Текст книги "Searching for Always"
Автор книги: Jennifer Probst
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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 20 страниц)
sixteen
STONE! WAKE UP!”
“Five more minutes,” he groaned, rolling away. His body was shaken harder than a bad eighties Polaroid picture, causing him to open one eye. Where was he? Oh, Arilyn’s place. After sex. Great sex. Hell, the best sex he had ever had in his entire life, including when he lost his virginity to Sally Poole in the tenth grade. And that had been epic.
She squinted those incredible green eyes and moved closer. Poked him as if he were a dead body she was trying to investigate. He held back a laugh. Damned if she wasn’t as cute in the morning as when he got her all riled. Her hair was a tangled mess, her eye makeup was smeared, and a crease from the sheets ran across her right cheek.
“Stone! You have to go!”
His other eye winked open. Huh? His gaze dropped to where her peach-tinted nipples peeked from over the covers. Had they really fallen into slumber after only two times? He needed to make up for his lack of planning. The emotion stuff actually threw him off his game, but he’d get back to the main goal of wringing as much pleasure from her as possible and—what? “Wait. Are you throwing me out?”
She gave an impatient huff and climbed out of the bed. The morning light spilled through the window and bounced off her skin. She was gorgeous. She seemed frantic to find something she had lost, opened up a closet, and muttered to herself as she finally tugged something out and wrapped it around her. The silky black robe clung to her skin the way he wanted to. He lost the vision of her bare ass and mourned. “You have to go! I completely forgot that Pinky is at your house, and she’ll be scared in a new environment, and you need to feed her and change the water and the poor thing hasn’t been walked.” She nibbled at her lower lip, ginger brows snapped in a frown, and took out a pair of striped socks. Hopping on one leg, she donned the socks while he enjoyed the bobbing up and down of her breasts. “Are you listening to me? You need to get home to Pinky.”
“I heard you.” Only the first day of being a dog owner and he hated it. Why the hell would anyone want to leave a warm bed and a gorgeous half-naked woman to take care of a dog? Were people truly nuts? He sat up and gave her his best come-hither smile. “Half an hour more won’t make a difference to Pinky. But it will to me.” His dick screamed with happiness as she seemed to struggle with the temptation.
Then she belted her robe tighter. “After you take care of Pinky.”
“I live across town!” he bellowed. “You’re seriously kicking me out this early? Pinky won’t care. Hell, she probably pooped in the house anyway; I’ll deal with it later.”
The familiar stubborn lines of her face told him a battle was about to be launched. “Pinky needs structure and routine. She needs to trust you. Leaving her alone with no care will only enforce what the old owners did to her. I’m sorry, Stone, but fostering is a full-time job and it’s important. You have to take it seriously.”
He glared at her, still aroused, and now mightily pissed off. “I didn’t volunteer for this shit,” he reminded her. “You forced me, remember? You can’t call me out on not doing a job right that I never wanted in the first place!”
She pressed her lips together. “Semantics. Now, get dressed, take care of Pinky, and we’ll see where that leaves us later.”
Forget this! Now, she wasn’t gonna get any because he was mad. He got out of bed buck naked and stabbed a finger at her. “Fine. I’ll go and take care of the rat fink. But next time you want a bit of morning sex, you’ll . . . you’ll . . .”
“Yes?” she prodded, her eyes filled with amusement.
“You’ll be denied!”
He ignored her quiet laughter, stomped to the bathroom, and slammed the door. He dressed in his suit again, totally flaunting the whole man-whore walk-of-confidence vibe, and made his way into the kitchen. This time Robert didn’t come flying at him but looked up from his food bowl with an eager look on his face. Stone smothered a groan. The dog would be with Arilyn for two weeks, so he should try to make friends so he wasn’t scared shitless. Hunkering down, trying not to wince, he held out his hand. “Here, boy. Ugh, Robert. Good boy.”
