes a book in front of himself It’s the one with the ponytail--Matt? He lays his pen down and says quietly, "Does she need to go out?" He stands up and reaches for his shoes "I’ll take her" He slides his feet into his shoes and walks toward o to any trouble," I say I take a step back, and Maggie growls at his," I scold She buries her head under my hand and runs back to the door, where she scratches "I’o back to our rooie’s leash, and clip it to her collar I open the door and step out, but before I can close it behind o," I say

He ja the door to the stairwell He doesn’t say a word He just walks doith us and out toward the street, where he leads us to an area with soie is "All done?" he asks He brushes his hair back because so out of the rubber band at the back of his neck He really does look a lot like Pete, but he’s thin and tall He’s not as broad as Pete, but he’s wiry and I can tell he’s strong He’s not threatening at all, and the fact that he’s not surprises me Men usually scare the hell out of me

"Yeah," I say, and we start back toward the apartment

The city is not asleep I doubt it ever sleeps, and so knit caps and football jerseys I back up and step into Matt He puts his hands on ently, and then he steps back He holds the door wide, and I slide through without touching hi over the fact that he didn’t make my skin crawl "You okay?" he asks as we start up the stairs

I nod But I have this lump in my throat I officially have three men in my life noho don’t scare me My dad, Pete, and this man I don’t know And the fact that I don’t know hiwith o out in the dark alone He’d never forgive irl

"I should have just woken him up I don’t think he’d , huh?"

I guess I haven’t Not when he gets right out of bed "No," I adht, he’d never ca all sorts of things about hiet halfway up the stairs and I realize Maggie’s not with us I let her leash drop after we cah the door because she always follows so closely I look down and see her on the second level, lying on the floor panting "Mags?" I say I walk toward her, and she lumbers to her feet But she’s unsteady, and she refuses to walk up the stairs

"Will she let me carry her?" Matt asks

I doubt it I can carry her myself, but before I can say so, he walks over to her and lets her sniff his hand He pets her head and down the length of her back Then he hoists her into his arms and carries her up the stairs She doesn’t complain, and she doesn’t try to bite him

He lets us into the apartment and sets her down, and then he sits down on the floor and lets her crawl into his lap "She doesn’t usually like people," I say

He smiles "They can tell e’re harht?" he asks

"I think she’ll be okay until encies I’ve never had to deal with one all by myself

"Probably," he says He rises to his feet, and I realize how big he really is He’s at least as tall as Pete, and he’s covered in tattoos just like Pete is, but he’s…different It’s hard to explain "Want soe

I’s me a bottle of water, and I see hie It’s Rocky Road, my favorite

"Want some?" he whispers, and he takes out tls He starts to scoop ice cream into them

"Did ake you up?" I ask, and I sit down at the table when he hands me a bowl and a spoon

"No" He shakes his head "I don’t sleep well sos "It clears ain "Just journal stuff," he says "They hadto die" He chuckles, but it’s a sound with no huood ice creaht?"

"As far as I know," he says "I have to go back next week for tests"