Gina crouched down to take Fleur’s face in her hands. She looked tenderly into the dog’s eyes.
“I have to go to work without you, sweet girl. You be good and behave yourself here while I’m gone.”
“Penny and Chuck are more likely to misbehave, but we’ll make sure they don’t get Fleur into too much trouble,” Elias said.
Penny, who was lying beside her new doggie bestie and intellectual match, looked appalled. Chuck snored in his doggie bed, completely oblivious.
“Telling you, brother,” Shane said. “Take advantage while you’re here and bring your pups up to the kennels. Alex will have them trained in no time.”
Gina gave Shane a smile that wasn’t hers but Barbie’s.
“That issouncanny,” Wren said. She turned to Barbie. “How doyoufeel? You must be more weirded out than I am.”
She nodded. “I’ve had body doubles before, but not like this.”
“All right,” Gina said. “This is the fun part.” She looked almost giddy.
Charlie put on her sunglasses and opened the front door for Gina, Winnie, and Shane.
“I’ll give you a lift over to Kyle and Arden’s, Winnie,” Shane said.
“Thanks.”
Through the front window, Wren watched Gina and Charlie get into a nondescript car while Shane and Winnie took one of Watchdog’s SUVs.
Barbie laid her hand on Wren’s shoulder. “Are you ready for tomorrow, Wrenbird?”
“I am.”As long as I ignore the fluttering in my gut, she thought.
Elias crossed the room. “I’m ready for it to be over.” He put his arm around Wren’s shoulder and she leaned into him, loving how warm and solid he felt.
Barbie smiled at them. “You guys are too adorable.” She stretched. “If you need me, I’ll be in the shower, then my bedroom.” She turned and walked toward the hall. “But I don’t think you’ll need me.”
Wren didn’t want to go over every last detail of tomorrow’s plan for the thousandth time with Elias so she cut him off before he could even start.
“Barbie approves of you.”
“I’m glad, or this house would feel really small right now. Well, small-er.” He pulled her in close, smiled and nodded when the sound of water came from the bathroom, then slid his hand up her side until his fingers found her nipple, which hardened immediately under his touch.
And that’s not all that’s hard. It took no imagination whatsoever to figure out what the waist-level bulge suddenly pressing against her could be.
“Finallyalone,” Elias murmured.
Wren laughed. “Do you know how many men would kill fluffy baby ducks to be in your position right now?”
“I’d have to killthem,” he growled. “You’re mine. That, and baby ducks are cute. Those sick assholes.”
Wren laughed again. “I’m not talking aboutme, you goof. They’d kill to be sharing a house with Barbie Gillis.”
“Well, not me.” Elias tipped her chin up and kissed her until she melted. “You are the only woman who exists in my world, Wren.”
“I know.” She tried to sound flippant.
“No, baby, I’m being serious now. I mean it. There will never be another woman, Wren. Never. I met you and you took my walls down.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I didn’t take them down, because I never even saw them after that first day. And the walls were there only because you were trying to be a professional while I was playing for laughs. I wanted to see you smile, see those gorgeous blues of yours light up. Because of me.”
She watched his blue eyes flash, then fill with desire.
