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His gaze swept the room. Before she could object, he lowered his mouth to her chest, swiftly licking the chocolate buttercream off her skin.
“You taste good,” he said, picking up his fork.
“Everything’s better with chocolate.” Her voice sounded breathless and hungry—but not for cake.
15
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, after Mark had polished off the cake and tried to pay for their meal—Blanche had adamantly refused his money—they were back in her truck with Mark behind the wheel. Amy felt as if she would explode. Earlier she’d been too tired for sex, and now she was too full. She remembered how his mouth felt on her skin and...God, she wanted him anyway.
But one more feeling crept up on her, adding to her list of reasons to steer clear of Mark and his mouth. She was scared. The things she’d learned about the friend she’d known her whole life made her realize he deserved more than a no-strings-attached fling. And she couldn’t give him that without breaking her rules and risking her heart.
They pulled into the driveway, and Amy climbed out of the truck without waiting for Mark to come around and open the door. “I should let Bullet and Nova out.”
“I’ll join you.” He easily caught up with her and then slowed his pace to match hers. She stumbled, her heels sinking into the grass. Reaching out to stop herself from falling, she grabbed his arm, solid and strong.
“Stupid shoes,” she muttered, regaining her balance and withdrawing her hand.
“How about a piggyback ride?”
“No.” The heat in his eyes, illuminated by the full moon in the Oregon night sky, was like a warning. “I’ll be fine. I managed all day in these heels.”
“Just to the door.”
Amy looked at the wide expanse of grass between them and the kennel’s entrance, part of it covered by her tent. She ran back and forth dozens of times a day. But tonight, in these shoes, the familiar space looked as if it had expanded while they’d been out to eat.
“I’m wearing a dress,” she said.
“Now that you mention it, I’m going to insist.” Mark stepped in front of her and glanced over his shoulder. “Climb on.”
She saw the playful challenge in his brown eyes. That look—it felt new and exciting, so different from the concern that had hovered close to the surface during their video chats or when he’d first arrived home. Her fears, the ones she’d brought home from The Last Stop along with her doggie bag, faded into a whisper.
She hiked her dress up to her thighs. “Are you sure about this? I just ate about ten pounds’ worth of diner food.”
Including chocolate frosting... Her body hummed with the memory.
His brown eyes focused on the edge of her dress, just barely covering her underwear. “Oh, yeah.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent his knees. As she folded one leg around his waist, she felt his arms slide around to her backside, lifting her the rest of the way.
“Ready?” he asked, his voice low and husky as he hooked an arm under each of her legs.
“Yes.” But with her dress riding higher and higher, leaving her pressed against the hard wall of his back in only her panties, she was beginning to change her mind about being too tired or too full for finishing what they’d started earlier. One more night, no promises, aside from the assurance he’d never let her fall...
His powerful body easily carried her down the slope and under the tent to the kennel’s front door. Mark stopped and released his hold, allowing her to slide to the ground. Her dress moved higher until it decorated her waist.
“Amy.” The way he studied her, his broad chest expanding as he sucked in a breath, she wondered if what he really meant was mine.
“The dogs,” she said, slowly drawing the hem of her dress down to meet her knees.
Mark exhaled, reaching for the door. “I know.”
Leading him inside, Amy tried not to think about the way Mark’s touch, his voice, his presence behind her, heated her body, begging her to revisit the veterinary room, strip off her clothes, place her hands flat on the metal table and finish what they’d started. She wanted to step back to that place where she could close her eyes and pretend he was a trustworthy stranger intent on pleasuring her.
But that was just a fantasy. And she was beginning to realize the Mark behind the illusion was so much more.
“I’ll check on Bullet and Nova if you look in on the puppies,” she said. Mark nodded, heading farther down the corridor. Amy went into Nova’s and Bullet’s rooms, greeting both dogs with a treat and checking to make sure they had water and their doggy doors to their attached outdoor spaces were open. Moving through the tasks, her mind drifted to Mark—in the exam room, at the diner, licking her clean, his hands on her legs as he carried her, the way he’d stood by her all day...
She finished with the dogs and headed for the exit. Her body was on fire with need and wanting. Closing the kennel door behind her, she spotted him leaning against a tent pole, and she knew that she couldn’t walk away. Not from him. Not tonight. She wanted to let him in—to her bed, her life and maybe more.
