“Huh?” What was sevenyears?
“When we first got together you said you hadn’t been with anyone in seven years. Howcome?”
“Oh.” Warmth spread across the tops of her cheeks. “Um, the short answer is I never liked anyone enough to want to go through the hassle ofit.”
“Of sex?” His shocked expression wascomical.
“Of any of it.” She shrugged. “I either intimidated guys or they viewed me as a challenge. The limited reward was never worth theeffort.”
“I don’t think you were meeting the right kind ofguys.”
“Nodoubt.”
He shifted closer. “Thanks for thinking I was worth theeffort.”
She bit the inside of her cheek. “I’m sorry about last night.” It was a morning forsorries.
His hand cupped the side of her face. “Don’t. You have nothing to apologize for.” He kissed her gently and pulled her into hisarms.
It was sweet and comforting and the girlie emotions rose up inside her. She didn’t know what do to with what she was feeling, so she tucked her face into his neck and simply enjoyed not having to worry aboutanything.
A few minutes later, he said, “I need to go to work for a few hours. You going to beokay?”
The disappointment at his announcement was why she never let the girlie emotions have free reign. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Wasn’t shealways?
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Call me if you needme.”
* * *
Denise heaveda sigh while she rubbed Sweetpea’s belly and considered the options. Let someone adopt her or adopt the dog herself. It made sense really. Kaden and Kimber had been monopolizing Sprocket. She felt bad telling them no, but there were times she absolutely needed Sprocket with her. When she went grocery shopping for one. There were no delivery companies that serviced the rescue or Bree’s house so that wasn’t an option and, with Kimber and Kaden, neither was going late at night like she normally did to avoid the worst of the crowds. Getting the dog for K-Squared was common sense. They’d have a dog they could play with and she’d have Sprocket back. Problemsolved.
The door from the reception area slammed closed. She pivoted in her crouched position to see Emily, one of her part-time employees, rushing toward her, clutching herphone.
She rose, closing and latching the kennel gate. “What’swrong?”
“Uh, there’s a really scary guy here to see you. Should I call thepolice?”
Denise raised her eyebrows. “Scaryhow?”
“Just…something about him. He’s got all these tattoos and…” She shuddered. “The way he looked at me. Like, guys look at me, but not likethat.”
“Like what?” She could see real fear in Emily’s eyes. They dealt with people with tattoos all the time, including local police, so that wasn’t it. Hell, they used to get dog fighters coming in and asking about their dogs and she’d never freaked out likethis.
“Like…notnice.”
She rubbed her forehead with the heel of her hand.Not nice.That explained everything and nothing all at the same time. “Okay. Stay on this side of the door with your phone ready.” She headed toward the front of the small building. “If you hear anything that worries you, call thepolice.”
Emily nodded. “Okay.”
Squirting hand sanitizer onto her palm from the bottle on the shelf by the door, she pushed through, giving Emily a reassuringlook.
“Hi. How can I…” She froze, ice forming in herveins.
Eddie fucking Perry leaned against the counter as if he had not one fucking care in theworld.
An almost overwhelming rush of emotions threatened to break through. Anger. Hatred. Disgust. Even fear as she checked the clock on the wall over his head, making sure K-Squared were still inschool.
“Denise. Looking good.” His eyes traveled from her head down her body. “No words of welcome for your favorite in-law?” His voice was smooth like honey with just enough of a southern drawl that he didn’t sound like a hick. It had always creeped her out how such an evil person could have such an appealingvoice.
