by Amy Woods
“Oh, yeah,” June chimed in. “Friends with Fur.”
“Oh, so you know it. Good.”
“Well, not really. I mean, I’ve met Isaac and his wife, Avery, but I haven’t ever been to their facility, though I have heard only good things about it.”
“Yes, it’s excellent. Isaac and Avery are really great with animals and they do a lot of important work in the community to encourage people to rescue shelter pets. Anyway, what I wanted to ask you is, they’re having an event next Sunday that I thought you might like to take the puppies to.”
“The puppies?”
“Yes, well, it’s an adoption event, where people can come and see rescue animals and get to know them a little—see if they want to apply to take one home.”
Her heart lurched into her throat at the thought of giving away either of the dogs she’d grown so fond of after the past few days. She swallowed, reminding herself that the animals did not belong to her; soon, they would need permanent homes, and it would be her duty and responsibility to help them find forever families.
Besides, there wasn’t room in her life for a pet right now, much less a brother and sister pair.
So why, then, did it hurt so much to even think about letting them go? Especially when that’s what was best for them.
Ethan continued speaking, and she didn’t think he’d noticed her hesitation. Thank goodness for that at least; she had no desire to explain something she couldn’t even understand herself.
“I think it would be a great way for them to have a chance to find homes, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she agreed, her voice a little squeaky. “Of course I do.”
“Good, so you’ll come with me, then?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Oh, and that’s not all,” he said. “What time should I pick you up tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? What’s tomorrow?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”
All she could do was stand there, mouth gaping open.
He crossed his arms, grinning. “You really don’t remember, do you?”
She absolutely had forgotten.
“My niece, Neena’s, birthday party. Remember, when we were at Bauer’s Bakery and my parents insisted I bring you by and you seemed okay with it.”
“Oh, my gosh! I can’t believe I forgot. Ethan, I’m so sorry.”
Mixed emotions surged through her at the thought of spending time with him around his family, at how intimate that would be considering they’d agreed that this...thing...would not get serious.
Not serious, sure. And here she was about to get introduced to the people who cared the most about him.
“My family can’t wait to meet you, and after all, you did promise you’d go.”
She must have looked as nervous as she felt because he gently squeezed her forearm, chuckling. “Hey, they don’t bite. We don’t have to stay long, but you’d be doing me a major favor. If I don’t bring you, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
She swallowed down the nervous lump that was taking up far too much space in her throat. “I did promise, didn’t I?”
He nodded, clearly enjoying the sight of her squirming far too much.
“All right, then. It’s just meeting your parents.” The words nearly choked her. “It’ll be fine. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Chapter Nine
The following Sunday, June found herself victim to the oldest curse known to woman. There she stood in front of a closet full of clothes, yet she had absolutely nothing to wear.
“I really need to give some of this stuff away, huh?” she muttered to a furry audience of two. The puppies were curled up on a towel in the cushy dog bed Ethan had given her to take home from the clinic, and when she spoke, their little heads tilted adorably.
She didn’t know too much about dogs, having only ever had a cat, but she could tell that the puppies were starting to learn a few words after only a couple of days. After observing that, she’d started intentionally naming things when they were exposed to them, like their water, food and toys.
At first, trying to keep track of them had been challenging—she’d started a little notebook to record their eating and potty schedules so she could take them outside at regular intervals and to avoid accidents. Ethan taught her that it was better to try to keep those from happening altogether and instead to give the puppies treats when she took them outside and they were successful.
If someone had told her a month ago that she’d be that interested in the bathroom habits of a couple of baby border collies, she would have questioned that person’s sanity.
She laughed.
Yet here she was recording everything the little ones did. Beyond enjoying their company and going through their daily routines, she hadn’t thought much about the mechanics of caring for them, but it occurred to her suddenly that she’d basically become a dog mom.
And, oh, she loved it so much.
Being an only child and then working so hard all of her adult life, June had never really given much thought to having kids, but every time she cleaned up a little mess or woke up in the middle of the night to take the puppies outside, she felt a little less afraid of the idea of having a child of her own someday.
The thought of children reminded her of Ethan, whose family was large and full of kids.
Oh, gosh. Ethan!
June’s eyes flew to the clock on her nightstand and then absorbed the chaotic hurricane of clothing scattered all over her bedroom. Skirts hung from the closet doorknob; tops littered an armchair in the corner; there were bras and underwear hanging from the lampshade and the unused elliptical trainer. Still, she hadn’t settled on anything yet, and he was due to pick her up in less than five minutes.
The doorbell rang, sending shock waves up her spine.
Oh, God.
Her hair was still wet and she stood there wearing nothing but a towel.
That was another lesson the dogs had taught her—they always needed more time for bathroom breaks than she planned for. If they weren’t so cute, she’d be tempted each time she took them out to shout at them to pick a patch of grass already—they were all the same, for goodness’ sake.