The dog couldn’t wag his tail, but his ear pricked. He dragged himself away from his precious food bowl, moving slowly, as if he knew Stone was nervous. Finally, he got close enough to push his wet nose into Stone’s palm, nuzzling.
Huh. Kinda cute.
As if he realized he’d gotten through round one, he moved an inch closer and rubbed his head against his hand, giving him a quick lick. Stone’s muscles relaxed, and a sense of comfort flowed through him. Reaching out with the other hand in careful motions, Stone stroked his body, eliciting a rumble of happiness and another lick.
Arilyn laughed. “I knew it wouldn’t take you long to be friends. There hasn’t been a person Robert hasn’t won over.”
Stone looked up. With her shapely bare legs peeking out from under the silk, her socks pulled up to mid-calf, he longed to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. Drag her back to bed for the entire day, until they both couldn’t walk normally. Instead, he tried to hold on to his grouchiness at being thrown out.
“Can I have any coffee before I go?”
“Sure, I have a pot here. Black?”
“Yes.”
She fixed him a mug, and with one last pat, Stone stood and took a grateful sip of the hot brew.
Then choked.
“What the hell is this?” he asked. “This isn’t coffee!”
She cocked her head with confusion. “Yes, it is. Organic beans specially roasted.”
He stared at the mug in horror. “Is this decaffeinated?” he whispered.
“Of course. Caffeine is bad for you, Stone. Once you get used to it, you’ll never notice the difference.”
He threw the cup in the sink, trying to hold on to his temper. God help him, they’d break up right now if they didn’t straighten this out. “Like I didn’t notice you took away my meat and replaced it with frozen soy? No. Arilyn, I need real coffee. Black. With lots of caffeine. I don’t care if it’s not good for you, I can’t function without it.”
She stuck up her chin in that stubborn way of hers. “Caffeine is an addiction like smoking.”
“I’m not a saint. I’m grateful I haven’t fallen off the wagon with the smoking, but if you take away my coffee, I’ll be institutionalized. This is not a gray area. It’s make-or-break time.”
He stared at her, the battle waging between them, and finally, she relaxed, her lips curving in a small smile. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes. I’ll go to the store and get real coffee for you.”
He studied her with suspicion. “Why did you give in so easy?”
She laughed that half giggle he already adored. “Because this is important to you. Stone, I know many of my choices seem weird to you. And I respect yours, too. I just don’t want you stressed or sick or unhappy. That’s all.”
That’s all. Yet it was more than he’d ever had before. Imagine a woman caring about him on such a level, beyond sex or a few laughs. The possibility dangled in front of him like a huge, juicy carrot, but he was no vegetarian and he knew the real deal. So Stone ignored it.
“Thanks. I better go.” He turned to take off, but she called out his name. “Yeah?”
“Aren’t you going to kiss me good-bye?”
Her honest question did him in. He took two big steps, picked her up, and kissed her thoroughly, senselessly, and with a deep satisfaction. He slid her back down to the ground, loving the wonderment and desire on her face as she looked at him.
“I’ll come back.”
She smiled. “Good.”
He walked out with a lighter step, and a lighter heart.
STONE STARED AT THE dog. Frustration nipped at his nerves, along with something else. An emotion that bothered the shit out of him.
Guilt.
“I didn’t leave you for long,” he explained. Yes, he’d discovered a small yellow puddle by the door, but he didn’t know what to expect with the house training. Arilyn had brought him an endless amount of supplies, from food, to toys, to treats, and even a pink doggy bed that looked ridiculous in his masculine house. At least he had a yard to offer, and since he lived a bit outside town, there weren’t many neighbors.
Thank God, he hadn’t invested in the carpeting, since he had a feeling Pinky would take a while to get her bladder on schedule. He’d walked her outside, and she’d done fine. He’d changed her water and given her food, which she’d actually eaten a bit of. But now she just sat in front of him, staring at him like she expected something.
“What is it you want?”
