Chapter Four #2
“He has no discipline, but I was right when I told the mom he was only excited. If I had to guess, he wanted to play with Lola, not eat her. There are no bad dogs, only bad humans who raise ‘em wrong.”
I nodded and watched him look over his shoulder before glancing back at me.
“That mother should have never given the dog to her daughter who was too small to control her. And retractable leashes should be outlawed. There’s no way to control a dog on one of ‘em if the dog decides to dart like that one did. Once they have momentum and get to the end of the leash…well, you saw what happened.”
He knew a lot about dogs and seeing him so loved at the vet’s office said a lot about his character to me. “I only glad you were there to catch him before he got to us.”
He smiled at me. “You reacted quickly by runnin’ around that counter.” He glanced into the rearview mirror and I knew he was watching the quiet, little girl in the backseat. “Let’s go home, Lola girl. What’d’ya say?”
She made a little yip, followed by her long, curling, pink tongue lolling out of her mouth in a doggie smile.
He glanced over and our gazes locked for several seconds.
I held my breath as his gaze dropped to my mouth.
I licked my lips and I was pretty sure I heard a low growl rumbling down deep in his chest. I wished he’d just kiss me but was disappointed when he made a grunting noise and turned away.
He started the car and I sat back in the seat, watching him pull out of the lot. He drove silently, making several turns before I realized we weren’t headed toward the club where I’d left my car and instead, traveling in the opposite direction.
“Rex?”
“Yeah?”
“Where you going? This no the way to the club.”
He smirked. “No, it ain’t. I’m takin’ you back to my house so I can feed Lola and put her to bed. The doctor says she only ate a little wet food this mornin’, so she’s probably hungry.”
“No.” I shook my head. “That’s not what I mean. I need my car and you say you take me to it.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I know, and I will, but first, I gotta get Lola home. It’s too hot out.”
I guess he was right about that. “What wrong with Lola? You said she has test.”
“She’s been more tired than normal and because of her condition, I wanted her seen by the doc. When he decided to do some tests, she had the reaction I told you about.”
I frowned. “What her condition? Besides the paralyzed.”
“Besides bein’ paralyzed,” he corrected.
“Yes. Besides being paralyzed,” I corrected him, and he smirked.
“I adopted Lola from a pet rescue where I volunteer,” he replied, sounding very proud of the fact. “There was a lottery for people to enter if they wanted to adopt her. They got a lot of applications, and I was the lucky one who got to take her home.”
I nodded. “Okay, but you no answer.”
“Oh, sorry. She was hit by someone and her back legs were destroyed by the driver who drove off after hittin’ her. She also lost a kidney in the process. So when she gets tired, I have her seen by the doctor, just to make sure her lethargy ain’t related to her kidney function.”
I frowned deeply. “That’s horrible!”
He glanced over, looking murderous. “That some bastard hit her and left her to die on the side of the road? Yeah, I agree.”
“I never understand how anyone can be mean to dogs or any animals,” I said, feeling mad.
He nodded. “Yeah, I don’t get it. It’s why I volunteer with animal rescue groups.
I used to be a foster but after gettin’ Lola, I decided I wanted to devote all my time to only carin’ for my one special friend.
It wouldn’t be fair if I had to split what time I have off between her and another dog or cat. ”
I nodded, saying nothing as I pictured some cabrón bastardo of a driver hitting a small dog, hearing it cry, and then driving off like a monster. He looked over.
“It sounds like you’re passionate about animals too. Do you have a dog? I didn’t see one in your house.”
“No, I no have a dog. I wish I have one. My tia have a cat but she die last year. I no want to make her sad.”
“I can understand that.”
“Back in San Juan, I want to be a veterinario, pero, I couldn’t afford the college. Medical degrees are expensive in Puerto Rico and after my mamá’s divorce, I must work.”
He smiled. “I bet you’d be a great veterinarian. I can tell you love animals.”
I returned his smile. “I adore them. I wish I could work with them, but I need train.”
