covered in too many blankets took up the right side, with a small living area in the middle and a kitchenette to the left. Soft yellows and pinks were everywhere; warm and welcoming. It was the opposite of my place. Sadie ushered Bear into the room and unhooked his leash. “You’ll be a hero at the shelter tomorrow , Bear. Mr. Woofkins will be thrilled to have you back.” The dog dropped my shoe and sniffed around the living space before jumping onto a small yellow couch. He sure looked at home. “Why haven’t you adopted Bear?” I picked up the slobber -covered loafer and reluctantly slipped it back on. My sock was soaked through in seconds. “Y ou clearly care for him.” Sadie eyed my shoe with a grimace. “This is student housing, and they don’t allow pets. I’d get my own place, but it was included in my scholarship. At least I can make up for it by spending all my free time at the shelter, right?” Before I could decide if that was a rhetorical question, Sadie gasped and looked toward the windowsill. “Oh! I haven’ t watered Walter yet today .” She filled a cup with an inch of water before pouring it over the saddest excuse for a plant I’d ever seen. It might’ve been green at some point, but the whole thing was brown and shriveled up now . “It’s... still alive?” Sadie looked between me and the poor plant. “I think so? I’ve never been great with plants, but the guy at the garden shop said it was impossible to kill this one.” I eyed the wilted leaves dubiously . It was definitely possible. Sadie put out water for Bear, as well as a bowl of dog food she mixed with yogurt. ... Disgusting . But Bear must disagree, because he jumped down from the couch and attacked the yogurt mush like it was a feast. A pile of dog food bags caught my eye. Boxes of treats and toys, plus half a dozen dog beds, filled the small dining area. My brows practically climbed into my hairline. “If you can’ t have pets, what’ s all this for?” Sadie stood from feeding Bear and followed my gaze. “These are just some things I bought for the shelter. It can’t afford as much after rent doubled a few months ago.”
Out of everythin g Sadie had said since I’d met her, that surprised me the most. “What do you mean the rent doubled?” One of her delicate shoulders lifted. “That’s what Mr. Sanders told us. Donations barely cover half the kibble now, so he can’t afford the fun stuff. We do a tennis-ball drive twice a year, but the next one’s not for another few months.” That wasn’t possible. “Sadie, that block is rent controlled. There’s a limit on how high rent can be raised.” She frowned. “Mr. Sanders wouldn’ t lie to us. And how would you know something like that?” Because my father owned that block, and I wasn’t looking forward to giving the old bastard a call about it. And now my gut told me not to leave Sadie in this shithole. “How about you stay with me tonight?” From the way her jaw dropped, one might think I’d proposed. But Sadie coughed before covering it with a smile and sitting on the couch. “I like you, Dav, but I don’t know you well enough for that.” Her gaze dropped to her lap, and she cleared her throat. “What happened in the car was—well, it was —” “Hot as hell,” I finished for her . Her cheeks turned an appealing shade of pink, and she cleared her throat again, growing more flustered. “Um, yes. But it’s time for the mole to go back in his hole.” I stared back at her. Of all the things I’d expected her to say... that wasn’t one of them. “What mole?” Sadie’s eyes bugged out, and if her cheeks were pink before, they were blazing red now. “Never mind. I just meant it’s really sweet of you to offer, but Bear and I will be just fine here. Right, boy?” I glanced at the monstrous beast as he finished inhaling his dinner and hopped onto the couch beside her. He rested his head on her lap, but what Sadie had said tripped me up. No one had ever called me sweet before. She smothered the dog with pets and kisses, and I swear the furry bastard winked at me. But watching Sadie cuddling with Bear in her cute apartment—with her pink hair and overalls—just confirmed what I’d realized earlier. This girl wasn’t cut out for my life. She was too good for it. If I were a better man, I’d walk away right now .
Lucky for me, I wasn’ t. “All right, but the offer is always open.” I curled my finger at her. “Now come here.” Her head cocked to the side in question, but she rose from the couch and padded closer. When she stopped in front of me with big trusting eyes, I reached for her neck and tipped her chin up further . “You’re a good girl, aren’ t you, Sadie?” I asked. Her eyelids drooped, and she relaxed—almost melting into me. She’d reacted the same way to my words of praise in the car. “Today wasn’t a great example, but I try my best.” Her neck was soft and fragile under my grip. Too fragile—like the little bunny I’d seen her as when we first met. I stroked my thumb against her skin and leaned down before stopping an inch from her lips. She even smelled like the sweetest temptation. Baked goods and vanilla. Way too sweet for a bastard like me. And that only made her more attractive. “Then be a good girl and give me a kiss.” Sadie’s eyes widened before she placed her hands on my chest and stretched up to meet my lips in a tentative kiss that shouldn’ t be this arousing. Her lips were plump and soft and highly addictive. It was supposed to be a quick goodbye, but when a soft sigh es caped Sadie’s lips, I cupped the back of her head and slid an arm around her waist, de epening the kiss. She melted against me. I could easily get hooked on the sweet way her body surrendered to a kiss. I could also spend all night kissing her . Tasting her . Devouring her. Then the damn dog gave a warning growl from the couch, and Sadie tensed in my arms. I reluctantly pulled back and k ept my voice low, not sparing a look at Bear. “Can we lock him in the bathroom?” Sadie’s kiss-swollen lips twitched. “I think you already know the answer to that.” A nice way to say I wasn’ t getting chosen over the dog. Pity . I held out a hand, palm up. “Let me see your phone, then.”
Sadie pulled her phone out of her overalls and handed it over without hesitation. Her quick trust made something in my chest snap. The phone had a pink case with a cupcake charm, and the background picture was a group of dogs in a play area. I blinked at the overload of cuteness before adding my number and texting myself. When I looked back at Sadie, her fingers rested on her lips and a blush had consumed her cheeks as she stared into space. She had no right to be so damn adorable. “There, now you have my number ,” I said, sliding the phone back into her overalls. Sadie jerked out of her daze and looked back at me. “Text or call me if you want to talk before tomorrow night, okay?” The way she nodded shouldn’ t make my chest expand, but I hid my smile by leaning forward and kissing her forehead. “I’ll pick you up at seven. Be good, sweetheart.” Sadie grinned widely . “You be good, too.” That morphed my smile into a smirk as I st epped into the hall. She hadn’ t corrected me this time. I waited until Sadie locked the door behind me before leaving. She’d probably gone back to the couch to cuddle with Bear, and a flash of envy gave me pause. ... Since when was I jealous of a dog?
D a v i a n I waited until I was outside Sadie’s building before calling Vince. “She lives in a dump. You up to ke ep watch tonight?” There was a loaded pause before he answered. “You’re talking about the deranged woman who held you up earlier today and ran from me, right?” “She’s not deranged. And we’ll have a chat about her giving you the slip, by the way .” “You can blame that one on Hollis. He wasn’t told not to let her out the gate,” he said. “She shouldn’ t have even made it to the gate.” “I’m not a babysitter ,” he grumbled. “Just have her come here if there’s a problem with her place.” That’s what I’d wanted to do, but... “She’ s not ready for that.” He scoffed. “Not ready ? What the hell kind of game are you playing, Davian?” “No games.” I didn’t know where this thing with Sadie would go, but it wasn’t a game. “She’s not cut out for this shit. For get about her before you —” “I didn’t call you for dating advice, Vince. I’ll text her address to you. Get your ass over here.” He huffed. “This is a mistake.” “If I didn’ t have a meeting, I’d do it myself. This is important to me.” Another pause before Vince groaned. “Y ou owe me, man.”