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“Weird what now?”
“You know, how every now and then you find a long, wispy hair attached to your neck or under your chin and you’re wondering, why the hell didn’t anyone tell me?”
Kennedy didn’t look like this had ever happened to her. Probably attributable to Ashley’s old lady hormones.
“So, the list is getting longer,” Kennedy said, counting off on her fingers. “Foot rubs, tea-making, dancing, birthdays, goat hairs. What you need is a reset. A good cleaning of the pipes before you settle for the guy who rubs your feet and pinpoints your goat hair.”
“Pipe-cleaning. Sexy.”
Her friend pointed. “Seriously. You need someone who knows what he’s doing and has no expectations. Just a little fun to clear out the cobwebs.”
Like Dex O’Malley.
There Ashley went with the inappropriate thoughts again. She had no doubt that he’d be fantastic at a bout of cobweb-clearing and pipe-cleaning, but she really should not be thinking of him that way at all.
Kennedy was on a roll. “You know that’s all I wanted from Reid when we first met. Didn’t care about anything serious, just wanted to jump his bones.”
“But you were living together, right? As roommates.”
“Worse. I was the dog nanny and he was on a sex fast. Not for long, though.” She brushed her hands together, like she’d taken care of business. “And now I’m carrying the guy’s kid.”
“Well, if you think it’s a win …”
“I do! I didn’t at first. I didn’t want to fall for someone when I had a world to still see, but Reid and Bucky made me change my mind.” She gazed down at Bucky who was laying quietly at her feet, and whose ears perked up at the mention of his name. “That’s what happens when you meet the right person. A complete switch-up of your world view.” She touched a finger to her lips. “I have several single and recently-divorced clients who might fit the bill. I’m sure we could find someone to get you back on the horse. The sex horse.”
Ashley knew she looked skeptical, but before she could voice it, Dex walked in wearing a T-shirt that said, “Sorry. Can’t. Hockey. Bye.”
Damn, the door had been ajar …
“Dexter! How’s it going?” Kennedy stood and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “I heard you’re having fun with the baby animals.”
“That would be a negative. Ashley won’t let me near them yet. I’m not qualified.”
“I never said that. We just need to ease you in gently, so you don’t get bitten and we don’t get sued.” According to Toby, Dex had tried making friends with Bandit, walking by his cage every now and then to get him used to his presence, which was very forward-thinking for a man who had a limited future with the shelter. He’d also visited the cattery, per Perry. Kind of sneaky, but she couldn’t begrudge anyone time with the kittens.
Bucky moved in and sniffed Dex’s sweatpants, now covering all those muscles, which meant Ashley was forced to spend more time imagining all she was missing.
“Okay if I pet him?” he asked, possibly a little gun-shy when it came to strange dogs, though Ashley would have thought Dex had met Bucky before.
“Of course! He’s very friendly.”
Dex hunkered down and gave Bucky a good old rubdown. The lucky dog was practically purring by the end of it.
“Aw, you’ve made a new friend,” Kennedy said proudly.
Dex and Bucky looked so happy at this prospect that Ashley’s heart softened toward the scallywag. The human one.
“Did you need something?”
Dex looked up at Ashley, then at Kennedy, as if contemplating whether to speak freely. He redirected his ocean-blue gaze at her. “Just wanted to apologize.”
“For?”
“Bringing up the video the other day. I embarrassed you and that wasn’t my intention.”
Ashley opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again. Had she been embarrassed? She didn’t think so, but she’d obviously given him the impression she was some sort of prude. She wasn’t! Not at all.
“I’m sorry if I came off as judgmental.”
