Chapter Ten
Three Days Later
Cade
As Lola steps out of the darkened alleyway with her arms outstretched, I frown. What is she carrying? It looks like Chewbacca. Or it’s the mangiest dog I’ve ever seen. “What in the hell are you doing?”
She jumps, and her bright eyes jerk up to meet mine. “You scared me.”
Seconds later, her eyes soften, and her lips curve upward. Her smile is like the sun setting over the ocean. My heart skips a beat. What in the hell is wrong with you? She’s just a woman. A woman you haven’t talked to since dropping her off with her ex-boyfriend. He’s probably her on-again boyfriend by now. My jaw tightens, and I inhale to push the thought out of my head.
“Meet my new puppy, Sam. It’s Sam because I haven’t had time to look and see if he’s a boy or a girl, but I’m betting he’s a boy. He looks like a boy.” Her rambling is an obvious indication of her excitement.
I shake my head. “That isn’t a puppy.”
“Sure, it is. He’s still got his baby teeth. I checked.”
“How in the fuck did you check?” I cringe as images of the dog biting her flood my brain. “No. I don’t want to know.” I shake my head to dislodge the vision. “If this is a puppy, how big will that thing get when it’s fully grown?” I mutter more to myself than to her.
“I think it might be a Sheepdog. I’m not sure. I’m going to take him home and try to get him an appointment at the vet.” She shifts the dog in her arms and holds up one of his front paws. “He’s got a sore spot here that’s going to need to be checked. Then, I need to stop by the pet store and get some food. And some toys.” The lady is a menace. She won’t stop rescuing things. Things that don’t need or want her help.
“Be careful. If you hurt the dog’s leg, he’s going to snap.” Fuck. Panic wells in my chest. “You need to put him down. Now.”
“What? Why?” Her eyes narrow into slits. “Because I could get hurt, right?” she sighs dramatically and rolls her eyes. “God, I’m so tired of hearing people tell me I can’t do something.” She holds the dog closer.
“Don’t be irresponsible just because you’re trying to get back at your dad.” I know all about daddy issues.
My gaze lands on her arm as a drop of blood drips from her flesh to the sidewalk. Shit. “Did that dog bite you? It could have rabies.” I jump forward, and the dog growls. Son of a bitch. I jerk my hand back and sway back onto my heels.
“What’re you talking about?”
“Your arm. It’s bleeding.” I point in the direction of the blood. “Did that dog attack you?”
My voice sounds more panicked than I want to admit, but visions of her face being mauled or giant needles being injected into her flesh flash in front of my eyes. “If you were bit, we must have the dog euthanized to find out if it carries rabies. I told you going out and rescuing things was a bad idea. You’ve managed to get hurt again. Do you know how painful rabies shots are?” Fuck. Now, I’m the one rambling. I inch closer, preparing to throw myself between her and the dog if it gets upset again.
She looks at me like I have a horn growing out of my head. “Stop. Take a deep breath. I scraped my arm on the building when I accidentally bumped Sam’s leg. He didn’t bite me or attack me.”
“Thank God.” I eye the mutt with disdain. He looks shifty. The dog dips his head and lays it on Lola’s chest. Fine, Sam, old boy, you win round one.
“I’ve always wanted a dog since I was a little girl, and I’m going to have this one.” She snuggles him closer. “I’ve got to call Mr. Truman to let him know I’m going to be late. I worked over the last two nights, so I’ve got a little time to use.”
A shiver rips down my spine. “Please don’t snuggle so close to the dog. He must have fleas.” The dog’s hair is matted so tightly, I’m sure a pair of shaving shears are in his near future.
“Stop.” She kisses the dog’s head.
“Fuck.” This woman is a menace. “I’ll phone him and tell him we’ll both be late. We should take him to the shelter on Truman Road. They can fix his leg, get him all his shots, and check to see if he’s missing. That way, you can have time to get all the supplies you’ll need to properly care for him and check with your landlord to see if you can have a pet.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“You don’t think he’s lost, do you?” Her big blue eyes nearly drop me to my knees. Stop. She’s got a boyfriend. Or a fiancé. You’re only stepping in as a co-worker because Stella would expect you to.
“I doubt it. It looks like he’s been on the loose for a while. Someone’s dog probably had puppies, and they didn’t have a way to take care of them once they grew up and outgrew the cute stage. The original owners should have taken him to the shelter in the first place.”
Surely, she could have found a girly dog. A Palmerian or a Cocker Spaniel. A Shih Tzu. Anything but this overgrown mutt.
“Don’t you dare hurt his feelings.” She pats Sam’s back. “You haven’t outgrown your cute stage.”
Mites. Worms. All the nasty things this dog could be carrying dance through my brain. Who is Lola Sutherland? The girly girl that wears designer clothing and grew up in Washington D. C. socializing with dignitaries. Or the woman who seems to have an endless desire to help the underdog. Those things rarely go together.
Shit. You don’t go together. She’s back with her ex. And what would it matter if she isn’t? Your pedigree is worse than the dogs.
