“Is this your bedroom?” she asks when we step out.
“Yes.”
She freezes. “I… umm, can’t sleep in here… with you, Ashton.”
“You can, Em, and you will. Duke will be between us, so don’t worry. He needs us both with him tonight.”
She pauses for a moment, contemplating what to do. “Okay.”
When she doesn’t argue further, I’m stunned. She’ll do anything for Duke.
Lying the dog in the center of the bed, I grab a T-shirt out of my drawer. Emma slips into the bathroom to change as I seat myself on the side of the mattress and wait.
Despite how shitty I’m feeling, I still can’t control the way my cock reacts to her when she exits donned in my clothes. She’s so fucking sexy.
Rising, I wait for her to approach before pulling her into my arms. We’ve barely shared any affection over the past week, except for a kiss hello or goodbye. I’ve missed her warmth—and her orgasms.
My lips meet hers, and unlike the scorching kisses we’ve shared in the past, this one is soft and sweet, just like her.
When we part, I pull back the covers, and she climbs in. She drags Duke further up the bed, and I turn off the light, strip down to my boxers and get in the other side.
“Tomorrow, I think we should take Duke to see Mark. I can’t stand seeing him like this,” she whispers into the dark.
I swallow hard with the knowledge of what that means. As much as I hate the thought, she’s right. It’s time. “Night, Duke,” I say, running my fingers over his coat before reaching for Emma’s hand. I entwine our fingers together. “Good night, sweet-thing.”
“Good night.”
It’s been over six years since I’ve slept beside a woman.
The hours pass, and I’m still wide awake. It took a while for Emma to dose off, but in time, her breathing evened out, and I knew she was asleep. Duke makes a sound from beside me like a gasp for air.
I run my hand over him, leaving it lying against his ribcage. “You okay, buddy?” I whisper. He gasps again. But this time when he takes in a breath, he doesn’t release it. I lie there unmoving as the seconds pass, all the while praying he’ll start breathing again, but he doesn’t.
Fuck!
Pulling back the covers, I get up and reach for him. His limp body is cradled in my arms as I move swiftly toward the staircase, careful not to wake Emma. My heart is pounding out of my chest.
I’m in shock.
“Duke… buddy,” I keep saying, but he remains unmoving.
I’ve always liked animals but never had an interest in having a pet. I’m surprised at how fulfilling my time with him has been. I tried my best to make his last days as comfortable as I could, but never dreamed I’d get so much more in return. At this moment, the loss feels overwhelming.
I pad across the tiles when I reach the bottom level. The backlights under the kitchen cabinets illuminate the room enough for me to see where I’m going.
Falling to my knees, I lay him in his doggy bed, his head resting on the pillow. I check again for any signs of life, but there’s none. My little buddy is gone. Emma is going to be distraught when she wakes.
I grab the small teddy Emma brought, placing it beside him. “Rest in peace, little g-guy,” I say, my voice cracking as I speak. “I’m going to miss having you around.”
Once I cover him with his blanket, I do something I haven’t done in six years—since the day I found Anastasia—I place my head in my hands, and I cry.
Chapter Twenty-Four
ASHTON
“Hey,” I say to Chance when I open the front door to let him in. It’s just after seven in the morning. As soon as he got my text, he came straight over.
“Hey. How’s Em?”
“Heartbroken.”
“I bet. Are you okay?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I lie as I run my fingers through my hair. “I’m just worried about Emma.”
It was after two when I finally went back up to the room. She woke as soon as I climbed into bed. The first thing she asked was, “Where’s Duke?” so I had no choice but to tell her. I held her as she sobbed into my chest. It shattered my heart all over again.
“Understandably. I swung by the shelter on my way here and called the animal crematorium, they’re sending someone over to collect him.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you doing that and for coming over. I had no clue what to do.”
“It’s okay,” he says, reaching out and placing his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. “I’m glad I could help.”
“Do you want a coffee? I’m going to let Emma sleep for now.”
“Sure, I’d love one.”
An hour passes before the intercom chimes. Chance follows me to the front door where I see a middle-aged lady on the video screen standing by the front security gate.
“Hello,” I say, pressing the button.
“Hi. I’m from Pets at Peace. I’m here to collect Duke.”
“I’ll buzz you in.”
When I open the front door, I notice the white van parked in the street with their company logo inscribed down the side, my eyes then move to the lady walking up the front path. There’s a small black stretcher under her arm, a single rose and clipboard are clutched in her hand. I swallow hard, trying to dislodge the lump that’s now formed there.
I’ve been glancing over at Duke’s bed all morning, hating the thought of his lifeless body lying underneath his blanket, all the time wishing they’d hurry up and take him away. Now that moment’s arrived, though, I feel sick about it.
I’m not ready to say goodbye.
“Hi, I’m Ashton,” I tell her when she reaches the top step. “And this is Chance.”
“Oh, Chance, I spoke with you on the phone earlier.”
“Yes.”
“I’m Rhonda. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. Come in, Duke’s inside.” I step back, and Rhonda follows Chance into the house. “I’m going to go upstairs and wake Emma.”
I don’t want to be in the room when they move him.
“Okay,” Chance says.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I’m now standing beside the bed, gazing down at Emma as she sleeps. She’s lying on her stomach, both arms are tucked underneath her head. Her long hair is fanned out on the pillow, and she has the cutest little snore. Her full lips slightly blow out from the force of the air as she exhales. I’m smiling as I watch her.
She looks peaceful, and I wish I could leave her sleeping, but I know she’ll want to say goodbye. Today is going to be hard, and all I want to do is protect and shelter her from the heartache.
I take a seat on the side of the mattress, gently brushing the hair back from her face. “Em,” I whisper.
She stirs, lifting her head and gazing up at me. She has the sweetest sleepy face. “Hey, what time is it?”
“Just after eight.”
I lean down to kiss her, but she quickly turns her head away. “Uh-uh, I have morning breath.”
Grasping her face in my hands, I turn her head back to me. Holding her in place, my lips land on hers. “I don’t care if your breath smells like ass, I’m still going to kiss you.”