Page 45 of Raging Fires

“No duh. That’s why I took off my shirt.”

“I just thought you were showing off your manly chest.” Kelli grinned. “We should switch. I’m the one—”

“You’re going to take off your shirt?”

“No, you idiot.”

“Kell, just start already.”

She brought the hose closer, and the dog tried to lap a drink from it, but when she started streaming the water over him, Toby began to buck and twist. Jake clamped both arms around him tightly and hung on. Kelli followed the water with a squeeze of shampoo down his back. She knelt on the other side of the animal and began to lather him up.

“Jesus. What is that?” Jake asked, nodding toward the pinkish foam.

“An old shampoo I didn’t like.”

“I can see why.” Jake wrinkled his nose.

“I thought it might cover up some of his smell,” Kelli explained.

“It’s definitely... strong.” He grunted as the dog twisted and turned. It was harder to keep a grip on him now that he was slick with shampoo.

“He’ll smell like a garden,” Kelli told him.

“Yeah, flowers and manure,” Jake retorted.

Kelli laughed. “Wow, this spot is really matted. We’ll have to cut it out.”

“Would you stop inspecting his hair and get on with it?” Jake grumbled. “Toby is like an eel. A sixty-pound eel.”

“Okay, okay. Calm down.” Kelli grabbed the hose again and began to rinse him off.

This was too much for the animal, and he began to squirm and jump even harder. Jake shifted to get a better hold on him, and Toby threw himself at Jake’s chest. He caught him off-balance, and Jake went backward onto his butt, his hands sliding across the slick dog. Kelli began to chuckle when Jake toppled over, but then the dog leaped forward, Jake lost his grip, and Toby slammed into Kelli, knocking her over. She let out a shriek, and the dog took off.

“Did you do that on purpose?” Kelli looked down at her t-shirt, now wet and covered with shampoo.

Jake just cursed and jumped up to run after the dog.

“Watch out! Don’t chase him into the street!” Kelli yelled.

Jake could hear Kelli coming after him, her flip-flops slapping the ground. He pointed to the side. “Go left! I’ll head him that way.”

Toby was damn fast, so it was good thing he was zig-zagging all around and running in circles or he’d have been long gone. Jake intercepted him at the parking lot, and the dog did an impressive twisting jump and headed back onto the dirt yard. Jake ran after him. Toby darted back and forth between them as they herded him toward the fence at the rear of the property.

Their quarry saw the fence and whirled, heading back. Jake threw himself in front of Toby, and the two of them went down. He grappled with the dog and finally clamped him tightly to his chest and stood up, carrying the thing back to where they’d started, yelling at Kelli to get the hose.

She rushed over and began to spray them both liberally. The dog finally surrendered to the torture and stood sullenly until Kelli deemed him clean and turned the hose away. Jake released him, and Toby shook himself, showering Jake and Kelli. Then he stalked off back to the porch and lay down, turning his back and ostentatiously ignoring them.

Jake groaned and leaned back, bracing his hands on the ground, legs stretched out in front of him. Looking down, he surveyed his body. His shorts were sopping wet, as was most of the rest of him, and dirt and a few stray twigs and weeds clung to his face and back.

Kelli was laughing. “You’re still all dirty. Here.” She turned the hose nozzle down over his head.

Jake let out a roar and jumped up. “Yeah? Well, so are you.” He jerked the hose from her hand and turned it on her, partially covering it with his thumb to make it spray. Kelli let out a shriek and ran. Laughing and yelling, they dodged around the yard, until finally he hooked an arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground, dropping the hose and wrapping the other arm around her.

Kelli squirmed and laughed. “Stop! I give! I give.”

He set her back on her feet, and she turned to face him. They were both panting from their exertion. Kelli’s clothes were plastered to her body, outlining every curve. Her old white t-shirt was thin and wet, and it was practically translucent. He could see the dark rose circle of her nipples, points pressing against the cloth. Her breasts rose and fell, and he couldn’t look away. His flesh was on fire where he had held her against him. He saw her eyes go down his body and knew that she could see the growing bulge inside his wet shorts as easily as he could see her breasts.

Jake swallowed, heat flooding up his throat, flaming down through him. They stared at each other for a long moment. He couldn’t turn away though he refused to reach for her. He thought he might just burn up and turn into ash on this spot.