“You don’t need to. Oh, but I do have pills for you to take with you. Don’t worry, daddy dog. Since Sailor is heartworm free, he can start on pills to keep him that way. Plus, an oral flea and tick treatment.”
She stood, peering up at me and as she’d done hours before, she searched my eyes, but this time I wasn’t certain for what reason.
“I think I can handle that,” I told her and followed her inside. When the two pups wanted to come behind me, I allowed them. The dogs were already close, enjoying the companionship.
“I need to run into the bedroom. I had a new shipment come in and have yet to unpack them.”
“Don’t go to any trouble.”
“Just hold on, Mr. Ants in his Pants. My samples will save you some money.” She thrust her glass into my hand, even winking, which shocked the hell out of me.
At least she didn’t hate me as much as she initially did.
I watched her jogging up the stairs, remaining where I was and feeling more like some stranger than I had in years. She’d switched the music to jazz, turned the lights on low, and had left the kitchen in a huge mess, pots and pans everywhere.
After feeling a slight nuzzle against my leg, I peered down at Sailor, who seemed to be telling me something. When he walked from the kitchen, Ellie May offered a soulful look. It was obvious they wanted time alone.
After placing the glass in the dishwasher and tossing the empty bottle in the trash, I laughed to myself before starting in on the dishes. What the hell? They needed to get done.
Maybe I wasn’t paying any attention to the time, enjoying the silent chore while the music provided noise in the background. But I sensed her presence and that she was staring at me.
With a slight tip of my head, my assumptions were proven correct. Grace was leaning against the kitchen doorjamb, her arms folded and a cute smile on her face.
“What? Haven’t you ever seen a man do dishes before?” I was hesitant to tell her one of my assigned chores as a kid was doing the dishes since we hadn’t had a dishwasher. Hell, no. That was another time in my life I preferred to leave in the shadows.
“In truth? Only my dad. The few men I’ve dated, although I prefer calling them oversized children, didn’t know how to turn on a stove let alone figure out how to wash a dish.”
“Ouch. Why the hell do you hate men so much?”
She joined me, yanking a kitchen towel out of a drawer and grabbing a pot I’d washed. As she dried the surface with fevered actions, her face became pinched as she answered. “I don’t hate men. I think physically they are a perfected work of art as only God could provide. Muscular. Strong. Sexy. Chiseled jaws. Thick thighs. A tight little butt you want to squeeze and… I won’t be crude since I’m in mixed company.”
“But?
After she jammed the dried pot into a lower cabinet, she pulled another one from the drying bin. “It’s just their minds, their mouths other than for kissing of course, and their every action I can’t stand. If I could tape their mouths shut when not in use I might be just fine. However, I’d also need to lock them in a closet until they were needed. As for what, I’m unsure.”
“Repairing a fence.”
At first, she didn’t say anything, taking her time finishing her task and even grabbing the colander I’d washed, puttingeverything away. She tossed the towel on the counter, finally turning toward me. “You’re right. But don’t you dare tell anyone I admitted it.”
“Understood.” Whatever she was talking about had nothing to do with a boyfriend or another idiot crossing her path. I also sensed her terse statement was not for me to question.
So I headed toward the door, ready to scoop Sailer into my arms if necessary.
“Here are your pills. Bring Sailor back if there are any problems. Remember, try and do four small meals a day if you can.”
“Shit. I hope my schedule won’t prevent me from feeding him.”
“Well, if you have any conflicts, just bring him over and I’ll be happy to take care of him.” There went the only nervous tic I’d noticed with the woman, tugging hair behind her delicate ear.
Fuck me, I was hard and hot.
She held the bag out for me to grab, now standing in bare feet instead of her flaming red tennis shoes. Somehow, that made her appear tiny in comparison to my huge frame.
As soon as I tried to take the bag from her, our fingers collided.
The same electric pulse rocketed through every muscle, generating a wave of heat unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
I’d almost been to the point of denying my attraction, even if it was a bald-faced lie, but all bets were off. The sharp intake of her breath likely matched mine, but where my lips were pinched together, hers had formed a perfect O.
