Girl's Best Friend

Chapter 19

Quinn

I had Briar snuggled up to me on the couch watching a movie with Hank spread out in front of the fireplace on his side, still passed out from the amount of carbs he inhaled in such a short amount of time.

It was perfect.

I never thought when I brought Briar here that things would take this turn, but I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. I'll never forget the way she looked above me, the way she sounded, the way she tasted. She's incredible.

The thought makes me even more grateful to have her here, all to myself. No school, no work, no shitty ex boyfriend or asshole roommates. Just me, my girl and my dog.

I tighten my arms around her a little and kiss her temple, drawing her attention from the screen.

"What's going on in your brain?" She asks with a smile. We've only been here for a few hours and her eyes already have some light back in them. Her cheeks are pink, her body relaxed. She should be like this all of the time.

"Just how happy I am you're here. Looking so happy." I say, leaning down to peck her lips. She responds easily, like we've been doing this for years.

An image flashes through my mind of us years from now, a couple of kids, maybe another dog. A deep stirring builds in my heart for that. I've never thought I would have that life, that I could find someone I wanted to share it with. Someone who would understand me and accept me the way that I am. Then this girl moved in and became obsessed with Hank while learning to not only accept me, but be willing to make compromises just to make me comfortable. I look over at my boy, never happier that I adopted him.

"I'm happy too. I'd stay here forever if we could." She says wistfully and I chuckle, tightening my arms around her.

"What do you like most about it?" I ask, trailing my nose along the sensitive area behind her ear. Her natural scent is strongest here and I breathe it in deep, letting it wash over me.

"It's so quiet. Away from other people." She says and I look down at her surprised.

"That sounds awfully introverted of you." I say with a smile and she huffs out a little laugh.

"I was thinking about that when I first met you. How I used to enjoy hanging out and reading or listening to music on a Friday night. How I didn't really enjoy team sports or have a lot of friends. Then I went to college and decided I needed to be different. More outgoing."

I listen to her talk as I run my fingers through her hair, kneading my fingertips into the tense spot on her shoulder.

"I started going to parties, being more talkative. I made friends but, obviously they were the wrong kind." She says, a hint of sadness in her tone that I never want to hear again.

"But then I met you and Hank and well... it just kind of clicked in my mind that it's ok to be like you. To be your own person without needing constant interaction with others. The validation of having tons of friends or the mind numbing exhaustion that comes with going to party after party. It's ok to enjoy hanging out at home, watching a movie or reading a book. It doesn't make you weird or crazy. As long as it makes you happy." She finishes firmly and I get a little smile on my face as she looks up at me.

"You're right." I say and she nods.

"It took me a long time to figure it out. I'm not as smart as you." She says with a grin. I slip my hand under the shirt she's wearing, running my fingers along the curve of her waist.

"I just never cared what anyone else thought of me. I've been called a nerd and a loser my whole life. I found friends in video games and Dungeons and Dragons. People who were like me and, quite honestly, they're a lot more accepting than the rest of society. They don't care what you look like, how much money you make, how many followers you have on whatever app is most popular at the moment. All they care about is that you like the same kinds of games and comics they do. Never apologize for who you are, Briar. You don't need to change to fit in with other people. You just need to find the people you already fit in with." I tell her and her responding smile is so blinding I think she's trying to kill me with it.

"I fit in with you and Hank." She says and I nod.

"Yeah. We're pretty attached to you." I murmur, kissing the skin of her neck where my too large shirt hangs loosely.

"That's all I want. That's all I need. Is that ok?" She asks and I chuckle a little.

"You won't hear me complaining." I say and she laughs a little, turning in my arms so her body is flush against mine on the couch.

"So am I like, your girlfriend now?" She asks and I scoff giving her an incredulous look.

"Briar. Girlfriend? Sweetheart, you're more than my girlfriend. You're like my fucking soulmate." I say, feeling a hint of panic because I did not really mean to get that deep but it slipped out and it's not a lie so I'm not gonna take it back. Her eyes go wide for a second before she tilts her head back and let's out a laugh.

"You should see your face right now!" She says through her laughter. "You look terrified!" She says and I scowl at her a little.

"Very funny." I say as she takes a few deep breaths to calm herself.

She looks at me with loving eyes, reaching out to run her hand through my hair. I tilt my head so I can press a kiss against her palm, earning me a sweet dazed smile.

"It may sound a little weird if I introduce you as my soulmate, so let's just stick with boyfriend." She says, a hint of teasing in her voice. I smile back and nod.

"For now." I mutter and she narrows her eyes at me, but doesn't say anything.

Yeah girl. I'm gonna marry the shit out of you. I wanna say it, but I don't want to freak her out so I keep it to myself.

Instead I lean over to capture her lips in a fervent kiss, tracing her bottom lip with my tongue and reaching my hand up under her shirt to tease her nipple. She lets out a sweet little moan that has my cock springing to life. I grip her thigh and pull, making her squeal as she falls on her back underneath me. I chuckle at her surprised face, working my way in between her legs.

I rest my forearms on either side of her head, kissing her again as her body squirms under me. Her hands roam the bare expanse of my back, before slipping under the waist band of my shorts. She grips my ass and smacks it a little making me chuckle into our kiss.

"You have the best ass." She murmurs as she squeezes both cheeks again. I lean down to suck on her neck, hard enough it's sure to leave marks. I tilt my hips so my hardness presses into her, earning me a sexy groan from my girl.

"It's not as nice as yours." I whisper back, nipping at her earlobe gently.

She reaches down, curling her fingers into my shorts and pushing them down, using her foot to pull them the rest of the way off. I push her shirt further up her belly, lining myself up at her entrance. I tease her a little with the tip, but she's already soaked and ready for me.

"Please, baby." She whines, her fingernails skirting down my pecks as she bites her bottom lip, her pleading eyes looking up at me.

I start to push in gently, until she gasps and pushes me away. I pull back quickly looking at her worriedly.

"What's wrong?" I ask and she motions across the room.

"We can't do that in front of Hank!" She exclaims and my brows furrow in confusion.

"Baby, most of my blood is in my dick right now, but I'm still fairly certain he's a dog and has no idea what we're doing." I say and she huffs at me.

"It just feels weird, Quinn." She says scowling at me. I sigh heavily before looking over at Hank who's watching us much too intently even for my liking.

"You're right. It's weird. Hank. Bed." I command and he huffs out an annoyed bark before he jaunts up the stairs. I watch him go before looking back down at Briar with a smug grin.

"Alright. Now where were we?"