bark.
“I don’t think so. Get over there.”
Nicole patted her lap. “Come on, boy.”
He paused for a moment, gazing up at Xander as
though begging to keep his current position. “Go on.” Xander pointed to the
passenger seat. Slowly, Apollo stood and crossed the console to Nicole’s lap.
She laughed. “You broke his poor, little doggie
heart.”
Xander rolled his eyes as he sat in the car. “I
see how it’ll be. He’ll pout, and you’re going to give in to him.”
She giggled and wrapped her arms around Apollo’s
soft body, holding him to her. “You poor baby. He shouldn’t be so mean to you,
should he?”
Before she could shield herself, Apollo gave her
face another swipe with his long tongue. She wiped her cheeks and lips with an
open palm, groaning as she did.
Xander laughed. “Is that how you get the girls to
kiss you? You jump right in and don’t give them an option? I’ll have to give it
a try.”
She shifted a sideways glance at him, giving him
a playful warning. “Don’t even think about it.”
“No? What would you do if I did?”
“I…” She couldn’t very well tell him she didn’t
want him to kiss her because she’d been thinking about it nearly every second
since their encounter last night. “Just drive.”
A cocky grin appeared on his sexy lips, and
Nicole turned her head to hide her own smile.
“Could I convince you to spend a couple of hours
at my place helping me get the little guy settled?”
“Afraid to be alone with the beast?”
“You’ve seen what that tongue can do.” Even as
Xander spoke, Apollo had his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as though
it was too much for him to contain. “I’ll make you lunch.”
“Like you made me dinner?”
“Hey, you enjoyed it. What difference does it
make how it came to be on your plate?”
She narrowed her eyes, pretending to weigh his
arguments, when all along she knew she couldn’t say no. “Fine. But only because
I can’t resist a cute puppy.”
* * *
Several days later, Nicole woke to the ringing of
her cell phone. She glanced at the bedside clock as she picked up her phone,
mentally reprimanding herself for sleeping in until nine. With no job, she’d
had a hard time forcing herself to go to bed at a decent time, and then it was
hard not to sleep in.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Camden? Cecil Barton here. Do you have a
moment to talk?”
Nicole sat upright in bed, the sound of her
attorney’s voice jerking her into a wide-awake state. “Of course. Is something
wrong?”
“I’m not entirely certain.” He paused long enough
to set her heart racing. “I received a call today from the police asking if
we’d retained a private investigator. Apparently, someone has been poking
around and asking questions. I checked with the person I recommended to you,
but he said you hadn’t called.”
“Uh, no, I didn’t call him. I do have a friend
who said he might have someone look into things for me.”
Another long pause. “Do you know the name of this friend ?”
“I do not.” Xander hadn’t mentioned him again or
whether or not he’d agreed to help. “As far as I know, my friend may not have
contacted him yet.”
An extended sigh came across the phone line, and
she knew she’d displeased him. “So, you don’t know whether or not he’s
licensed?”
She frowned. The way Mr. Barton spoke made her
feel like an idiot. “I don’t.”
“Ms. Camden, I know you’re hesitant to spend
money, but if you’re going to hire an investigator, I highly suggest you call
the person I recommended.”
“It’s not that I’m hesitant to spend money. I
just don’t have it to spend.” And every day that passed without her having a
job, left her in worse financial shape.
“I’m going to have my associate call and discuss
options with you. He may be able to come up with a viable solution that’s
agreeable to you both.”
“Okay.” Although Mr. Barton made a ton of
“I don’t think so. Get over there.”
Nicole patted her lap. “Come on, boy.”
He paused for a moment, gazing up at Xander as
though begging to keep his current position. “Go on.” Xander pointed to the
passenger seat. Slowly, Apollo stood and crossed the console to Nicole’s lap.
She laughed. “You broke his poor, little doggie
heart.”
Xander rolled his eyes as he sat in the car. “I
see how it’ll be. He’ll pout, and you’re going to give in to him.”
She giggled and wrapped her arms around Apollo’s
soft body, holding him to her. “You poor baby. He shouldn’t be so mean to you,
should he?”
Before she could shield herself, Apollo gave her
face another swipe with his long tongue. She wiped her cheeks and lips with an
open palm, groaning as she did.
Xander laughed. “Is that how you get the girls to
kiss you? You jump right in and don’t give them an option? I’ll have to give it
a try.”
She shifted a sideways glance at him, giving him
a playful warning. “Don’t even think about it.”
“No? What would you do if I did?”
“I…” She couldn’t very well tell him she didn’t
want him to kiss her because she’d been thinking about it nearly every second
since their encounter last night. “Just drive.”
A cocky grin appeared on his sexy lips, and
Nicole turned her head to hide her own smile.
“Could I convince you to spend a couple of hours
at my place helping me get the little guy settled?”
“Afraid to be alone with the beast?”
“You’ve seen what that tongue can do.” Even as
Xander spoke, Apollo had his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as though
it was too much for him to contain. “I’ll make you lunch.”
“Like you made me dinner?”
“Hey, you enjoyed it. What difference does it
make how it came to be on your plate?”
She narrowed her eyes, pretending to weigh his
arguments, when all along she knew she couldn’t say no. “Fine. But only because
I can’t resist a cute puppy.”
* * *
Several days later, Nicole woke to the ringing of
her cell phone. She glanced at the bedside clock as she picked up her phone,
mentally reprimanding herself for sleeping in until nine. With no job, she’d
had a hard time forcing herself to go to bed at a decent time, and then it was
hard not to sleep in.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Camden? Cecil Barton here. Do you have a
moment to talk?”
Nicole sat upright in bed, the sound of her
attorney’s voice jerking her into a wide-awake state. “Of course. Is something
wrong?”
“I’m not entirely certain.” He paused long enough
to set her heart racing. “I received a call today from the police asking if
we’d retained a private investigator. Apparently, someone has been poking
around and asking questions. I checked with the person I recommended to you,
but he said you hadn’t called.”
“Uh, no, I didn’t call him. I do have a friend
who said he might have someone look into things for me.”
Another long pause. “Do you know the name of this friend ?”
“I do not.” Xander hadn’t mentioned him again or
whether or not he’d agreed to help. “As far as I know, my friend may not have
contacted him yet.”
An extended sigh came across the phone line, and
she knew she’d displeased him. “So, you don’t know whether or not he’s
licensed?”
She frowned. The way Mr. Barton spoke made her
feel like an idiot. “I don’t.”
“Ms. Camden, I know you’re hesitant to spend
money, but if you’re going to hire an investigator, I highly suggest you call
the person I recommended.”
“It’s not that I’m hesitant to spend money. I
just don’t have it to spend.” And every day that passed without her having a
job, left her in worse financial shape.
“I’m going to have my associate call and discuss
options with you. He may be able to come up with a viable solution that’s
agreeable to you both.”
“Okay.” Although Mr. Barton made a ton of
Similar Books
