by Sandra Owens
Well, hell. It was her trembling lips as she tried hard not to cry that gut punched him. He got her door open, then scooped her up. As he stepped inside, she pushed the door closed behind them.
“Cats,” she mumbled against his neck.
At first he wasn’t sure what she meant, but a chorus of meows had him glancing down to see three of the little beasties running toward them. The smallest one, a kitten, ran right up his leg, and Cody felt its claws digging in all the way up.
With Riley in his arms, a baby monster halfway up his body, and one adult cat winding around his legs, he shuffled his way to the sofa. The third feline, a sleek, shorthaired black cat, had jumped onto the back of the couch and was watching him through narrowed eyes. Considering the animal obstacles, he congratulated himself for being able to lower Riley down without falling on top of her. Although said obstacles would have made for the perfect excuse for losing his balance. Finding himself on top of her would work for him.
“You got any wine?” he asked. “I’ll pour you a glass.” The way she was hurting, it was either find something non-touching to do or pull her back into his arms and kiss her tears away.
“Hate wine. There’s beer in the fridge. Put a lime slice in it, then put it in the freezer.”
She reached up, pulled the black—still glaring at him—cat down, curling herself around it. The kitten and orange-stripped cat followed him into the kitchen. He found the beer and a baggie of lime slices to the tune of cat-kitten whining. He recognized that sound. It was the same begging his dogs gave him when they were hungry and he was late coming home. After opening a few cabinets he found the cans of cat food. The kitten had made its way to Cody’s shoulder and was sucking on his ear lobe.
“Damn cats,” he muttered. The benefit of having dogs was they’d still be sitting at his feet, not nibbling on him after leaving a trail of puncture holes on his skin. The tiny thing didn’t seem to be offended by his curse on them, just kept suckling. It tickled and a laugh escaped.
“You’re an idiot,” he said, pulling the little demon away and setting him down. At the sight of the three bowls of food he put on the floor, two of Riley’s creatures hurried over and busied themselves eating. The one she cuddled in her arms ignored him and the food.
Cody walked to the sofa and, ignoring the hiss from the sleek animal, carried him to the third bowl, which the wicked little monster had already moved to.
“Eat,” he said, setting the black cat down. He scooped up the kitten and took it with him to the living room. “We’ve come to keep you company.” He dropped the kitten into her arms. Riley buried her face in its fur, and hearing her quietly weep, he eyed the door with longing, but his feet refused to move.
Unable to leave her alone while she was hurting, he heaved a sigh. Although he knew half his body would hang over the side, he toed off his shoes, and then scooted up behind her, spooning her. She tensed for a few seconds before relaxing against him, and miracle of miracles, stopped crying.
As he held a woman he barely knew, her body curled against his while she clutched her kitten, he let the peacefulness of the moment take him away. She snuggled into him, and he sighed from the pleasure of having her in his arms.
Cody jerked awake to the feel of soft fingers caressing his cheek. It was so familiar that a fuzzy picture hovered at the edge of his mind, one from his past. As he stared—somewhat disoriented—at Riley’s face as she leaned over him, he tried to recapture the memory. It seemed important that he do so, but it slipped away.
“Hi,” Riley said, her voice soft as if they were lovers and she’d just awakened him on a normal morning day.
As he grew aware of his surroundings, heard the low hum of a refrigerator that wasn’t his, he pushed away and sat up. “What time is it?”
“One in the morning. I’m really sorry. I guess I fell asleep.”
He blinked his eyes, trying to clear the dewy haze in them. “Guess I did, too. Sorry. I only came over to ask if you could board my dogs for a few days. Got sidetracked, apparently.”
At her smile, his heart skipped a beat. He had to get away from her while he still could. She was damn sexy all mussed up. The long hair that reminded him of a German shepherd’s coat with all its colors was a tangled mess, putting him in mind of a woman just made love to. Too bad that wasn’t the reason, but better that he’d not gone that far. He would only hurt her in the end.
