“So, how’d I do on my first major girlfriend outing?”
He laughed softly. “Owen said you’re out of my league. Ray Merritt figured you lost a family bet. Luella Holmes told me to wipe the shit-eating grin off my face. And Declan warned me that if things go south, there will always be awkward Sunday dinners. So, overall an A.”
She slowed her step, looking up at him. “Wow, you talked to a lot of people for a man who was basically attached to me all night.”
“Not all night, and yeah, I got some input.” He leaned over and kissed her on the top of the head for the twentieth time, ready to take his mouth lower and longer against hers. “All in all, they liked you and seemed to think we make a nice couple.”
“My dad would say, ‘Couple of what?’”
He chuckled. “He sounds like he was a good guy.”
“The best,” she said. “A tad temperamental, like Alex, but a great father and husband.” She felt a familiar prick of pain. “I miss him.”
“I get that,” he said, squeezing her hand in sympathy.
She looked up at him. “So Declan thinks we’re going south, huh?”
“He didn’t say that. He said ‘if,’ not ‘when,’ and sure, he knows the complicated extended-family situation.”
“And your history.”
This time, he slowed down, just in front of the house, actually bringing them to a complete stop. “Not sure what that means. My history?”
“Of ending relationships because they get too serious,” she said.
“Wait. Did Declan corner you at some point that I missed?”
“No, I was thinking of Simone.”
“That makes one of us,” he quipped.
But she didn’t laugh. “Unless that’s not really why Simone broke up with you. If she broke up with you at all.”
He turned to her, a question in his eyes. “That sounds like you’re accusing me of lying, Cassie. Why would you do that?”
“I’m not, but I’m just…wondering. She called Frank the Actuary a rebound, remember?”
“Not really. I barely remember when we saw her.” He sounded, and looked, completely confused.
“And she was at Waterford looking for a Weimaraner to adopt,” she told him.
He considered that for a minute, then gave his head a shake. “That’s weird. She did really like Jelly Bean, and maybe seeing him unearthed this deep need in her to own a Weimie. Good for her.”
“You don’t think she’s trying to win you back?”
“Because she’s adopting the same dog I have?” He laughed. “No, especially because—let me be perfectly clear here—she split up with me. I knew it was coming, I knew her reasons were valid, and I was relieved because I knew the ending was inevitable.”
But was it? “That doesn’t mean she might not want you back. And you might want her.”
“Cassie.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “I can’t believe you’re jealous. I mean, I’m all kinds of flattered, but—”
“I’m not jealous.” At least, she didn’t think she was. “I’m worried that…that you should be with her, not me.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s in Bitter Bark, and she’s a nice girl, and she wants the kind of life you can offer, and…I don’t.”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re in Bitter Bark now, you’re the nicest, if occasionally snarkiest, woman I know, and I’m not offering anybody anything.” He was quiet for a moment, the only sound Jelly Bean barking on the other side of his front door. “Except for you to stay for a while, since if we get right in that car and I drive you home, JB will be wrecked.”
“Of course.” She went inside with him, where Jelly Bean tried his best not to show how totally happy he was that Braden was home and, of course, treated Cassie like a pariah.
When they took him to the backyard, Braden didn’t turn on any lights but let the dog wander around the fenced-in area, standing at the edge of the patio stones to keep an eye on him. Cassie dropped onto an outdoor sofa, letting her eyes adjust to the dim moonlight.
“What makes you think I should be with Simone?” he asked in a tone that made her guess he’d been staring at the yard and dog but thinking about their conversation.
She took in the grill, outdoor TV, and seating area, all of it screaming stability. “I think you’re a guy who’s more ready to settle down than you realize.”
“Then we would have moved in together, which is what she was pushing for. And even if you are right, and I want that kind of…of living situation, it wouldn’t have worked with her long-term.”
“Why not?”
