Summer Lovin’
By
Donna Cummings
Copyright 2011 Donna Cummings. All Rights Reserved.
Cover by Carrie Spencer, http://www.cheekycovers.com
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.
Chapter 1
"So, Bootsie, why do you think hunky neighbor guy is washing that car all day long?"
Mia turned the puppy around to face her, and he tilted his head, as if he was seriously considering her question. Or admiring his reflection in her oversized sunglasses. The Bichon was tiny, a cotton ball's worth of white fur, but he had the most expressive dark eyes. Not to mention a big personality.
Bootsie barked, twice.
"You know, you might be right. Maybe he's a chauffeur."
Mia resettled the pup in her arms, stretching her bare legs out on the lawn chair. There was a lot to be said for the leisurely life of a dog-sitter.
Such as the neighbor with dark flowing hair and enviably tanned skin. He wore cargo shorts and flip flops, and a faded blue T-shirt that stretched across his broad chest. When he bent over to scrub the hubcaps on the sporty BMW, Mia bit her lip.
She didn't know whether to admire his well-developed calves or the nice curve of his backside.
After the past few years stuck in a windowless office, running her brothers' business, she had decided it was time to do something else with her life. Dog-sitting for the next two weeks while her friends were on their honeymoon was the perfect opportunity to figure it out.
The delicious view next door was an unexpected bonus.
Mia sipped her iced tea, holding it away from the puppy's curious paw so she could set it on the plastic table next to her. "I wouldn't have expected chauffeurs to be so muscular, but he is getting a pretty good workout with that wax on, wax off routine." She lifted the puppy. "See how his arms flex each time he washes the hood of the car? Hey, I know! Maybe he's a music video stud."
The car washer/chauffeur paused for a moment, the sponge gripped in his hand.
Oh, no. Had he heard her? Mia buried her face into the puppy's furry neck and giggled.
To her relief, the hunk bent down to pick up the hose and started spraying the suds off the car.
"Talk about a close call, Boots." The dog wriggled in her arms. Mia tried to settle him down, but he'd clearly lost interest in being her wingman. "Okay, fine. Go play then."
She set him on the grass and watched as he scampered off, chasing a butterfly or some noise that only he could hear. The fence was four times his height, so she wasn't worried about him trying to escape. She adjusted her sunglasses and then leaned her head back, indulging in some afternoon sunbathing for the first time in years.
She wasn't exactly a dog person, but she could definitely get into the freedom of this lifestyle.
For one thing, dogs couldn't call twenty-four hours a day to ask where she'd filed a missing invoice. It required some guesswork to figure out which doggy sound meant "I need to go outside" and which meant "I'm starving". But since she and Bootsie were such a great team, they'd get that all squared away in no time.
Mia sighed and closed her eyes, unable to keep her lips curving into a satisfied smile. Two whole weeks with nothing to do but keep a puppy happy and ogle the hunky neighbor.
What a great start to her new life.
***
Luke heard a bark. He glanced over his shoulder, grinning as he shut off the spray nozzle. The puppy was fluffy and perky and looked more like a dust bunny with legs than a dog. Luke's job didn't leave him many hours at home, so it didn't make sense to have a dog. But if he ever did get one, it would be something manlier, like a Great Dane or German shepherd.
The puppy yapped again, its tongue hanging out to the side, its mouth wide as if it was smiling. He had to admit the critter was cute.
And the woman was pretty darn cute, too. He'd pretended he wasn't checking her out earlier, washing the car over and over so he'd have an excuse to stay outside. He'd made such a good show of scrubbing the car, he wouldn't be surprised if primer started to show through on the fenders.
Luke tried not to linger on her lusciously long bare legs in the short shorts, but that meant he had to glance at her curvy hips and small waist. He had to keep his eyes moving, before his body got any crazy ideas, so his gaze drifted right up to her breasts, and all of a sudden he couldn't stop looking.
If he didn't know better, he'd swear her white tank top had been designed with his libido in mind. It sure wasn't difficult to imagine his lips on her sun-kissed skin, or brushing the honey-colored hair aside so he could nibble on her neck.
Luke shook his head to clear his brain. He had to quit thinking about her like that. She was just dog sitting for a couple weeks. He knew the neighbors were on their honeymoon, so there was no point in thinking about. . .
Wait.
It was the perfect setup. Like a fling, only better. And like a one-night stand, only not so seedy. Kind of like a summer staycation. He had thought being off work for two weeks was going to drive him nuts, but now the workaholic in him was willing to step aside for some short-term fun.
The puppy sat back on its haunches and grinned, as if he'd read Luke's mind and approved of his plan.
Luke couldn't help himself. He had to grin, too.
***
Mia sat up so fast her head started to spin. She had dozed off, never a good idea, but even worse since it was her first time out in the sun that summer. If she wasn't careful, she'd end up tougher than beef jerky before this new adventure even got started.
And speaking of adventures. . .She glanced at the neighbor's house, but he must have finished with the car washing, because he was nowhere to be found.
