Just One Night(70)

where Riley’s dog had already done her business and was now furiously chasing

her own tail.

“He’s just cautious,” Sam said, crossing his arms. “Your wild woman out there’s

going to be a handful when she gets older.”

“Nah. My dog is just getting it out of her system now. Your dog will go through a

rebellious stage, getting all sassy in his teens.”

They both watched as he opted to poop on the porch rather than deal with the

scary bugs. “Or maybe not,” Riley amended. “Maybe he’ll always be timid.”

“Mellow. Mellow is the word you’re looking for.”

Riley’s dog came bounding over and head butted her brother, who went

scampering behind Sam’s legs.

“Have you considered Kamikaze for a name?” Sam asked, watching as the girl

dog turned its attention toward Sam’s shoelaces. “Or maybe Armageddon?”

Riley scooped up the puppy. “I was thinking Pippy. Or Lady.”

“Yeah, I’m going to go with no on the second one,” he said. “She’s already peed—

twice—on my bath mat and eaten both of their food portions.”

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world, Compton,” she said, heading back inside. “Kill or be

killed and all that.”

“You’re so scary,” Sam muttered as they both went to put their dogs in their

respective crates.

Riley noticed the way he hesitated before putting the squirming puppy into the

crate alone. She wasn’t having any better luck on her end, looking into those

pleading brown eyes. Pet me! Play with me!

“Can’t they cuddle with us? Just for one night?” she asked.

He glanced over at her. “It’ll create bad habits.”

“But those are the best kind,” she said, stroking the dog’s silky ear.

Sam took a deep breath, put his dog into the crate, and locked the door. “I’ll make

it up to you?”

She glanced at him through narrowed eyes. “It’d better be good. Really good.”

He gave her a hooded look. “Two years ago, March issue. Want to try it?”

Riley quickly went back through her mental catalog of previous issues. She

remembered her own pieces pretty well, but she was surprised that he did. Must

have been a doozy of an—

Her eyes widened as she remembered the one he was talking about. “Nighty

night, Pippy!” she sang, quickly maneuvering the squirming dog into the crate and

latching the door before launching herself at Sam.

But the problem became clear before their lips made contact.

The dogs obviously had no respect for the sacred March issue two years ago,

nor for the dog experts’ crate-training advice.

Sam and Riley stared at each other as they listened to the angry set of high-

pitched puppy barks. “You know, I’ve been keeping the distillery pretty warm—”

he said hesitantly.

“Yes!” she said, already moving toward the crates.

Two seconds later they slid the sliding door closed, effectively shutting out the

sound of two irate dogs.

Riley hesitated. “You don’t think they’ll be lonely?”

“They have each other,” he said, already reaching for her.

Riley led him toward the bed, scrambling to pull back the covers. She paused,

running her hands along the soft gray bedding. “New sheets? They’re—”

“Forget the f**king sheets.”

He pulled her up onto her knees and pulled off her turtleneck in one motion. His

hands framed her face, devouring her mouth as her hands wrestled with his belt

and jeans.

“You’re getting better at that,” he said against her mouth as she pulled his jeans

and boxers over his hips.

“A little practice. A lot of motivation.”

They pulled apart only long enough to shed their shoes and jeans, and then his

hands found her once more, one arm banded firmly around her back as the other

hand wrapped around the base of her neck.

Riley curled her own fingers in his hair, holding his head steady. Her tongue

coaxed his into her mouth, where she sucked at it wantonly.

He pulled back and swore harshly before pressing a hand against her

breastbone, another beneath her hip, and maneuvering her onto her back. Riley

squirmed as he grabbed her h*ps and pulled her closer to the edge of the bed.

Sam skimmed a finger over the bow at her hip. “Red panties today. Nice.”

“You like? I just got them—”

Then Riley forgot all about the matching set of red lingerie she’d bought just

because she knew it was his favorite color, because Sam was peeling them off

and tossing them aside even as he dropped to his knees.

His eyes locked with hers for a split second before his hands found her thighs,