Page 13 of Inked Temptation
ChapterFour
Killian
Ice slicked along my skin, through my pores, up my throat and nose, and seeped out of my eyes. Everything was ice, a pure chill that would never go away. I choked myself awake as if I were still coughing up that icy water and swallowed hard, wiping away the damp sweat all over me.
Cora stood on top of me on the bed, her little Lab face full of worry.
I honestly didn’t know if I would have woken up without reliving countless versions of the unending nightmare without her on top of me.
Cora barked once, loud and sharp, and I laughed. I couldn’t help it.
“That’s a good girl. I’m awake—no more nightmares.”
She gave me a look like she clearly didn’t believe me. I was awake, but we both knew the nightmares would come again.
I shook my head before I sat up and she got off of me, but instead of jumping off the bed, she scrambled off to the side of me, wanting a full belly rub. I obliged, loving how she still acted like a puppy even though she was four years old now, and everyone kept telling me that she would eventually calm down. But no, she was an outdoor dog who wanted to live on the posh side of bougieness when it came to this bedroom. Meaning she had her dog bed but slept in my bed. While I would have been fine with a cot, or even a sleeping bag on the floor, Cora needed something more. I got a king-sized bed with an adjustable base so she would always be comfortable, even during the nights where I couldn’t sleep, paced outside, or went back to work. Cora was the one who got her sleep every night with the down comforter and soft sheets.
I hadn’t had anyone in this bed other than the two of us, and since I didn’t see that changing anytime soon, my dog got what she wanted.
When Cora rolled off the bed and went to the front of the house, I followed her, sliding on a pair of sweats as I did so. I always slept in at least underwear around her since I didn’t need those doggy paws anywhere near certain parts of me, but I hated sleeping in anything else since I tended to twist and turn.
I let her out to do her business and then kept the door open so she could make her way back inside. She did so, somehow closing the door behind her. She was far too clever for this early in the morning.
“Thank you. Since the sun isn’t up, I guess those raccoons could come back.”
She gave me a patient look, and I just smiled.
“Okay, let’s get some coffee and see what we’re going to do for the day.”
She looked at her bowl, and then her water dish, and gave me such a pleading look that I put my hand over my chest.
“I know. I’m starving you. How on earth are you supposed to make it through the day since you haven’t had food since your snack at eight last night? It’s four in the morning now. You must be starving.”
She gave another bark and I smiled. With that rusty smile still in place, I went to feed her, give her water, and grabbed my cup of coffee once it finished brewing.
“Now, what are we going to do for the day? Want to go for a hike?”
She gave me a look before she returned to her breakfast, and I sighed.
“Okay, we did the hike yesterday. We could do it again, but I know we need to work on the project’s next phase. I don’t want to have to hire a damn plumber since the last one flaked out on us.”
She licked the last of her bowl and then came up to me, putting her head on my knee.
I sighed. “I know I could ask the neighbor. Or I could just ask Penny. She would know someone.”
Cora just blinked at me.
“Okay, so maybe knowing Penny, she would just tell me to use the neighbor since she knows everything, but it’s fine. For all I know, Archer Montgomery quit his job because he fell off the roof, and Evelyn and Roger didn’t want to deal with it anymore.”
Cora let out a huff, then went to the back door, her butt wiggling.
“Let’s go for a walk, and then we’ll figure out what to do. You are very demanding.”
She let out an indignant huff and I snorted before grabbing my shoes and her leash. Though I would walk her off-leash for a bit on our property, she’d be on leash as soon as we went off the property into the mountains. There were too many bears, other wildlife, and hikers around for me not to.
I frowned, looked at my phone for the date again, and nodded. It wasn’t hunting season, so we wouldn’t need her jacket, but soon it would be, then she’d need her little jacket so people would realize that she wasn’t a deer or whatever the hell they wanted to hunt.
I shook my head and let Cora lead me around for a short walk, letting my thoughts rest.