“Stay,” she whispered just before she kissed him.
If he’d been a better man, he would get up and leave. Cody Roberts was a bad man, though, and he cradled the back of her neck with his hand, angled his head, and took control of the kiss. Her mouth was hot and sweet, and when he slipped his tongue inside, and she gave a throaty little moan, he flipped their bodies so that she was under him.
He wanted her like he’d never wanted a woman before. But as they stared at each other, both breathless, he looked into those hazel eyes flecked with gold, and knew he couldn’t dump his shit on her. If he thought he could make love to her, then disappear from her life, nothing would stop him from taking her right then. But she lived across the street, so there could be no disappearing, and he had the uneasy feeling that if they did make love, he’d never be able to walk away.
She was a good person, a woman who cried over an animal she couldn’t save. To Cody, that made her a true hero, and she deserved a man with a mind that wasn’t on the brink of insanity. He had to have one more kiss, though. Had to memorize her taste and the warm softness of her lips touching his.
“Riley,” he said, covering her mouth with his. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing her pelvis against his raging erection. Christ. Before he lost the will to leave her, he levered up and onto his feet.
“Can I drop my dogs off at your clinic tomorrow?” he said as he backed away. Her eyes filled with hurt. He was a bastard, no doubt about it. With any other woman, he would have walked away right then. With Riley, he just couldn’t do it.
He forced himself not to look away from those wounded eyes. “If you’re wondering if I want you, you have no idea how much I do. I’m not in a good place right now, and I find myself not wanting to hurt you. That right there is new for me. Normally, I don’t much care.”
No answer. All three of the cats had snuggled up to her after he had left her side, and she turned her back to him, a clear message that she wanted him gone. Before he walked out, he couldn’t resist running his gaze over her one last time. She was beautiful and pure of heart. Maybe he’d taken a step toward forgiveness for his sins when he had refused to contaminate her with his black soul.
“Bring your dogs tomorrow. My receptionist will take care of you.”
He hated how broken she sounded, but he couldn’t help her. “Thank you,” he said to the back of her head. Weary of everything—his life, the nightmares, an uncertain future, disappointing a beautiful woman—he trudged home and went straight to the scotch bottle.
His music had never sounded so depressing before. There had always been sadness in the notes he played, but tonight, he was killing her. As she sat at her bedroom window a few hours after he left, listening to Cody play his guitar, Riley swiped at the tears running down her cheeks. She thought she’d cried herself out, but apparently not. Now with Cody’s mournful songs tugging at her heart, the tears were flowing again. He wasn’t a happy man, couldn’t be to play music that made her heart ache for him.
Maybe she should be embarrassed that she’d fallen apart in front of him, but she didn’t have the energy for it. When he had wrapped his big body around her, it had seemed as if he were shielding her from the ugliness going on in her world. The last time she had fallen asleep in a man’s arms had been in college, and she had forgotten how good that kind of intimacy felt.
She was, however, embarrassed that she’d practically attacked him, and even worse, had begged him to stay. But he had awakened that part of her that had lain dormant since she had broken up with her college boyfriend, and she wa
s afraid it was going to be impossible to stuff that particular genie back into the bottle. Lifting the blinds, she peeked out. Even though he was sitting on his porch playing his guitar, it was too dark to see him.
It was late, and she moved to her bed, but left the window open so she could fall asleep listening to Cody play. After her earlier nap wrapped in his arms, she missed the cocoon of his body surrounding her. That was strange, since she hardly knew him.
The next morning, she blinked her eyes open and stretched. Arthur and Pelli pounced on her as soon as she moved, while Merlin sat at the end of the bed looking on with disdain, clearly not approving of their meows as they begged for breakfast. More refreshed than she’d been in days, Riley picked up Pelli and held him above her head.
“Morning, rotten.” He tried to squirm out of her hands. “Right. We want our breakfast, don’t we?” She made a quick detour to the bathroom, all three of her furry friends following her, then headed for the kitchen.
