Theo narrowed his eyes. “Do you know who she belongs to?"
She bit her lip. “Maybe. I'm not sure." He could practically see the wheels in her head turning and his temper flared again.
“Am I going to have an irate dog owner knocking on my door telling me I stole his dog?” Theo asked.
“That’s my cue to leave,” Ford said cheerfully. “I don’t want to hear anything that might make it hard for me to defend either of you in court.” He gave Puddin’ one last scratch and got to his feet.
“I’m leaving too. I have a date,” Todd said.
Diane and Charlotte followed and closed the office door behind them. Theo looked at Amber. She was on her hands and knees, reaching for the toy. Her skirt slid up the backs of her thighs and stopped just short of revealing whether or not she made a habit of not wearing any panties. A heavy, hot weight settled in his groin making him uncomfortably aware of how long it had been since he’d had sex. Too long.
And the solution to that problem was not crawling around his office on her hands and knees, despite what his cock was screaming at him. Theo had never crossed a line with a woman in his employ, and he was irritated by the thought crossing his mind as often as it had with his new assistant. He stood up abruptly.
“I’ll get it.” Anything was better than getting a hard-on in his office.
Images of Amber, soft and wet and bare, spread out for him like a buffet on his desk seared his brain. He crouched down awkwardly and looked under the couch for the toy. And came face to face with a hot, stinky tongue. Puddin’ panted doggie breath in hisface. Theo grimaced.
“See? She likes you,” Amber said. She looked delighted, on her knees in front of him now.
"Oh no, don't eat that," she said. She leaned down again and reached for the toy Puddin’ was trying to swallow. Her skirt slipped farther up the back of her thighs. She was pretty and lush in that ruffly little dress that made him want to slip his hands up her smooth, silky thighs and around to the soft, bare cleft he’d only had a glimpse of. He suddenly, painfully, wanted a lot more than a glimpse.
"She smells. I'll give her a bath tonight at your house. She just needs a little love and attention, don’t you, girl?” she cooed. Puddin’ sighed deeply and put her head on Theo’s shoe. “She knows a soft touch.”
“This is pathetic," he said. "We need a golden retriever, at least. She’s pitiful looking.”
Puddin’ let out a moan, and Amber covered her little floppy ears. "Don't say that; you'll hurt her feelings. She's perfect.”
“Perfect for the pound," he muttered.
“Thank you,” Amber said, looking up at him. Her hazel eyes were more green than gold with her purple dress on, and softer than he’d ever seen them before. A faint, spicy hint of cinnamon lingered around her, distracting him. “I’m so grateful she doesn’t have to go back to that awful home. I promise you won’t even notice she’s here.” She looked down. “Look how she's scratching her chin. Isn't she so cute?”
He glanced at the dog. She probably had fleas. "If she's so cute, why don't you keep her?"
“No can do. I don't do animals, plants, or kids,” she said, avoiding his eyes.
"Why?" he asked.
She laughed, tinged with disbelief. “Can you even imagine? I can barely take care of myself.” A shadow of somethingflickered across her expression, prompting Theo to bend down to look at her face.
“Why do you say that?”
She hesitated so long he didn’t think she would answer. “Because I ruin relationships just as consistently as I do careers,” she said quietly. She lifted her chin. “I’ve learned it’s easier to not even try.”
They were so close he could feel the heat of her body. Her hair was up today, with pieces loose around her face, and he was close enough to see the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose.
He stared, wondering how the brazen, sexy woman in front of him could show him her bare pussy one minute, and then look as shy and vulnerable as she did now. She challenged everything he thought he knew about himself, his perceptions, and priorities, and yet he was drawn to her. It was a sobering thought.
A sharp rap on the door turned both of their heads. Johnny stood in his doorway, taking in the scene without expression. Theo knew exactly how it looked: he and Amber alone in his office, on the floor, so close their bodies were almost touching.
Theo stood up and helped Amber to her feet, and wondered yet again at the relationship between Amber and John Rossi. He was reasonably sure they were just friends because Amber herself had told him she didn’t do relationships, but why wouldn’t she answer him when he asked?
"Hey, Johnny." Amber got to her feet, showing a flash of thigh, and hugged him. Irritation and something sharper pierced Theo as Johnny wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.
Johnny held out a set of car keys on his finger to Amber. “Here’s your keys, babe. I had a rookie followme over and park it.”
Babe. Theo gritted his teeth at the casual intimacy.
“Thanks. I owe you one," Amber said.