The catatonic distance had eased from her eyes, but she was still dead quiet, never barked, and seemed to slip in and out of that place in her head she lived in during the time of her abuse. Stone wasn’t a dog whisperer, so he figured he’d just keep doing what he was doing and eventually give her to someone who could actually help.
Arilyn.
He glanced at his watch. After he showered, changed, and had some real bacon, real coffee, and real butter with toast, he felt energized. Figured he’d go back to her place and spend the next few hours before his shift.
“Listen, I gotta go back to Arilyn’s. I’ll swing by and take you out before I have to get to work though.”
Pinky gazed back at him with sad eyes.
Fuck. “I’m not a dog person,” he explained. “I’m glad you seem a bit better, but I’m not sure what you want. I can’t bring you over there because she has a dog.” Stone had seen Pinky turn into a shaking, growling lunatic when she got too close to another dog. Robert would give her a heart attack by his size alone. He strolled over, turned on the television, and clicked on Animal Planet. “See, you can watch TV. I’ll keep a few lights on. You’ll have a nice, relaxing day.”
More staring. She never even blinked, just kept her serious gaze locked on his. Why wouldn’t she grow hair? Those white tufts on top of her head made her look like a damn gremlin, and who knew skin could be a light brown color? When she opened her mouth to eat, her teeth poked out, looking razor sharp, but the overbite was just plain weird. It was as if her teeth weren’t aligned with her mouth so her jaw jutted out. Most dogs he’d seen looked more normal. She was a little thing, too. But the sores had healed. She’d always be ugly as sin, but at least she would be healthy. And safe.
“Okay, so have a good day.” Stone grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone. Walked to the door. Opened it. “See ya.”
He glanced back. She didn’t budge, but a slight tremor shook her body. As if by being left alone again, she’d be damaged somehow. Ridiculous. He was being an ass. He was leaving.
Stone shut the door and headed toward his car. Son of a bitch. He was going to have more great sex, go to work, and deal with the rat fink later. No way was a dog going to cramp his style now. No way.
He drove away with a roar of the engine, refusing to look back.
“WHAT THE HELL IS that?”
Devine stood on the curb, gaping at Stone as if he’d just announced he’d gone gay. He shifted the weight under his arm and glared. “A dog. What do you think it is? Get in.”
They were outside the police station, ready to do a drive-by check. The early afternoon had been perfect. Ideal. When he returned, Arilyn greeted him at the doorway with no clothes, proving she had a secret bad girl inside he’d managed to spring loose. They’d spent the rest of the morning in bed, exploring all the ways he could make her scream, and he’d barely had enough time to get back to Pinky before racing to work.
Another small puddle greeted him along with a suffering, mournful expression of doggy unhappiness. Stone took the dog out, redid her water-food routine, and ripped out a new squeaky toy. Pinky refused to touch it. Just sat in the middle of the room, refusing to budge but asking for something he couldn’t seem to figure out.
“See, this is why I don’t have a dog,” he offered, buttoning up his uniform. “This is also why I got a divorce. I’m busy. I don’t know how to make you happy. I have to go to work and bring home the money. Do you understand?” Stone finished dressing, grabbed his stuff, and paused at the door. “I gotta go. I’ll be back in eight hours and we’ll spend some time together. Okay?”
Nothing. Well, what the hell did he expect? He was talking to a damn dog.
Frustrated and pissed off, he opened the door.
Then heard it.
Whimpering.
Stone turned his head. Pinky had dropped her head in full grieving mode. Body shaking, little moans of distress emitted from her mouth. A shiver raced down his spine. No. Oh, God, this was worse than a woman crying. He rubbed his hands over his face and prayed for it to stop. How could she go from isolated silence to codependency so soon?
“Don’t. I can’t take you to work. I drive in a police car and you’d hate it.”
Pinky lifted her head and whined again. Took a few steps toward the door, cocking her head as if asking the all-important question. Can I go with you please?