But they took their time, and now she had none left.
So she did the only thing she could think of, digging through the fashion debris until she found her pale blue bathrobe with the fluffy white clouds on it. She could only hope that when Ethan saw her wearing it, he wouldn’t instantly change his mind about taking her to spend time with his family.
“Coming,” she called out as he pressed the doorbell one more time.
She moved as quickly as she could, wanting to curl up and die when she opened it and saw Ethan standing there, the perfect specimen of modern masculinity. Beneath his unbuttoned overcoat he wore a navy-blue, long-sleeved henley and dark jeans. His hair waved a little above his collar—she loved that it was just a little too long—and his face was clean-shaven.
There wasn’t even a trace of the annoyance she’d thought she might meet when he saw that she wasn’t anywhere near ready to go. Instead, his toasted-almond eyes twinkled as he looked her up and down, making no attempt to hide his approval.
Wait. Was that really what she’d seen in his expression? The perfectly put-together, insanely gorgeous Dr. Singh had just seen her at her most unkempt—wild, soggy hair that hadn’t had a proper trim in months, old, ratty bathrobe that she’d thought whimsical when she’d purchased it and which now just seemed childish and not a stitch of makeup.
After looking down at herself only to confirm that, yep, it was as bad as she thought, she finally worked up the courage to meet his eyes.
“Ethan, I’m so sorry I’m running late.” She wrung her hands and flicked a thumb in the direction of her
bedroom by way of explanation. “The puppies...”
He crossed his arms over his wide chest—firm, too, she knew, after the closeness they’d shared the other night.
“Not what I’d expected, but I see nothing to complain about.” He winked at her. “My parents and siblings, on the other hand, well, they might not be so keen on...”
“Ha, ha,” she teased, opening the door wider so he could come in.
As soon as he did, two little black-and-white fuzz balls galloped over, their ears bouncing up and down.
“Well, look who it is,” he said, crouching down to scoop them up.
She was tickled to see that he didn’t care at all about his clothes getting hairy. That quality made her like him all the more.
“Have they been behaving for you?” he asked, moving farther inside the living room and sitting cross-legged on the floor.
June closed the door and sat on the couch, extra careful to wrap the robe tightly around her body. The way Ethan had eyed her in the doorway made her think about things she probably shouldn’t. Being pretty much bare underneath the robe increased those feelings until they hovered at a dangerous level and she had to force herself to think of anything but...that. Anything but being naked and alone with a man who made her insides burn with need.
She focused on the question he’d asked.
“They’ve been great,” she said. “I’ve gotten their feeding schedule down pat, and potty training them has been a cinch, thanks to your helpful tips.”
“Are they eager to get treats for following through with what you ask?”
Good, she thought. If he kept the conversation along that line, she’d have no trouble forgetting her growing fantasies about what it would be like to...
“Yes, they seem to want to do what I ask as long as they know they’re getting doggy snacks. Is that a good thing?”
“Definitely. It means they’re food-motivated, so as long as you’re handing out the goods, they’ll aim to do what you need them to.”
“I’ve had my neighbor, Ainsley, and her dog, Max, over to work with them, as well. She’s the one I was telling you about who sometimes fosters dogs, and she’ll be watching the puppies tonight as soon as I text her to come on over.”
“That’s great, too.”
“What is?”
“That they’re spending time around an unfamiliar human and dog. That will help get them socialized so that when they’re ready they can go to good homes even if there’s already a dog living there.”
Her heart lurched and she started to ask him when he thought that day might come—she wasn’t even close to being ready for it—but she closed her mouth, quietly watching for a few moments as he rubbed their tiny bellies. “I’ll leave you here with them and go finish getting ready.”
She headed to the bathroom and closed the door, resting her back against it as she tried to slow her breathing.
Every time they were apart for a few days, and then she saw him again, things got so much worse, meaning, she wanted him so much more. The sparks between them had become more frequent and much stronger and she could feel the chance of an explosion increasing at a terrifying rate.
Since running into each other at the coffee shop, he’d called each day, often more than once, and he’d even stopped by a time or two for a few minutes to ensure that the puppies were thriving.
Each time they spoke on the phone, and when he’d come over, she could sense that he was going through the same thing—wanting to take some elusive next step with her, but afraid of what that might set in motion.
The other morning when they’d had that snowball fight, and after briefly discussing what to do with their casual, not-friendship, not-relationship thing, it had all seemed so risk-free.
Surely, if they had agreed not to let things get too emotionally serious, then they were both on the same page and that very thing would not be allowed to happen.
But then, what about all the physical longing? What about the way her body seemed drawn to his by some unseen force? What in the world were they supposed to do about that?
