by Inara Scott
Mason dragged a hand through his hair. “Why is everyone so obsessed with who I date?”
“It’s just inspirational,” Luke said. “You’re the master, and we’re all taking notes.”
There were nods around the table.
“Connor did a little back-of-the-envelope analysis,” Nate said with a smirk. “Average of four dates, with a standard deviation of one date. But our data wasn’t collected in real time, so there may be flaws in our analysis.”
“You all need a new hobby.”
Zoe leaned back in her chair. “I can’t imagine why. So back to Tess—where is she at again? First date? Second?”
Connor adjusted his dark-rimmed glasses. “I assume as an independent contractor, she’s not subject to the four-date rule.” He turned to Mason. “She’s not, is she?”
When Mason just glared at him mutinously, Connor hastily added, “Never mind, of course she’s not.”
“I will go to the dog park and meet the fuel cell boys,” Mason said, biting out each word. “I will bring Tess’s dog. And none of you are invited to join me. Are we clear?”
The room was quiet. There were nods around the table, and then a pause. Finally, Nate raised his hand. “Can I say something?”
Mason closed his eyes and prayed for patience. When he opened them again, everyone was staring at him. “Of course.”
Nate nodded sagely. “You’re hot when you’re mad.” He looked at Zoe. “Am I right?”
Zoe nodded. “Absolutely. Smokin’.”
Mason slumped into a chair and laid his head down on the table in defeat. It was going to be a long day.
Chapter Seven
Tess arrived a few minutes early at the dog park with Astro, but when she walked through the gate of the large fenced-in area, Mason was already there, pacing and looking at his watch.
“Nervous much?” she asked, as she walked up behind him.
Rather than answering, he crouched down next to Astro, who was trotting along behind Tess with her usual proud air. “You are the most ridiculous creature I have ever seen,” he crooned softly, scratching her behind the ear.
Astro, with her minimal grasp of the English language, leaned her head into his hand in a gesture of surrender. She wasn’t the sort of dog to roll over and let just anyone have access to her belly—especially in a dog park, where she was on guard—but her tail did begin to plume behind her in a sweet wave.
Tess crouched beside him and unhooked Astro’s leash. “Never believe a word he says, sweetheart. He’s one of those men. You know, the ones we talked about.”
Blinking her dark eyes, Astro glanced only briefly at Tess before leaning even farther into Mason’s hand. Tess sighed in disgust. “We’ve talked about this many times. She simply doesn’t understand the importance of making a man work for it.”
Mason caught Tess with his hazel eyes, and she shivered at the heat he directed at her. “I don’t imagine you make the same mistake.”
She stood and wiped her hands on her shorts before shoving them deep into her pockets. “My track record isn’t great, but I’ve been on a good run the last few years.”
“He must have been a real asshole,” Mason observed, turning his attention back to Astro.
“You can’t begin to imagine,” she said cheerfully. “But really, it was my fault. I should have known better.”
“Better than what?”
“Better than to trust someone.” It was out before she could stop herself, and she could feel when Mason’s gaze locked on her. With some people, you could let a personal detail slip, and they never really noticed. Not Mason. He seemed to have some sixth sense for when she was saying something important, and when she was joking.
It was unnerving.
“Sometimes trust is a good thing.”
“Not in my experience.” She shrugged nervously and looked around the grassy area for some distraction, but the only other person was an older woman throwing a ball for a golden retriever.
“So tell me again why this meeting is so important?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.
“We’re considering giving these kids two million dollars.”
Tess sucked in a breath. “Seriously? That’s a lot of money!”
He ran his fingers through his hair and gave a rueful laugh. “You’re telling me. ”
She eyed him shrewdly. “You still don’t like the idea, but you’re going forward anyway? Why?”
He glanced around, as if to make sure the fuel cell guys hadn’t arrived while they weren’t looking. “My partners are really set on it. And I don’t have any specific concerns. It’s just a feeling. Maybe today will help. I just need to get to know them a little better.”