He thought about it for a moment, sliding his hands in the pockets of his khakis with a sigh. “Because I need magic. I need sparks. I need…something that wasn’t there. I mean, she’s great on paper, you know? Very pretty, smart, said and did all the right things, but sometimes I thought she just wanted to close the deal so much, she’d say anything.”
“Whoa. Brutal.”
“I don’t mean to be, but I’m trying to be one hundred percent real with you.”
“Are you sure you gave her a fair chance?”
He dropped down next to her, close enough that their thighs touched, and that sent the usual heat through her body. Some things never changed with Braden. They just got more intense.
“You don’t have to give magic and sparks a fair chance, Cass. They happen instantly.”
She could feel his gaze on her and knew that if she turned her face ever so slightly, they’d be lined up for…magic and sparks. “Instantly?”
“The moment you meet.”
“Really.”
He took her chin in his fingertips and turned her to face him. “I remember you walking up the driveway of Waterford with your mother. I remember the first thing we talked about was a little lesson on Greek names.”
“And you were the first non-Greek person I’ve ever met who knew Cassandra was a princess and a prophet and not a goddess.”
“And I’ve been called Einstein ever since.”
She held his gaze, inches away, slipping back to the chilly winter day and her first thoughts about him. “Shoulders,” she whispered.
He lifted his brows in question.
“My first thoughts were not actually about your impressive brain. It was…” She put a hand on his shoulder and pressed. “Your impressive brawn.”
His lips curled up in a smile. “And I took a dive into your eyes and didn’t come up for air all day.”
She had to ask. Had to. “Had you and Simone broken up yet?”
“Yes, for a few weeks, all but for the returning of things left at each other’s place, which actually happened the day after I met you.”
She flinched a little at the mental image of that exchange. “Because you met me?”
“No, it just happened that way.”
“Do you think you two might have reconciled if you hadn’t been eye-swimming the day before?”
He laughed softly. “No, we wouldn’t have. She’d already met Frank the Actuary.”
He drew her face a little closer. “So you can’t take credit, Princess and Prophet Cassandra.”
“Credit…or blame.”
“Semantics.” He held her gaze a few seconds longer, making each breath harder to take, as she knew they couldn’t wait a minute more. “Like…is this going to be our first kiss or not?”
“We kissed once at Bushrod’s.”
“But you weren’t my girlfriend.”
“Temporary girl—”
He closed the space and silenced her with his mouth over hers, sliding his palm against her cheek to hold her there.
Closing her eyes, Cassie gave in to exactly what her whole being wanted. Sinking into the kiss, she parted her lips and invited his tongue to touch hers, letting out a soft moan as electricity zapped through her.
“See?” he murmured. “Magic and sparks. Or is it sparks and magic?”
“Semantics.” Slipping her hands a
round his neck, she let him pull her all the way against his chest, a little shocked at how quickly his heart was beating. He broke the kiss, but kept his lips against her jaw and throat, pressing kisses to her skin, searing everything he touched.
She was vaguely aware of Jelly Bean’s paws on the patio, bracing herself for a bark of disapproval. But none came, then she heard him go back into the house.
“Now we’re finally alone,” Braden whispered into her ear, making her laugh softly as his hand grazed over her collarbone and pressed on her heart. But that laugh dissolved into a whimper of pleasure when his fingers brushed over the skin exposed by the V-neck of her top.
All her nerve endings danced with a need that moved her even closer and let him pull her down onto the sofa so they were horizontal with her whole body on top of his. Under her, everything was muscle and man, drawing her in to touch and inhale and lose herself against him.
“We sure as hell better not be cousins,” he joked as he stroked her back and slipped his hand under the shirt.
“Mmm.” She bowed her back, because there was no way she could resist the pure pleasure of being against his body. “We’re not.”
“Cassie.” His whole hand gripped her ribs and waist, holding her in a firm grip, dragging his palm around to touch—
A hand slammed on her back, making her jump and turn and come face-to-face with Jelly Bean. So, not a hand. A paw.
