Catching Her Rival (Mills & Boon Superromance)

by Lisa Dyson

  “First, do you have a crate? Dogs need their own space, much like humans do.”

  “Yes, I have one.” She was pleased that she could say she was prepared. “I had to leave Harvey alone in my apartment while I got it from my car, but I had no choice. Unfortunately, that’s when he decided to chew one of my shoes. Oh, no.” Her hands flew to her mouth as her thoughts suddenly ran to whether or not she’d shut her closet door. “The crate’s over there.” She pointed to the wall in the dining area as she hurried out of the room. “I’ll be right back.”

  She ran into her bedroom. There was no sign of the dog. “Harvey?” She listened but heard nothing. He wasn’t in her bathroom. That left her closet.

  Afraid to look, she slowly went around her bed to the open door. Harvey was asleep on top of one of her shoes. Not the match to the shoe he chewed before, but one of her more expensive shoes.

  At that point, she slumped down to the floor on her knees, wondering why on earth she’d decided that getting a dog would help her win the account.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  JACK WASN’T SURE what was going on when Allie disappeared into another room. He heard what sounded like a sniff. Was that a sob?

  He slowly walked in the direction she’d taken and hesitated at her bedroom door. “Allie?”

  There was a mumble from the far corner of the room, but nothing distinct.

  “Is there something I can do?” He took a few more steps into her bedroom. On the wall facing the doorway, there was a door on each side of her bed. The one on the right appeared to be her dark bathroom. The opened one on the left was obviously her closet. He continued walking toward it.

  Harvey wasn’t on the bed, which didn’t look anything like what Jack had pictured, with its jewel-toned comforter in a bold geometric design. Most of the women’s bedrooms he’d been in were frilly with flowers and ruffles. Many were decorated with muted pastels and definitely girly. Not that he paid a whole lot of attention to women’s interior design choices. By the time he made it to a woman’s bedroom, he had other things on his mind.

  This was probably a first for him. Stepping into a woman’s bedroom for the single purpose of—

  “Oh, no,” he said quietly when he saw the damage Harvey had done to Allie’s shoe. Jack crouched down and helped her to her feet. She was in his arms before he realized what he’d done.

  “I should’ve remembered to shut the closet door.” She groaned into his chest.

  She suddenly pulled away and turned her back to him, wiping her cheeks with her hands.

  “It’s okay to be upset,” he said and reached for her arm to turn her around.

  “I’m not crying. I never cry.”

  “I didn’t say you were.” He gathered her into his arms, and she didn’t pull away. He stroked her head, his fingers tangling softly in her silky hair. A citrus scent tickled his nose.

  She sniffed and drew the back of her hand under her nose. “After he chewed the first one, I should have been more vigilant. I forgot to close the door after I changed my clothes.”

  She looked up at him, and that was his undoing. Those darn eyes of hers. He wiped a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb.

  His breathing came faster, and he touched his lips to her forehead. She leaned into him, her breasts pressed against his chest. His hand curled around the back of her neck, his fingers tangled in her hair and he angled her head back. Their eyes met in mutual understanding.

  As his mouth was being drawn to hers, a background noise grew louder until Jack gave it his full attention.

  He turned his head toward the sound. Harvey was not only growling but also baring his teeth.

  Not at Jack, but at Allie.

  * * *

  ALLIE HAD BEEN sure Jack was about to kiss her, but he suddenly set her away from him.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked before belatedly hearing the growling coming from Harvey.

  “I’m pretty sure he thinks you’re trying to hurt me,” Jack told her.

  “Why would he think that?”

  “In his dog brain, he’s protecting his master. And since I’m the one who came in here like an alpha dog and took charge, he thinks I’m the leader of the pack. I hate to say it, but I’m pretty sure he’s trying to dominate you.”

  “There’s really such a thing as a pack order?” She was trying to make sense of what he was saying.

  He nodded. “If you think of dogs in the wild, they naturally have a pack leader. One who keeps things in order. Much like the way our laws—and those who enforce the laws—affect the way we live and keep us safer with than without them.”

  Harvey had stopped growling the moment Jack released her, leaving her wanting for his touch. Even if she knew kissing him was a terrible idea. Friends. That’s what they were. Nothing more.

  She was off men.

  Without thinking, she grabbed his hand to lead him out of her bedroom. Harvey barked, startling her. She stopped walking and released his hand as if she’d been burned.

  Obviously, Harvey knew about her feelings on relationships and was helping her diffuse the situation. Yeah, that’s what he was doing.

  “Now what?” she asked Jack.

  “Let’s walk out to set up the crate,” Jack said. “Just ignore Harvey.”

  “But what about the rest of my shoes? I can’t afford to have him chew any more of them.” As it was, he’d chewed her nicest and most expensive pair. The shoes she wore for client meetings because they made her feel successful—the way she used to feel before DP Advertising fired her.

  Jack nodded. “You go into the living room. I’ll stay back and close the closet door and then your bedroom door. Better to keep this guy in as small an area as possible. Then, as he settles down and you can trust him, you can gradually give him more freedom in the apartment.”

