Read Online Project Valentine (A Homespun Romance) by Geeta Kakade - Free Book Online
Authors: Geeta Kakade
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refused to acknowledge them.
"Get yourself a new set of nails."
"Oh, that." Jessica tried for cool, unwilling to admit the tunnels had fused into one great mass of warmth. There was no denying she was tingling from head to toe.
"Yes, that."
Jessica cleared her throat as his eyes fixed on her face. The artificial, peach colored nails weren't long or fancy, but they served their purpose. "Yesterday, in my lunch hour. It helped me stop biting them."
His thumb had found the ball of her hand again. Any more of that and she would be reduced to the level of a harem slave. Eager, weak, willing.
Snatching her hand back Jessica covered confusion with coldness. "If you're sure you want to keep Arthur, I might as well go in to work. Do you mind if I see him first?"
Karl nodded in the direction of the patio door, "Go ahead."
The reunion was brief. Jessica only had eyes for the yard. For the first time since yesterday she acknowledged Karl's right to be furious. Arthur was a big dog and he'd dug big holes. Moon craters was an apt term. What little lawn was left was covered with overturned clods and dirt. Jessica's heart sank. It looked awful.
Fixing a stern eye on Arthur she lifted a finger and pointed to the holes, "Who did this?" she asked in the sternest voice she could muster, "Bad dog! You are NOT to dig any more holes." Jessica went over to one of the holes to make her point clear, "NO MORE HOLES."
Arthur cowered, trying to shrink to half his size.
Jessica hardened her heart. For his own sake she had to get her point across. Picking up his nylon bone and a bright rubber ball Molly had mentioned buying him, she reiterated, "If you want to play, you play with these things. Digging holes is BAD. NO MORE HOLES."
Arthur gave a small wuff. Jessica could almost swear he was laughing at her.
"You would certainly make a good trainer."
Karl was on the redwood deck looking down at her. Smiling indulgently. As if he liked what he saw. As if it mattered. Dropping the bone and the ball, Jessica climbed the five wooden steps to the deck. It was time to leave.
Karl seemed in no hurry to be going anywhere.
"I won't keep you any longer," Jessica wiped her damp palms down the sides of her jumpsuit. "Thank you for being so understanding about Arthur."
"You aren't keeping me. My first patient's at ten today. Feel free to continue training Arthur if you want to."
Jessica flushed as their gazes locked. Karl's seemed to be sending messages that puzzled Jessica. Confusion raged inside her. When had they made the transition from dog training to something as potent as this? Karl's gaze slid to her mouth. She wished he wouldn't keep doing that. It wasn't fair. It was also catching. Twice she'd had to tear her gaze away from his mouth.
Jessica's tongue flicked out to brush dry lips. "I'm sorry about your yard. It is an awful mess. You have every right to be angry." She wet her lips again and blinked. "Tell your gardener to send me the bill for redoing it."
Paying for it, even in installments would probably take the rest of this life. And the next.
"It's not the money, Jessica," Karl came down the steps and stood in front of her. "Forget what I said last night. I shouldn't have called you like that. It was just a shock on top of a long, rotten day. When I got back, Arthur wouldn't answer my call. I thought he'd run away again. I stepped off the deck to look for him and went calf deep into a puddle."
The giggle burst out of her spontaneously. Jessica covered her hand with her mouth. The thought of Karl's face when he stepped into a "moon crater" was too much to bear. Poor man. Had he been wearing a suit as expensive as the one he had on now? Imagining his trouser leg wrapped in wet mud she began to giggle some more as the tears gathered in her eyes. He looked at her one brow lifted, a whimsical smile tugging at his lips and then his laugh mingled with hers.
"I'm sorry," Jessica clung to the deck railing, giving full rein to humor. "I don't
"Get yourself a new set of nails."
"Oh, that." Jessica tried for cool, unwilling to admit the tunnels had fused into one great mass of warmth. There was no denying she was tingling from head to toe.
"Yes, that."
Jessica cleared her throat as his eyes fixed on her face. The artificial, peach colored nails weren't long or fancy, but they served their purpose. "Yesterday, in my lunch hour. It helped me stop biting them."
His thumb had found the ball of her hand again. Any more of that and she would be reduced to the level of a harem slave. Eager, weak, willing.
Snatching her hand back Jessica covered confusion with coldness. "If you're sure you want to keep Arthur, I might as well go in to work. Do you mind if I see him first?"
Karl nodded in the direction of the patio door, "Go ahead."
The reunion was brief. Jessica only had eyes for the yard. For the first time since yesterday she acknowledged Karl's right to be furious. Arthur was a big dog and he'd dug big holes. Moon craters was an apt term. What little lawn was left was covered with overturned clods and dirt. Jessica's heart sank. It looked awful.
Fixing a stern eye on Arthur she lifted a finger and pointed to the holes, "Who did this?" she asked in the sternest voice she could muster, "Bad dog! You are NOT to dig any more holes." Jessica went over to one of the holes to make her point clear, "NO MORE HOLES."
Arthur cowered, trying to shrink to half his size.
Jessica hardened her heart. For his own sake she had to get her point across. Picking up his nylon bone and a bright rubber ball Molly had mentioned buying him, she reiterated, "If you want to play, you play with these things. Digging holes is BAD. NO MORE HOLES."
Arthur gave a small wuff. Jessica could almost swear he was laughing at her.
"You would certainly make a good trainer."
Karl was on the redwood deck looking down at her. Smiling indulgently. As if he liked what he saw. As if it mattered. Dropping the bone and the ball, Jessica climbed the five wooden steps to the deck. It was time to leave.
Karl seemed in no hurry to be going anywhere.
"I won't keep you any longer," Jessica wiped her damp palms down the sides of her jumpsuit. "Thank you for being so understanding about Arthur."
"You aren't keeping me. My first patient's at ten today. Feel free to continue training Arthur if you want to."
Jessica flushed as their gazes locked. Karl's seemed to be sending messages that puzzled Jessica. Confusion raged inside her. When had they made the transition from dog training to something as potent as this? Karl's gaze slid to her mouth. She wished he wouldn't keep doing that. It wasn't fair. It was also catching. Twice she'd had to tear her gaze away from his mouth.
Jessica's tongue flicked out to brush dry lips. "I'm sorry about your yard. It is an awful mess. You have every right to be angry." She wet her lips again and blinked. "Tell your gardener to send me the bill for redoing it."
Paying for it, even in installments would probably take the rest of this life. And the next.
"It's not the money, Jessica," Karl came down the steps and stood in front of her. "Forget what I said last night. I shouldn't have called you like that. It was just a shock on top of a long, rotten day. When I got back, Arthur wouldn't answer my call. I thought he'd run away again. I stepped off the deck to look for him and went calf deep into a puddle."
The giggle burst out of her spontaneously. Jessica covered her hand with her mouth. The thought of Karl's face when he stepped into a "moon crater" was too much to bear. Poor man. Had he been wearing a suit as expensive as the one he had on now? Imagining his trouser leg wrapped in wet mud she began to giggle some more as the tears gathered in her eyes. He looked at her one brow lifted, a whimsical smile tugging at his lips and then his laugh mingled with hers.
"I'm sorry," Jessica clung to the deck railing, giving full rein to humor. "I don't
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