Consumed (10 page)

She reached over and flipped a switch on the side, and it started making noise. “That’s because it’s set to automatically go off at 9:30 on the weekends. I like to wake up to the smell of coffee.”

“That is a great smell to wake up to,” Rourk agreed, pulling her close once more. This kiss was tender and slow, and he tangled his hands in Keegan’s long hair, drawing it out. When he finally pulled away, he murmured, “How does french toast sound?”

“Yummy, that’s one of my favorites.” Keegan rubbed her hands together.

As he opened the fridge to pull out the eggs and milk, Keegan took a seat at the table, tucking her legs underneath her as she watched him. He turned on the stove and cracked a couple eggs in a bowl, then said, “Do you have any plans for us today?”

“Yes, we’re going to pick out our puppy. I found a local breeder.”

Rourk chuckled, whisking the egg mixture with a fork. “I almost forgot about the bulldog.”

“I can’t believe you already forgot about a member of our family.” Keegan placed her hand to her chest in mock surprise. “We aren’t going there till three so I thought I could show you around town, and where I go to school.”

“I’d love to see where you have been spending your days.” Rourk dipped a piece of bread in the mixture and slapped it in the pan. It started sizzling on contact.

“We might even get lucky and see the northern lights while you’re here.” Keegan’s eyes lit up. “It’s the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. Wait until you see the pictures.” She paused. “Actually, you should see them in person. If we don’t see them this weekend, I’ll show you the pictures.”

“That is something I would like to see,” Rourk replied. He flipped the three pieces of toast cooking in the skillet and glanced at her.

Keegan stood and held up a finger as she walked backwards for the door. “I do have something to show you though. I’ll be right back.” She banged into the door frame and made a face, rubbing her elbow.

Rourk laughed.

“Not funny.” She stuck her tongue out. She found the brown leather album on the desk in her living room. It was thick—much thicker than Keegan had meant for it to be.

She brought it back to the kitchen and placed it on the table. “These are the photos I’ve been saving for you. I took them with the lens you gave me.”

Rourk brought her a plate of french toast and a mug of warm syrup. He sat down across from her and reached for the album. Slowly, he turned the pages and took in parts of Keegan’s life he had missed.

Keegan reached over him and pointed at a photo. It was a close-up of dark gray rocks; the power of the lens allowed the droplets of water on the surface to stand out. Speaking through a mouthful of toast, Keegan said, “Those were taken at my favorite spot with the fisheye lens.”

“They’re beautiful, Keegan. You are really talented.” He turned the page.

Keegan pointed with her fork at the page he was on. “That’s a bunch of graduation and prom pictures. I had my mom take some for you.”

Rourk looked over at her, one of his hands splayed across a picture of Keegan in her slinky gray prom dress. “So you took all of these photos especially for me?”

“Yeah, it was my father’s idea.”

“Keegan, this is an amazing gift.” Rourk’s voice was soft and full of emotion. “It means so much to me, knowing you were thinking of me as these photos were snapped.”

He turned his smoky eyes to hers, and she thought he had the most intense eyes of anyone she had ever met. Keegan knew he meant everything he said one hundred percent. “I’m glad you like it. Why don’t you finish making your breakfast and then we can see the rest?”

After Rourk had his own plate, Keegan paged through the album and told him about each photo as he ate his food. When she closed the last page, both of their plates were empty.

Rourk cleared his throat. “Thank you.”

Just those simple words coming from him made her feel so happy. She reached across the space between them and ran her fingers through his hair. “You’re welcome.”

“I’m surprised you are not going to school for photography. Those shots are amazing.”

Keegan sighed, dropping her hand to her lap and fiddling with the drawstring on her robe. “I’ve been seriously considering changing my major and going to an art school for photography.”

“Why don’t you?”

“Well, I’ve dreamed of being a marine biologist since I was old enough to know what one was,” she said simply and shrugged. “I feel like I’ll let my parents down if I don’t go through with it. I really do love science and marine life. It’s just not as much fun as I expected.”

Rourk took her hands into his. “You should do what makes you happy. Your parents would not be disappointed as long as you were doing what you wanted to do.”

