The woman and dog relaxed together in the back of the truck, making as pretty a picture as he’d ever seen.
They rested in a huddle on a colorful quilt surrounded by mismatched pillows.The dog’s massive head lay on Dani’s lap, her hand on its head.A soft smile played on Dani’s face, and her eyes were closed.
Peaceful.Lovely.
He wanted to be part of that picture and the accompanying peace more than he’d ever wanted anything.
He drew in a slow breath and another, grounding himself.This wasn’t his property.She wasn’t his woman.Bibi wasn’t his dog.
But his heart yearned for them, anyway.
He was being ridiculous.The way he’d messed everything up the previous day must be shifting him off-kilter, because his imagination was doing weird shit.
Still, he watched the two and imagined how it would feel to be part of the scene.
The clouds shifted to cover the sun.Even at the edge of the trees, he saw Dani’s lips pout.He grinned at the desire that rushed through him.He wanted to kiss that sexy little pout and find out how she tasted.
He hadn’t moved a muscle, but the massive dog stirred and locked her eyes on Lawson.Her tongue lolled out, and her tail wagged, but she didn’t make a noise.
Still, Dani’s hand moved to ruffle her fur, and her eyes opened.Then locked on him as well.
Her pout disappeared into a dreamy smile that had everything inside Lawson standing at attention.
They stood like that for several seconds.Then Bibi raised her head and broke the spell with a soft woof.Lawson moved forward with a wave.
Dani shook her head slightly, as if clearing it from her nap.She sat straighter but kept her hand in Bibi’s fur.
He knew it was up to him to make this meeting less awkward and more friendly.No acting on the lust roaring through his system.“Hi Dani.My family filled me in on your name.I’m here with peace offerings for coming across like an idiot yesterday.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and her lips twitched.Good, she had a sense of humor and didn’t appear to hold a grudge.
Lawson shrugged off his backpack as he approached.Bibi lurched to her feet, tail wagging hard enough to thump off the truck’s back window and Dani.
She grinned and shifted slightly, whispering something to the dog.
Lawson set the pack on the ground at his feet and leaned on the tailgate.“Hi.”Shit, he’d already said that.
Instead of laughing or sneering at him, her smile widened.“Hi.”
Bibi took one step and crossed the truck bed to shove her face into his.He laughed when she licked his nose, and he ruffled her fur.“You’re a really great dog, Bibi.Are you and your mistress enjoying the sun?”
Bibi wiggled in delight as he rubbed down all of her he could reach.She lifted her front paws and placed them on his shoulders.
Dani’s voice was full of amusement.“Sit, Bibi.No squashing our neighbors.”
With a full-body shiver, Bibi sat but didn’t move back.Instead, she rested her head on Lawson’s shoulder.
He grinned at Dani.“She’s really sweet.”
Dani smiled.“She is.Unless she senses a threat.”
Well, that was good news.Not only to keep Dani safe, but Bibi had known instinctively he wasn’t a bad guy.“I’m glad you’ve got a protective friend.”
She nodded, lips clamped together, and he wanted to kick the ass of whoever had made her afraid.And he was glad it wasn’t him.“I wanted to apologize for yesterday.”
“It’s fine.I overreacted.”
He shook his head at her soft words.“I don’t think you did.It’s always smart to be wary when a stranger knocks on your door.I arrived at the farm late the night before.In the morning, the others were off doing their things, and I figured playing with a drone would be a good way to get an overview of the property.Four hundred acres is a mind-boggling amount of space, and I’m used to thinking in terms of city blocks.”