“Training,” he corrected.
“Si. Training,” I repeated. I realized if he kept correcting my English, I might improve in no time.
“You can get student loans and grants. Maybe I can help you apply to vet school,” he said.
My eyes widened. “You do that?”
He nodded, looking over at me and then returning his attention to the road as he changed lanes. “I’d love to help you. All you have to do is get your high school transcripts and…have you had any college at all?”
My heart sank. “My school was flooded during Maria. I not know if I can get transcript and I never do any college. I had to work.”
“Yeah, you said that.” He tapped his chin and I watched him purse his lips.
He stopped at a light and made a right turn.
I glanced around, noticing it was an older neighborhood of family houses in what had to be West Hollywood.
I wondered if he lived here. Living in West Hollywood was expensive.
I’d often thought it would be nice to live closer to work, but I could never afford to move me and Mamá to the West Side.
We drove down a tree-lined street and he pulled into the narrow driveway of a small house painted a bright, sunny yellow.
A white picket fence surrounded the front yard.
He shut off the car which sputtered and rattled before settling down. I grinned as I looked over at him.
“Sorry,” he said, sending me an embarrassed smile. “It does that.”
I thought Rex and his old clunker of a car were very chuleria. So sweet.
“I may have an idea.”
When I opened my mouth to ask about what, he glanced into the backseat. I looked over my shoulder to find Lola sitting up, looking around.
“We’re home, girl.” She wiggled like crazy.
“Okay,” he said, chuckling. “I’m comin’.
” He got out and walked around to her door as I also climbed out of the car.
He pulled out the small wheelchair and handed Lola to me while he set it on the ground and opened it.
I watched with rapt attention as he righted the small sling inside and took her from me, setting her into the chair and putting a little belt over her back.
In seconds, she used her front legs to propel herself over to the gate.
I laughed. It was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen in my life.
“Watch her while I grab the food.”
I didn’t know what he was talking about until he picked up the bag which he’d thrown into the backseat last night and then removed the chile rellenos from the trunk.
I’d completely forgotten about them. I followed Lola to the picket fence and opened it for her as Rex followed.
Lola propelled herself up to the front porch steps, and Rex jogged around me, bent, and lifted her and the wheelchair.
He came up the steps and I followed, unable to wipe the massive grin off my face as he unlocked his front door.
We walked into the cool house a second later.
He set her down just inside and she ran across the hardwood floors as if she was on four legs rather than two legs and two wheels. He shut the front door, locking it.
“I’m starvin’. I’ll rustle up some grub,” he said, following the path Lola had taken.
I followed him back to a sunny kitchen where Lola stood at a water bowl, waiting patiently. Rex filled her bowl and began lapping up water as he searched around in a cupboard, taking out a can of wet food. It wasn’t a brand of dog food I’d ever seen before.
“What food kind is that?” I asked, joining him at the counter as he opened it and put it into a bowl.
“This is the food I was tellin’ you about.” He held out the can so I could read it. It said it was specially formulated for dogs to improve kidney and liver function.
“Huh,” I remarked, grinning up at him. “Is good.”
He nodded, dropping the empty can in a nearby waste bin before setting Lola’s bowl on the ground.
She moved right over to it and dug in. “This food has no grain fillers. It’s pure meat and veggies with just a little rice.
I vary it between chicken, liver, and beef but it’s all got veggies and extra vitamins, for dogs with kidney problems. If they don’t have those types of problems, this food is still better for ‘em than other foods with those fillers.” He waved at Lola and chuckled. “And as you can see, she loves it.”
I was encantado. I stepped close to him, reaching up to slide my fingers around the side of his neck as I gazed into his eyes.
“You are good doggie papá.” He stared at me, making no move to take my hand the way he’d done last night.
I wanted him to take me into his arms and then drag me back to his bedroom, but he seemed hesitant to touch me again, even though his eyes were filled with longing. “You no like me, Rex?”