“I’ve actually been looking into art schools in Seattle. I’m just not sure. I think I’ll feel like a failure if I don’t finish my biology degree.” His hands were so much larger than hers; they were so much more creased and calloused.

“That’s silly, Keegan. You can always do both if it’s that important to you.”

Keegan let go of his hands and pulled at her sleeves. “What I would really like to do is photograph animals. I would love to get some underwater photos of dolphins and other marine life.” She shrugged. “That’s probably silly.”

Rourk reached over and pulled her into his lap. He swiped one hand through her hair, his skin warm as he rested his palm against her cheek. “It’s not even slightly silly. I think that is an amazing idea. You could get the best of both worlds.”

“You really don’t think it’s crazy?” She bit her lip, one hand playing with the hem of his T-shirt. Her heart thudded as she waited for his answer. His opinion meant so much to her.

“I really don’t. But, it’s your choice, so you need to decide what is best for you.”

Keegan grinned. “Well, the photography program is much shorter. Which means we could get married sooner.”

“I’m not going to lie. I like the sound of that.” Rourk kissed her, a slow, lingering touch of his lips. When he pulled away, he caught her eye and said, “Whatever you decide, I’m beside you.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Keegan squeezed. She was embarrassed to find she was a little teary-eyed. She took a deep breath, drawing in Rourk’s earthy smell. His hair was like satin on her cheek.

I’m so lucky to have him.

Keegan took a deep breath and pulled back with a smile. “I’m going to get ready. I’ll be back in little while.”

“How long are you going to be?” Rourk asked.

“Total? About an hour. It takes girls a little longer to get ready,” she teased, and then winked at him.

“Ok, I’m going to throw on some clothes and go for a run. I’ll be back in about 45 minutes.” Rourk kissed her one last time before she stood up.

Keegan rocked back and forth on her feet, her hands clasped in front of her, as she watched him walk away. She felt so at peace with him around. Once he walked out the door, she headed for the shower.

Keegan pulled the Jeep into the driveway of a large, red-brick home with a huge fenced-in yard. The shutters on every window were black, and the front door was framed by tall bushes shaped into spirals. She jumped out and pocketed her keys, then met Rourk at the front of the vehicle.

“I’m a little nervous. This is our first big purchase as a couple.” She grasped his hand and squeezed it. “The house looks nice. I’m sure they take good care of the puppies.”

“I’ve always wanted a dog. Not sure I would have picked a bulldog though.” He laughed, tucking Keegan’s hand into the crook of his arm as they began walking up the driveway. “Aren’t they supposed to be lazy?”

“Hey, don’t talk about Santa like that. Lazy is good! I just want someone to keep me company when I’m alone. We can always get a more active dog later, if you want. I’m sure he’ll want a friend.”

They mounted the three steps to the porch and came to a stop on a generic black and brown “Welcome” mat. Keegan reached over and rang the doorbell.

A woman who looked to be in her mid-forties open the door and greeted them with a warm smile that reached her pale blue eyes. “You must be Keegan and Rourk. Come in.”

They stepped inside, and the woman closed the door behind them. Keegan glanced around in awe—the house was beautiful. The foyer ceiling soared above their heads, where a large, crystal chandelier hung down past the white railing of the upstairs balcony. To either side, arched doorways opened into equally large and open rooms: One filled with over-stuffed couches and chairs in warm, neutral tones and the other with a long dining table covered in fine China. It felt warm and inviting.

“The puppies are in the back room,” their hostess said with another eye-crinkling smile. “And I’m Marjorie, in case you didn’t remember.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marjorie. I’m Rourk,”—he put an arm around Keegan—“and this is Keegan.”

The house was decorated in an understated, simple way. Lots of browns, reds, and gold made it look like a page out of a magazine. They passed through a huge kitchen filled with all stainless-steel appliances. It smelled like cinnamon which made Keegan hungry.

Marjorie came to a stop in front of a gated doorway. She unlatched the small wooden gate to let them pass through.

It was a small spare bedroom with hardwood floors and a single twin-sized bed covered in a plain white blanket. Six bulldog puppies, shaped like sausages and in a variety of colors, were wrestling on the floor.

