Man's Best Friend (13 page)

"Definitely."

"How appreciative?"

His fingers, which had been playing delicious games along her throat and shoulder, stilled abruptly. He stared at her, his expression wary. "What did you have in mind?"

She pulled herself to a sitting position, took his hand in hers. "Come for a walk with me. It's a beautiful Saturday morning. We'll take Licks and Millie, do a training session, then explore your back forty."

He smiled, saying, "Sounds good, but after breakfast, okay? You're looking at a hungry man."

She wiggled an eyebrow. "I'll bet. All that appreciation takes a toll."

He laughed, and she leaned over to kiss him before getting out of bed. "After breakfast. I'll take it as a promise."

* * *

Minutes later, in her own room, Tessa took another shower, deciding it was the best possible place to think. She needed to get her thoughts in order. But when she held her face up to the stream of heated water, sensation excluded thought, and memories of Rand's lovemaking reawakened her body. She wanted him again. Craved him. When her breathing turned shallow, she cooled the water.

That hairline crack around her heart widened, started to hurt like the devil. A man like Rand, so experienced, so sophisticated, so... complex, wouldn't be interested in someone like her. Not that she wasn't totally lovable. She sniffed, raising her chin. But to be loved by Rand? No way.

Roughly, she pushed her sodden hair off her face. Since when did the word love enter the picture anyway? Maybe she was going a bit daft.

Maybe, but no way did she plan on falling in love with Rand. That would be downright masochistic.

Tessa stepped out of the shower, shoulders back, and reached for a towel.

She might be too independent for her own good—and too impulsive, she conceded—but she wasn't into self-inflicted pain; especially the kind that came with loving and not being loved in return.

She shuddered and toweled off.

Besides, her life was too much of a mess to fall in love. She had to find a new job in the next month—which would put veterinary college off even longer—and find some blasted way to help Annie out with college come fall.

She did not have time to fall in love.

She sounded so rational, she almost believed herself.

Almost.

* * *

If Milton thought anything was up, he didn't let it show. Not that Tessa, busy watching Rand and admiring the way the morning light glinted off his shiny black hair, would have noticed.

Her attention shifted to Milt when he informed Rand that Ned had called, wanting to know if Rand would meet him and his new bride at Barstows for dinner tonight.

Tessa held her breath.
Say no,
she wished silently.
Say no.

Rand looked at Milt, rubbed his jaw, and shook his head. "Call him, Milt, will you? Tell him I'm tied up tonight." He smiled at Tessa. "That I'll catch up with him tomorrow when Cullen Macy arrives."

Yes!
Tessa chewed on a piece of toast almost nonchalantly. She'd be cool, for once not let every one of her innermost feelings display themselves on her face.

Rand drained his coffee mug and stood. "Ready to go?"

Tessa, still cool and holding, folded her napkin and pushed her chair back. "Ready."

Milt, looking bemused, leaned against the counter, drying a glass. "And may I ask where it is you're going?" He directed the question to Rand.

Rand fastened a leash to Licks' collar. "For a walk."

"Ahah. A walk, you say. That would be outside, I presume."

"Outside is where walking is usually done, the last time I heard." Tessa was sure Rand gritted his teeth. She smiled.

"True, and the last time I remember your taking a walk—" Milt tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I don't remember the last time you took a walk." He smiled at Tessa. "Well done, my girl."

"Knock it off, Milton," Rand said.

"Of course, sir," Milton said, unperturbed by Rand's warning. "And will you be taking your cell phone? In the event I need to contact you with some earth-changing news... the latest Internet IPO, a plunge in pork bellies?"

Rand glowered at him. "Yes, I'll take my phone. It's on my desk in the library. Would you get it for me?"

"Certainly, sir."

Rand rolled his eyes. "And quit calling me 'sir.' Makes you sound like something out of the eighteenth century."

"How perfect for you," Milt said, then left the room.

Tessa laughed. "You can't win, you know."

"Maybe not, but the occasional last word would be nice," Rand said, his tone dry.

"He loves you," Tessa said. "That's why he picks on you. My dad used to do the same thing."

Rand looked baffled by her statement but didn't have time to reply before Milt returned with his phone. He slipped it into his windbreaker pocket. "Let's go."

Tessa zipped up her own windbreaker and called Millie to heel. She and Rand were at the edge of the back lawn when Milt called from the house. "Tessa, there's a call for you. Your sister, Annie. She says it's important, but not critical. Shall I take a message?"

Tessa glanced up at Rand. "Do you mind waiting a bit? Annie doesn't call unless there's a good reason."

"Go ahead. We'll wait." He gestured at the two dogs, both still on the leash.

"Thanks. I'll be fast." She ran into the house.

Chapter 9

Rand watched Tessa run, her gait long and effortless, her dark hair, which she hadn't tied back this morning, sweeping wildly across her shoulders. His attention stayed fixed on her until she disappeared into his kitchen.

She may not have been winded by her short run, but Rand was. Damn the walk. What he wanted to do was follow her back to the house and march her directly back to his bed. His groin tightened at the thought. He cursed into the morning breeze.

He'd figured her for trouble when he'd first set eyes on her, but he'd figured she'd be Ned's trouble, not his. Now, he stood in his own yard, in a perilous state of need—not to mention guilt—and had no idea what the hell to do about it.

