Dear God in Heaven.
Elias couldn’t stop himself. He turned and pulled Wren against him. Her lips parted in surprise. He tangled his fingersin her hair.So soft and silky. Elias tilted his head and leaned in to claim her mouth. When their lips met, he felt the same jolt of electricity he experienced the first time he touched her. And when she made a surprised little sound as he parted her lips with his tongue, his cock jumped eagerly. He turned with her in his arms and pressed her up against the door. Wren hooked one of her legs around his waist and he slid his hand down her back, over her ass, and gripped her leg. Just in time—he felt her other leg wobble as if she’d gone weak in the knees.
Oh yeah. Bringing her home had been a great idea.
Thank God he didn’t have any close neighbors or they’d be watching a free show. All the same, Elias stopped kissing Wren long enough to unlock the door and get her inside.
But when the door opened finally, an unwelcome sight greeted Elias.
“Dammit. You’re kidding me. What are you two doing here?”
Chuck and Penny only stared back up at him, Chuck looking guilty and Penny looking proud of herself.
Wren dropped to her knees—and not in the way Elias was imagining her a minute ago.
“Aw! Come here, you cuties.”
Penny, being the shameless and assertive little Jack Russel Terrier she was, practically tripped Chuck on her way to Wren’s outstretched hand. The big mutt was used to it. He wagged his entire body, not just his long tail, and looked back up at Elias to see if all was forgiven—which it most certainly was not. His floppy ears dropped as Chuck decided to press his luck again with the newcomer already enchanted by Penny. Wren let go of her tote and reached out to Chuck.
“Aren’t you a pretty boy with your tiger stripes?” She ran her hand over Chuck’s brindled coat. The dog’s eyes nearly rolled back in his head and Elias knew the feeling.
So much for taking Wren straight to bed. Little cockblockers.
“Sorry about this. They had been stowed away in their room,” Elias said as he draped his scrubs top over the back of the nearest chair. “But Penny is an evil genius who has yet to be stumped by a locked door when she truly wants out. Then again, sometimes the neighbor kid who watches them when I’m working forgets to lock the door.”
“Oh, I don’t mind,” Wren said without bothering to look up. She turned her attention from Chuck back to Penny. “Did he call you an evil genius? Who’s a good evil genius? That’s you!You’rethe good evil genius.”
Elias should have been annoyed at this turn of events. The last woman he brought home was the last woman he brought home precisely because of his dogs. Penny had pulled off a great escape that time, too, and when she and Chuck greeted Elias and his date at the door, Shayla pretended to be amused. But it was clear the date—and the budding relationship—was over. Wren was the total opposite, and God help him, Elias felt an even stronger connection to her.
However, this date might be over anyway. Wren didn’t look like she was about to stop petting his dogs anytime soon.
And then, as if she’d heard his thoughts—damn, maybe he’d given it away with his body language—she stopped scratching their heads and stood up. Some of the sparkle had left her eyes and he immediately hated himself for it.
“Sorry. I love dogs, and these two are adorable.” She clutched the handles of her tote bag and looked down as if he was about to scold her for insta-loving his dogs. Now that—her embarrassment—he didn’t like.
“Adorable miscreants, you mean. Is it all right if I get them back into their room? Otherwise, they can get underfoot when I have company.”
Her gaze snapped up to his. “Oh. Yeah, sure.” He tried not to stare at the blush starting at her cleavage and climbing her throat as he wondered what caused?—
Oh, yeah. Company. Shit. Now she thinks I bring women back here all the time and take them straight to bed.
Of course, that was exactly the plan with Wren. Straight to bed, and if she wanted to leave right after, no problem and probably for the best.
Except she liked his dogs. Loved dogs in general, actually. Like he did.
A little voice in his head protested at the thought of her leaving right after sex. That voice was not part of his plan. No way did Elias want to get serious with anyone. He was having way too much fun playing the field.
Frustrated with himself, he snapped his fingers and got the dogs’ attention. Chuck went back to looking like he’d gotten caught murdering someone and Penny’s expression was nothing butDo you mind? I was busy soaking up my well-earned praise.
“Come on, you two.” He gave Wren an apologetic smile. “It might take a minute to get them situated. I’m going to let them out back for a minute and then try to figure out how Penny got the door open this time. Kitchen’s that way.” He pointed. “Make yourself at home. Grab a beer if you want.”
“It’s not a forest, is it?” she asked with a hopeful little smile.
“Forest?”
“Forest-flavored. The beer, I mean.” She gestured toward the kitchen as she sucked in her lower lip.
“Oh, yeah, right. The pitcher of beer Waylon ordered.”