“Hey, JB. Not cool, man.” Braden’s voice was thick with frustration.
Jelly Bean didn’t bark, because he held something in his mouth, but it was too dark to see exactly what it was. A dish towel? Clothes? He smashed his snout into Cassie’s arm, making her push up.
“What is it?” She reached for Jelly Bean’s mouth, but Braden swore softly and beat her to it, snagging whatever it was from the dog’s teeth and balling it in his hand. “Braden.” She tried to open his fingers. “What did he bring out here?”
“His opinion.” Very slowly, he opened his hand, and Cassie reached for it, then instantly drew back when she realized it was a lacy thong.
“Oh my. I guess she didn’t get all of her stuff out of here.”
“Or Jelly Bean kept a stash.”
She couldn’t even laugh at that. “He is the world’s smartest dog,” she said, pushing all the way up and straightening her top.
“Cassie, you’re not going to let—”
“Yes I am.” She gave Jelly Bean’s head a quick rub before he could escape her touch. “Thanks for the wake-up call, Mr. Bean. I almost forgot that temporary, highly controlled, qualified, and…whatever it was…didn’t include making out on the sofa. I need to go home.”
“Or you could bend the rules and stay all night,” Braden said, making no effort to sit up all the way or even move off that sofa. His eyes were dark with arousal, and his lips were…warm, sweet, and inviting.
What was she doing leaving this man?
Taking action…and the action she needed to take was to protect both of them. “I need to go home, Braden.”
That’s all it took for him to get up. He walked toward the door, pitched the thong in a trash can next to the barbecue, and gestured for Cassie to go first.
“I’ll deal with you later,” he said sternly to Jelly Bean. “Just know you’ve had your last drop of peanut butter for a month.”
Chapter Twelve
It was rare that his schedule gave him two Sundays in a row at Waterford, but Braden had no complaints as he pulled up to the big yellow farmhouse for the weekly afternoon tradition.
He spotted Cassie’s Escape almost immediately, which put a smile on his face and tweaked his slightly guilty conscience. He’d left Jelly Bean at home today, which was unusual. Not that the dog was being punished, though Braden did give him a stern talking-to that morning while he searched his house and all of JB’s favorite hidey-holes for any more remnants of Simone.
He just wanted Cassie to be comfortable, and Jelly Bean always seemed to express his dislike or distrust of her.
Yes, Simone and Jelly Bean had a tight bond, but this was ridiculous.
As he came up to the side porch of the house, the first two people he spotted were Cassie and her mother sitting on a glider together, drinking lemonade, deep in conversation.
“There are two beautiful women,” he teased as he came up the stairs.
Cassie smiled at him, her casual Sunday face and ponytail every bit as gorgeous as last night when she’d worn makeup and her hair all tumbled around her pretty face.
“Oh, Braden, hello.” Katie rose to greet him, reaching out for a hug that seemed even warmer than usual. “Where’s your better half?”
He looked at Cassie over Katie’s shoulder, pointing at her. “Right there,” he mouthed, making Cassie laugh softly. “Jelly Bean’s in the doghouse, so to speak.”
As soon as he said it, he saw Cassie’s eyes flash in surprise and realized he now had to explain why. And telling her mom that JB interrupted their make-out session with his ex’s underwear wasn’t going to cut it.
“He’s still not discerning smells?” Katie asked.
“Not a one,” he said, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice.
“He smells the things he likes,” Cassie said dryly. “I’m going to tell Daniel you’re here. He wanted to talk to you the minute you arrived.”
“I’ll get him,” Katie offered quickly. “You sit in the sun with Cassie.”
“No arguments from me.” Braden went right over and sat close to her. “Happy Sunday, gorgeous.”
She narrowed her eyes to near-black slits. “You’re not seriously punishing that dog because he not only sees London and France, he stole her underpants?”
He laughed, reaching for her to bring her closer and kiss her lightly. “Why are you so funny and hot and irresistible?”