With a peek out the window, she saw Cody standing on his porch, a cup in his hand while he watched his dogs. Like the first time she’d seen him, he wore only a pair of sweat pants. The man must be immune to the early morning chill. If he would appear like that every morning, it would give her a fabulous kick-start to her days.
“You’re one magnificent man, Cody Roberts,” she said, following it up with a sigh. When he called the dogs and went inside his house, she fed the cats, then showered and dressed for work. His silver truck was gone when she backed out of her driveway, so she probably wouldn’t see him again until he came back from wherever he was going. She would tell Michelle, her receptionist, not to come get her when he dropped off his dogs, even if he asked for her.
As she turned onto the street leading to her clinic, she sent up a little prayer that no more poisoned pets would turn up. Also, she needed to contact the police again. Not much they could do without any leads, but they could keep an eye out as they patrolled the neighborhood.
She slowed as she approached her building. At the sight of the man leaning against the bed of the silver truck with darkened windows, Riley cursed her stupid heart for doing a happy dance. His two dogs sat at his feet, their attention on him. Maybe she should hire him to give obedience lessons to some of her more rambunctious patients. Giving him a wave as she drove past, she parked in the back. Neither Brooke’s nor Michelle’s car was in sight, which meant she would have to deal with Cody, so there went her plan to avoid him.
Perversely irritated, she took her time as she turned on the lights, started the coffee pot, booted up the computers at the front desk and in her office, and made a quick check on the three small dogs, two cats, and one extremely vocal potbellied pig being boarded. When she could think of nothing else to delay her, she unlocked the front door.
Mr. Magnificent leaned against a post under the overhang, arms crossed over his chest, dogs again sitting docilely at his feet. For all appearances, her sexy neighbor appeared to be half asleep. Riley wasn’t fooled, though. As much as he might wish otherwise, she was beginning to see past the image he projected. Under that lazy stance and deceptive calm a storm brewed. Not good that storms fascinated her.
“Cody.”
“Riley.”
She sputtered a laugh, and was rewarded with a crooked smile and a flash of that dimple. Yep. The man intrigued her. So much for keeping him at arm’s distance. “Come in. My receptionist isn’t here yet, so I’ll get these guys checked in.” Cody and his dogs followed her, stopping at the counter. She went on around.
“Will you use the food I brought for them?”
“Of course.” She resisted sliding her hand over his bad boy scruff, and it was close, but she didn’t lick her lips either. Yummy was the word of the day, though. He wore an olive-green T-shirt that stretched across broad shoulders, and tan cargo pants covered his bottom half. Testosterone radiated from his every pore, and she lowered her gaze to the check-in sheet to keep him from seeing the lust that was surely shining in her eyes.
“I’ll get their stuff out of my truck in a minute then.” He glanced down at the dogs. “They need to stay together, okay?”
“No problem.” Certain that she’d gain control of her libido, she lifted her head, her gaze falling on the small logo on his shirt. “What’s K2?”
“Where I work. Is there someone around at night when you’re not here? You know, should one of them get sick or something.”
She’d never had anyone ask her that question before, which just went to show how much he loved his dogs. He’d been keeping their conversation all business, and she followed his lead. “I have a college student who sleeps here at night. He leaves at six, so the boarders are only unattended for an hour, until I or one of my staff arrives.” Apparently, he wasn’t going to explain what K2 was, which made her all the more curious as to what he did.
“I’m not sure when I’ll be back. Hopefully in a few days, but I’ll keep in touch.” He locked gazes with her. “Can I get your cell number? You know, so I can call and check on them. I might not be able to call here during normal hours.”
She broke eye contact before she embarrassed herself just staring at him. It made sense to give him her number, but it seemed like they were moving into alien territory. Did she want him to be able to call her anytime he wished? She glanced up to see he was watching her. “Sure.” She rattled off her number, and he put it in his phone. “I’ll need yours. In case of an emergency, which I don’t expect to happen, but better safe than sorry, right?” She waved the boarding form in front of his face. “I need it for our records. That’s all.” Now she was babbling.
