“Thank you,” I say quietly to the empty hall and shut the door.
* * *
Keeping my clothes on, I toe my shoes off and lean my backpack against the nightstand. Climbing into the bed, I slip beneath the fluffy blue comforter and stare at the ceiling.
Now that I’m at rest, there’s nothing to keep the night’s events from replaying in my head.
My ears strain, every little strange noise causing my heart to jump.
I can’t relax and I’m afraid I’ll never fall asleep because I’m too on edge.
But then something wet and slimy is dragging against my cheek. I roll over, trying to escape whatever is touching me. The slimy thing drags against my cheek again and something drips onto my chin.
My eyes pop open and I cry out, “What the fuck?”
Muffin barks excitedly and wags her tail above me. She’s standing over me, her legs straddling my body.
She’s such a big dog I’m feeling extremely vulnerable in this position. I swear her head is bigger than my head.
Her jaw drops down and her giant pink tongue licks my cheek again.
My face is soaked with dog drool. Yuck.
“Uh, good girl,” I say, and try to wiggle away.
She barks and I freeze, afraid that I pissed her off. But no, her tail is still wagging and I know that’s a good sign.
Her head drops back down and I roll quickly to the other side, narrowly escaping her doggy kiss. She barks at me and jumps back, giving me a way to escape.
I quickly scramble off the bed.
Muffin barks at me again. I get the funny feeling she’s telling me something but I don’t know what. Then it hits me.
“You need to go outside?” I ask.
She barks again and her tail wags excitedly side to side.
I nod my head. Yeah, that must be it. “Just give me a minute,” I tell her and grab my backpack.
She stares at me expectantly and her jaw closes. I walk into the bathroom and her eyes follow me the whole way. I don’t know why, perhaps it’s because I get the feeling she understands me, but I don’t feel comfortable getting undressed in front of her.
I close the door.
Dropping my backpack to the floor, I notice there’s another door leading to the hallway and it’s wide open.
That must be how Muffin got into my room. I close that door and take care of my morning business before getting dressed. After slipping into a pair of black leggings and a tank top, I pull my hair up using the only elastic I have left.
Ready for my morning jog, I pull open the bathroom door to find Muffin waiting for me on the other side.
“Woah,” I cry out in surprise. I didn’t expect to find her there and it gave me a start.
Muffin barks at me and once more wags her tail.
“I just need to get my shoes on then I’ll be ready to go,” I tell her and walk back into the room.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, I pull on my shoes and then check my phone. It’s a little after six. Alex is probably already gone for his jog.
“Alright,” I tell Muffin and grab my earbuds. “I’m ready to go.” She trots up to the door expectantly and I open it for her.
She darts into the hallway and takes off down the stairs.
“Hey,” I call out. “Wait for me.”
I close the door and race down the stairs, trying to keep up with her.
The girl must really have to go.
Muffin sprints through the living room and disappears into the kitchen. I chase right after her and slam into something big and hard.
“Shit!” I cry out and hear a deep “Omph,” in response.
Two big hands grab me by the hips, stabilizing me and keeping me from falling on my ass.
Eyes stinging with tears, I blink them away. My nose throbs and I think I bit my tongue. I feel like I just ran into a big fucking rock or got hit by a truck.
I can’t decide which.
“Shit. Are you okay?” Alex asks, looking down at me with a frown.
I nod my head and immediately regret it. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”
“No problem,” he grins down at me. “I’m used to women throwing themselves at me, but it’s usually not that hard.”
“Ha, ha,” I grumble, reaching up to inspect my nose.
Alex’s grin fades away and he stares intensely down at me. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s broken,” I say, though it certainly hurts like a bitch. “Just a little bruised.”
He watches me tentatively prod at my nose and a little wrinkle appears between his brow.
“May I?” he asks, and I suddenly realize that we’re really close and he’s still gripping my hips with his hands.
I’m so close I can feel the heat emanating off his chest and smell the minty toothpaste on his breath.