When she'd looked up at him, he'd had the strongest urge to see if her kiss was as sweet as he recalled. Then he'd remembered she'd just broken off her engagement only a few hours prior. No matter how tempting the thought was, asking her out would have been selfish. So, he'd bid her a polite goodnight and left her at the doorstep.
If anybody would understand his dilemma, she would. He smiled and gathered Daisy's things.
Olivia sat sideways on the couch with a glass of wine and her book. School had started a few days ago, and she was beat. More than ready for the weekend break, she'd come home, checked on Boomer, then she'd shucked her shoes and work clothes. After dressing in knit pajama shorts and a tank, she'd made a quick sandwich for dinner.
Boomer had just laid down in his favorite spot on the floor beside her when he suddenly sat up. He faced the door with his head tilted as he considered whatever occurred in the outside world. She couldn't care less. Nothing short of a house fire was forcing her to leave her spot or her book.
Until someone knocked on her door, invading her quiet bubble. She reached for Boomer's collar, preparing to hold him back. Chris had stopped by three times over the past month with the intention of reconciling, and each time, Boomer had taken exception to his presence. The first time, he hadn't left her side, never taking his eyes off her ex. He'd placed his little body in front of hers and tried his best to corral her back into the house. The second time, he tried to bar the door, preventing her from opening it more than a few inches. He'd kept his tail and ears flat as the hair along his back stood up.
During the third encounter, when an increasingly frustrated Chris had raised his voice, Boomer growled and bared his teeth. She'd just decided to bypass the overprotective drama and shut him in the bathroom while she got rid of Chris when Boomer hopped up and wagged his tail.
He turned to her as if saying, what are you waiting for? You have company, silly. Not knowing whether to be relieved by the change in his reaction or worried, she went to the door and looked through the peephole.
Her belly pitched in a good way, with the kind of warm, tingling sensations she hadn't experienced in a long time. Caleb stood on the other side. Tall and broad, he filled the tiny space in the peephole. He put his hands on his hips and looked down. He shook his head at something then ran a hand through his sandy brown hair. She looked down at Boomer, who wagged his tail and grinned. "You better be good, mister." Wishing she was wearing something a little more presentable, she opened the door with a smile. "Caleb. Hi."
Trapped by the honey coloring of his hazel eyes, his words barely registered. "Hey, sorry to show up unannounced. I need a favor. I'm desperate, and you were the first person I thought of. I knew you'd understand."
"Understand?" Puzzled, she tried to decipher his meaning, but those delicious eyes pulled her in until something bumped into her calf. Boomer's sniffing and shuffling noises registered. She looked down, half-expecting to find him in some sort of trouble when she found he'd made instant friends with another dog. "Oh! She's such a pretty girl!" Unable to resist, she stooped down to greet the chocolate and caramel colored pup. A pile of wrinkles, she rolled onto her back for a belly rub. Her lolling tongue and wagging tail contrasted with the droopy wrinkles in her face.
"Meet Daisy. When it comes to trouble, she might give Boomer a run for his money."
Talking directly to Daisy in dog-speak, she ruffled both dogs' ears as they vied for her attention. "Lies! I don't believe it. Girls this pretty can't be trouble." After a moment, her joy in the dog partly faded as she remembered she wasn't wearing much. She stood, straightening her clothes as best she could without being obvious.
But Caleb seemed to have at least one or two gentlemanly genes in his makeup, because he spoke to her face, not breasts barely shielded by her thin top. Pull it together, Liv. He didn't come all this way to ogle you in your pjs. "You said something about needing help? What do you want me to do?"
When a lazy, seductive grin spread across his face, she fought the need to fan herself. He straightened his shoulders and appeared to get himself under some sort of control before speaking. "I have to go out of town for the weekend. My mom was going to keep Daisy, but she tripped over one of her garden statues. The gnome won. I don't think she's up to the job."
"Oh no. Is she okay?"
"She is, or should be soon. It's just a nasty sprain, but the doctor wants her to keep her weight off it and use crutches. I don't think she should be trying to keep up with an active puppy."
At that exact moment, a wet tongue licked the top of her bare foot. She looked down to see not one, but two sets of puppy dog eyes staring up at her. It seemed Boomer had made fast friends with Daisy.
