over his shoulder, he gave her a cocky grin. “I do. Wanna scrub my back?”
“Nice try.” She left him in the living room.
Max parked himself next to her, hoping for more tidbits. Twice, she told him everything was gone, but just looking at the dog got him all worked up. Kind of like his master . Amused at the thought, she decided it was probably best to ignore the retriever. Not until she was drying her hands on the towel did he lope off to curl up on the sofa.
Ariela wandered over to Dylan’s stack of magazines, but she’d barely had a moment to shift them before he walked out of the bathroom . A rush of heat shot through her. From bored to aroused in one startling second. His aftershave wasn't making it any easier. At the first heady whiff, she inhaled his scent deep into her lungs and sighed. He noticed.
Smiling at how she was looking at him, he said, “I dressed for Max earlier. Now I’m dressed for you.”
Fanning her face, she grinned. “And I appreciate it.” A truer statement was never spoken.
“Can I interest you in a w-a-l-k?”
She shrugged. “S-u-r-e. Why are we spelling?”
Dylan ’s eyes danced. “Watch.” He looked over at the dog. “Want to go for a walk?”
Max shot like a bullet off the couch and shifted excitedly from foot to foot at the door.
“He knows the word walk ?” Just speaking the word prompted a desperate whimper from Max. She giggled. “Cool.”
Clipping the leash to the dog ’s collar, Dylan opened the door, and Max threw himself down the steps, dragging his master with him. Dylan yanked him to a stop and turned. “Yesterday, I didn’t stand a chance. He took off before I was ready. All I could do was try to keep up. Damn dog can set a wicked pace when you’re not paying attention.”
Reminded of Dylan ’s gravity defying balletic leaps the night before, she laughed. “I’m convinced.”
* **
Max watered many things along the way : trees, flowers, a mailbox, a stone wall, and a hydrant.
“I haven’t actually walked this way before,” Ariela admitted.
“But you’ve driven through here, haven’t you?”
She thought about it. “I don’t think I have.”
Up ahead, there was a pretty, little house, well tended. As cute as the old neighborhood was in general, this unassuming home stood head and shoulders above its neighbors because it enjoyed obviously devoted maintenance. Even the landscaping made a statement.
“ That house is beautiful,” she said with a sigh as they walked past.
“It is.”
“Do you know who lives there?” She could hardly tear her eyes away.
“Not by name. They’re an older couple.”
“I figured that.” She looked longingly at the property. “Do you ever want to see the inside of a house?”
His eyebrows inched up. “I never really thought about it.”
“ Even when I was a kid, I liked to look at houses. Riding in the car or on the school bus, I’d fall in love with some of them. I’d try so hard to see inside. The best ones had big picture windows that allowed me to see right through them and into the backyards. I really wanted to explore those.”
Dylan reached out and casually draped his arm across her shoulders. “You were a born interior decorator, huh?”
“ Pretty much. I wasn’t even ten when I discovered floor plans and blueprints. I’d draw my own on the sidewalk and on the driveway with my big chalk. The librarians used to give me the strangest looks when I brought my stacks of books up to the desk. I didn’t care.” She laughed and confided, “When I was about thirteen, a friend and I actually got kicked out of a store in the mall for rearranging their furniture department. Up until then, I’d been a model kid, never in any trouble, but I couldn’t stay away from faux marble lamps and coffee tables. It was a blow to my grandmother.”
He shook with laughter. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious, but since then I’ve channeled my impulses into something more constructive. I
“Nice try.” She left him in the living room.
Max parked himself next to her, hoping for more tidbits. Twice, she told him everything was gone, but just looking at the dog got him all worked up. Kind of like his master . Amused at the thought, she decided it was probably best to ignore the retriever. Not until she was drying her hands on the towel did he lope off to curl up on the sofa.
Ariela wandered over to Dylan’s stack of magazines, but she’d barely had a moment to shift them before he walked out of the bathroom . A rush of heat shot through her. From bored to aroused in one startling second. His aftershave wasn't making it any easier. At the first heady whiff, she inhaled his scent deep into her lungs and sighed. He noticed.
Smiling at how she was looking at him, he said, “I dressed for Max earlier. Now I’m dressed for you.”
Fanning her face, she grinned. “And I appreciate it.” A truer statement was never spoken.
“Can I interest you in a w-a-l-k?”
She shrugged. “S-u-r-e. Why are we spelling?”
Dylan ’s eyes danced. “Watch.” He looked over at the dog. “Want to go for a walk?”
Max shot like a bullet off the couch and shifted excitedly from foot to foot at the door.
“He knows the word walk ?” Just speaking the word prompted a desperate whimper from Max. She giggled. “Cool.”
Clipping the leash to the dog ’s collar, Dylan opened the door, and Max threw himself down the steps, dragging his master with him. Dylan yanked him to a stop and turned. “Yesterday, I didn’t stand a chance. He took off before I was ready. All I could do was try to keep up. Damn dog can set a wicked pace when you’re not paying attention.”
Reminded of Dylan ’s gravity defying balletic leaps the night before, she laughed. “I’m convinced.”
* **
Max watered many things along the way : trees, flowers, a mailbox, a stone wall, and a hydrant.
“I haven’t actually walked this way before,” Ariela admitted.
“But you’ve driven through here, haven’t you?”
She thought about it. “I don’t think I have.”
Up ahead, there was a pretty, little house, well tended. As cute as the old neighborhood was in general, this unassuming home stood head and shoulders above its neighbors because it enjoyed obviously devoted maintenance. Even the landscaping made a statement.
“ That house is beautiful,” she said with a sigh as they walked past.
“It is.”
“Do you know who lives there?” She could hardly tear her eyes away.
“Not by name. They’re an older couple.”
“I figured that.” She looked longingly at the property. “Do you ever want to see the inside of a house?”
His eyebrows inched up. “I never really thought about it.”
“ Even when I was a kid, I liked to look at houses. Riding in the car or on the school bus, I’d fall in love with some of them. I’d try so hard to see inside. The best ones had big picture windows that allowed me to see right through them and into the backyards. I really wanted to explore those.”
Dylan reached out and casually draped his arm across her shoulders. “You were a born interior decorator, huh?”
“ Pretty much. I wasn’t even ten when I discovered floor plans and blueprints. I’d draw my own on the sidewalk and on the driveway with my big chalk. The librarians used to give me the strangest looks when I brought my stacks of books up to the desk. I didn’t care.” She laughed and confided, “When I was about thirteen, a friend and I actually got kicked out of a store in the mall for rearranging their furniture department. Up until then, I’d been a model kid, never in any trouble, but I couldn’t stay away from faux marble lamps and coffee tables. It was a blow to my grandmother.”
He shook with laughter. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious, but since then I’ve channeled my impulses into something more constructive. I
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