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“Feels good, doesn’t it?” He spoke in a soothing tone as he massaged the soap onto her sides. “Wanna know a secret? I wasn’t much for baths either when I was young.” Her ear perked up, like she understood they’d found common ground. I found myself leaning closer too . . . curious. “My mom would put me in a plastic pool because I liked that and I’d scream if she put me anywhere close to a tub.”
The vivid image of him as a child popped into my head. I couldn’t picture him being afraid of anything but could easily see him in one of those pools.
“I was a big pain in the behind.” He continued lathering, and she wasn’t shaking nearly as much as she had been before.
“Was?” The word popped out of my mouth without thought, and I wanted to kick myself. He’d been telling interesting stories and I’d likely ruined the moment.
He arched a brow at the same time a corner of his mouth lifted. “Yeah.Was.”
The dog licked him in the face, and he grinned.
“They all like you,” I said quietly.
“What about you?”
I shrugged. “Not much.”
His smile broadened. He should have his own calendar, not just one month. But I wouldn’t admit that to Miss Adeline. Or to him.
“I can work with a little.”
He took another lick to the face. “You are an affectionate thing.”
A shrill bark I didn’t recognize echoed through the space. We both turned to find Ash on her feet, nose pressed through the kennel door.
“I think she might be jealous.” The girl had been through so much. I was thrilled to see her coming out of her shell, telling us how she felt.
“You’re still my girl,” he called as he flicked his chin at her.
He couldn’t be this person. It was a lot easier when I thought he was a jerk. The more I got to know him, the more I chalked up our first encounter to a bad day.
He was all tough on the exterior. While we were at the track and things got crazy, he didn’t even flinch. He kept his cool. Defended us.
But inside . . . he had a tender heart.
“Hey! You sprayed me.”
I looked down. The nozzle was pointed at him instead of the dog. “Oops.”
“I’ll oops you.” He put a glob of suds on my nose.
I wiped them away with the back of my hand . . . then squirted more water at his chest.
“This your way of trying to get my clothes off?” He smirked.
I became so hot with embarrassment I almost sprayed myself to cool off. “Definitely not.”
But it wasn’t a bad idea.
I stiffened and focused back on the task at hand. Washing the dog.Notspraying Teague down.
I felt his eyes on me as I rinsed the same spot on her but pretended not to notice.
Eventually, he returned to his work. “I thought it was pretty dang creative myself.”
Heat rushed through me again. “Not every woman wants you naked,” I snapped.
“Aww, now you’re just hurting my fragile ego.”
