Page 58 of Only and Forever
“They’re sweet,” I tell him, unable to stop myself from smiling at the pups as they scramble for my attention. As I sit beside him, Romeo leans in and licks up my chin. Juliet noses in and plops her head on my arm. “Especially for rescue dogs. They usually have a lot of baggage. I was braced for it to be tougher than this.”
“Me too,” he says. “But we have a bit of a history, these two and I.”
“Oh?”
He nods, easing down to sit, legs crisscrossed. Romeo flops back onto the dog bed and sets a paw on Viggo’s thigh, sighing contentedly. “They showed up at the shelter about six weeks ago. At the time, I knew, as adorable as they were, it was not smart to get them. I didn’t have much money, and I had even less time.”
“Why were you there, then?” I ask. “At the shelter?”
“For the better part of the past year, I’ve gone to walk the dogs early in the morning and late in the evening. It helps me clear my head, and they always need volunteers to keep the animals exercised. Once I met these two, I figured they’d be gone soon, given how cute they are, even if they’re getting up there in years. I braced myself for them to have been adopted every time I showed up. But they never were. They were there every time I came, and every time, even though they assigned walkers randomly, I kept getting paired with them. They were skittish for a while—Juliet growled at me pretty consistently, and Romeo wouldn’t meet my eyes for weeks.”
My heart pinches. “And then?” I offer, once again drawn in by his way with words, with telling stories, that makes me so curious to know what comes next.
“And then... I just kept walking them. Talking to them. Giving them treats. Hoping that would help them feel safe, ready for that someone who was going to show up and love them. I decided that even if I couldn’t have them, I was going to help them be ready for their perfect match. I started looking forward to those walks so much, I shamelessly asked for them every time I came.”
“What made you decide to adopt them? It’s not like the timing or finances are any better than they were a month ago, right?”
He tugs his ball cap lower. “Yeah, you’re right. But it got to a point where, one day, I just couldn’t leave them. I realized they had me wrapped around their furry little paws. I was pissed at first. Why did I have to find the perfect pups now, when I wasn’t ready for them?”
“And...?” I lean in.
He smiles down at the dogs, rubbing both their heads. “It just... dawned on me, strolling with them down the sidewalk, past people going about their lives, through the trees, beneath the sun, all of this beauty that began from absolutely gorgeous, utterly random chance: I didn’t have to know, didn’t have to make some profoundsense ofwhythey were put on my path when they were, for me to love them. I could just... love them. That was enough.”
My heart’s pounding. My eyes are wet. It feels like every word he’s said has sawed, jagged, hot, right down my chest, and cracked me open.
And that is when I do something foolish. Something wild. Something unstoppable.
I clasp Viggo Bergman by the face, and I kiss him.
SIXTEEN
Viggo
Playlist: “You Taste Like Wine,” The Collection
For a split second, I’d swear I’ve left my body. And then I realize I’ve never been so fullyinit. My heart thuds in my chest. Air swells in my lungs. Every atom of my skin that Tallulah touches is on fire—her fingers splayed across my face, her mouth as it moves with mine, her lips soft and searching.
Oh God. This.Thisis like nothing I’ve ever known.
I’ve kissed and been kissed before. Not many times, I’ll admit. I used to try it, hoping that was what I needed to feel a spark with someone. It never worked. Never felt right. Romance novels did it better. They always did it better.
Until now. Until her.
Tallulah’s lips are velvet smooth, slanted against mine, pressed hard and sure, such a perfect fit, it makes my hands ache, my fingers curl into the fabric of her skirt, which has spilled onto my lap.
I suck in a breath, drinking in this moment, the perfection of her mouth against mine.
Tallulah tears herself away, eyes wide, hand shaking as she brings her fingers to her mouth. “Oh, God, Viggo. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry—”
“Don’t.” I tug her close, and she comes willingly, splayed across my lap, knees on either side of my hips. “Don’t you dare apologize, not if you wanted to do that.”
She stares at me, blinking, like she’s stunned. “I... wanted to.”
“You don’t regret it?” I ask roughly.
She shakes her head. “No. I don’t.”
“Then, hold tight, Lu.” I sink my hand into her bun and tip her head back, earning her gasp. I wrap an arm around her waist and bring her closer. And then I give her everything I have.