Luxe Glamour (The Glamour Series Book 5) by Maggie Marr

wouldn’t use those teeth to take out his jugular? “Don’t you, big boy?” The disgusting creature took his tongue, the same tongue that every dog I’d ever seen used to lick their own business, and slapped it against Trick’s cheek.
    “See!” Trick called, as though that slimy little moment was a sign of affection when really it could be called an appetizer. “He’s so gentle. He loves everyone.” Trick turned back to the dog and placed a hand on either size of his giant head. “Don’t you big guy? Don’t you?” Trick used the voice that dog lovers reserved only for talking to dogs. Of course the beast’s tail started to wag.
    I stayed by the building. Austin might like Trick, but he wouldn’t like me. My disdain for canines was mutual. I preferred their absence and they preferred mine. Kind of a problem now, what with the puppy that Ellen had adopted taking up residence in my condo.
    I cleared my throat to try and interrupt the love-fest between Trick and Austin. “I’m nearly finished. One and two are done. Could you give me thirty more minutes to do the runs in three and four?”
    “You’ve got plenty of time. I don’t think any of the residents of A Dog’s Life will be back for another forty-five minutes.”
    Here at Pawtown every kennel building had its own special name, a play on famous films. Way too cutesy for me. I crossed my arms over my chest. My heart hammered and my breath was short, but there was no reason I had to tell Trick just how terrified I was of Austin. 
    Trick walked closer. “Want us to stay? You could throw the ball to him.” 
    I took two steps back and my shoulders brushed against the rough warm wall. “I’m sure he gets plenty of exercise with you. Besides I still have two kennels to complete.” I turned toward the door and rolled my bucket in front of me.
    “How are you liking it so far?”
    I turned back toward Trick. “Seriously?” Even though Trick was good-looking and he caused a thrill to rush through my body, that didn’t mean I was happy with him. Pawtown was half his, so any scapegoat work that I was assigned to do was because of him, too. Trick nodded.
    “This job sucks.”
    His head jerked back. An eyebrow cocked upward, like he was surprised by my bluntness. Fine, be surprised. My job did suck.
    “I think I’m being punished for disliking dogs.”
    The beast beside Trick lay down, as if to prove that I must be insane for disliking a creature so obedient and loyal.
    The corner of Trick’s mouth curled up and he tilted his head to the side. “I’ll admit that you’re pretty much alone with that opinion here at Pawtown.”
    My gaze went beyond him toward the main administration building where I checked in each morning before I started my poop scooping and kennel scrubbing. I heard the titters and saw the unkind knowing looks from the permanent staff. While most people might think I was only a pretty face, I wasn’t stupid. Besides, when you looked like me you got used to people not liking you for no reason other than your face.
    “So how much poop do I need to scoop before I reach payback?”
    He shifted his weight and the muscle in his jaw flickered. A smile formed on his face. “That would be the boss’s decision.”
    “By boss you mean your sister?”
    “The one and only.”
    Again my gaze drifted beyond Trick’s gorgeous face. “Then I’ve got a whole lot of shit to shovel.”
    A loud laugh broke from his lips. Warmth blossomed in my chest. I couldn’t help but smile. My predicament at Pawtown was funny, in a sad sort of way, and I might seriously laugh if it was happening to any other runway model but me.
    “Probably the truth.”
    “So accidentally hitting Drummond is how I got on your sister’s shitlist?”
    Trick shook his head. “That’s part of it, but nobody here, at least, thinks you hitting Drummond was intentional.”
    I winced at his words. Yep, there were people on my Twitter feed who thought I’d run down Drummond on