It takes me a second to process what she’s just said—and the fact that I’m a total fucking dickhead. I swallow hard, trying to regroup. “You have a sister with Down Syndrome?”
“Sister-in-law,” she corrects. “Well, technically, Cassie and Simon aren’t getting married for a few more months, but I think of his sister like one of my own. Anyway, we sent the salad back after she had one bite, but she had a stomachache when I dropped her off, and the whole thing made me feel awful.”
I sit there in silence for a moment, wondering if I’ve misjudged Lisa. If I’ve written her off as an uptight princess who has to have everything her way. I start to apologize, but she’s already talking again.
“Anyway, I think I’ll call the spa down the street to see if I can get in for a massage tomorrow,” she says. “That seems like a good way to decompress.”
“No,” I tell her. “That’s what you’d normally do, right?”
“Right,” she says slowly. “You’re not going to ban spa days, are you?”
“Maybe not ban,” I tell her. “But if you’re looking to feel better, I have an idea for how to accomplish that.”
The words come out more suggestive than I intended, and I know she’s taken them that way when she gives a funny little purr.
“Well,” she says. “I like the sound of that.”
My dick throbs at the thought of where she just went, but I order myself to stay cool. “I’ll call you at eight tomorrow morning with directions,” I tell her. “Dress like you’re going to get dirty.”
Then I hang up, wondering what the hell I’ve gotten myself into.
Chapter 7
Lisa
“You want me to scrub him where?”
I blink at the friendly attendant who wears a perky ponytail and a rubber apron identical to the one draping my torso. She’s holding a mop-colored terrier and giving me an encouraging look.
“Part of the intake process for grooming new rescue dogs is making sure they’re thoroughly clean,” she says with a lot more cheer than seems appropriate from someone uttering that combination of words. “All you need to do is lift the tail and?—”
“Didn’t Doctor Swanson say she wanted to check out some of the smaller guys?” Dax steps between us and touches my hip with one hand. The smile he’s giving the woman makes her quiver like a saucer of Jell-O, and I can’t say I blame her.
He has that effect on me, too.
“Oh.” Jell-O girl beams up at Dax. “Good point. And I suppose it is Lisa’s first day volunteering at Helping Paws.”
“Exactly,” Dax agrees. “We want to keep her coming, don’t we?”
His voice is liquid chocolate, and I shiver when he says that last part. He slides a glance at me, and I try to pretend I wasn’t just having dirty thoughts about him in the grooming suite at the dog rescue facility where he volunteers every weekend.
According to Dax, today’s experience is the opposite of a spa day, which makes it perfect for The Test.
It also makes for a very smelly experience. Wet and filthy and very, very stinky. I’m doing my best to be a good sport, but taking grooming tips from Jell-O Girl might be my tipping point.
“So how about Lisa and I finish up in here,” Dax says to Jell-O girl, and I snap my attention to him. “And we can let Doc Swanson take care of the other details.”
His hand is still touching my hip, and I’m amused to realize how much I like it there. And how much Jell-O girl does not. She shoots me a smile buttered with faux cheer and turns her attention back to Dax.
“The vet just finished up with that Chihuahua, so I’ll just grab Scooter here and run him next door,” Jell-O girl says, still beaming at Dax like he gave her a pair of diamond studs and a G-spot orgasm.
“That sounds fantastic,” Dax says, and it takes me a second to remember they’re not talking about orgasms.
Jell-O girl scoops up the terrier and trots out of the room. I turn to Dax and blow a damn tendril of hair off my face. “I have to admit, this is not what I expected when you mentioned doggy style.”
He grins and jabs a thumb over his shoulder toward the Pekingese mix I just finished blow-drying. “I’m positive that dog has never had so much style in her life,” he says. “I don’t know how you got that little pink bow to look that good.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice with specialty knots.”
