“What’swrong?”
I pulled out my hand to show him my gooey fingers. “My gummy bearsmelted.”
“Do you carry themeverywhere?”
“I told you, they help methink.”
He sighed, waiting as I packed Bruno’s emergency items, then said, “There’s one thing I should’ve warned you about before you agreed tothis.”
“Okay,” I hedged and whistled forBruno.
“I have many irresistible qualities,” Sebastian said, “and lots of charm, and I can’t just shut thatoff.”
I rolled my eyes as I hooked Bruno’s leash to his collar and whispered, “Here’s hoping hisbestquality is that he knows when to stop talking.” To Sebastian, I asked, “Yourpoint?”
“Try not to actually fall for metoday.”
“I’ll do my best,” I saidwryly.
What Sebastian didn’t seem to realize was that I was already doing my best—and had been for awhile.
16
Georgina
Sebastian had sentme for a second round of coffee so he could “pick something up.” With my bag of Bruno essentials over one shoulder, I carried two cups and walked Bruno to the corner where Sebastian had told me to meethim.
Possibly due to nerves from being on a pretend date with someone who considered me his enemy, I was already halfway through my mocha latte when Sebastian rounded thecorner.
With adog.
A brown, white, black spotted—and utterlyadorable—dog. “Georgina, Bruno,” Sebastian called, “meetOpal.”
Bruno’s and Opal’s tails wagged furiously as they sniffed each other head to butt. “Sebastian . . .” Like any time I encountered that level of canine cuteness, I crouched for kisses. “She’s precious, butpleasetell me you didn’t adopt a dog to impress adate.”
“I volunteered to take her for the day,” he said as I handed him his coffee cup so I could pet her. “Irresistible quality number one—I’m charitable with my time. Two—I’m creative. I’ll bet you’ve never been on a date with amutt.”
I glanced up at him. “And I’d be lying if I said I haven’t enjoyed the first hour ofit.”
“You’re sharp today, Keller,” he said with a lingering look. “We can mark that inyour‘irresistible quality’column.”
I focused on fixing Opal’s twisted collar to keep from blushing. “Where’d you gether?”
“A shelter nearby. She’s a two-year-old beagle-foxhoundmix.”
“I feel the need to ask this,” I said, reading her dog tag, “theydoknow you have her,right?”
“You’re accusing me of stealingher?”
“You weren’t gone verylong.”
“I have a friend on the inside, and she helped me arrange it beforehand.” He grinned. “Irresistible quality number three—I’mprepared.”
Opal licked my cheek, which was good because I was giving into the flush that’d been working its way up my neck. “By the fact that thisfriendis still speaking to you, I assume she’s not an oldfling.”
“Actually, she is—not all my exes hate me, believe it or not. We can call any of them up now and ask if youlike.”
“You must be superhuman to keep them all straight.” When he didn’t jab back, I wondered if I’d gone too far. Buthe’dmade the bed that was his reputation. Why shouldn’t he have to lie init?
