Her face lit with the excitement of a crime. “A young girl. Small, blond, braces. Wearing jeans with one of those shirts that show off her belly button, which is kind of ridiculous in this type of weather, and way too old for her.”
Arilyn turned, swinging her high heels from her fingers. She grasped for her own patience. Was it so wrong just to want to go inside and have sex without talking to anyone? “That’s Tina, my dog walker, Mrs. Blackfire. She was here to walk Robert. I’m watching him while Kate’s on her honeymoon.”
“Oh.” The brief disappointment quickly disappeared. “But she had something under her arm! She stole something from you! Why didn’t Patrick walk the dog? I don’t trust these young kids anymore. They don’t know the value of honest work.”
“Poppy had a field trip today, so I had Tina take over. I let her borrow a few books of mine; that’s probably what you saw under her arm.”
Her face fell. “Well, you should check anyway.” She pointed toward Stone. “I wasn’t pleased with the police response. They said that since she had a key, she wasn’t a burglar. In my day, it would’ve held true, but this is a new age. Burglars have keys now! We need to be watching every second!”
Arilyn tried not to groan, forcing a smile and opening her door. “I agree. I’ll talk to Stone about it. Good night, Mrs. Blackfire!”
She gave a small humph, then disappeared back inside. Arilyn figured she had a few minutes before the telescope began moving. She motioned toward the windows. “Pull those blinds down so she can’t spy,” Arilyn hissed.
Stone chuckled, moved forward, and froze.
Robert, Kate’s paraplegic pit bull, came racing down the hallway at top speed. Happy and desperate for company, he dragged his back legs behind him with expert ease, his large body hauling his way toward Stone for a classic doggy greeting.
Pure fear carved out the lines of Stone’s face. His skin looked clammy in the hall light, and he huddled against the door, watching the dog bound closer, stuck in a memory of horror where he couldn’t fight back.
Oh, God, she’d forgotten. Pit bulls. The bite. His fear of dogs.
Robert.
“Robert, stop!” she whipped out, firming her voice and stepping in front of Stone to block the path.
The dog skidded to a halt. Eyes filled with trepidation for doing something wrong, he whimpered low and ducked his head.
“Shhh, sweetheart, it’s okay.” Arilyn dropped to the ground and hugged him, pressing her forehead to his in a gesture of humbleness. “You’re a good boy. But Stone doesn’t realize that yet. You need to give him a chance to get used to you before knocking him over for kisses. Understood?”
Robert wriggled, licking her cheek gently. She snuggled, reached out to check his bladder, soothing him with a pat. “You did good tonight. We have to be careful of bladder infections while Mommy and Daddy are away. Let’s get you hooked up and bring you outside.”
She straightened and walked toward Stone, who watched the whole encounter with wary eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, reaching out to place her hands against his chest. “I forgot to tell you Robert is a pit bull. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, Stone, I swear. Kate saved him when a car crushed his back legs. I know he looks big, but his back legs are useless. He’s a good dog.”
Stone let out a breath. Color seeped back into his skin. “I’m sorry for being an ass,” he muttered. He wiped his palms down his pants, his gaze stuck on the dog, who was waiting patiently to say hello. “He just looks like—looks like—”
“The dog who bit you,” she said softly. “I know. But Robert isn’t like that. Can you give him a chance?” He remained silent but nodded. “Thank you. I have to take him out first. I’ll be a minute. Why don’t you grab a drink and make yourself comfortable?”
Keeping his distance, he skirted around Robert’s excitedly shaking body, and put the high counter between them. Arilyn hooked up the dog’s scooter, adjusting the straps, and let him go free.
Laughing, she watched him race over the lawn, round and round as the wheels turned. His head thrown back in doggy abandon, he breathed in the cold night air and managed to go to the bathroom under the Tree of Spite. After some of his energy had been spent, she brought him back inside, unhooked the scooter, and grabbed his box of treats from the table.
“Peanut butter or bacon?” she asked.
He barked twice. Stone jerked back, startled.
Arilyn laughed. “Bacon it is.” He took the treat gently between his teeth and raced back down the hall to finish the snack in his special orthopedic bed with his favorite purple bunny squeaker toy.
“He knew what you were saying?” Stone asked in disbelief.
“Yep. Kate’s had him for years. He’s extremely smart.”
He walked around and knelt to examine the scooter. “And he’s able to move around using this cart?”
“Yes. It was specially made for him. Allows him to run and play like the other dogs.”
“So he had a tough life,” Stone murmured.
“Some of the most extraordinary animals I know had it tough.” She paused. “Some extraordinary people, too.”
He turned. Stared. Suddenly, the domestic ease leaked away, replaced with a simmering sexual heat that softened her limbs and made her thighs tremble. Playtime was officially over.
Arilyn couldn’t wait.
“Come here,” he commanded. She shivered from the dark, sensual tone of his voice and obeyed. Each step closer tightened the knot in her belly, until she stood before him, waiting. Her hair was curled and secured with a dozen bobby pins to cascade from an elaborate knot on top of her head. With infinite patience, he reached over and began pulling out each pin, one by one. Taking his time, he pulled his fingers through the strands, rubbing her scalp, until a low moan caught in her throat. Like a cat, she lifted her head for more, enjoying the luxurious sensation of being taken care of. Finally, when her hair fell loose around her waist, he stroked her cheeks.