“Absolutely not. You’ll be fine. Hang out, take a nap, chew on a bone. I’ll be back later.”
He shut the door. A few steps toward the car, he stopped cold, listening to the eerie, sad whine of the dog. Crying.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He opened the door, grabbed the ridiculous pink collar and leash Arilyn had bought, and scooped Pinky up in his arms. The dog barely took up his whole hand, and immediately snuggled into the crook of his arm. Then Stone did the unthinkable, the impossible, and the insane.
He brought Pinky to work with him.
Devine was still staring in shock through the window at the dog sitting in the backseat. “That thing is a dog?” he asked in a high-pitched tone. “Are you kidding me? Trying to pull a practical joke? Is it real?”
Stone rolled his eyes. “Just get in the damn car, please, before the rest of the dingbats come out here. It’s a Chihuahua.”
Devine slid into the front seat, glancing back. “I know what a Chihuahua is, and that ain’t one. Where’s its fur?”
“Gone. Well, I called it Rat Fink, but Arilyn got pissed.”
“Ah, now I get it! This is the one you tried to get me to take. You slept with her, and this is your punishment!”
“Shut up, Devine.”
His partner belted out a laugh, shaking his head. “Thought you hated dogs.”
“I do, but like I said, this one was abused, and the shelter was crowded, and she couldn’t take the dog because it has issues.”
“Issues, huh? You two are perfect for each other. What’s the rat fink’s name?”
“Pinky,” he mumbled. He winced, waiting for the inevitable.
“You’re fucking kidding me.”
Damned if he didn’t feel a flush stain his cheeks. So humiliating. “No.”
“Her collar is actually pink. I told you she’s a foo-foo dog!”
“She’s tough. Arilyn named her, for God’s sake, not me. And she’s only mine temporarily.”
“Why does it have to come with us? Dogs are left home all the time.”
Stone made a right and headed into the neighborhood where they’d nabbed Pinky. “I know. I tried. She was shaking and crying, and I was afraid if I didn’t take her, something bad would happen.”
Devine laughed harder. “You are such a sucker. Dogs hate being alone, they all do it.”
“I’m telling you, this is different. Look, it’s only tonight. I’m begging you not to tell the guys or I’m gonna have to take shit for this stunt for the rest of my life. Then I’d have to transfer.”
Devine wiped his eyes, looking happy over this complication. “Fine. But you owe me.”
“Fine.” They drove in silence for a while, scanning the quiet surroundings. Pinky was surprisingly well behaved. She sat perfectly still and stared out the window. Stone could use a little action tonight, but Verily seemed determined to keep the peace. “You find anything else out on that property I told you about?”
“Bluebird? Nah. Let’s go check it out and see if anything’s cooking. Night seems pretty dead.”
“Yeah.”
“So, how was the sex?”
Stone hesitated. Usually he enjoyed sharing details with Devine. They liked to rib each other, all in good fun. Sometimes compare. “Great.”
“First time?”
He shifted in the seat. “Yep.”
“Cool. Do it on the bed? Against the wall? Floor?”
He concentrated on his driving and made a left, heading toward the outskirts. “Normal stuff. You know.”
Devine didn’t answer. When Stone glanced over, his partner sported a shit-eating grin that was pure trouble. “Holy crap, it finally happened. You won’t give me details because she’s important.”
Stone snorted. “That’s ridiculous. Well, of course she’s important; I don’t sleep with women I don’t like. Just don’t feel like getting into it.”
“Bullshit. You care about her, so you won’t give me the down-and-dirty details.” Devine shook his head in glee. “This is the best night ever. You got taken out by a dog and a woman in one shot.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Maybe. But I’m also right.”
Stone refused to answer. After all, his friend was being ridiculous. Just because he couldn’t stop thinking about her? Just because he felt addicted to her scent and taste and legs wrapped around his hips as he pumped inside her sweet body? No, it was the early flush of a new affair. A few more days, and the crazy need for each other would fade away.
