Order (Tattoos and Ties 2)

When he heard someone walking their way, Reed lifted his brows, and Alec gave one single nod of acceptance. Reed beamed at him, clapping his hands together then patting him on the shoulder as he turned toward the door. “Great.”

“Do we have our guy?” Arik Layne asked.

Arik was as handsome as he’d been told. Very well dressed, bold and loud, owning the room both figuratively and literally. But the little puppy in his arms commanded all the attention. The little thing was tiny, wide-eyed, and very alert. Arik’s affection for the puppy showed in his constantly stroking fingers, caressing the little one’s head.

“We do,” Reed answered proudly. “And I’ll need a contract review to cover his enormous salary.”

“Well, that’s not gonna happen,” Arik said dryly, his fingers momentarily pausing over the puppy’s head. “I already pay you an arm and a leg and what most certainly feels like my left nut as it is.” Arik seemed to dismiss Reed as he came toward Alec with his hand extended in greeting. “Arik Layne. Apparently Kensington does have what it takes to land you. I was afraid I was going to have to go around him and close this deal.”

He couldn’t help the laugh, Arik was so damn charming. He bet there wasn’t too much that didn’t just land at the guy’s feet.

“Alec Pierce, and the pleasure’s all mine.” The handshake was solid, and Alec nodded in the puppy’s direction. “Who’s this?”

“Right now, his name’s Little Bit,” Arik said, lifting the puppy for a full inspection. “He was the most lively of the bunch, put himself out in front of the other puppies, always garnering the attention. He reminded Kellus of me, or so he said. Which honestly, I don’t see at all, but he’s ours as of yesterday. Kellus is my husband.”

The puppy’s whole body lifted when he turned his head toward Arik and barked. The puppy seemed fearless and in control of the room. Of course, Alec didn’t know Arik well, but he saw the connection between the puppy and the man.

“Kellus is coming by to get him. He had his first vet visit today, but my husband had a delivery.”

“Where did you get him?” Alec asked, reaching over to rub his tiny head. Little Bit yapped at Alec, then ducked his head for a thorough petting.

“Kellus’s parents have a batch of them. They have two Bostons, a male and female. Apparently, something didn’t take when they had her spayed. It was a surprise pregnancy.” The puppy was so damn cute. His most immediate thought was Key and how his big guy would look holding such a little puppy in his arms.

“There’re more puppies?” Alec asked as the idea formed. Were he and Key ready for such a big step?

With a mental shake of the head, Alec scolded himself…again. He had lectured himself for the length of the drive between Austin and Westlake to not let his thoughts shift to his lover during this interview. Key was a thought-robber, and Alec had to start putting the man in his place if he truly wanted to accomplish his goals for their relationship.

Even with the mental reminder, Alec couldn’t let go of the image of Key holding the little puppy as protectively as Arik. Key would scoff at the idea of adding a dog to their lives, but Alec’s gut said Key would care for and guard the animal with his life.

“Oh yeah, I believe they have three more. They’re just six weeks right now. Kellus’s mom is having a hard time letting them go. She wants to ensure they’re going to good homes,” Arik explained.

“I’m interested in one,” Alec said, throwing caution to the wind. The pup seemed to move into his touch, causing Alec to smile.

“Here hold him. Just be careful, he’s particularly bad about wetting.”

Alec took the puppy whose little body quivered until he tucked him against his chest. He was adorable, and as sweet as he could be. Alec wondered if Key had ever had a dog of his own before. Alec never had. His grandfather had some, said one of them was Alec’s, but he only saw him a few times a year during school breaks.

“So how about an early dinner to celebrate?” Arik asked and clapped his hands together, startling the puppy who reacted with an adjustment in his arms and a solid round of yapping. Alec wasn’t sure what made Reed laugh, the dog, Arik’s eagerness, or Alec’s sudden need for a puppy.

“You gotta be careful of Layne, here,” Reed said to Alec and hooked a thumb in Arik’s direction. “He eats all the time. You’ll gain twenty pounds the first month working here if you eat every time he wants to eat.”

“I’m a food connoisseur,” Arik confirmed with all authority, but his focus remained on the dog until Alec relinquished Little Bit back to Arik who carefully placed him on the floor and followed behind him.