As if to mark his words, a couple of young men stopped at the gated entrance to the park. They had two dogs with them; one was shorter and stocky, with a thick coat and a ruff of light brown hair circling his face like a mane. The other was a tall mixed-breed that looked like it was part German shepherd, part Lab, and probably a little bit of everything else. The dogs were both straining at the ends of their leashes. The shepherd mix was barking excitedly.
“Oh boy,” Tess muttered under her breath. “I can’t believe it. Are those your guys?”
Mason shot her a look. “Yeah, what? Do you know them?”
“Not them, their dogs. I’ve seen them before, when I was walking one of my other clients. They were total menaces—ran around the whole time like a couple of bullies terrorizing the other dogs until the Chow got tired.”
“Chow?”
“The light brown one. The breed is called a Chow Chow. Very distinctive, and not very friendly. Luckily, also not a fan of excessive running.”
“Are you sure they were the same dogs?”
She nodded. “I make a point of keeping track of the nasty ones, so I can avoid them in the future.”
Mason sighed. “I was afraid of that.” He glanced down at Astro, who was staring at the new dogs as they made their way through the gate. “Should we leave?”
She glanced at him in surprise. “We can’t do that! What about your meeting?”
Lines of tension cut around his mouth, but he managed a smile. “I could tell them Astro’s come down with a case of rabies. Surely then they’d give up the whole dog park thing.”
“I don’t want to screw things up for you,” she said quietly.
“This meeting is about dollars. Astro is worth more than that.” He looked at her without even a hint of kidding, and she realized in a rush that in that moment she was seeing the real Mason. The guy underneath the charm and the easy humor. Someone who was genuinely worried about her and her dog.
Her heart melted. “No, it’s okay, I—”
She glanced at Astro, who had gone stiff-legged as the owners bent to remove their leashes, and then the two larger dogs started sprinting in their direction.
“Astro!” Mason snapped, crouching down before Tess could react.
Without a word, her tiny ball of fluff sprinted right for Mason and leaped into his outstretched arms. In just a few seconds, she was settled in the cradle of his elbow, ruff up and bristling.
Tess gaped. When had Mason appointed himself Astro’s protector?
Not wanting to think about the way her heart lurched at the sight, Tess turned back to the dogs heading their way. They hadn’t hurt anyone the last time she’d been here, just made a big show of barking, growling, and snapping. Still, it was smart to be vigilant, especially when, as she recalled, their owners had little to no control over them. There could always be a fight if the combination of dogs was right—or wrong, for that matter. People didn’t realize that some dogs just set each other off, like some people.
The black dog reached them first. He was more energy than aggression, jumping on Tess first, then sniffing at Mason and the now-snarling bundle in his arms. The Chow arrived next, ruff up. It halted about ten feet away, and Tess could swear she saw its eyes narrow like a hyena as it assessed the prey in Mason�
�s arms.
“Don’t even think about it,” she warned the dog. It glanced at her for just a moment before continuing slowly toward Mason with an air of casual violence. As it approached, it dropped its head and growled quietly.
Behind the dog, the two young men hurried toward them yelling, “Alistair! Sadie!”
Neither dog paid any attention.
Tess moved so she was standing in front of Mason and Astro. “You stay off,” she said, making her voice deep and stern. “Off.”
The Chow looked up at her for a minute, cocking its head as if considering the command, and then lowered it again and stalked a foot closer. Out of the corner of her eye, Tess caught a glimpse of Mason shoving the black dog off with a foot.
The concerned owners finally got close enough for Tess to make out their features. On the left, a lanky redhead wore a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that read, “The struggle is real” below a mostly unshaded Wi-Fi symbol. The one on the right was short, with unkempt black hair falling into his eyes, wire-rimmed glasses, and a plaid shirt falling untucked over a pair of khaki shorts.
“Hey, Sadie, fetch!” the redhead called. He extended a long plastic throwing gadget and tossed a tennis ball across the field. The black dog tore off after it. The Chow did not move.