He turned the car onto the dead-end street, but this time lights flickered around, and a variety of vehicles were lined up and down the street. A fire gave off smoke from the backyard. Stone’s instincts flared. Oh, yeah, something was going on here, and it was time he figured it out. Catching Devine’s excitement at some real action, his partner nodded and checked his gun.
“We got something, dude. Ready?”
Stone nodded, his cop radar going off in shrieks. “Let’s do this. Pinky, stay here.”
The dog perched on the seat, not blinking, and quietly watched him get out of the car and shut the door. She didn’t whine or cry or move.
Pride shot through him. She might not be a drug-sniffing warrior, or have the genes of a shepherd or Lab, but something told him she’d be a good partner for the road. She was, after all, a survivor.
Stone quickly pushed the thought aside and followed Devine down the road.
THE BUST WAS EVERYTHING he’d wished for and more. Drugs. Dog fighting. And finally, some damn justice for not only Pinky but Arilyn. They ended up rescuing a bunch of other dogs and nailing a major drug dealer. Stone was buzzed for hours and reminded once again why being a cop was worth it.
He couldn’t wait to tell Arilyn.
seventeen
ARILYN LOOKED AT the men before her. Dressed in shorts and tanks, they gazed at her a bit warily. She’d recruited them to the Tuck-N-Pack gym, where she occasionally taught a yoga class to help out the community. The private room she reserved was used for a hot yoga class, which incorporated steamy temperatures and a rousing ashtanga workout. She’d used it for many of her clients, including Kate’s husband, Slade, back in the day, and found the technique a good tool in breaking down barriers, especially ones leading to anger.
Unfortunately, she was quite distracted today. If Arilyn admitted the truth, she’d been fighting for focus the moment Stone took her to bed. Even now, her gaze kept getting stuck on his powerful bare thighs dusted with dark hair, the way his tank showed off his corded arms, the wicked glint of satisfaction in his inky eyes when he looked at her. Like he knew what she was thinking. And wanting.
Because he did.
Five days. Only five days, and already she craved him like all the bad things she kept away from her body. Sugar, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, all the wonderful, terrible items in life that made one happy in the moment and miserable later on. Sex with Stone had now topped any impulse and appetite she’d ever owned before. It was awful.
It was wonderful.
They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Between their work schedules, driving back and forth to care for Pinky, and the scattered visits with Poppy and her newly adopted dinner guest Mrs. Blackfire, they met when night fell, tumbling into bed with an endless yearning that never seemed to be satisfied.
Arilyn tried to ignore the faint warning in the back of her mind. She didn’t want to fall in love with a man who intended to leave when the fun stopped. She tried to concentrate on the bruising pleasure he wracked from her body and told herself it would be enough. If only she hadn’t learned to look past his gruff, crude, annoying exterior and see the real man underneath.
A man who her friends liked. A man who showed up to have dinner with her neighbor and Poppy with a smile on his face. A man who helped with a dog he didn’t care for. A man who had told her in a casual way he’d made a drug bust at Bluebird and shut down a dogfighting ring in the process. He hadn’t given up investigating the house, even though everyone else had. When Anthony called her, telling her that a variety of shelters and the Humane Society were stepping in to help with the dogs, she’d turned to Stone with tears in her eyes and thanked him.
He just shrugged and told her she could make it up to him in bed.
Arilyn took a deep, calming breath and refocused.
“I’m going to take you through a demanding yoga routine. It’s commonly known as hot yoga, so we do the workout in a set temperature of one hundred degrees. I’ve placed water bottles by your side and checked with your respective physicians to be sure each of you is in proper health.”
Luther spoke up. “How is this supposed to help with anger?”
“Funny, I was gonna ask the same thing,” Stone drawled. “Sure this isn’t just a way to punish us and get your kicks, Teach?”