After giving her his number, he ordered the dogs to stay, then left to get the food he’d brought. She used the form to fan herself. “Jeez, Riley, you’re behaving like a high school girl with a crush on a cute boy.” One she had kissed and who had held her as she cried, and now they were acting as if none of that had happened.
She leaned over the counter and peered down at Pretty Girl and Sally. “Either of you got any insights on your Mr. Magnificent you’d be willing to share?” She would swear that both dogs looked back at her with amusement. “Right. Mum’s the word.”
“Why are you talking to yourself, and who’s Mr. Magnificent?” Brooke asked, walking up behind her.
The front door opened, and Riley turned to Brooke and lifted a brow.
“Ahhh,” her assistant drawled, her gaze raking over Cody as he walked in, a slow smile forming on her pretty face.
Riley wanted to hiss like a territorial cat warning off an invader. This was where she should turn him over to Brooke and go on about her business, but her feet refused to move. Her receptionist followed Brooke in, stepping up to the counter.
“Hello,” Michelle said. “Can I help you?”
Both of her employees were single, and both were eyeing Cody as if he were a Popsicle they wanted to lick. Not that she blamed them, but it still irritated her.
“I’m helping him,” Riley snapped. Three pairs of eyes settled on her. The two females looked at her as if they’d never seen her before, which this side of her they hadn’t. Hell, she hadn’t even known she had a this side. As for Cody, he was unreadable, but then there went the slightest curve of one side of his mouth. Against her will, she smiled back.
“Ahem . . .”
At the sound of Brooke clearing her throat, Riley realized she and Cody were standing there, staring at each other. Heat rushed into her cheeks, and she grabbed the bag he had set on the counter.
“Any instructions?” she asked, getting her professional mask back into place.
“Just that you keep them together. Can I see where they’ll be?”
“Sure. Come with me.” With any other boarder, she would have had Michelle or Brooke take the owner on a tour, but she wasn’t about to leave either of those she-wolves alone with him.
He came up next to her, close enough that her skin warmed where he almost touched her, and God, he smelled good. The man was entirely too p
otent and sent all of her senses into a frenzy. She was honest enough with herself to admit that she’d never had it this bad for any man before—not since Reed, anyway—which was tough luck as Cody had made it clear that nothing was going to happen between them. His dogs followed along, their toenails clicking on the tiled floor, and she concentrated on them.
When she had remodeled, she’d included four large kennel spaces along with smaller areas for the cats and little dogs. The dog pens had access to individual outdoor fenced-in yards. As she had no large dogs in residence at the moment, Cody could have his pick.
“You have a preference?” She waved a hand at the pens.
After a quick glance, he took the bag from her hands, went to the pen at the end, and opened the gate. “Come,” he said in a voice she was learning to recognize as one he only used with his dogs. It was firm, but there was a gentleness in his tone, and she wished all animal owners were like him.
Pretty Girl and Sally trotted into the cage, then turned and looked up at him as if questioning what their next move should be. He squatted in front of them. “I’ll come back for you, I promise,” he said, a hand on each of their heads. “You be good for Riley, or I’ll take your balls away for a week.” At the word “balls” both dogs’ ears perked up.
From the bag, Cody removed four balls, two large bone chews, and a tug rope. The dogs eyed the balls with longing. “Not yet,” Cody said. “We’re not done talking. If for some reason I don’t come back, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It just means . . .” He bowed his head.
Most pet owners when boarding their animals just dropped them off. A rare few asked to see where their furry people would be kept, and Riley couldn’t think of a time when one had talked to their pets the way Cody was with his dogs. Feeling as if she were intruding on a personal moment between him and the dogs, she quietly left the room and waited for him in the hallway. For some reason, tears stung her eyes. What did he mean by implying there was a chance he might not come back? Although she didn’t know him well, she knew without doubt that he wouldn’t willingly abandon those two animals.
