Page 29 of Their Pup to Tame

I didn’t tug mine free when he grabbed it; the urge wasn’t even there. I just strode across the parking lot with our hands swinging between us, unable to believe he’d done that. My fucking face was still a mess, thanks to the gods-be-damned stitches, and he was easily one of the most beautiful men I’d ever met.

A part of me longed to duck my head and hide the wreckage, but it was too ingrained in me to always walk with my head up and my gaze sweeping everything around me so I wouldn’t be caught off guard.

So then why did all the feelings I’d had since meeting these two leave my head reeling every goddamn time we were in the same room?

Okay, it happened when I was alone in the dark, too, especially after what had happened between us on the couch. Fuck, I was so not thinking about that right now when we still had to go up the path to get to the ice cream stand.

I knew I was rambling when I started speaking, but I couldn’t help myself. “They make the best toppings in the world. I always have a hard time choosing since I love all of them equally and without prejudice.”

“Sounds like extraordinary toppings,” he replied.

“And no line! Yes!” I declared, bounding over and tugging him along since he still hadn’t let go of my hand. “They have blackberry and peaches. Can I have both, please, in a large sundae cup, with whipped cream and lemon zest on top?”

“Coming right up,” the lady at the counter replied while Parker studied the list of topping flavors written in bold green and pink on the chalkboard attached to the side of the stand.

“And what would you suggest for a first-timer?” Parker asked after he’d stared at it for over a minute.

“Hmmm,” I hummed as I studied the list again. “Cherry, since you asked for three in every Tropical Thunder you got. Why not just order the cherry bombs? Those are always amazing unless Lanny is pouring. Then they taste like cough syrup.”

“Lanny was pouring,” he replied.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Between the deadpanned voice and grim expression, he sounded tired, bored, and completely unamused. I low-key felt chastised by his expression and snickered more as I turned away.

“Never mind,” I muttered, barely getting the words out before I started laughing again.

“Here you go, hun, enjoy,” the clerk said when she returned with my sundae. “And can I get you anything, sir?”

“Cherry vanilla sundae, please,” Parker said, “and some extra napkins for when he snorts ice cream all over the place.”

And I almost did too. In my haste to get the first spoonful to my lips, I laughed at the most inopportune moment and got ice cream on my nose instead.

“Make that extra, extra on the napkins, please,” Parker declared as he used the one that had come with my sundae to dab at the spot.

I slipped her a twenty when she returned with his sundae and the extra napkins before turning to glare him down when he tried to protest.

“Fine,” he grumbled before sliding his wallet back in his pocket. “But dinner is on me, and I won’t hear any arguments out of you, either.”

Damn, he kind of trapped me with that one.

“If you insist,” I grumbled.

“I do, and I know just where to take us too, if you don’t mind continuing on this road for the rest of the afternoon.”

“Didn’t you say we were going to see where the day takes us?”

“I did.”

“Then this road is as good as any other.”

“I can’t believe we wound up here, of all places,” he said. “I always meant to come back, but I couldn’t remember how.”

“Why didn’t you just ask whoever you were with?”

He tsked and appeared almost embarrassed when he answered. “We arrived via luxury bus as part of this epic food and wine tour where they got to take pictures of us with the products at all thestops and post them on social media, and it didn’t cost us a thing to sample as much as we liked.”

“Damn, sounds like one hell of a good deal to me.”

“Oh, it was. It ended with my wine rack a dozen bottles fuller, though I’m sure I easily sampled three times as many with all the places we went. We had so much food shoved in front of us, I don’t even remember it all. There was a huge assortment of chocolates and cheeses too. I brought an entire bag home filled with sample boxes I took great delight in going through when I opened the wine. Hell, I can admit it, I completely indulged myself and created a gourmet menu to go with each bottle, complete with dessert.”