She narrowed her gaze, but his dancing eyes told her he was deliberately baiting her for a show. She smiled at Luther and ignored her lover. “Hot yoga is a great way to break down both your body and mind. We’ve been studying barriers and mental blocks that keep anger suppressed. Any exercise is excellent, but this is particularly cleansing. You’ll be uncomfortable, and when your mind fights, anger can take hold. The mat is a safe way to practice all the scary things in life, master them, and move on.”
Luther nodded. “Thanks. I understand better now.”
“As for you, Officer,” she said, tone hardening, “do your best to keep up.”
Eli snickered.
“Let’s begin.”
The routine was long, hard, and messy. She kept her attention on all three men, making sure they weren’t experiencing any health issues or emotional blockages that sometimes radiated through such a cleansing process. She was surprised at the loosening of Stone’s hamstrings and biceps during the transitions. Funny, it was almost as if he was doing something different. His body was more relaxed and limber than before. As she moved into Downward Dog, Stone tossed off his tank. The sight of his bare chest gleaming with sweat, muscles bunching as he moved, caused her to miss a step and almost fall on her ass.
By the end of the session, she was wet in many places.
They completed circle time and broke for the weekend. Luther and Eli chatted with her awhile as Stone helped stack the mats in the corner. He checked his phone and waited for them to leave. Finally, the room was empty.
Her heart pounded. Her skin prickled with awareness. He stalked her slowly, those lush lips twisted down in the familiar sensual sneer that made her hot. “Slade warned me about your tendency to torture men with hot yoga. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?” he asked.
She took in his hard, sweaty body and smiled with promise. “Slade is right. And yes, I did enjoy it.”
“Payback’s a bitch, little one. Everything you do to me in this room will be done to you later on. In private.”
Her gaze deliberately raked him from head to toe. She dragged her tongue across her bottom lip as if imagining his taste. He growled low in his throat in warning.
“You’re a lot of talk, Officer,” she answered coolly. “Not much action.”
Sexual tension squeezed between them. Arilyn tried to keep up her demeanor even though her core throbbed painfully and her nipples begged for release, hardening with anticipation. Excited to see what he’d do, she studied him in silence, the obvious challenge in the air sparking like an electrical current gone crazy.
“I’ll be at your place by eight tonight. Then you’ll get your action. And your lesson.”
Disappointment cut through her. She craved his kiss, his touch, but as if he knew what she wanted, he dropped one eyelid in a wink and sauntered out the door. “What if I’m busy?” she called out.
“Don’t be.”
He shut the door. Arilyn tried not to sulk. He thought he could play sex games with her, huh? Well, wouldn’t he be surprised when she countered with her own demands tonight.
Bring it.
STONE PUT HIS HAND out and shook his head. Hard. “No way. I already took you to work twice this week. Tonight I’m getting laid.”
Pinky walked quietly across the floor and sat in front of the door, blocking his way.
“Oh, you think you’re smart, huh? Well, guess what? If I did take you, you’d freak out because there’s a pit bull over there. You’d probably go into convulsions and I’d have to turn right back around. You have to stay home, and I’m not giving up getting lucky just to watch football with you tonight.”
Pinky sighed.
How had this happened? How had a half-catatonic dog suddenly become a manipulative, mushy, demanding pet? Sure, he’d spent a lot of time at the shelter talking to her. Sure, he’d given her a quiet, safe home to heal again, and finally let her sleep in his damn bed. Sure, he took her with him almost everywhere because he couldn’t stand the idea of her crying. But this? Messing up his sex life?
Not gonna happen.
“Move out of the way. I bought you a new bone—it’s the chewy kind, ’cause I know you hate the hard stuff. Probably because you still have baby teeth.” Pinky stared. “For real, you are definitely not a man’s type of dog. If the guys at the station other than Devine caught sight of you, I’d be fucked. And not in a good way. Not like I’m getting tonight.”
Pinky cocked her ear.
