I hid Don Gato under Reed’s jacket when I got on the bus. I looked like I was six-months pregnant, but there was no way I could walk the entire way. It was now a little more than an hour after Jon and Bitsy had left for school. Don Gato was still alive when I knocked on Reed’s door.During the entire trip, I swore I wouldn’t cry. Reed answered the door with bedhead, no shirt, low-slung sweatpants, and a sleepy adorable look on his face.“I need your help and…and I’ll sleep with you to get it.”Anger quickly replaced the sleepy look and, for a moment, I thought he would close the door in my face.“What. The. Fuck, Jaycee?”I started crying. It wasn’t soft or delicate, pretty, or feminine. It just poured out. I unzipped the jacket and uncovered Don Gato.“I don’t want him to suffer, but I couldn’t kill him. I don’t have the money to have him put down and I couldn’t do it.” I was repeating myself and blubbering like a fool.“Christ.”His arms closed around Don Gato and me at the same tim

Bitsy’s smile disappeared when she saw I didn’t have Don Gato and her lips started quivering. Jon looked resigned.“He’s at the vet, Bitsy. They think he has an infection and they’re keeping him overnight for fluids and medicine.” I turned to Jon so he would understand. “Reed gave me a ride to the vet’s office.”Jon’s eyes narrowed. “Is he paying for it?”I looked back at Bitsy and smiled at her. “No, the doctor said he would take the bunny money as payment in full.” If I was going to start a lifetime of lying, I might as well make it good.There was no chance Jon believed me, but he would keep quiet with Bitsy within earshot.I cooked dinner and had just enough time to make it to my evening class. I only had to go to the community college once a week because I used a computer at the library and took most of the course online. It was easier to work around my schedule this way. I turned in my assignment, did my lab, and walked outside to catch the bus.Several guys stood about ten feet

The pizza place had games with flashing lights, screaming kids, and harassed-looking parents. Reed, who seemed overwhelmed by Bitsy’s earlier questions, had no problem playing games like a kid and putting tokens in the machines as fast as they could use them. Jon mostly stayed back watching Bitsy closely. He watched Reed too, and I knew he was having just as much trouble trying to figure him out as I did.“This is the best pizza in the whole wide world,” Bitsy said after she finished her first slice, sauce smeared across her mouth and pure joy in every word.After we finished eating, I watched her and Reed play more games. It started getting late and I hated to ruin the fun, but we still had homework to finish.“Play a round of foosball with me and then we’ll go.” There was a gleam in Reed’s eye, the carefree kid in him evident.I had to fight rolling my eyes. “I don’t know how to play foosball and I thought you were the baseball man.”“Come on, I’ll show you.” He took my hand, pullin

He didn’t give me a chance to say anything else. He opened the door and literally jogged around his car and opened mine. When I tried to stand, he swung me up in his arms and I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck. I’m not sure how he managed to unlock the door and enter the security code on his alarm system, but he did.He carried me up the stairs. I finally decided I needed to say something because the last statement I made in the car got me pressed against his warm hard chest and had left me temporarily speechless. “What are you doing?”“I’m getting something out of the way.”“Umm, I need a shower if your plans include us both naked in your bed.” I so hoped that’s what he planned.His grumble made me smile, but he didn’t say anything, just carried me through his bedroom into a bathroom that was bigger than my entire trailer. Muted light came from some kind of lighting system that blew my mind. It was a bathroom for god’s sake. He hit a switch on the wall and the lights

For a long time we lay there with him buried deep inside me.“Shh.” He wiped tears from my eyes. Tears I didn’t even know I was crying. “Did I hurt you, baby?” His concern just made it worse.“No.” I gave him just a touch of my smile. “That was beautiful.” He had no idea I was talking about him, but I was.He tipped his head until his forehead touched mine. “You’re beautiful, Jaycee. So damn fucking beautiful.”He pretty much took the words out of my mouth and my smile grew.“When can we do it again?” I wanted to already. I wanted to keep this connection with him so badly.His chuckle preceded a kiss to my nose. “You’re gonna be sore, so we should wait.”“I’ve waited so long, Reed. I want you again.”I could tell he wanted me again too because I could feel him growing inside of me. He took ahold of my hair and moved my face to the side so he had access to my neck.“I hope you don’t mind love bites because I’ve marked you, baby, and I plan on marking you some more.”“I’ll kill you late