He scoffed. “Of course, I do.” He pressed his lips together even as he dropped his gaze to my lips. In my heart, I knew he was holding back, but I couldn’t work out why. I could tell he was interested in me, so his hesitation confused me.
I felt brave, so I raised my other hand and moved in closer. When our bodies were close enough to touch, I smiled as I cupped both cheeks. “What it is then?”
He sighed and reached for my hands, covering them for a few seconds before drawing them away from his face.
“You’re only twenty-five years old, Cachi.”
“So? How old are you?”
“Thirty-five. I’m much older than you.”
I frowned. “You can’t get it—” I leaned back and glanced down at his groin.
He frowned. “Can’t get it what?”
I grinned at him. “You know. You can’t.” I dropped my hands and gestured at the bulge in his jeans.
He threw his head back and laughed. “You think I can’t get it up for you?”
I shrugged. “Thirty-five.”
He laughed harder, finally reaching up to cup my cheek.
He looked deep into my eyes. It was hard to miss the fire in his gaze.
He was not only sensual but probably the sexiest man I’d ever met.
“I assure you, gettin’ it up ain’t a problem for me, Cachi.
I just don’t want to take advantage of a twenty-five-year-old kid. ”
I was offended.
I might have been younger than him, but I’d lived ten lifetimes in my twenty-five years.
“I’m not a kid!” I turned my back and started walking out of the kitchen when he caught my arm, pulling me to a stop.
“What?” I whirled around, hearing the anger in my voice.
“Take advantage? Pfft! I old enough to dance almost naked in a club but I too young for your bed? Or you like women only? What you doing in Dance Hall Bo—”
He cut off my words, grabbing me with both hands, yanking me up against his body, and crashing his mouth down on mine.
His scent surrounded me, filling all my senses as I melted against his hard body.
Being in his arms was a heady thing and I felt boneless.
He was so much taller than me and knowing this sent fireworks shooting through my veins.
He groaned, slipping his tongue into my mouth, only exploring at first. Soon, though, I fell under the spell he weaved with a fiery, wild passion I’d never experienced.
I’m Boricua. How can that be? My head was swimming and I could barely breathe as I kissed him right back.
I wanted him desperately…had wanted him from the moment I’d seen him making his way through the crowded club the night we’d met.
I’d stared down at him from my elevated perch as he’d moved past men who’d openly drooled over him.
I’d watched him shake his head at several guys who threw themselves at him.
He was wanted, this was clear to me, but I could see he was picky, and it had instantly intrigued me.
He’d moved around the edge of the dance floor with a grace that was hard to achieve when you were as tall as he was.
He’d caught my eye immediately, towering over all the other guys in the club but it was more than that…
something I hadn’t been able to identify at the time.
Now, having him in my arms, submitting to his punishing kisses, feeling his enormous erection pressing into me, had me ready to combust. I held onto his neck, threading my fingers up into his short hair, wishing it was just a little longer so that I could pull it to make him moan again.
He kissed me for long minutes as he held me against him.
I searched out all the corners of his delicious mouth with my tongue, hungry for him.
When he finally broke the kiss and looked down at me, the smoky blue of his eyes was smoldering, flashing fire as he ran his gaze all over my face.
“I shouldn’t be doin’ this.”
“Kissing me?”
“Wantin’ a man your age.”
I stared up into his eyes. “It does not matter. Age is only number, Rex, but—” I glanced away. He took hold of my chin, turning me to face him.
“What is it?”
I swallowed hard, knowing if he rejected me, it was going to break my heart. “If you don’t want me—”
He pressed two fingers over my lips. “You think I don’t want you?” He reached for one of my hands, bringing it to his groin. “You’re wrong.”
I touched him eagerly, feeling the hard cock under the well-worn denim of his bulging jeans, grinning at the wet spot I felt there, knowing where it’d come from. The scent of precome hit my nostrils making me groan again. “Take me to bed, cowboy.”