  She did as Jack suggested and pulled the crate out so they could put it together. Jack talked calmly to Harvey as he closed doors. She was relieved to see the dog had responded, following right on Jack’s heels.

  “He really likes you,” Allie told him as he began unfolding the crate to snap it together. She couldn’t help but notice his broad shoulders and narrow waist as he crouched on the floor. Her fingers itched to touch him, massage his neck, whisper in his ear.

  “He likes you, too.”

  “What?” Allie pulled herself out of her daydream. “Oh, right.”

  “It’s that dominance thing right now,” he said over his shoulder as if he hadn’t noticed she was practically drooling over him. “He sees me above him and you below him.” He stood up and turned to her. His wink made her stomach do a flip.

  “Great,” she muttered, trying to ignore the mental image she had of being under Jack in the most literal sense.

  “It’s not a permanent situation,” he said quickly. “It’ll just take some training to correct.”

  “Like obedience class?” How much would that set her back? “I can’t afford to spend more money on him.”

  He shook his head, and he smiled. “No, not for Harvey. You’re the one who needs the training.”

  “Me?” She cleared her throat and brought her tone down an octave. “Me? But he’s the one who’s misbehaving.”

  “Correct. And to make him behave the way you want him to, you need to learn how to act around him.”

  “Oh. I guess that makes sense.”

  He picked up the completed crate. “Where do you want this?”

  She pointed to a corner of the living room. “Over there, I think.”

  Harvey had remained by Jack’s side the entire time he put together the crate, sniffing at the metal contraption and even the pile of packaging.

  “Has he had dinner yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  After the dog was fed, Jack said, “Let’s take him for a walk, and then we can settle him into his crate for the night.” He gathered the packing material. “You have a recycle bin downstairs?”

  “Yes.” Allie hurried to where she’d lef
t the leash and held it out to Jack.

  He shook his head. “This is your first lesson. Time to learn how to take a walk.”

  She was unsure of this outing but she followed Jack’s directions anyway. She got Harvey to sit so she could clip on his leash. She went out the door first and then invited Harvey into the hallway. She kept him on her left and didn’t let him lead. Jack even had to remind her to get a small bag in case she had to clean up after Harvey on their walk.

  “There’s a lot to remember,” she said as they rode down in the elevator.

  “You’re catching on quickly,” he assured her. “Before you know it, you’ll do it all without thinking.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Allie mumbled.

  Jack chuckled. He tipped his head toward Harvey, and she looked down to see the dog was sitting nicely on her left side.

  She looked from Harvey to Jack and couldn’t help but grin, proud of her accomplishment. She whispered, “Look! And he’s not even growling at me.”

  Jack’s eyes danced and before Allie could look away, the elevator doors opened. Luckily she had a tight hold on Harvey’s leash, because he was out of the elevator before the doors were completely open.

  So much for successful training.

  * * *

  TAKING HARVEY FOR a walk with Allie turned out to be a pleasant experience. The dog behaved himself, for the most part, and Jack was able to learn more about this multifaceted woman.

  Almost like a second date...if she were willing to be anything more than friends.

  “You’re doing a great job.” Jack was impressed at what a quick study she was. By the time they walked around the city block and stood in front of her building’s elevator, it was as if she’d been walking dogs her whole life.

  Allie smiled at his praise and then stumbled into the elevator when the doors opened. He caught her by the arm.

  “Thanks.” Her face reddened, and she looked away. She gestured to Harvey sitting patiently at her side. “He’s a good dog, isn’t he?”

  “You’re becoming a good master,” he told her.

  She shrugged. The elevator doors opened on her floor.

  A few minutes later, they had Harvey settled in his crate with the chew toy his previous foster parents had sent along.

  “I should be going.” Jack didn’t want to overstay his welcome.

  He avoided looking at her mouth, hoping to keep his mind off their near kiss. But looking at any other part of her had the same result.

  “You could stay for a drink if you want.” She sounded almost shy. “Unless you really need to leave.”

  He was torn but answered before thinking too much. “I can stay a few more minutes. Granddad’s place is only about ten minutes away, on the other side of Johnson & Wales University.”

  She visibly relaxed at his reply and then listed the choices for drinks.

  “Ice water, please.” As good as a beer sounded, he didn’t need alcohol to stir his libido, and caffeine this late was a bad idea with work early tomorrow morning. He took a seat on the sofa, resting his foot on the opposite knee.

  She returned quickly with two glasses of ice water and handed him one. With her legs curled under her on the chair across from him, she took a sip of water and said, “You mentioned your grandfather made you train your dog when you were a kid. Did he raise you?”

  He took a long swallow of water. “He did. I should probably start at the beginning.”

  Allie straightened. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “You weren’t. I don’t talk about my family much.” He set his glass on the end table. “My mother died when I was ten. She was in a car accident. It happened right after she and my dad had a huge argument—which they often had. She’d caught him cheating, and she stormed out of the house. They didn’t know I was listening at the top of the stairs.”

  “Did you even understand what was going on?”

