Page 35 of Puppy Kisses

“Do you want the fun, sexy answer I’d give to the man I’m sleeping with, or would you prefer the real one?”

“The real one, please.”

She didn’t have to think about it. “I’d put on one of your oversized work shirts and nothing else. I’d pour us each a huge glass of that disgusting butterscotch schnapps out there and lounge with you on your couch watching Netflix until we fell asleep together.”

“Netflix?”

“It’s not as selfish as it sounds. They have really good audio description tracks on some of their shows.”

“I know that,” he said carefully. “But I didn’t know thatyouknew that.”

She turned away, even though he couldn’t see the blush that had crept into her cheeks. “I got curious and googled it one night.” Since she was still feeling oddly exposed, she added, “And strange as it seems, having someone to watch Netflix with is every woman’s dream.”

“You lie.”

“Okay,somewomen might prefer to binge-watch their favorite shows alone, but I’m not one of them. I watched all of theAmerican Horror Storyseasons a few weeks ago, and I still have to sleep with the lights on. I’m pretty sure there’s a ghost trapped in my basement.”

Adam clearly assumed she was making another joke, so she let the subject go. How could she explain to him that she wasn’t kidding, that the sum of all her hopes and dreams was to find a place where she could comfortably loll about, half-dressed and half-drunk, with a man who accepted her for who she was?

It was a truth as bleak as it was simple—she’d never be as professionally driven as Lila, and she’d never be as sweetly determined as Sophie. She’d never reach any great personal heights or distinguish herself in any way. The only thing she was good at was enjoying herself, and even that was a struggle these days.

“He’s a friendly ghost, though,” she said, careful to insert a smile into her voice. “Like an erotic Casper. His moans are a littletooenthusiastic, if you know what I’m saying.”

“Considering what you just did to me in that shower, I know what you’re saying.”

It was as good a segue as any. The flirtation was back on, the lighthearted note returned to the air. There would be no lounging and no Netflix, but that was okay. She hadn’t really expected him to take her up on the offer.

After all, that was the sort of thingrealcouples did. If there was one thing Dawn had learned in this lifetime, it was that real couple stuff—real love—wasn’t designed with women like her in mind.

Chapter 8

Adam wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed when he woke up the next morning to find that Dawn had already come and gone for the day.

“I was up and about at an obscene hour, so I’ve taken the puppies to Bea’s to help me garden,” Phoebe read aloud from the note that had been left on the kitchen counter along with an oversized box of pastries. “If I’m not back after lunch, assume I’ve been murdered and used as fertilizer. One of you can have my vintage movie-poster collection.”

The sound of whooshing paper filled Adam’s ears as Zeke swept in and plucked the note from Phoebe’s hand. “I call dibs on the posters,” Zeke said.

“Shame on you!” Phoebe laughed. “I thought she was your friend.”

“She is, but you wouldn’t believe how good that collection is. Valuable, too. She likes the really porny ones.”

Phoebe choked on another laugh, but all Adam could manage was a sigh. Only Dawn could turn her last will and testament into a sexual escapade. “Of course she does,” he said, resigned. “What time is it now?”

“A little after eight.”

He reached for one of the pastries. They were sticky and sweet and not at all the kind of food necessary to fuel a morning of hard labor.

And, he hardly needed to add, delicious.

“Then we’re fine,” he said around a mouthful of apple-flavored goo. “She can’t possibly be dead yet.”

“How do you know that?”

He licked one of his fingers. “Because these are still warm. She must not have left here too long ago, and it’ll take Bea at least an hour to do her in. Possibly two. Dawn seems like the type who won’t go down without a fight.”

“See, Phoebe?” Zeke said, triumphant. “Adam doesn’t seem too worried about her untimely demise, either.”

“That’s because I’m not. Dawn’s death would solve a lot of our problems.”