Lucky Fall by Mk Schiller

feel sorry for me, Julianne. I’ve been given opportunities other men would kill for. I’m thankful for them, but it’s because of my history that I refuse to engage in any dishonesty. If this man is hurting you, I will help you get out, but I can’t be with you the way I want while he’s still in your life.”
    The falling of a heavy object from the top floor caused both our heads to jerk in that direction. “What was that?” he asked.
    “Rusty. He’s up from his nap.”
    “He’s here?” Victor asked in a disgusted voice, shifting me off him.
    “If you’d let me finish a sentence, I could explain.” I started running up the stairs, deciding it was easier to show him. “He gets lonely, so I bring him to work sometimes. The landlord wouldn’t approve so I have to hide him, but it’s time you two met. I think you might like him, unless you have allergies.”
    “Allergies?” he asked, confusion taking hold before his anger could.
    I swung open the door and one hundred and two pounds of pure energy bounded down the steps before jumping on Victor’s lap. He started licking Victor’s face and wagging his tail, until Victor rewarded him with a strong petting.
    “So Rusty really is a dog?”
    I nodded. “He’s a rescue dog. He definitely has some bloodhound in him, but he’s mostly a mutt. He was found roaming the streets almost starving to death. I volunteer at the shelter where they brought him. It was love at first sight.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “I wasn’t trying to be deceitful to you. I was afraid of all the emotions I felt that night. I had resigned myself to thinking of it as a one-night stand. Besides, I may have misled you, but I wasn’t being dishonest. Rusty can’t spend a night without me. He needs his early morning walk.”
    Victor chuckled, holding Rusty’s furry face against his hands. “To think, I wanted to beat the crap out of you a minute ago, but now all I want to do is rub your belly.”
    “Does that answer your questions?”
    “Not really,” Victor replied, extricating Rusty from his lap and standing.
    “I have to walk him now.” I gathered Rusty’s leash and other items. “Would you like to join me?” I knew my voice had taken on that hopeful quality, but Victor’s bright smile put me at ease. Rusty kept jumping on me, being his usual rambunctious self.
    “No,” Victor said to Rusty. “Sit.”
    To my amazement, Rusty actually listened.
    Victor took the leash from me. “Have you thought of obedience training?”
    I shrugged. “He’s just overexcited.”
    “And it’s apparent, you overindulge him.”
    “He’s had a hard life,” I said, opening the door. Victor walked Rusty out, while I switched over to the closed sign and locked up.
    “So have you. Tell me about it.”
    I was surprised he referred to my life as hard, especially when I never talked to him about it, and he’d just told me his sad story.
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Because anyone who holds back as much as you do has a reason for it.”
    He put his arm around my waist, hooking a finger into my belt loop. There was something sweet and needy in that possessive gesture.
    “There’s a huge age difference between us.”
    He shook his head. “I know that’s not the reason, but if it makes you feel better, I don’t care about that at all. You fell into me that night, but I fell for you. It felt right. You felt right. It was obvious I wanted you sexually, but I should have been clearer in my intent. I wanted you. And that’s a complete sentence.”
    I sighed, unsure of how to form the words to explain my crazy action to him. “I was honest with you, Victor. Until you, I had only been with one man. My ex-husband, John.”
    “You must have been very young.”
    “I was sixteen when we met. We both had bad home lives so we ran away and got married when we were eighteen. I loved him very much. I did everything I could to be the perfect wife for him. I worked two jobs to put him