"Bootsie! Where are you?" Mia pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, searching for the puppy. She spied him in the corner of the yard, happily chewing on one of his toys. He must have noticed she was awake, because he bounded over, his toy clutched in his teeth.
Mia couldn't help but smile. He was so cheerful, and filled with enthusiasm, and . . .
"Hey! That's my shoe! Put that down."
She made a grab for it but Bootsie turned and raced away. She pushed on the armrests, trying to get up without tipping the flimsy aluminum contraption over.
"Get back here! Do you know how much that cost?"
She loved those sandals, one of the last splurges she'd be making for a while, but she wouldn't be able to wear them again if one looked like it had been mauled by a cranky circus lion.
Mia tiptoed across the grass, praying she would not be too late to rescue her innocent shoe. Bootsie zipped past her before she was even halfway across the yard.
"We need a diversion," she muttered, hands on her hips.
She glanced around. Nothing. No wonder he was entertaining himself with her footwear.
Bootsie finally plopped down next to the lawn chair so he could pant for several minutes. Running and being chased and harassing an innocent shoe was hard work for the little guy.
Not that she had much sympathy.
"Come on, Bootsie," Mia said, clapping her hands. "Let's see if we can find something more puppy-appropriate. Or maybe you need a drink of water."
To her surprise, the puppy loped along beside her, the shoe long-forgotten. Mia darted back to get it, sighing with relief. She reached down—
Bootsie swooped in and snatched the shoe, nearly biting her fingers.
"Ow! Now I know how the Wicked Witch felt about Toto!"
Mia stalked towards the back door. It didn't look like Bootsie was doing much damage—yet. At least puppy teeth were small
and not able to bite her shoe to death without a lot of tries.
There was going to be a lot of puppy drool though.
To keep from gagging, she put a hand to her throat and swallowed.
Mia raced inside the house. Didn't Bootsie have something he played with? She wracked her brain trying to remember all the instructions she'd been given before her friends had left for their honeymoon.
Her eyes darted around. "Yes!" She picked up a ball from a crate near the back door. It was kind of heavy, more like a softball, but at least it would give Bootsie the leathery chewing experience he seemed to crave.
Outside, Mia tossed the ball into the air. "Here, puppy, puppy, puppy. I've got something that's lots more fun to play with."
Bootsie's ears perked up, and he tilted his head. In the next instant, he started flopping her shoe back and forth, as if wrestling a demon to the ground.
Mia bit back a groan. She rolled the ball across the lawn, and this time Bootsie hesitated. Mia swore she could see him doing a mental pros and cons list. Fortunately, the ball won his attention.
Unfortunately, he scurried over with the shoe still dangling from his mouth.
"Let's do an even exchange." She picked up the ball, holding it out, and tried to tug the shoe loose with her other hand, but his grip was too strong.
Her earlier giddiness over this new gig evaporated. How was she going to survive two whole weeks of this shoe-devouring monster?
Mia gave the ball another toss, this time away from the puppy. The ball sailed high into the air, fueled by her frustration. The dog raised his head, the shoe forgotten, and watched with Mia as the ball flew over the fence, picking up speed.
"Oh, no!"
Mia cringed, praying for a lucky bounce into the neighbor's grass. The ball hit the driveway and then practically leapt into the driver's side headlight. The breaking plastic made a tinkling sound as it drifted to the asphalt, bits of red and yellow glittering in the sunlight.
Mia heaved a sigh, and then bent over and picked up her doggy co-conspirator.
"You better hope he thinks one of us is cute."
Chapter 2
Luke twisted the cap off the beer. Boy was he ready to kick back for a while. He tilted his head and let the cold brew hit his throat. He shouldn't have stayed in the sun so long, but he hadn't been able to tear himself away from enjoying his temporary neighbor. Now he just needed to figure out the best way to introduce himself—
The doorbell rang, startling him. "What the hell?"
He never had anyone stop by without calling first. And in this day and age, there weren't very many door-to-door salespeople.
He headed for the door, remembering at the last minute he didn't have a shirt on. What did it matter? He yanked the door open, doing his best to look stern and forbidding. Whoever was trying to sell him something would get the hint. Fast.
"Oh! I'm sorry," a soft voice said. "Did I interrupt—"
Her face, eye level with his chest, turned such a deep shade of red, he almost didn't realize at first who she was.
Then it hit him, nearly knocking the breath from his lungs. The beauty from next door. His two-week stand, in the flesh, on his doorstep. And he'd just scared the crap out of her.
"No, no, you're fine," he said in a rush. "I'm sorry. Do you want to come in?" He motioned for her to enter, but it was the hand holding the beer bottle. "Uh, I could get you one, if you'd like."
"I might need it," he thought she muttered, but she didn't move except to clutch the furball puppy closer.
She was even sexier up close, with her sunglasses shoved up on her head, her hair tumbling around her shoulders. He could smell something tropical on her skin and it made him ache in some very inconvenient places.
Luckily she was looking up at him, so she couldn't see the effect she had on him, but her big blue eyes made his reaction go up a notch or fifteen. He turned, stepping slightly behind the door to hide the blatant evidence the best he could. He didn't want this fling to be over before it even started. And she definitely looked nervous, even though she was the one moving things along.