Stone grabbed his coat and stomped over. “Go sleep. I left the TV on, and I’ll be over at the crack of dawn again to take you out.” The accidents were hardly happening anymore so somehow, the dog had been trained. Stone tried not to think that the dog had had a good life before she was dognapped or lost to the scum in the world. Hated to imagine she’d once had a family and children to love, and that she was still struggling to process it.
He grasped the doorknob and made a mistake.
His gaze met hers. In those brown puppy eyes, staring from beneath tufts of crazy hair, above her rat nose and strangely proportioned face, he saw it.
Adoration.
She looked at him with pure love, making low sounds of need in her throat, only wanting to be near him. And just like that, the big bad wolf fucking retired to become the wimpy grandma who liked cookies.
“Ah, crap. Fine. But I swear to God, if you give me problems, I’m gonna lose it.”
She wriggled with joy, knowing she’d won, and he scooped her up into his arms.
ARILYN OPENED THE DOOR. Wearing a sexy black camisole, stretchy pants, and bare feet, she was both comfortable yet a bit naughty. She always preferred cotton to lace anyway, and Stone seemed to agree. Ready to jump into his arms and throw him off his game, she dropped her voice to a seductive whisper. “Why, Officer, are you coming to arrest—oh!” She blinked. He filled her doorway, dressed in his usual jeans, a faded blue-and-green-checked flannel shirt, and a fierce frown. His midnight-black hair slid over his brow in tousled disarray, setting off the intensity of his narrowed dark eyes. Waves of irritated male energy beat from his aura. Tucked under his muscled arm, peering out from beneath the cuff of his shirt, was Pinky.
“Look, I’ll leave her in the car if she can’t deal with Robert. The little rat fink was freaking out about me leaving again, so I broke. I told you this would be a disaster, Arilyn. I don’t know why you were thinking I could take care of a dog.”
And that’s when it happened.
The great sex turned into more. Arilyn looked at this massive, pissed-off male cradling the tiny Chihuahua, with her pink collar and soft brown eyes that had come back to life, and did the dumbest thing in the whole wide world.
She tumbled into love right then and right there with Stone Petty.
He loved Pinky. Oh, yeah, he fought it and hated the idea, but he loved her so much, he didn’t want to leave her alone. That was just the type of man he was. He didn’t fall gracefully or willingly, but when he did, Arilyn knew he belonged to you for life. God, how she wanted him to belong to her like that.
What had she done?
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she fought for composure, swearing to bottle up the tide of crazy emotions to deal with later. Smiling through the sting of tears, she reached out and took Pinky from him, murmuring soothing nonsense to her. She shook slightly in her arms, looking back to Stone with an imploring look. “Don’t be silly, I’m glad you brought her. The worst-case scenario: she can stay in the bedroom. But let’s see how she does meeting Robert.” She turned at the sound of front paws skittering over the wood floors and kept Pinky safely tucked in her arms. “Here’s my good boy. Robert, we have a special guest tonight. Her name is Pinky, and she’s been hurt. But she’s a fighter like you.”
Robert’s tongue lolled out in excitement, but he stayed quietly in front of her, waiting for the go-ahead.
“She’s scared, especially of pit bulls, so we need to show her how to trust again. Just like Stone did.”
Robert looked up at Stone as if giving him a doggy high five.
“I want you to stay. I know you’re happy for some company, but don’t move. Understood?”
Robert dropped his head to his front paws and stilled.
“Damn, he’s smart,” Stone muttered. “Good boy.”
Arilyn smiled and slowly knelt. Pinky began to shake with mini convulsions, a high-pitched whining beginning from her throat and growing into a panicked howl. Arilyn settled her on her lap, her hands stroking her small body, and allowed her to get used to Robert’s presence. The howling went on for a while, but Arilyn never moved, and neither did Robert. As if he understood how important it was to remain completely still, Robert barely breathed, keeping his submissive posture.
Finally, the howling stopped. Pinky stared at Robert, who didn’t make a move to attack her, and calmed.
