She looked at his bearded profile. “Why?”
“Why not?”
Her heart rate accelerated. She couldn’t. Could she? No, of course not.
“Um …” She scrambled to find a way to refuse that would spare his feelings. Her gaze settled on Rolf, who was intently watching two white egrets fly overhead.
“Rolf,” she said.
“What about him?”
“I’m not leaving my dog.”
“Who said you had to?”
“You have a yard?”
He grinned. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” She tipped her head. “Where do you live now?”
A lopsided smile. “One-bedroom condo.”
She laughed. “I’ve never seen a condo witha yard.”
He caught her gaze and held it. “For you, I’d get one. And anything else you need.”
“You can justgeta yard?”
“I can find one.” A corner of his mouth kicked up. “Believe me, there’s a will.”
“Well …”
It sure was tempting. But then, she couldn’t stay with Nick; she barely knew him. Plus, he lived in Vegas. She might run into her family there and then have to endure their smothering sympathy. She wasn’t up for that.
Not yet.
“I can just stay at a hotel that allows pets.”
“You could.” He winked. “But I’m more fun. And you would still need a yard.”
As if to prove that point, Rolf bounded up to him, the dragon in his mouth. Still smiling, Nick took the toy, waiting for the dog to sit before throwing it in a wide arc across the yard. Jannie tried not to ogle his impressive arm muscles as he did it three more times.
She shook her head in wonder. Rolf had never taken to anyone else the way he’d taken to Nick. Conversely, he’d been aloof with Blake, undoubtedly sensing the man’s lack of interest and resentment for costing him his dream beach house.
Dogs were good judges of character, she knew, and she also knew that if she were going to do this wild thing, go to Vegas and stay at a hotel, she’d have to board Rolf.
Jannie watched the play of Nick’s hard muscles as he threw the toy, and she licked her lips, recalling exactly how he looked without that shirt.
Tempting. So very tempting.
She had never acted impulsively in her life. Perhaps that had led her here, where each day brought unhappiness and felt like an exercise in frustration. Recently, work had become extremely stressful, filling her with dissatisfaction. How many times had she fantasized about escaping? Taking a break might be good for her mental health.
“Would this yard come with an extra bedroom?” she found herself asking.
He threw the toy. “As I said. Whatever you need.”
And suddenly, getting away from here and spending time with thisman felt like an enticing prospect. Her heart took flight as she considered the possibility.
