The Hook-up

Chapter 67

Lauren looked out the bright expansive window near the front of the house laying her head against the couch to close her eyes. An early Saturday afternoon, Lauren felt just like laying around being lazy after several weeks of busy meetings and events for work. She was even planning on going to New York for Fashion Week later in February for work. Bruno had said he was going to go to New York to work on his album, so, she thought that maybe their schedules would be the same and they could go together. But, she hadn't brought it up yet. It scared her to think about what he was going to be like while working on the album. She didn't know if he was going to be around more or less than he was before. She hoped for the latter, but wasn't holding her breath at all. Knowing him, she would see him even less and he would still be as emotional as ever when they were together. As she drifted off into her thoughts she heard both the dogs' feet against the floor running toward the door. Geronimo let out his loud puppy bark causing Lauren to jump to see Bruno's car in the drive way. "Shhhhh." She moaned getting up from the couch to pick up the dog carrying him away from the door.

"Hey!" she heard him laugh as she started to walk toward the living room with the dog. He dropped the rolling white suite case at wall running to catch Lauren and the dog who started wiggling in her arms making her drop him carefully on the floor. She smiled feeling his body against her for the first time in several weeks. He held onto her even more tightly moving his hands up her side making her wiggle and laugh at the same time.

"Hey!" she responded through her laugh. "You can stop now, you're going to make me have to pee." She said trying to let go of his playful grasp as he continued to hold onto her with his fingertips. "You're all wet too..." she finally found a way out of his arms turning to see his hair damp and his clothes splattered with water from the start of the cold winter rain that was falling.

He smiled at her knowing he had made her a little upset by not letting go. She looked down slightly blushing before she quickly ran into the bathroom. "I told you, you were going to make me have to pee!" When she came out of the bathroom she looked over at the living area seeing Bruno laying on the couch with Geronimo on his lap talking to him.

"Did he protect you?" he turned sitting up showing her his puppy face. "Please say he did."

"He doesn't like the dark, Bruno. He's a bigger wimp than you are." She told him.

"Him? No!" he looked at the dog. "I gotta teach you to be tough, like Rambo!" he yelled dropping the dog on the floor to go do something else. As he watching the dog run away he pulled her down on the couch and wrapped his arms around her landing one hand on her stomach. "How are my babies?" he asked her.

"They're good. They're picky eaters though." She told him about her craving that she had developed, including every single sugary or cakey.

"Well, they could have chosen something different, like sweet potatoes or something." He responded.

"Ohhh...that sounds sooo goooood." She told him with a smile. "With cinnamon on it. Like those chips we had in Vegas..."

"Do you want them? I'll get them." He told her.

"No. Not right now." She replied moving her body closer to him. "I'm okay right here."

"I am too." He said to her sweetly moving his other hand to her stomach. "Lauren...you're like a giant."

"No!" she said moving his hands away from him. "I am not!" she looked at him a little upset.

"Elle..I was..." he tried to give her a sad face to make her happy again. "I was kidding!"

"Oh." She moved back to where she was turning her body to face him. "I'm sorry. Larissa keeps telling me I'm going to look like Shrek because it's twins."

"No." he said to her moving her hair out of her face. "You're going to at least look like Princess Fiona."

"Pre-Ogre or Post-Ogre?" Lauren asked.

"Well..." he paused to think making her push him a little. "Right now Pre-ogre. But when you wake up in the morning...."

"Bruno!" she pushed him even harder. Instead of falling backward he pushed himself back up laying on top of her.

"But no matter which one you are, you're all mine and I love you." He said to her sweetly kissing her lightly as she fell back onto the other side of the couch.

"Did I ever tell you about my having sex in the middle of a thunderstorm fantasy?" she asked him.

"No. But please do...." He replied leaning down again kissing her deeply.