“You aren’t going to try and talk me out of keeping him?”
“Would it do me any good?”
“Nope. Not at all.” She grins, and my heart skips a beat. I should turn and walk to the front door of the building, buzz in, and make small talk with Pete.
I hold out my arms while sending up a quick prayer I don’t get bitten or infested with something. “Fine. If you aren’t going to give this thing up, let me carry him. It’s several blocks back to the garage, and I parked on the top floor.
“You don’t have to help. I can do it.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second. But why don’t you let me be a gentleman again and help you out? Besides, you’re getting dog hair all over what I assume is a fairly expensive suit jacket.”
She glances down. “Don’t worry about me.”
I rotate my palms up and hold them in front of Sam. He takes several seconds to sniff them and finally licks my fingertips. Did I win round two?“We also need to get some antiseptic on your wound and bandage it. I’ve got a first aid kit in my vehicle. Are you current on your tetanus shot?” She hands the dog to me, and his tongue swipes over my cheek. Fuck me.
“I’m current on my tetanus shot.” She touches my arm. “Be careful with his leg. He gets kind of jumpy.” The heat from her fingertips singes my flesh. I can’t keep this up without doing something stupid. I step to the side, away from her, to give me some space. “Are you ready?”
“Sure.” She nods.
Seconds later, as we walk side by side, she smirks. “Do you realize you worry too much? You’re going to give yourself an ulcer.”
If she only knew. I’ve stressed over everything since I was a child. But when your father runs out before you even get the chance to know him, and your mom gets cancer when you’re in your teens, you don’t have many options other than to worry.
What will we eat? Will we have running water? Electricity? Is a social service worker coming to take me away? I might develop an ulcer, but I’ve managed to survive much worse. However, that’s a conversation for another day. Or never.
She brushes her hand over her skirt. “My clothes are a little messy, but thankfully, dry cleaning can work wonders. I’ll have to go home and change into something else before I come back. I left my gym bag at home today, so I don’t have anything else with me.” She groans, “I forgot. I rode the bus because my car still isn’t fixed.”
“I can take you to your house.” Images of Lola naked pop into my mind, which triggers my blood to rush to my cock. Smooth, creamy shoulders. Round, full breasts. The sweet curve of her belly as it leads to her molten sex. Watching her quiver on silken sheets with her hair splayed on the pillow.
Stop being a pervert. She didn’t give you permission to brain fuck her. I heft Sam higher into my arms and adjust my hips in a desperate attempt to keep the tightness in the front of my pants from highlighting my erection. I haven’t been this fucked up over a woman since I was a teen chasing after the rapidly developing Misty Philips.
That situation hadn’t panned out any better than this one is going to. She was raised with the proverbial silver spoon, and all I had was a one-pronged plastic fork. Fuck. I’m not looking for a relationship anyway. Relationships equal giving up control, and I’m not relinquishing control to anyone.
How do you keep forgetting she has a boyfriend? Not to mention, she doesn’t like control freaks. One experience with what you enjoy in bed, and she’d leave in horror.
***
Lola
The overgrown puppy rests on the leather bench seat with his nose pressed against the window, leaving large smears as he looks from left to right while watching the parking garage with keen interest. At least, I think it’s interest. How would I know? I’ve never had a pet.
“Are you sure you don’t mind driving us?” I cross my legs, exposing my knee and several inches of thigh. Heat creeps up my chest as I grab the edges in an attempt to appear less desperate. “Sam and I could take the bus.”
“It’s not a big deal. Truman said nothing new was on tap this morning and to take all the time we needed getting back.”
I motion to the interior of his vehicle with my open palm. “This is a nice pickup, and he’s going to make a mess.” There isn’t one speck of dust inside his vehicle. At least there hadn’t been until Sam climbed into the back.
That isn’t entirely true. Before we got in, Sam hiked his hind leg and peed on Cade’s front tire, which put an end to the debate over the dog’s sex and the pristine condition of his ride.
“It’s fine.”
I stare at him out of the corner of my eye. What’s his deal? He’s made it clear he isn’t the type to get involved in other people’s messes, and Sam is a mess. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I needed to clean it this weekend anyway. Is your car getting fixed yet?”
What would he think of the sack of trash in my front floorboard and the empty soda containers in the backseat? It isn’t horrible, but if he thinks his pickup needs to be cleaned, then he’d probably need a hazmat suit to get inside mine.
“Yes, I should get it back tomorrow. Again, thanks for the ride. When I come back to get him, I’ll have to remember to bring some type of cover to keep the hair off my cloth seats.”
Sam, apparently bored with the traffic, hops down from his perch and places his paws on the console between us. His tongue flaps in time with his panting.
Oh, no.I reach out in slow motion as a large drip of slobber lands on the leather storage compartment. He’s going to snap. “Sam, move back.” I shoo him back into the backseat. “Get back where we put you. Cade has been gracious enough to allow us to ride with him, and this is how you repay the favor?”
