2. Zach #2
She turned her attention back to the pain in my ass dog. “Did you run away from your daddy?” She laughed as Milo rolled over on his back and wagged his stumpy tail as if he were the most docile creature in the world.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t let him fool you. I’m not sure what magic you worked, but thanks for catching him.”
I noticed a couple of muddy paw prints on her shorts. “I’m so sorry,” I said, appreciating how tan and smooth her legs were. Long, toned legs that made her shorts look even shorter.
I jerked my gaze from them before she thought I was some kind of perv. I kneeled and slipped the collar back around Milo’s neck while she continued to rub his belly. I swore the look Milo gave me was a smug one.
“It’s fine. He’s a sweetie.” She nuzzled her face in his. “Aren’t you?”
“Hmm.” After our little chase, I wasn’t willing to agree, but I didn’t want to seem like an asshole either.
Milo flipped back over and nuzzled her hand. Sighing as she continued to smooth her hand down his back, he rested his head on her leg and closed his eyes.
Lucky dog. I should scoop him up and take him back to the kennel. He didn’t deserve such a reward after his shenanigans. But I didn’t have any reservations about using him. “His name is Milo,” I offered shamelessly.
“Cute name.”
“My name’s Zach,” I added, kneeling on the edge of her blanket, hoping to distract her attention from the dog long enough to get her to look at me again.
It worked. She tipped her head and peered at me through long lashes. Her lips curled upward, but not as far as they had when Milo had made her laugh. Her cheeks were pink, but whether from the sun or the shyness I sensed from her, I wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter.
She was attractive as hell, despite—maybe even more so—wearing cutoff shorts and a T-shirt with a strawberry that read Jam with your friends .
None of the girls I knew would be caught dead in it washing cars, much less hanging around campus.
Not that they’d had experience washing cars for that matter.
If I wasn’t mistaken, her sparkling eyes seemed to be checking me out in return.
It was hard not to be envious of the dog as he lay there, legs splayed, while her hands wandered all over him.
Nor could I believe she was laughing off the entire matter.
Most of the girls who attended Edonton would demand money for their dry-cleaning bill and call the local animal control.
“Also a good name.” She kept her attention on the pup, but her shy smile did more to warm me than the sunny area we sat in.
“Do you go to school here?”
She glanced around, her ears turning a little pink. “Um, no. My cousin is a student here. But it’s such a pretty campus. Sometimes I come over and join her on a run.”
I decided to push my luck. “So, you live around here then?”
She ducked her head and picked at her shorts. “For now. I’m in the culinary program at Johnson and Wales.”
“Ah. A chef in the making. That’s a tough program to get into.” I wondered if her lips tasted as sweet as the pastries I heard the students there made.
“In fact, I should get back soon,” she said, her smile fading. “I have some errands to run and homework to do.”
“Oh.” In her company, I’d forgotten about the piles of work I had waiting for me, and now I couldn’t help but wish she’d forgotten about hers. I needed to know more about this girl who took time to enjoy the sun, who didn’t shrink from animals, and who made my day appear brighter.
“Any chance I can talk you into staying longer today?” Not wanting to sound as desperate as I felt, I winked and joked, “Milo behaves much better when you’re around.”
She glanced at the pup, who snored with his head in her lap. “Well…”
I decided to go for broke. “I’ll make it worth your while. There’s a little vendor at the edge of the park. He sells frozen drinks, and the Mocha Frappe is definitely worth the time.”
Her hands twisted in her lap as she bit her lip.
I held up my hands. “I promise I’m not a creep. I just feel bad that Milo interrupted your quiet time. You should let me make it up to you.”
“Oh.” She stared at the ground. “You don’t have to do that.” My hopes were dashed until she peeked up at me with a dazzling smile. “But I’d like it anyway.”
All the weight since my father’s call lifted. Grinning, I stood and held out my hand.
She stared at my hand long enough I was worried she’d changed her mind. Milo’s not-so-soft snore from her lap made us both look at the pup who’d worn himself out earlier. Laughing, she moved the sleeping dog and accepted my hand.
When I gave a slight tug to help, she stumbled right into my arms. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome.
Despite her long legs, she was shorter than I’d expected, the top of her soft brown hair barely reaching my chin.
I was trying to register so many things at the same time—the light vanilla scent of her warm skin, sparkling brown eyes the color of the dark honey gathered in the nearby foothills, hair a lighter shade of the same nectar, and perfectly plump lips that begged to be kissed until they were swollen and begging for more.
“Oh!”
“Oh,” I mimicked softly, staring down as her beautiful face lifted to mine. I wanted to say something witty, something apologetic…anything. But somewhere, my brain had turned to mush. I didn’t even know her name, and already I wanted her to be mine.
It was more than her pretty looks. Her reactions, her laughter, her shyness; it was a refreshing change from most of the girls on campus and in my parents’ circle of friends, the ones my father had no qualms shoving in my face if he thought it would make a good alliance.
Milo woke up with a “Woof,” and the moment was broken.
She took a step back and held out her hand. “I’m Emalee.” Her southern cadence drew out her name.
Her hand was soft, but her grip was firm. “A cute name,” I repeated from her comment earlier. “Nice to meet you, Emily, the dog whisperer.”
Her brown eyes twinkled as if she was amused. It was then I realized I was staring at her, still holding her hand while she was trying to take it back. I didn’t let go. Not yet.
Her cheeks flushed slightly. “It’s Emalee, like Emma Lee, but all run together. Not that it matters since you don’t know me, and we probably won’t see each other after today, but I—”
“It matters,” I assured her. “And let’s not rule anything out about the future right now.”
Two hours later, after the promised coffee and even more promising conversation, I tried to convince her to meet me in the same spot tomorrow afternoon after her classes. “I’ll bring Milo,” I promised, seeing how she’d fallen in love with the pup.
She knelt in front of Milo and rubbed his face as he sat like the well-behaved dog he was not. “What do you say, Milo? Should I come?”
His response was a sloppy lick across her lips.
Lucky dog!
Laughing as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, she said, “Okay. I’ll be here.” As she walked away, she glanced over her shoulder, smiled, and waved her fingers.
Once she was out of sight, I grabbed my phone and dialed a number. There would be fallout for sure, but it would be worth it.
My dad didn’t answer his phone. I took the coward’s way out and left a message with his secretary, informing him I wouldn’t be able to make dinner tomorrow night after all, implying I had a student government meeting that required my specific negotiating skills.
The last part, at least, was true.
I needed to convince Emalee to continue to see me.