Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
But I have to convince him.
“Well, the rooms are basically hotel rooms, and surely some people bring their dogs with them when they’re traveling, don’t they?”
That earns me a grunt. Should I take that as him softening?
It unnerves me how easily he makes me all flustered and breathy. I’ve never been around a man like him before, but… it’s so much more than that. My instincts tell me to be careful, that I’m allowing myself to be attracted to another man.
As a married woman, it would be sinful if I were to…
Look up at him from beneath lowered lashes… like I am right now.
Step closer to him.
Like I am right now.
Allow my gaze to linger and appreciate how strong his arms are with those rolled-up sleeves, how impeccably his clothes cling to his body, emphasizing how perfectly masculine and muscled he is…
Like I am right now.
Plead with him, like I’m about to.
“Please?” I say in a whisper of a voice. “May I?”
For one flash of a second—so quickly, I almost miss it—I see his eyes flare with intensity and heat, before he quickly schools his expression. It’d be a sin to cause him to stumble, but something tells me—it would be worth it.
“Fine,” he says in a low, measured tone. “But if I see this dog outside of your room, I’ll—”
He pauses as if he doesn’t want to complete the sentence.
I want him to.
I want to hear what he would do.
When Seth threatened me, I would cower in fear, but there’s something about Sergio…
“I promise,” I say, my heart soaring. “You won’t.”
The back door of the club opens.
Sergio and I spring apart as if we were doing something untoward. Mario walks out, ambling in his signature swagger, and eyes the little pup by my feet.
“Hey. Eden, tell me there’s a dog under all that mud?” Mario walks out, a covered tray in hand. If he’s noticed anything between me and Sergio, he doesn’t show it.
Is it in my head?
I look down at the dog. “I’m about to find that out for myself,” I say triumphantly as I bend and pick him up. Mario grins. He’s handsome, and most women would call him attractive, but he doesn’t even turn my head… as it should be.
Mario jerks his head at Sergio. “Serge, wanna come with me? I gotta pick up a new car. Due in at noon.”
“Yeah,” Sergio says. “I’ll go.”
I watch him get into Mario’s car without a backward glance at me, as if he needs to escape. My heart sinks.
Have I only imagined chemistry between the two of us?
Ugh. I’ve got it worse than I thought.
After their car roars out of the parking lot, I realize I’m still standing staring after it, the muddy little dog held tightly in my grip.
I give myself a mental shake and focus on what I need to do. I won’t stand around here moping, imagining he’ll look my way again, or brush a stray strand of hair out of my face, or call me Eden in that husky, dreamy voice of his.
Nope.
He’s my boss.
And I’ve got work to do.
“Well,” I say softly to my new friend, “I’ve got to get you”— I grimace at my own muddied clothing— “and me cleaned up, before I get back to work.”
It takes four full bathtubs of water and half my bottle of shampoo before I find out the true color of my buddy, and I realize that he is indeed a she.
Turns out the gray fur is actually white.
She’s absolutely beautiful and perfect. “We’ll call you Daisy,” I say to her. She shakes water all over me in response.
I groan. “Okay, now it’s my turn to shower.”
I get Daisy settled down on a towel in the room and leave the door a bit ajar so she doesn’t get scared, so I can take a quick shower myself, when I hear her barking.
“Hey! I’ll be right there. Just be patient. You can”— I raise my voice so she can hear me over the sound of her own barking— “COME IN!” Poor thing must be frightened.
I grab my glasses which promptly steam up, toss a towel around myself, and open the door further. “I went as quickly as I could. Now if you—”
I freeze, staring through foggy lenses at Sergio.
“I got you something,” he says gruffly.
“Me?” I look at the bag Paws and Tail Emporium across the front.
“Got some stuff for the dog,” he says, turning his head away as if embarrassed.
I look down at myself and let out a little scream.
I grabbed one of the small towels. It covers only the most prominent parts of my body but leaves nothing to the imagination. I don’t thank him. I don’t even respond. I run back into the bathroom and slam the door behind me.
I stifle a whimper press my forehead against the wooden frame and hope he doesn’t hear me banging it. I wouldn’t come out in a sleeveless gown, much less a towel.