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“I told you, I’m not hungry,” she replied curtly. Then there was a low growl and she clapped her hand over her stomach.
“I think someone’s lying,” he teased. Instead of coaxing a smile from her, she pivoted on her heel again and went into the kitchen opposite the kennels and came back with a bucket of water and a mop.
Her arms trembled slightly at the weight of the bucket and he rushed to meet her and relieve her but she glared at him before dropping it down, water sloshing over the edge.
“You don’t have a hose?” he asked, thinking that would be easier than filling a bucket and dragging it out each time. Had she been doing this all by herself? It was a lot of work.
She didn’t meet his stare. “No.”
“How come?”
“They cost money.”
“If the shelter needs money, then I can-”
“I’ll be outside if you need me,” she interrupted and then scurried off.
He frowned after her, not sure how to reach her. He was charming as hell but so far, she wasn’t interested in niceties.Maybe you’ll win her over with hard work,his ever-optimistic brain chimed in.
He drank his coffee and felt something touch his leg. He glanced down and found a long-haired black cat winding itself around him. Its gold eyes shining in the light from the window.
“Hello, you. Aren’t you a beauty?” he cooed, bending down to pet the cat who let him stroke once and then bit him. “You play hard to get, huh? Just like someone else I know,” he mumbled as the cat scurried off.
Will cleaned down the kennels, enjoying the physical work, the fruits of his labor, but soon he was pulling down his suspenders and unbuttoning his shirt. He flapped the tails, trying to get some air onto his body and considered tossing the bucket of water over himself just to cool off. He continued on and thought he could feel eyes watching him but each time he turned around, there was no one there.
After another hour he whipped his shirt off, unable to take it anymore. When he finally finished with the kennels, he went to find Rebelle. He found her outside, hauling bricks like he had done a few days before. She struggled with a particularly large one and as he saw her tiny legs buckle, he raced over to catch it before she dropped it on her toe.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, not meeting his stare.
“You really shouldn’t be doing this stuff on your own. Why didn’t you ask me to help?”
“I can do it,” she replied.
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
She finally looked at him and her eyes swept over his bare chest, lingering here and there and he wondered if she was taking in the various tattoos he had inked across his skin.
She swallowed. “Can you put your shirt back on?”
“It’s nearly a hundred degrees in there and there’s no air conditioning,” he replied, taking in the damp circle at the neck of her t-shirt. Was that the same one she was wearing at the bar last night? It had the same hole in the shoulder.
“I would feel more comfortable if you had your shirt on,” she insisted.
He was about to rebuff her but there was something about her tone that gave him pause. He tugged his shirt back on, noticing the guarded expression on her face and wanting to ease the tension he could see bunching her shoulders.
He helped her move the rest of the rocks and then they took a break, both panting and drenched in sweat. He was mesmerized by the way her skin glowed and the dark hair slicked to the back of her neck. He wanted to push it to one side and run his tongue over her skin, savoring the salty taste.
He shook his head, dislodging the fantasy before his pants started getting tight.
They spent the afternoon working side by side, although any time he got too close, she stepped away. She tried to be discreet, but he noticed it. He attempted to engage her in conversation, but she gave clipped, one-word responses.
“You can leave now, we’re done for the day,” she said softly.
Thank God, he was exhausted. Lack of sleep and the heat had made today much harder than he anticipated but he’d loved every minute of it. Loved getting to know the animals, helping them and seeing the fruits of his labor.
He smiled. “Great, do you want a lift home?”
“No, I’m fine thank you,” she said, avoiding his gaze again.
