“Another dancer was injured. Right?”
I nodded and when Zorro nuzzled my leg, I rested my face on his chest so I could stroke the pup. The softness of his fur added to the peaceful moment. “Yes, but I never learned any details. You know I have a performance tomorrow night, which means I’ll be in rehearsal late in the morning. I need to go. I can’t miss it or I’ll be fired.”
He issued a tough guy growl and I bit back a laugh as I continued rubbing Zorro, who was perfectly content.
Maybe so was I.
“That’s fine, but two of my men will go with you. There will be no negotiations.”
I glanced at him briefly, almost blurting out I knew how to handle guards following me.
Including escaping if and when I wanted. How many times had I done so while at school? I decided to leave that out as it would give away my identity. “I wouldn’t expect otherwise.”
When I flopped my head to the other side, he stroked my head while I enjoyed running my fingers through Zorro’s fur. A happy little family. Who knew? The thought brought a smile to my face.
“Zorro is such a beautiful boy. You’re lucky to have him. A drug-sniffing dog with the sweetest little puppy dog eyes in the world. You adopted him?”
“Yep. I was standing inside a hardware store where they were holding adoptions with some rescue site. One of the volunteers said no one was interested in the handsome boy. Evidently, he was on the euthanasia list. I couldn’t allow that to happen. So here he is.”
“Your boy. Such a cutie pie.” My voice changed as I stroked behind Zorro’s ears.
So did Jaxon’s breathing. I could sense he was frustrated with me as I continued to rub the pup. He hated not being the center of attention. My bad girl side easily appeared around him so I continued stroking Zorro.
“Hey. Don’t ignore me,” Jaxon complained as he slid his finger under my chin, forcing me to turn my head in his direction. “This is my house. My rules.”
“Your rules?”
“Yep. And you’re required to obey them.”
While he was taunting me, a series of skitters drifted all the way into my heated core.
“Such a little boy. Aren’t you? Yes, an injury, although she has a perfectly amazing understudy. That’s why the entire group of dancers hates me. They think I bought my way into the position. Trust me, if I had, I wouldn’t owe your sweet sister half a year’s pay for the furniture she insisted on purchasing for me.”
His laugh seemed stilted. “That’s my sister.”
“My turn since we’re asking questions. How long have you had Zorro?”
“Not long. He just came to live with me. Before that he was with my Capo, Donatello for several weeks.”
“I can tell how much you love the fur baby. Why did he just come to live with you?”
He bristled with the question. “Just because of my work.”
I didn’t believe him, but I knew better than to push. He seemed so contemplative, suddenly far away from the conversation. “Getting close to people or creatures isn’t in your best interest.”
When he shifted this time, he pulled me even closer, wrapping one massive thigh around mine. I’d never felt so protected or cared for in my life. The moment shared was everything I’d ever wanted. “Not usually.”
“But didn’t you say your brothers are married?”
“Yes. Happily so, something I never thought would happen.”
“But you can’t stand the thought of being with anyone.”
“That’s not it. I worry about the person being a weakness.”
The feel of his heated skin under my fingers added to the electric prickles dancing back and forth on my arms and backas I traced his tattoos. He didn’t seem to mind until I reached the rose. The way his entire body stiffened was a clear indicator that the work of art was special to him, the meaning causing him both beautiful and painful memories. “Without giving into weaknesses, life isn’t worth living. Zorro makes you happy. You make him happy. No one can take that away unless you allow them to. That’s why families are so important. They are the air we breathe, the comfort we need when we’re hurt or sick. They share in our joys and special celebrations. They abate the loneliness and help keep our heads above water.”
I wasn’t prepared for Jaxon’s harsh reaction. He pushed me aside, almost tossing me to the floor in his effort to disengage our entwined bodies. He’d moved from tense to angry, furious with me that I’d brought up something from his past.
