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I glanced at her. “Well, Red, call me clueless. You want to tell me what you think the magic words might be?”
She aimed a triumphant smile at me that exploded in my chest. I’d do anything to put that smile on her face every damn day.
Catie leaned down and propped her hands on her knees. “Hey, Elvis.”
The dog danced and his tail double-timed its wagging motion.
“Want to go for a ride?” Catie whisper-yelled.
Damned if the dog didn’t leap in air and zoom toward where Elizabeth stood at the door, grinning. All around us, the other animals in pens howled and barked and screeched, a send-off worthy of a newly married couple running from a church after getting hitched.
Elizabeth wrapped her hand around Elvis’s collar and opened the door to the front office.
I draped my arm around Catie’s shoulders, which by the way, were shaking from laughter. “Catie-belle, I don’t think the words were magic. I think you are.”
Straight white teeth peeked out between her plump, rosy lips. “Nah, I think Elvis is magic. He’s going to be a great dog for you.”
“I hope Frank likes him, because I want those two to spend lots of time together.” Our hips bumped with each step we took toward the door.
“Really?” She aimed an arched brow at me.
I stopped our progress short of the door and faced her, palms cupped on her shoulders. “Really.” Leaning in, I pressed a kiss to her lips.
She opened and let me sweep my tongue deep inside. She moved closer, her breasts grazing my chest. My body tensed, my shaft hardened. I wrapped my arms around her waist, drew her closer, like I could not get enough of this woman. And I couldn’t. I moved one hand to the curve of her hip and dug my fingers in, my thumb slipping inside her waistband.
The sudden yips and barks of the remaining animals brought me back to my surroundings. Releasing her mouth, I took a step back and studied her face.
Catie released her breath in a rush. “Oh my.”
“Can we pick this up later, when we aren’t quite as…um, exposed?”
“Yes, please.”
The sweet plea in her voice tickled me and made me harder at the same time. Fighting for control of my body, I ran more of Rachmaninoff’s symphony in my head. I had to get the state of my body under control before I walked into the front portion of Barks and Recreation to finalize my adopting of Elvis.
Catie trailed her fingers down my arm, then slipped in front of me, her hip brushing the arousal in my jeans. I sucked a sharp breath in and followed behind her, letting her body run interference for mine until I got myself under control.
Elizabeth was behind the desk again, pulling papers from built-in slots on the back counter. Elvis waited patiently at her side, tail still going about a hundred miles an hour. He saw me and jumped up to dance in place again. Elizabeth snapped her fingers and he dropped to his rump obediently.
“I’m going to have to learn that trick,” I remarked.
“We offer obedience training, if you’re interested. A new class starts in a couple weeks.” Elizabeth stacked her papers together and tapped them on the counter, squaring them off. She moved to the front desk, where I waited, watching Catie wander around the display racks, looking for just the right toy for Frank.
“I might enroll, but it depends on how long they’ll last. I’m going to have to travel a bit in the next few weeks.”
I’d reviewed the preliminary publicity tour for the new release. Carrie had sent over the standard itinerary that Bad Dog required, plus a couple extra stops. They’d booked me on a couple national morning shows for interviews and concerts. All designed to create hype for the release.
Catie paused while reaching for something on a peg. “When will you leave?”
“Nothing’s set in stone yet, but the release drops in six weeks. The schedule starts like two weeks before to drive pre-orders,” I explained. “Hey, one of the stops is in Oklahoma. You want to go with me?” I’d love to see the place that made her.
She cocked her head to the side and grinned. “Who would take care of Elvis and Frank?”
“Damnation. I didn’t think about that.” My shoulders slumped. I was traveling by air for most of this tour. I’d need a travel kennel, and to let Carrie know I’d need accommodations for a dog while on the road.
“We do offer kennel services,” Elizabeth offered.
“Always an option.” I took the papers and pen that she passed me.