If they let things get too far, she couldn’t be certain that she would be able to inhibit herself from wanting some kind of commitment, something more permanent. She could not promise herself that she would be able to indulge in getting physically closer to him without her heart following along.
Neither could her growing affection for him be ignored.
But she didn’t think she could stand to be in the same room with him for much longer without giving in to temptation.
And that’s exactly what she faced that day—hours and hours by his side without being able to touch him the way she wanted to, tell him what she was going through every time he was around.
It would be absolute torture, she thought as she pulled on a pair of dark purple skinny trousers and a soft, silky black sweater with sparkly gems along the collar. They were the first pieces she’d put on earlier and then discarded in the bathroom, and now, with a tornado of garments covering her bedroom floor, it was of course what she ended up wearing. It was an outward testament to how little she trusted herself these days.
Her favorite outfit, the only one guaranteed to act as a confidence-builder, and along with a pair of black high-heeled boots, it would have to do.
Because Lord knew, she needed confidence that day more than ever before.
A soft knock rapped on the other side of the door and she opened it.
“I’m sorry to bother you and I don’t want you to feel like you have to rush, but I just got the puppies to sit on command, and I wondered where you keep your treats.”
“Oh. Of course.” She passed by him into the hallway, catching that light but heady scent that hung on his clothes and skin, and started to head down the hall toward the kitchen; but Ethan caught her hand and spun her to face him.
He pulled her to his chest until her forehead touched his chin, then put a palm on either side of her face and covered her mouth with his own.
Shots of electricity buzzed up her spine as the moist heat of his tongue touched hers, deepening the kiss. Without thinking, she wrapped her hands around his hips, tucking her fingers just under the hem of his shirt, moaning when her skin made contact with the warmth of his.
Encouraged, he moved his hands to her shoulders and backed her up until she was against the wall, both of them gasping for air as they gave in to the heat between them.
Finally, she pulled away from his mouth, forcing breath into her lungs.
“What was that for?” she asked, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.
As she fought for composure, Ethan just stood back and flashed that sexy grin of his. Though his motions were smoother than hers, she could see the way his chest rose and fell rapidly, and her own swelled with pride that she’d agitated him to such a degree.
“I just wanted you to know,” he breathed, “how beautiful you look today, June.”
She coughed out a very unsexy laugh. “Thank you. Very much. But my hair’s still wet and I haven’t even gotten around to putting on makeup yet.”
He stepped closer, threatening to start it up all over again. She wanted to cross her arms over her chest, to keep him at a distance, but her body wouldn’t let her. It seemed to crave his in a way she couldn’t control.
His eyes plunged into hers. “I meant what I said,” he whispered, leaning in again.
She worried he might kiss her once more. Somehow she knew that if he did, there would be no chance of them making it to the party.
Instead, he brushed his lips against hers in the softest of touches, then let her go, padding back down the hall, leaving her breathless and shaken to her very core.
* * *
Half an hour later, standing outside an entirely different door, Ethan possessed even less control
than he had when he’d arrived to pick up June.
He’d anticipated that evening all day.
Yes, he wanted to see his family, especially his niece Neena, whose tenth birthday they would be celebrating, but the bulk of his eagerness he’d have to attribute to seeing June. He’d been looking forward to a casual, fun evening and maybe an equally casual kiss at the end of it, but when she’d answered her door wearing that tattered old robe, her red hair wet and in complete disarray, she had absolutely thrown him for a loop, caught him totally off guard.
It wasn’t hard to imagine her naked under that robe, and after pressing his body up against her in the hallway of her apartment, he could trace her curves in his mind’s eye with no effort at all.
She was even more beautiful that way than she’d been when they first met the other night. Without any adornment, her green eyes shone clear and bright, and her hair was like satin as he’d weaved his fingers through it. She had a body that was made to be adored—ample curves for a man to hold on to, soft, creamy skin...it was such a shame he would never have the chance to be that man.
The way she’d responded to him back there, the way she’d reached under his shirt to dig her cool fingers into his burning skin and kissed him back with abandon, he knew he could have her. He knew it wouldn’t take much to get her into his bed.
So why wasn’t he doing just that?
He watched her face out of the corner of his eye as they stood outside his parents’ front door, his heart going soft at her nervous expression.
“No worries, June. My family is a mess but they are nothing if not kindhearted. They will love you, trust me.” He squeezed her hand and didn’t let go.
Something knotted in his throat as he said the L-word. The last time he’d used it had been for Jessica, and he’d expected using it now to leave a bad taste in his mouth.
But it didn’t. And what he’d said was perfectly true. His family would love June, which distressed him to no end.
The only time he’d brought Jessica to meet them had been awkward and uncomfortable for everyone. She simply didn’t fit in, did not understand his family’s warm teasing, the way they’d tried to get her to open up to them and to make her laugh. She’d been like oil to their water, everything they said hitting her the wrong way and prickling under her skin.