“Lola, for the last time, stop worrying about my truck. When I bought it, I paid for the protection package, so it should wipe right off.” His voice holds a level of irritation I haven’t heard since the day of the street debacle.
“Okay, I get it. I won’t bring it up again.” I glance down at the bandage on my arm. “Thanks for the Band-Aids, but I told you it wasn’t serious. A couple of scrapes, no big deal.”
The Band-Aids are waterproof and flexible, not my ordinary kid’s character variety. Everything about him, right down to the matching red and white labels on every single folder and binder in his office, screams dependable and efficient. Not that I’m stalking him or anything, but I couldn’t help peeking into his office when I walked by. Either he’d been an Eagle Scout, or he’d served in the military; so far, I haven’t gotten the nerve to ask.
He flicks on the turn signal and eases into the adjacent lane. “You were right. It wasn’t as bad as it looked. But picture it from my point of view. You came out of an alley carrying some unidentifiable hairy beast with blood dripping off your arm. Of course, I freaked out.”
I giggle at the visualization. “I’m sure it was a sight.”
As we ease down the exit, my stomach clenches. “Are you sure a shelter is a good idea? We’re not going to get into trouble for leaving Sam with them, are we? I would hate to get a ticket for doing the right thing. Obviously, I’ve never done this kind of thing before.” My jaw tightens. “And they’d better give him back.”
“It’s going to be okay. This is a good shelter. I’ve never had a pet before, but one of my close friends fills in part-time as a vet here and at another no-kill shelter on the Kansas side of the line. She has good things to say about both places. Everything is clean, the cages are decent-sized, and there are runs for the animals to exercise. Before they’re adopted or returned to their owners, the shelter requires the animals to have proper shots and be spayed or neutered.”
Close friend. Vet. She.I didn’t hear anything else after he mentioned his close friend. “You seem to know a lot about this kind of thing for not having pets. How’d you meet the vet?”
I’m not jealous. I promise. Damn it. Yes, I am. Please, don’t start making out when we get there. I don’t think I can stomach seeing them together. I’d need to fortify myself with an enormous shot of tequila.
“Through a friend.” One side of his mouth lifts into a grin. “Why? Are you jealous?”
“No,” I sputter. Heat creeps up my face. How embarrassing. Surely, there’s no way he knows how much time I waste in the day fantasizing about his hands caressing my bare skin or the intoxicating taste of his mouth covering mine. I shiver and turn to stare out the window.
Cade chuckles. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease you. Of course, you aren’t jealous. Our relationship is strictly as co-workers and nothing else.”
What would he do if I corrected him? He might not think about me like that, but I can’t make that same statement. Flashes of silk sheets, spray cans of whipped topping, and tongues sliding all over each other crowd into my mind.
Lord, it’s fucking hot in here.I twist the knob of the air conditioner to high. The loud whoosh of the air greets my ears.
“Our stop is at the next exit. I met Sarah Taylor through one of my best friends, Tyrone Hance. They’ve been dating since college. He’s doing his residency in pediatric medicine. He’s brilliant but grew up with nothing. He worked his butt off to get scholarships for school, grants, who knows what else, to get where he is now. They’re planning a spring wedding.” He shakes his head. “Children probably aren’t too far into the future.”
Now I feel like a giant jealous idiot. “Sounds like a great match. One is a doctor, and the other is a vet.” A soft snore comes from the backseat. I twist to see Sam curled up in the seat with his head tucked into his stomach.
“They are.” Cade frowns. “Not that her parents have felt the same. They have a lot of money and didn’t approve of Tyrone. Sarah finally put her foot down and told them that if they wanted to keep a relationship with her, they had to accept him as her future husband. They weren’t overjoyed, but they’ve stopped trying to sabotage the relationship.”
That sounds so familiar to my story. I stare out the window. When we pull up in front of the shelter, I slowly exhale and brace my shoulders. She sounds like a wonderful person. Stop worrying whether she’ll like you or not.
As I step out of the vehicle, I scoop Sam into my arms. A loud boom startles me, and Sam uses his hind legs to try and jump away. Crap. My arms strain as I hold onto him. Cade rushes around the front of the pickup and grabs Sam’s middle, causing the dog to growl.
“Sam, easy.” Cade’s voice is low and calming.
Sam’s hind legs jab into my gut again, and I struggle to hold him. “Sam, calm down.” I glance in all directions. “What was that?”
“It sounded like a shotgun. There’s a shooting range near here.”
“Sam, calm down.” Sam’s muscles relax, and he sags against me. “There you go, boy.” I tilt my head and study Cade. “How do you know a shotgun from any other type of weapon?”
“No reason. It could have been something else.” He pauses. “I know I said I wouldn’t intervene, but–”
“Then don’t.” I grab the door and yank it open. “He’s scared. That’s all.” I’m not about to tell him I’m a little afraid I’m going to hit Sam’s sore spot and get a mouthful of teeth dug into my flesh. The bruising from his legs shoving into me is going to be bad enough. But fuck if I’m going to tell him I can’t handle this dog.