seemed to crave.
Outside, Mia tossed the ball into the air. "Here, puppy, puppy, puppy. I've got something that's lots more fun to play with."
Bootsie's ears perked up, and he tilted his head. In the next instant, he started flopping her shoe back and forth, as if wrestling a demon to the ground.
Mia bit back a groan. She rolled the ball across the lawn, and this time Bootsie hesitated. Mia swore she could see him doing a mental pros and cons list. Fortunately, the ball won his attention.
Unfortunately, he scurried over with the shoe still dangling from his mouth.
"Let's do an even exchange." She picked up the ball, holding it out, and tried to tug the shoe loose with her other hand, but his grip was too strong.
Her earlier giddiness over this new gig evaporated. How was she going to survive two whole weeks of this shoe-devouring monster?
Mia gave the ball another toss, this time away from the puppy. The ball sailed high into the air, fueled by her frustration. The dog raised his head, the shoe forgotten, and watched with Mia as the ball flew over the fence, picking up speed.
"Oh, no!"
Mia cringed, praying for a lucky bounce into the neighbor's grass. The ball hit the driveway and then practically leapt into the driver's side headlight. The breaking plastic made a tinkling sound as it drifted to the asphalt, bits of red and yellow glittering in the sunlight.
Mia heaved a sigh, and then bent over and picked up her doggy co-conspirator.
"You better hope he thinks one of us is cute."
Chapter 2
Luke twisted the cap off the beer. Boy was he ready to kick back for a while. He tilted his head and let the cold brew hit his throat. He shouldn't have stayed in the sun so long, but he hadn't been able to tear himself away from enjoying his temporary neighbor. Now he just needed to figure out the best way to introduce himself—
The doorbell rang, startling him. "What the hell?"
He never had anyone stop by without calling first. And in this day and age, there weren't very many door-to-door salespeople.
He headed for the door, remembering at the last minute he didn't have a shirt on. What did it matter? He yanked the door open, doing his best to look stern and forbidding. Whoever was trying to sell him something would get the hint. Fast .
"Oh! I'm sorry," a soft voice said. "Did I interrupt—"
Her face, eye level with his chest, turned such a deep shade of red, he almost didn't realize at first who she was.
Then it hit him, nearly knocking the breath from his lungs. The beauty from next door. His two-week stand, in the flesh, on his doorstep. And he'd just scared the crap out of her.
"No, no, you're fine," he said in a rush. "I'm sorry. Do you want to come in?" He motioned for her to enter, but it was the hand holding the beer bottle. "Uh, I could get you one, if you'd like."
"I might need it," he thought she muttered, but she didn't move except to clutch the furball puppy closer.
She was even sexier up close, with her sunglasses shoved up on her head, her hair tumbling around her shoulders. He could smell something tropical on her skin and it made him ache in some very inconvenient places.
Luckily she was looking up at him, so she couldn't see the effect she had on him, but her big blue eyes made his reaction go up a notch or fifteen. He turned, stepping slightly behind the door to hide the blatant evidence the best he could. He didn't want this fling to be over before it even started. And she definitely looked nervous, even though she was the one moving things along.
It felt like he'd won some cosmic lottery or something.
"Why don't you come in?" he said. "It's hot out there, and I've got the a/c going."
"Okay," she finally said. "I won't be long though."
Luke kept his disappointment in check. Usually women couldn't get to him fast enough, not that he had any time for them lately. It was something he planned to change, and soon.
She walked past him, and a coconut scent followed her, mingling with the
Outside, Mia tossed the ball into the air. "Here, puppy, puppy, puppy. I've got something that's lots more fun to play with."
Bootsie's ears perked up, and he tilted his head. In the next instant, he started flopping her shoe back and forth, as if wrestling a demon to the ground.
Mia bit back a groan. She rolled the ball across the lawn, and this time Bootsie hesitated. Mia swore she could see him doing a mental pros and cons list. Fortunately, the ball won his attention.
Unfortunately, he scurried over with the shoe still dangling from his mouth.
"Let's do an even exchange." She picked up the ball, holding it out, and tried to tug the shoe loose with her other hand, but his grip was too strong.
Her earlier giddiness over this new gig evaporated. How was she going to survive two whole weeks of this shoe-devouring monster?
Mia gave the ball another toss, this time away from the puppy. The ball sailed high into the air, fueled by her frustration. The dog raised his head, the shoe forgotten, and watched with Mia as the ball flew over the fence, picking up speed.
"Oh, no!"
Mia cringed, praying for a lucky bounce into the neighbor's grass. The ball hit the driveway and then practically leapt into the driver's side headlight. The breaking plastic made a tinkling sound as it drifted to the asphalt, bits of red and yellow glittering in the sunlight.
Mia heaved a sigh, and then bent over and picked up her doggy co-conspirator.
"You better hope he thinks one of us is cute."
Chapter 2
Luke twisted the cap off the beer. Boy was he ready to kick back for a while. He tilted his head and let the cold brew hit his throat. He shouldn't have stayed in the sun so long, but he hadn't been able to tear himself away from enjoying his temporary neighbor. Now he just needed to figure out the best way to introduce himself—
The doorbell rang, startling him. "What the hell?"
He never had anyone stop by without calling first. And in this day and age, there weren't very many door-to-door salespeople.
He headed for the door, remembering at the last minute he didn't have a shirt on. What did it matter? He yanked the door open, doing his best to look stern and forbidding. Whoever was trying to sell him something would get the hint. Fast .
"Oh! I'm sorry," a soft voice said. "Did I interrupt—"
Her face, eye level with his chest, turned such a deep shade of red, he almost didn't realize at first who she was.
Then it hit him, nearly knocking the breath from his lungs. The beauty from next door. His two-week stand, in the flesh, on his doorstep. And he'd just scared the crap out of her.
"No, no, you're fine," he said in a rush. "I'm sorry. Do you want to come in?" He motioned for her to enter, but it was the hand holding the beer bottle. "Uh, I could get you one, if you'd like."
"I might need it," he thought she muttered, but she didn't move except to clutch the furball puppy closer.
She was even sexier up close, with her sunglasses shoved up on her head, her hair tumbling around her shoulders. He could smell something tropical on her skin and it made him ache in some very inconvenient places.
Luckily she was looking up at him, so she couldn't see the effect she had on him, but her big blue eyes made his reaction go up a notch or fifteen. He turned, stepping slightly behind the door to hide the blatant evidence the best he could. He didn't want this fling to be over before it even started. And she definitely looked nervous, even though she was the one moving things along.
It felt like he'd won some cosmic lottery or something.
"Why don't you come in?" he said. "It's hot out there, and I've got the a/c going."
"Okay," she finally said. "I won't be long though."
Luke kept his disappointment in check. Usually women couldn't get to him fast enough, not that he had any time for them lately. It was something he planned to change, and soon.
She walked past him, and a coconut scent followed her, mingling with the
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