“’Cause I’m half Greek. Seriously, why isn’t Jelly Bean here?”
“He just isn’t. Does it matter?”
She drew back and gave him a look he couldn’t begin to interpret. “Well, brace yourself, okay? I think Daniel has a plan, and you might not like it. Or maybe you will, I don’t know.”
What was that supposed to mean? “A plan? Do you like it?”
She shrugged. “I’m not in this equation.”
“Hey, Braden.” Daniel’s voice came from the other side of the screen door, pulling them apart.
“Hi, Uncle Daniel.” Braden got up to greet his uncle, his curiosity piqued.
“It’s a treat to get you two Sundays in a row,” Uncle Daniel said. “How did Declan and Connor both have duty and you got off?”
“The whole schedule is juggled because of next weekend.”
“Which is?”
“That Date with a Dog auction on Friday night,” Braden explained. “Then there’s a black-tie event the next night, which means more people not on duty. Trust me, I’m working every day this coming week and a few nights.”
“Oh, that’s right. The Paws for a Cause kickoff. And Cassie’s been telling us about the scavenger hunt you two have been working on.”
“This is the week to really go after entries,” Cassie chimed in, getting up to join the conversation. “Unless we don’t have to do any of that at all.”
Now Braden was really confused. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“Come with me, Braden.” Daniel gestured toward the yard, and Braden started to follow, then turned to Cassie with an expectant look.
“You go,” she said. “Come back and tell me what you think.”
Completely perplexed, he walked across the lawns, waiting for some clue from his uncle and getting none. There were a few dogs in the pen, but on Sunday, no training was going on, and so few of the family had shown up yet that Waterford felt a little deserted.
“How’s Rusty doing?” Braden asked, not seeing Daniel’s beloved setter, or his constant companion, Goldie. Rusty had suffered a mild heart attack back in March, following surgery to remove a benign tumor and, at almost fourteen, was defi
nitely slowing down.
“He’s hanging in there.” Daniel gave a tight smile that didn’t hide the bit of sadness in his eyes. “It’s helped he’s found love again in his old age.”
“Just like his master,” Braden joked.
“God willing, Katie and I have a lot more years ahead, but Rusty?” He blew out a breath as they reached the kennels. “All I can tell you is that I know what it’s like to love a dog, and I know you love Jelly Bean.”
Of course he did. So where was this going?
“But loving a dog might not be enough for what you need as an arson-dog handler, assuming you’re serious about that.”
He choked in disbelief. “Since I’ve taken hours of extended education and training courses to be his handler, yeah, I’m serious. Hell, a dozen more credits, and I can get certification as an arson investigator myself.”
“Is that what you want to do?” he asked as he opened the door.
“No, I want to be a firefighter like my father, and my brothers. But I can also be the handler at a fire scene with a wonderfully trained and talented dog.”
“Yes, precisely what I want to show you.”
Braden stifled a sigh. “Show me?”
“A wonderfully trained and talented dog.” Daniel led them down the main hall, past snoozing dogs, beyond Liam’s K-9 section, to a set of kennels in the back, usually reserved for newcomers. They stopped at the first gate, face-to-face with a stunning black Labrador with eyes as blue and intense as Daniel’s. “Meet Jasmine, our newest arrival.”
His chest tightened as he finally figured it all out. “Jasmine,” he repeated.
“She goes by Jazz, has been a therapy dog for three years, living with a woman at an assisted living facility outside of Charlotte, but her owner’s passed away.”
“What’s she doing here?”
“A friend of mine is the owner’s son, and he can’t take her, and the facility won’t keep her, so he called me. Garrett went out to pick her up a few days ago, and whoa. She’s amazing, Braden.” Uncle Daniel unlatched the gate and stepped inside. Immediately, the dog walked up to him and poked his nose toward his hand, asking to be petted. “Very play-motivated, loves her toys, cooperative, athletic, independent, but highly owner-aware.”
Hot Under the Collar Page 13