“Oh my goodness!” Keegan clapped her hands together. She got on her knees and picked up an all-white bulldog, then kissed its face. His fur was so soft, and he had that adorable puppy smell—a sharp tang. She glanced at Rourk. “How are we ever going to choose?”

Rourk was still standing in the doorway. He chuckled and shrugged.

“Get over here!” Keegan teased him. She picked up a second wiggling bulldog—white and covered in black spots—and squeezed both puppies to her chest. “Which one do you like best?”

Rourk sat down beside her on the floor and gently took one from her. It squirmed in his grasp, trying to get it’s little head around so it could nibble on Rourk’s fingers. “They are all pretty cute. Do you like the ones with colors or the all-white ones?”

“Well, I always wanted one with different colors…” Keegan trailed off, eyeing the spotted one in Rourk’s lap. The one she still held licked her face, its tongue wet and scratchy. Keegan giggled. “But the white one is super-cute, and he seems to like me. Is it a boy?” She held the puppy up and looked at its belly. “Oh shoot, it’s a girl. Do you think we could name a girl Santa?”

“I think you can name a dog anything you want to name it.” Rourk reached over to scratch behind the little dog’s ear. She kicked her arms and legs as if she were trying to get to him. “Although, I don’t think the name matches the dog. She should have a cool name like Athena.”

“Hmm, Athena. I actually love that! I think she likes you,” Keegan said as she handed the dog to him.

“I think we should take this one home,” Rourk declared and looked the puppy in the face, inspecting it. She had dark eyes that were nearly hidden in the rolls of her face, and her nose was pale pink. Rourk laughed when she put a paw on his nose and licked him. “It’s so fat and wrinkly.”

Keegan stood up and brushed off the seat of her pants. She turned to Marjorie, who was watching from the doorway. “We would like to take this one. I wish we could take them all.”

The woman smiled as she leaned to take Athena from Rourk’s hands. “I understand. It’s heartbreaking for me when they leave us, but the people who get them give the puppies the love they need. You picked a good one. This one has a great personality.”

“She had her 9 weeks shots just last week, so you’ll need to take her for the 12 weeks soon.” Marjorie passed Keegan a computer print-out. “Here’s the vet information, as well as what kind of food she’s been eating.”

They thanked her and paid for the little dog, then left.

Keegan held Athena snugly against her chest as they walked for the car. In the cold air, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were twinkling.

“I love seeing you so happy,” Rourk murmured, snaking an arm around her shoulders.

“I am happy. I’m not sure I have ever been this happy in my life.” Keegan glanced up at Rourk’s thoughtful face. “I know it sounds corny, but I’ve always felt something was missing until you.”

“I feel the same way.” Rourk kissed the top of her head.

As Rourk made to get in on the passenger side of the car, Keegan stopped him. She grinned sweetly. “I really want to hold Athena. Will you drive?”

“Of course.” He shook his head, amused, and switched sides.

They made a quick stop at Petsmart to pick up all the necessities, plus a few extra toys. While they shopped, people kept stopping to stare at Athena, and asking if they could pet her. You would have thought she was a super model with all the attention she received.

“This puppy is going to be spoiled,” Keegan said wryly as Rourk piled their bags into the back of the Jeep. “We might have gone a little overboard.”

Rourk scratched Athena’s head, earning a kiss in return—from the puppy and from Keegan. “She’s worth it.”

They walked into Keegan’s apartment with the new addition to the family, and Keegan put her down on the floor as Rourk locked the door behind them. Athena ran around sniffing and checking out the place. Keegan followed her into the kitchen, where she checked out the stove, then slipped under the table. A second later, she shot from beneath the table and into the living room, her toenails scrabbling for purchase on the hardwood. Athena did three quick circles and went to the bathroom. On the rug. Rourk laughed, and Keegan rushed around trying to clean it up.

Soon after, the puppy fell asleep in front of the fireplace.

Keegan wrapped her arms around Rourk’s waist, and they watched the little dog snore away.

“I’ll make us some hot chocolate. It’s so cold here,” Keegan said with a shiver, and then shuffled off to the kitchen. She smiled when she pulled out the Godiva hot chocolate—it always made her think of her mother. Her mom loved to make the hot chocolate on cold days.

“Marshmallows?” she asked as Rourk came in the room.