“Alistair, be nice,” Plaid Shirt warned. The dog paid him no attention, and with a little shrug, he turned to Mason. “He’s very sweet with other dogs. You can put yours down; don’t worry.”
Mason gave Astro’s ears one final pat, and then walked over to the younger man with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That’s okay; she gets a little nervous sometimes. I don’t mind holding her. You must be Elijah.” He held out his other hand. “I’m Mason. Nice to finally meet you in person.”
Tess was relieved to see that he made no sign of putting Astro down. She moved closer to him and said under her breath, “I can take her.”
“No, it’s okay. Elijah, this is my friend Tess. She’s a bit of a dog whisperer, and she’s helping me train Astro here.”
Tess shook the young man’s hand, keeping an eye on the lion-maned dog a few feet away.
The Wi-Fi T-shirt guy waved from where he was standing a few feet away. “I’m Henry. I’ll just try to tire Sadie out a little. She gets so excited when we come here.”
Tess hid a smile when she noticed that the black dog had lost any interest in fetching her ball and was now barking and chasing the ball of the other dog in the field.
“A dog whisperer, huh?” Elijah nodded in approval. “That’s cool. I’m kind of like that myself. My friends are always asking for my help with their dogs.”
“Is that right? Huh.” Tess restrained the urge to vomit all over his ridiculous claim. “So where did you get Alistair? Is he a full-bred Chow?”
Elijah, clearly delighted at the question, launched into a fifteen-minute soliloquy about his dog, including pictures, a discussion of his sire and dam, and the history of the breed, which included guarding temples in China. Meanwhile, the creature in question sat near his owner, keeping close tabs on Astro, who was keeping close tabs right back.
Though he didn’t need much prompting, Tess watched from there as Mason skillfully drew Elijah out further, asking subtle questions about his family, school, the technology he and Henry had devised, and their plans for the future. In a short time, a picture emerged of a cocky, self-centered young man who was enjoying being courted by various investors and seemed to have little real concern for anyone or anything other than himself—and his dog. Though Tess appreciated his devotion to his pet, she would have preferred that devotion to come with more training and less spoiling. Just like children, dogs didn’t do well without limits. Worse, dogs without limits came with sharp teeth and the potential to use them.
They talked a little about contracts and deals, but Tess tuned it out as much as possible. Elijah seemed to think Mason should be begging him to let his firm give them millions of dollars, and she knew she was going to say something snarky if she wasn’t careful.
Henry, the other half of the pair, was marginally better. Once he’d exhausted Sadie enough to be able to walk back over to them, he joined their small group in the middle of the field, still throwing the tennis ball occasionally, and retrieving it when his dog lost interest. While both young men seemed certain that they were destined for greatness, Henry was at least aware of social niceties, asking a few questions of Tess and Mason in between talking about himself.
They stayed for about an hour and were just preparing to leave the field when it happened. As Mason turned to shake hands goodbye with Henry, Sadie, the big black dog, slammed into his knees as she darted after a new dog that had just entered the field. Mason stumbled, off balance for a moment, and almost tipped Astro out of his arms. The little white dog yipped and scrambled for purchase, and Alistair, who hadn’t taken his gaze off Astro for a moment since he’d entered the field, lunged toward her with silent snap of the jaws.
“No!” A painful rush of adrenaline sent her heart racing as Tess dove toward Alistair. Luckily, Mason recovered quickly, looking like the quarterback he’d been as he steadied his passenger in the crook of one arm while raising his other arm as a shield. Alistair’s teeth closed on his sleeve just as Tess grabbed the Chow from behind, catching hold of his collar and jerking him back. She straddled him, inching the snarling dog backward as Mason regained his footing and moved out of his reach.
“Alistair!” Elijah approached from the side, grabbing the dog’s collar away from Tess. Apparently satisfied with the damage he’d done, Alistair did not protest as Elijah clipped on his leash and led him several feet away. In a voice somewhere between scolding and praising, Elijah said, “You’re supposed to be nice to our friends, Alistair. They don’t know you’re just playing.”
