Starting With You

42. Her absence is felt as strongly as her presence.

Teddy

"YOUR DOG IS UP," JENSEN MUMBLES into my ear as he rolls over onto his side, pulling my body into his.

I flip onto my stomach, wedging my head under the pillow. "He's your dog."

Scout jumps onto the bed, burrowing under the pillow to find me as if we're playing a game of hide and seek. I shove him away and bury my head again. "Go away, devil dog. It's Saturday. Everyone knows Saturdays are for sleeping in."

Jensen steals the pillow off my head and chucks it across the room, the dog taking the opportunity to strike, licking my face with stinky, slobbery kisses. "Ugh, what kind of sick, twisted wakeup call is this?"

"You're the one that wanted to rescue the mutt. This is all your fault." Jensen pushes me toward the edge of the bed with his warm feet. "Go, woman. Tend to your pest."

I sweep the pillow from under Jensen's head and pummel it against his face. "You suck. You're the actual worst. We're definitely in a fight."

He rips the pillow from my grasp before I can further assault him, tucking it back under his head, and chuckles that stupid, deep, sexy laugh that does things to my lady bits. "Make some coffee while you're up."

I straighten my shirt—Jensen's shirt from last night, actually—since it got tangled in the shuffle, and I pull on a pair of shorts that were discarded on the floor. Looking around, I notice the piles of clothing littering the floor. I sweep a handful of dirty clothes into my hands and lean over the bed to make them rain over my boyfriend. "Maybe you can clean up a bit today, yeah?"

"Those are mostly yours, baby. You're a pig. Who knew my girl was such a fucking slob?"

Before I see it coming, he grabs my wrist and pulls me on top of him, his hands immediately sliding under my shirt. "I think this belongs on the floor." His hands wander under the waist of my shorts. "And these."

"Nu uh. Nope." I wriggle out of his arms and roll off the bed. "Too late for that. You lost your chance when you quite literally kicked me out of bed."

"Don't be sour, baby. Hurry back and we can continue waking up."

I chuck another pile of clothes at him and shriek when he springs from the bed to chase after me. "Jensen! Stop! I need to let the dog out!"

He grabs me around the waist, swinging me around, and throwing me onto the bed. "You're such a whiner. You always get out of taking the dog out in the morning."

I shamelessly smirk at him as he stuffs his legs into a pair of shorts he scavenged from the piles on the bed. "Scout!" He calls for the dog right before leaning down to press his lips to mine. Before he can pull away, I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss.

"You're the bestest boyfriend in all the land!"

"And you're the most spoiled girlfriend in all the land." He chuckles as he wanders out of the room, calling for the dog again.

I linger in bed for a few minutes longer before hopping out. With wide arms, I sweep up as many of the clothes on the bed, pressing them tightly against my body as I walk over to the hamper and dump them on top of the already heaping pile. A few items topple over onto the floor. Apparently, today is now laundry day.

In the bathroom, I turn on the shower to warm the water and quickly brush my teeth. I undress and step into the shower, immediately sighing as the water welcomes me in its warm embrace. I'm halfway through my routine when the glass door opens, the cool air whooshing in and Jensen slides in behind me.

"Hey, baby," he says, taking over rinsing the shampoo from my hair. "You were supposed to wait in bed for me."

Tilting my head back, eyes squeezed shut, I savor my boyfriend's hands on me. "Mmmm," I mumble, only partially paying attention.