It felt like he'd won some cosmic lottery or something.
"Why don't you come in?" he said. "It's hot out there, and I've got the a/c going."
"Okay," she finally said. "I won't be long though."
Luke kept his disappointment in check. Usually women couldn't get to him fast enough, not that he had any time for them lately. It was something he planned to change, and soon.
She walked past him, and a coconut scent followed her, mingling with the sunshine smell in her hair. It instantly reminded him of summers he'd spent here at the beach house, and freedom, and having fun, something he hadn't had too much of recently. He glanced down, to see just how much his groin was giving away as he skipped down memory lane, and that's when he saw her bare feet.
With the sexy hot pink polish on her toes.
He nearly groaned. The puppy barked, pulling Luke's thoughts away from the bedroom and back into his entryway.
"Stop it," she said, frowning at the puppy. "You've gotten us in enough trouble already."
"Him?" Luke asked. "He's too cute to be trouble."
Something close to guilt flickered in her eyes. "You may change your mind about that in a minute," she said.
"Let's sit down," Luke suggested, "and you can tell me just what this little guy is guilty of."
She hesitated and then sat down on the nearest chair, a white wicker thing with flowered cushions that was a perfect backdrop for her. She glanced down at the little dog tucked in her arms. "Well, he's a devil hound, one of Satan's minions," she said.
The dog licked her cheek once, as if it would prove his innocence. He stared at Luke with the most solemn expression.
Luke chuckled. "He looks like he was rolled in adorable, and then dusted with cute."
She smiled, banishing the frown that had been hovering there since he'd opened his front door. "That's the problem. It's disguising his true nature."
Luke knelt down next to her and scratched under the dog's chin. "Do you hear what she's saying about you, buddy? Is any of that true?"
The dog whimpered, putting his paw over his nose.
"See?" she said, her eyes lighting up with triumph. "He can't pretend anymore."
Luke stayed where he was, enjoying the view. Everything he'd thought was perfection at a distance was ten times better up close. He took a quick sip of his beer. Hopefully that would keep him from having a coronary just by being next to so much sexiness.
"Okay, let's hear it," he finally said. "What did the hellhound do?"
"He broke your car," she blurted.
Luke laughed. "How did he manage that? He's awful small."
"Well," she said, taking a deep breath, and he knew there was going to be a bit of a story. Usually that would make him tune out, but her expression was so animated, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She could have been reciting the periodical table right then and he would have asked her to start over and do it again.
"Hellboy here took a shine to one of my favorite shoes—it had to be the most expensive ones, of course."
"Of course," Luke said, his lips twitching. Women and their shoes. If you could come between them, it was a miracle. Kinda like men and the remote control.
"And I did everything I could to get it away, before it ended up looking like one of his chew toys." She swallowed, as if she'd just tasted something unpleasant. "Do you know how much drool puppies produce?"
He covered his mouth to keep from laughing, nodding as if considering how to answer.
"I had to show him who's boss—"
"But he thinks he's boss."
"Exactly! Do you have dogs?"
He shook his head. "Not at the moment. But I did as a kid."
"I'm not really a dog person. Or a cat person," she added.
"Me neither," he said. "They're just so sneaky."
She laughed, and Luke knew he'd do anything to make her do it agai
n. It was such a joyous sound, and seeing her face lit up with genuine happiness made him feel like he'd won a prize.
"If this little thing gets the best of me, you can only imagine what a cat can do."
"So you got the shoe away," he prompted.
Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Not exactly. I decided I could distract him, so I went inside the house, and found one of Jim's balls."
Luke's eyebrows shot up.
"Softball. One of his softballs." Her eyes widened with horror. She gazed at him while he made a choking sound, and then she soldiered on, though her cheeks turned a delicious shade of pink. "Unfortunately it was harder than I realized—"
Luke cleared his throat. She had no idea. No idea at all.
"I'll be happy to pay for it," she said. "After all, I'm the reason for all this."
He blinked, trying to imagine what she was talking about. Pay for it? He'd pay her, just so she would keep talking, working her magic on him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so enthralled.
"I'm kinda confused," he admitted, rubbing his hand across his chest. Her eyes darted that direction and then slid away. He could see the interest there, though, even if she was trying not to show it. "What do you want to pay for?"
"Your car. Actually the headlight."
"Ahhh," he said, remembering she'd mentioned how the dog had broken his car. He shook his head. "Don’t worry about it. I'll take care of it."
"But I feel responsible. It's my fault. I threw the ball, hoping he'd chase it and I could grab my shoe and that would be the end of the debacle. But apparently my workouts have been better than I realized."
He smiled to put her at ease. A tentative smile graced her lips. A broken headlight was worth it. Heck, he'd bash out the other one if it made her happy.
"How about this? Why don't you and Hellboy join me for dinner? I'm grilling some steaks, and it would be a lot more fun to do it with company. What do you say?"
She bit the corner of her lip. "You're being too nice."
Summer Lovin' Page 1
