AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter One
“Aren’t you a good boy,” Zayde said in the voice people reserved for animals or babies. “Do you want to go out in the yard today?”
The dachshund wagged his tail as his tongue lolled to one side. He had a tiny cast on his front left leg but was still full of enough energy to light up the town.
“Okay. Come on.” Zayde leashed the small brown dog, which some referred to as a hotdog dog, and lead him out into the enclosed yard. “Your owner should be here today,” Zayde said, though he wasn’t confident. Dixon’s owners should have picked him up a week ago, but every time Zayde called their phone number, the call went straight to voicemail.
Mr. Alvis hadn’t been a very pleasant man. He’d brought Dixon in, saying his dog had gotten loose and was hit by a car. Zayde wasn’t sure he believed the guy. One, only Dixon’s leg was broken. He hadn’t suffered any other injuries. Not that Zayde would have wanted more harm to come to the cute dog.
Two, Mr. Alvis hadn’t been very nice to Dixon in the vet office. He’d cradled the dog to his chest when he’d come through the doors but kept snapping at Dixon because the dog hadn’t held still. The guy’s whole vibe irritated Zayde. Mr. Alvis was the kind of person you knew was a bad egg.
In all honesty, Zayde kind of hoped that Mr. Alvis never showed up. If he’d been the one who’d broken Dixon’s leg—which Zayde suspected—then he didn’t deserve such a sweet and loving dog. The guy deserved to be locked up.
As Zayde watched Dixon happily sniffing around the yard with a wagging tail, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of protectiveness toward the little dog. He often found himself getting attached to the animals he cared for at the clinic, but something about Dixon just tugged at his heartstrings.
After half an hour, he took Dixon back inside. After caging the pooch, he exited the kennel area and stopped when he heard a deep voice coming from the front of the building.
Curious, Zayde walked toward the intake desk where Marissa sat. She was in her mid-twenties, with pretty auburn hair that she kept up in a ponytail and bright green eyes. Zayde liked her. Marrisa had this bubbly attitude that was always infectious.
But it wasn’t Marrissa who Zayde was staring at.
It was the hot guy on the other side of the counter. The stranger was tall with chiseled features. He sported a goatee, and both arms bore tattoo sleeves. Holy fuck! The guy had bad boy written all over him.
He was the type of guy Zayde tried hard to stay away from, but often times, he miserably failed. The stranger’s dirty-blond hair was swept back, shorn on the sides, and he wore a hooped earring in each ear, which was something Zayde normally didn’t like, but those earrings worked for him.
It was the amber eyes that really pulled Zayde in, though. They said that either the stranger was about to end you or wreck you in bed.
“She’s just not acting herself,” the guy said. That was when Zayde noticed a small cat in the man’s arms. It was a weird sight. A big, strong guy like that holding a tiny cat. If Zayde had to guess, he would put the guy at six-three or six-four.
A very tall glass of water.
“Can you tell me what’s wrong with her?” Marissa asked. “How is she not acting herself, Mr. Davis?”
“Call me Denali,” the guy said.
Zayde noticed the confidence in Denali’s voice, as if he knew he had everyone’s full attention. He had a commanding presence that made it hard to ignore him. It was almost intimidating, but Zayde was drawn in by the rugged man.
“Chloe,” Denali said, shifting the cat in his arms, “is usually a chatty little thing, but she’s been quiet and lethargic for the past few days. I thought I’d bring her in and get her checked out.”
Zayde watched as Marissa took Chloe from Denali’s arms and brought her to the back for an examination. Denali turned to face Zayde and gave him a small smile. Something about that smile made Zayde’s heart skip a beat. It was warm, genuine, and softened all the rough edges of Denali’s rugged exterior.
“Hi,” Denali said. “I don’t think we’ve met before. I’m Denali.”
“I’m Zayde,” he said, feeling flushed that this bad boy was paying him any attention at all. “I work here at the clinic.”
“I figured.” Denali gestured to the scrubs Zayde was wearing. “What do you do here? Are you a vet?”
Zayde chuckled. “No, I’m just a vet tech. I help out with basic stuff like feeding, walking the dogs, and cleaning up after the animals. I also bathe them, clip their nails, and brush their fur.”
Zayde frowned when Denali leaned in and sniffed him. He’d never had anyone sniff him before. “I work with animals. I’m sure I don’t smell that pleasant.”
Zayde also made himself sound more like a groomer than a tech.
Denali shook his head as he leaned back. “Honestly, you smell like ripe peaches hanging in the sun.”
What a weird thing to say. “I do?”
Leaning his arm on the counter, Denali looked him over with such wicked eyes that Zayde nearly melted on the spot. “I don’t mean to be forward, but would you like to have dinner with me?”
