Chapter 3 #4
Bear had a mahogany tone to his coat. His eyes were brown and almond-shaped.
A flat forehead with a small groove at the front.
His little triangle ears stuck up, and his head was cocked to the side in an adorable way.
Bear’s hair was a little longer around his neck, creating a slight mane-like effect, and his lips were black and thin.
He was solid and firm. Also . . . perfect.
Her heart ached as she looked at him. Untrainable, huh? “You’re playing unfair.”
“If I can’t persuade you to come, maybe he can.” Chris placed his phone back into his jeans pocket. “He needs you. I’m doing all the wrong things already.”
She pressed her back to the counter and set her palms on the granite on each side of her, hoping the sudden nausea would dissipate.
What did her new neighbor put in the brownies?
Did they go bad? I get a bad batch? Or was it my toast?
“Like what?” she asked around the lump forming in her throat. Do not puke on this man.
“For starters, he’s been sleeping in my bed the past five nights I’ve had him.”
“That’s like a huge no-no in training.”
“He’s so cute, though. How can I tell him no?”
He had her there. He was cute. But still.
“What else have you done?” At least he was distracting her from the dazed and confused feeling that’d begun sweeping over her like a tidal wave, leaving her weak-kneed and feeling as though she were seasick, which was something that never happened, thank God.
“Home-cooking. Steak and rice. Oh, and I keep giving him rewards even though he didn’t do anything to earn them. And I had no idea what kind of leash to get, so I bought like ten different ones, but Bear doesn’t like any, so he just doesn’t wear one.”
“All this in five days? You broke that many rules?” Her hand hit her chest and dipped beneath the wet V of her damp shirt. “Do you want him to work with you or just be your buddy? He’s totally the alpha in your relationship already.”
He pursed his lips and shook his head. “You’re accusing me of not being an alpha?”
She gulped when he stepped back, and she raked her gaze over his delicious body.
She highly doubted he’d be anything other than alpha in the bedroom, that was for sure.
His personality was playful and fun, but oh, there were layers.
Many layers. And she’d want to peel them back, which would be dangerous.
Also, maybe peel off his shirt. Check out his ass without the jeans on. See those hard ridges of his muscles. And maybe his hard . . .
Another thought interrupted her guilty-pleasure ones. “You did all of that on purpose, didn’t you? Just to prove how badly you need me.”
“I do need you.” The side of his mouth twitched before he pulled his brows inward.
Maybe she needed him, too. She’d be safe with an operator, right? Not that she had wanted anyone to protect her before, but after her encounter with Carter Dominick, it might not be a bad idea.
But it wouldn’t be fair to jeopardize Chris’s safety without him knowing what he was getting himself into with her.
“If I do this, if I take your dog on as my first client, there’s something you need to know about me.” Her body shuddered as a strange warmth spilled inside of her.
“What is it, Rosemary?”
So, he knew her given name. No one called her that except her mom when she was in trouble or in church.
“There are, um, some people that will want to kill me if they find out who and where I am. I don’t want to endanger you.” Did I just admit that?
He angled his head as if he hadn’t heard her right. Maybe she could backpedal. Get out of this insane conversation. “Who would want you dead and . . .” He removed his hat at the bomb she’d dropped.
His soft, expressive eyes hardened with concern. Operator mode. A switch had been flipped. A clear and present danger evident. And like her former military brother, she knew that look.
He saw a problem he needed to fix.
But this was her mess.
And there was only one way out of it.
Hide, hope, and put her old life behind her.
He’d been there for no more than fifteen minutes, and now he knew her secret.
But her forearm tightened over her stomach, and her body became damp.
Chills coated her skin. “Oh, no.” Her eyes fell to the homemade chocolate brownies on the counter.
“I’m high,” she said before gasping. Why the hell did it take me so long to realize?
She’d only tried edibles once and vowed never to go near them again. “I-I can’t get high.”
“Huh?”
She pointed to the dish of brownies on the counter by the bread box. “My neighbor came over and said he made me a homemade recipe of brownies. He winked when he said they were extra special, but I thought he was flirting. I didn’t understand he was letting me know they were laced with something.”
“You’re pale.” He went for her forearm, pulling her closer. “You sick?”
She nodded. But that explained her irrational behavior.
And why she’d stumbled through her words and became delirious with desire.
Oh, and the munchies. “I don’t do well when I’m high,” she whispered.
“Someone insisted I eat edibles in Costa Rica once, but instead of being chill, I turned into a chatterbox and puked for hours. I don’t know if it’s an allergy thing, but—” She flung her hand to her mouth, realizing this gorgeous man was going to see her throw up all the “special” brownies in about two seconds.
“Be back!” She pulled away and took off.
Please make it in time.
She darted up the stairs, clutching her stomach with one hand and mouth with the other.
Two doors down on the right was her bedroom. Make it. Make it.
A second later, she slammed the door shut behind her and hugged the toilet in shame.
A few minutes after her stomach was empty, she heard from behind, “Hey, I know you might feel awkward, but let me help you.”
She was too out of it to even tell him no. Had he picked the lock to get in? She could’ve sworn she’d locked it. A damp hand towel pressed to her cheeks, then her forehead from where she clung to the porcelain toilet for dear life.
He must have been on his knees. Hovering over or behind her.
Chris wrapped his strong arms around her, then stood with her in his arms.
She clutched the towel he’d used on her skin to her mouth, her eyes wide with humiliation, but she was too exhausted to protest.
Only a beautiful warmth and concern was in his gaze as he carried her into her bedroom.
“I got you, Rosemary. Don’t you worry.”