  “Not then,” he said. “But I later figured out that when she said ‘cheating,’ it didn’t mean cheating at a board game or on a math test. That’s when what happened after she left finally made sense.” He took another drink of water to soothe his suddenly dry throat. “She hadn’t even pulled out of the driveway before my dad was calling someone. He told me Shelley was a coworker when she arrived within a few minutes, but I found out years later that she was the woman he was seeing at that time.”

  “At that time?” Allie prompted.

  “Yeah. Seems he was a serial cheater who kept getting married. His marriage to my mom was his longest relationship. That’s probably because he never stayed faithful to her, or anyone else as far as I know.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “After my mother died, my grandfather was devastated at losing his only child. He blamed my dad and threatened to ruin his reputation as a college professor. Shelley was a grad student at the university where my dad taught, so Granddad had plenty of ammunition. He arranged a new teaching position for my dad at a small college on the other side of the country. Then he made my dad promise not to have any contact with me until after I turned twenty-one.”

  “Did he live up to his side of the deal?”

  “Oh, he more than lived up to it.” Jack’s bitterness was difficult to suppress. “My twenty-first birthday came and went with not a single word.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. My dad’s a loser. I finally contacted him out of curiosity and discovered he’d been married five times since my mother died.” Unable to sit still, Jack rose from the couch. “Five times. I’ve had five stepmothers and never met a single one. Who knows how many more wives he’s had in the ten years since I last talked to him.” He paced across the room and turned to Allie. “I mean, other than Elizabeth Taylor or Mickey Rooney, who gets married that many times?”

  Allie uncurled her legs, stood up and walked to him. She stopped two feet away and laid a hand on his forearm. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. It must be difficult to have lost both of your parents. At least in my case, I never knew my biological parents.”

  He shook his head. “It’s fine. I just don’t understand my dad. Not that he’s ever tried to explain.”

  Allie was looking at him again with those expressive eyes of hers. Her vulnerability was obvious. He had to do something to tone down his overactive libido, because Allie didn’t look like she’d object if he suddenly picked her up and carried her to her bedroom.

  “Now I really should go.” He quickly turned to his glass on the end table, intending to take it to the kitchen. He reached for it.

  “I’ll take that,” she said. Their hands collided when she reached for the glass at the same time. “Oh.”

  Their eyes met, and Jack’s baser instincts kicked in. How she came to be in his arms, he hadn’t a clue. Their mouths met in a hot vortex. Trying to catch his breath, he kissed her nose, her cheek, the sensitive place on her neck. He shoved the collar of her white shirt aside and nipped the skin above her collarbone.

  The back of his hand grazed the roundness of her breast when he undid her top button. He exposed her shoulder and tasted her, moving his mouth slowly from her shoulder and up her neck. Finally, he returned to her lips. He couldn’t get enough of her.

  * * *

  ALLIE COULDN’T STOP HERSELF. She wanted Jack, no matter how bad an idea it was. She needed to find the strength to tell him to stop.

  But he felt so damn good.

  His hands were large and strong and touching her in all the right places. Well, most of the right places.

  She really should end this before he got that far. Maybe when he stopped kissing her...in a few hours or so. Although it would be difficult for him to stop since both of her hands firmly held his head in place.

  He tasted wonderful. Hot, sexy. She wanted to devour him. Mmm. Delicious.

  Oh, that was it. Right there. His hands moved down her back. Lower. Lower, until he cupped her backside, lifting her so
her legs were wrapped around his waist.

  She moaned, and he took it as encouragement. He was carrying her in the direction of her bedroom.

  She reluctantly pulled her mouth from his and leaned her forehead against his. “Wait.”

  He stopped midstride.

  Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut?

  He groaned, and she silently agreed with his sentiment. But continuing into her bedroom would be the wrong move.

  “Second thoughts?” he asked.

  She silently nodded. He released her to slide slowly down his body until her feet touched the floor. She stayed there a moment, her cheek resting on his chest.

  She finally raised her head and looked at him. “I’ve made some stupid mistakes when it comes to men, and I really don’t want to add you to that list.”

  He smiled and set her away from him. “Then you better stop looking at me like that, or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  “How am I looking at you?” She cocked her head.

  “Like you’re starving and I’m about to be your next meal.”

  Her face heated, and she couldn’t look at him. “I—”

  “Don’t be embarrassed, Dr. Miller.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I’ll talk to you soon, pal.”

  She relaxed at his playfulness and patted his upper arm. “I hope tomorrow’s a light garbage day for you, buddy.”

  He winked and gave her a little wave before heading out the door.

  She stood where she was, wondering if she’d dreamed the past few minutes. The open button on her shirt and the tingling of her lips told her it hadn’t been her imagination.

  She looked over at Harvey, thankfully fast asleep in his crate. They’d both had an exhausting day.

  * * *

  BY LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, Allie had gotten into a routine with Harvey. She found using his crate in her backseat kept everyone on the streets of Providence safer.

  Right now he was sleeping in his crate in the corner of her office. She actually had more energy after walking him several times a day. Her creativity was at an all-time high. And if she made sure Harvey always had a chew toy available, he stayed away from her things.