He shouldn't have touched her. He'd known from the get-go she couldn't play his kind of game—casual sex, no promises. Unless he missed his guess, under Tessa's bravado beat the heart of a true romantic. She would want the happily-ever-after ending. He was sure of it.

Just as he was sure it was the last damn thing on earth he would ever give her.

Thanks to the morning sun, the grass not shadowed by trees was dry. He sat and immediately Licks was all over him. Reflexively, he played with the pup's long, floppy ears. Licks took that as an invitation to climb onto his lap. Rand grinned. "You think you've got it made, don't you, fella?" Licks tilted his head, fixed his brandy colored eyes on him. "Well, don't count on it. I'm not that much of a pushover."

Licks put a paw on Rand's chin, not in the least chastened.

Rand rubbed his velvety head. "You're too trusting, pup." He caught sight of Tessa stepping out the kitchen door. "Just like your trainer."

But when he looked at her and thought about last night, his foolish heart hammered even harder. He shook his head to clear it, told himself to take his own good advice and not make some kind of big deal out of one night of good sex. Correction... spectacular sex.

He stood, brushed some grass from his jeans, and watched Tessa cross the lawn toward him. She wasn't running now, and her head was lowered. Whatever the call was about, it had changed her buoyant mood.

When she reached him, he asked, "Anything wrong?"

"No, everything's fine."

Rand lifted her chin, forced her eyes to his. "You sure?"

She smiled wanly. "Mom has a bad tooth. Annie had to take her to the dentist." She forked a hand through her windblown hair. "She had to tell someone, so she picked me."

"Nothing serious then."

"Nothing serious."

Tessa smiled and grabbed his hand.
Nothing serious if you have a few million in the bank instead of a few hundred.
"Now, let's go, or the morning is going to disappear before our eyes."

Tessa wondered when the bad news would stop. Mom didn't have just one bad tooth, she needed major dental work. Annie said she hadn't wanted to bother Tessa with it, because she knew she'd feel responsible. So Mom had downed non-prescription painkillers and put up with the toothaches until forced to the dentist by Annie and a screaming double abscess. According to Dr. Majors, she needed three fillings and a root canal. Right away.

Tessa's meager savings wouldn't cover it, but it would be a start. Annie said she'd get a couple of extra shifts at the supermarket where she worked on weekends, so that would help.

Tessa looked at Rand and Licks. If she were in a better mood, she'd laugh aloud at how easily the young dog had won Rand over. And the funny thing was Rand didn't even know it. At the moment, he was instructing Licks to fetch a stick, waving it back and forth under the sitting pup's nose. Licks watched him intently, but without comprehension.

Tessa knew Rand's efforts were futile. She wondered what it was like for a powerful, effective man like Rand to be ignored by a stubborn pup—who, bored with the stick, had decided to shred one of Rand's pants legs.

Tessa sat in the grass to watch. It was more fun to watch them than worry about money problems beyond her immediate control. She'd do her best, and somehow she'd make it right. In the meantime she'd told Annie to book their mother's dentist's appointments. Things would work out somehow. They always did.

At least she had a couple of months to go on her training contract for Licks. Thank heavens! She ignored the pain she felt at the thought of not seeing Rand again and told herself to grow up. Maybe she'd gotten herself in emotional glue by doing what she did last night. And maybe she hadn't expected it to be so... shatteringly sensual, but she'd handle it.

Rand tossed the stick close to Tessa, still sitting with an indifferent Millie at her side. Wonder of wonders, Licks charged after it and picked it up, looking for all the world as if he'd pounced on a mountain lion and intended to shake it to death.

"Did you see that?" Rand grinned.

"I'm in awe," she said, trying not to laugh, but knowing Rand hadn't a hope in hell of retrieving the stick from Licks without a serious chase. "Maybe you should give up your day job and take up dog training."

"Smart mouth," he countered, beginning his attempt to have Licks bring him the stick. Licks had a different idea and headed for the trees near where she sat, stick in jaws—Rand in hot pursuit. Licks circled Rand, teasing him with the stick. Rand's mistake was a quick feint right and a lunge, a combination landing him square on his butt on a patch of damp grass.

Rand looked at Tessa and arched a brow, as if to say
I give up!
He fell back into the tall grass. Licks, the victor, planted both muddy feet on his stomach and dropped the stick square on his chest.

Rand laughed and ruffled Licks' ears, unperturbed by his now green-streaked rear end and mud-caked windbreaker.

Tessa laughed with him, until the tears came, ones never cried before, hot drops which wet her lips and left her heart pounding in her chest. Suddenly breathless—she knew.

She was already in love with Rand Fielding, and all the willpower in the world wouldn't change it.

She brushed at her damp cheeks.

Just when she'd thought her life couldn't get worse, it had. She'd fallen in love with a man who'd rather jump in front of a runaway train than love her back.

Annie would never forgive her. Needing to move, she got to her feet.

Rand, brushing at his backside and jacket, walked up to her. She wiped under her eyes with her fingers. "You think this is funny?" he said, his expression stern, his dark head lowered so he could look into her watery eyes.

She dabbed at them with a tissue, shook her head. Dumb twit that she was, she wanted to tell him how she felt, shout it into the morning sun, run gleeful laps around this football field he called a yard. Instead she pursed her lips and gulped the words back.