Page 48 of The Offer

Jess smirked. “Technically, I don’t need a bed for that, you know.”

Kevin rolled his eyes and pushed his toes into her ribcage. She yelped, the tablet sliding between her and the couch as she snatched them and squeezed hard. He cowered in pain as he yanked his foot from her grasp.

“Besides, even if the act occurs in a bed, that doesn’t mean I have to sleep in the same bed,” she added.

“We are slipping right past Jess admitting she wants to have a one-night stand,” Rory squeaked. “I want details.”

“I don’t,” Calvin grunted.

“It’s part of my summer bucket list,” she explained, keeping her tone even. No part of her wanted to be talking to high schoolers about her sex life. Even if they did just graduate.

Melanie asked, “Why don’t you want to share a bed with someone?” as she lazily traced her fingers along Calvin’s arm.

Jess reached for the tablet, ignoring their gazes. “After sharing a bed with Charlie for so many years, I realized I hate it. If I decide to have a future partner, he’ll have to be comfortable with separate beds or I’ll walk.”

“Noted.” Kevin sat up and winked at her. “I’m okay with separate beds.”

“You really are insufferable,” Jess grumbled, and burrowed deeper into the couch. “It’s like you expect me, after nine years of being a relationship, to settle down and call you honey—”

The puppy perked up, little floppy ears straightening as she turned toward Jess.

Jess sat up straight, brows raised, eyes on her dog. “Honey?”

The puppy stuck out her tongue and panted, recognizing the name.

“Oh my god, she heard that.”

“Honey, Honey! Come here, Honey!” Kevin chanted, patting the couch aggressively.

Honey hopped off Rory’s chest and ran for Kevin. She jumped for the couch but her paw slipped, causing her to stumble forward. Kevin scooped her up before her head could make contact and cradled her close to his chest. He nuzzled his nose into her neck as Honey yipped and nibbled his ear, tail wagging a mile a minute.

Jess scooted closer to them, reaching up to scratch the back of their puppy’s head. “Would you like a treat, little girl?”

Honey didn’t react to the word treat and kept nipping at Kevin’s ear.

She pointed to the bag on the coffee table. “Calvin, shake that bag.”

He lifted the treat bag and shook it hard a few times. Honey didn’t budge at the sound, still content in Kevin’s arms.

“Try the squeaky toy.”

Rory did, squeaking it an obnoxious number of times. Nothing.

“Hmm.” Jess tapped her chin.

“Honey,” Melanie said.

The dog perked up again, turning toward Melanie, and let out a soft, hoarse yip. The puppy had yet to bark fully around them, and Jess wondered whether she was aware of how loud her voice could get.

“Maybe it’s the cadence of it she can recognize, like the syllables and the tone,” she pondered.

“My girls are so smart,” Kevin mused.

Jess scrunched her nose and took the dog out of his hands. “I am not your girl.”

“But she is, isn’t that right, Honey?”

A little tail wiggled in response.