Alistair sat and yawned, giving them a good look at his enormous, blue-black tongue. Tess felt the familiar surge of anger that she reserved for precisely these situations. Her heart raced, adrenaline surging through her veins. Even though she’d seen dogs do this before—striking out with a warning, but not pursuing it further—it was still frightening. And maddening.
“Dogs sure are unpredictable,” Elijah said, shaking his head with a smile. “That’s part of what I love about them, you know? They’re really their own creatures. We just get to walk beside them.”
Tess realized then that he was proud of the dog. Proud. It sickened her.
Mason, apparently, felt the same way. His mouth gaped open in disbelief.
Elijah, apparently sensed their horror, turned faintly disapproving. “I’m surprised you didn’t tell him that he really shouldn’t be holding his dog like that,” he said to Tess. “It just makes other dogs more aggressive.”
Mason stared at the younger man, then looked down at his shirt, which now had a rip in the fabric near the cuff where the dog had bitten him. “What did you say?” he asked, voice chillingly soft.
Elijah raised his voice defensively. “Honestly, you shouldn’t even bring your dog to a dog park if it isn’t socialized enough to be with the other dogs.”
Tess felt her head silently explode. “You’re absolutely right,” she snapped. “Astro is clearly the danger here. All five pounds of her.”
“You shouldn’t grab someone else’s dog, either,” Elijah continued.
“I shouldn’t…” Tess felt her face go hot, and she genuinely had to restrain herself from stepping forward and punching the condescending ass right in the face. “I shouldn’t grab your dog? When he’s biting someone?”
Mason stepped between them, handing Astro to Tess while keeping his eyes on Alastair. “Would you mind running her home for me?” Mason asked. “And then we can catch up at my place later?” He turned to Elijah with a deceptively soft voice. “I think we’ve got a few things we need to discuss before I go.”
Chapter Eight
When Mason got back to his apartment an hour later, still buzzing with leftover fury from the incident at the dog park, Te
ss was standing at the bar in the kitchen, typing on her computer, her hair falling over the dark rims of her glasses. He knew she had two papers due at the end of the week and wasn’t sleeping nearly enough. He also knew that she would never admit how tired she was, or how hard she was working.
The shorts she wore today exposed her lithe limbs, slim calves and ankles. They also illustrated the curve of her backside, which looked like it would fit perfectly in his hands. The soft material of her shirt clung to her breasts, which were also made to be held.
Everything about her, he realized for the hundredth time, was made to be touched. Held. Stroked. Despite all her attempts to stay hidden, he had a clearer picture of what lay beneath her disguise every day. She couldn’t hide the full breasts that pressed against her T-shirt. He’d touched her waist and knew the lines of her sweet curves, could imagine how his hands would lie across her stomach. He’d given in to temptation and kissed the delicate skin of her jaw and knew she smelled like strawberries and felt like silk.
Astro, who was sitting on the counter next to her computer, stood and wagged her tiny tail.
“I didn’t want to drive back and forth two more times,” Tess said, sounding apologetic. “I figured I could separate them if I had to, but once I got them together, Wick decided he was too lazy to care.” As if in confirmation of this fact, the large brown lump on the couch rolled off and made his lazy way toward Mason, the equivalent of a doggie smile on his drooling face. “I just put her up here because I didn’t want to have to worry about him stepping on her.”
He petted Astro’s silky white ears instead, and the tiny dog sat and took in the attention as if she knew it was her due. “Makes sense to me,” he said, wishing he could shake off his frustration as easily as Astro seemed to have.
“I’m sorry things went so badly. Are you still going to work with them? I hope Astro and I didn’t screw it up for you.”
“Are you kidding? After that display?” He shook his head in disgust. “I told Elijah our conversations were over, and then went back to the office and told my partners what happened. We’re done with them.”