"I know you're a good dog parent, and that you've most likely pet proofed your home. I hate to spring this on you at the last minute, but I'm out of options."
The dogs began to play, dodging and lunging this way and that. Daisy tried to chase after Boomer as he hid behind Olivia's legs. "It's not a problem. I'm off for the weekend and had no plans, other than doing a little housework and relaxing."
Boomer ran a circle behind Caleb's jean-clad legs and Daisy, hot on his trail, followed. Caleb transferred the leash behind his back to the other hand. "And we're taking that break that from you. I'm sorry. I owe you. Seriously."
"It's not a problem. I'm flattered that you trust me with her, and you helped me not too long ago. We're happy to keep her for a couple of days." Daisy's leash pulled tight behind Olivia's knees. She wobbled, put her arms out to the sides. Then Boomer bumped into the side of her leg, knocking her off balance.
"Thanks, I-" Caleb's sentence cut off with a whoosh as she fell, slamming into his chest. One muscled arm wrapped around her waist and one landed on the upper part of her back. Warmth pressed against her from hips to breasts. He anchored her, holding her tightly her as she got an up close and personal look at his mouth. A mouth that had been made for kissing. "Really appreciate it." Her mouth watered when a soft breeze stirred his subtle scent. Her palms pressed against his hard pectoral muscles. She licked her lips, before fighting the urge to taste his mouth and bite his bottom lip.
How she'd used to love kissing him.
She attempted to step back only to have her legs trapped by the leash which continued to jiggle as Boomer and Daisy wrestled. She wobbled and only ended up pressed tighter against him. Her fingers gripped his chest. "Sorry. I'm stuck."
A slow, devilish smile spread across his face. "I see that. It's not a problem." There was something sexy in his tone that made her suspect that he didn't mind having her plastered against him. "Daisy." He whistled in that casual, attractive way she'd never been able to master.
At the sound of her name, Daisy's ears perked up. "Come here, girl." Happy to be of service, she hopped up and came near. When the leash slackened, Caleb did the hand transfer again, but this time he passed the loop behind her back, bringing them somehow even closer.
And damn, did he smell good. Subtle, sinful, and decadent. Combined with the feel of his hard body against hers? Solid, steady and altogether yummy. It was as sexy as it was dangerous.
Isn't this too soon?
Though she didn't have any regrets, it had only been a month since she'd made a life-altering decision. She needed to let herself settle, didn't she?
When Caleb stepped back but held onto her waist, steadying her, her body ached at the loss. "Alright, I want you to be good for me." It took a moment before she realized Caleb was speaking to Daisy. "You behave for Olivia." She'd been half-ready be a good girl herself, whatever that might entail. "My flight gets in at four on Sunday evening, so I hope to come back and get her by six or so." For a second, he moved as if coming in for a kiss then he stopped, smiled, and ran a hand through his hair. "Ah, yeah. I'll see you guys Sunday." Before she could respond, he turned and hurried down her front steps.
Had he almost kissed her? What would she have done if he'd given her the opportunity to sample what she craved?
She smiled and held the door open for the dogs. Boomer led the way and after a quick, puzzled look over her doggy shoulder, Daisy joined her new friend. Fighting the desire to turn and watch Caleb's truck drive away, she followed the dogs inside. She just might have let Caleb kiss the daylights out of her, if he'd wished.
Olivia folded a pair of shorts and laid them on the stack of clean laundry. From across the room, two sets of pitiful eyes stared back at her. So very mournful, one would think that Boomer and Daisy had been trapped inside since the dawn of time instead of a mere few hours. Side by side, in near identical poses, they lay in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. "Really, guys? Lay it on a little thicker, why don't you?"
Tails wagged, even as they continued to pout. She couldn't say she blamed them for their persistence. A person-or a dog-couldn't ask for nicer weather. The sun was shining, the temperature hovered in the mid-seventies, and the humidity was blessedly low. She looked at the clock and estimated that Caleb would be by in about an hour. He'd probably be tired after a busy weekend. A hyper puppy was likely the last thing he needed. "All right. You guys win. Let's go." The moment the g-word left her mouth, they hopped up and danced in circles. She led them to the backdoor, opened it, and stepped back.