He wiped it with his sleeve. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Accepting the ball from Brooke, he winged it to the far end of the yard. Pogo and Dolly tore after it, feet scrambling, muscles bunching as they streaked across the brown grass. It was such a simple thing, playing fetch with a dog. Repetitive. It should’ve been boring. But watching the unfettered joy of the animals as they chased after the little yellow sphere was oddly soothing. Hannah had talked a lot this week about the idea of living in the present. It was hard to get any more present than this. It was pleasure he hadn’t known he’d missed, and he found himself grateful for Hannah’s machinations for his sake, as well as Percy’s. From time to time, he glanced over at his uncle, noticing that Duke had shifted close enough that Percy could periodically scratch his ears.
Nearly an hour later, Pogo and Dolly dropped down to their bellies, tongues lolling, sides heaving as they panted. Their eyes were bright and happy. Ryan himself was more relaxed than he could remember being in ages.
Percy and Betty were still hanging out on the bench, watching the show. Duke was resting his head on Percy’s feet.
“You’ve made a friend there, I think,” Ryan observed.
“I’m taking him home with me,” Percy announced.
Not in the least bit surprised, he simply nodded. “Of course you are. I’ll let Brooke know to start on the paperwork.”
Chapter 8
“I love how Percy gets a dog, and somehow we’re the ones home with Duke while he’s out on a date with Miss Betty.”
“Oh, don’t be a grump.” Hannah hip-checked Ryan as she moved Percy’s usual massive collection of empty glasses to the sink so Ryan could set down the groceries he’d taken from her at the door. “Would you rather I be dragging you caroling tonight? Because that’s still on the table.” She made to abandon the food and headed for the door. “If we leave right now—“
He darted in to cut her off, using his bigger body to box her in against the counter. “I do not want to go caroling,” he ground out. But it was a sexy growl, and when she tilted her head back to look up at him, his expression held both humor and heat.
Hannah felt an answering heat wash through her, felt the warmth radiating from the broad, hard body just inches away from hers. It soaked into her hands, which had settled at his waist of their own volition, igniting little fires along her skin and scrambling her brain. She widened her eyes in mock innocence and blinked up at him, fighting to keep her voice light and flirty. “Oh yeah? And what do you want to do?”
“What I want...” he rumbled low, and she could practically feel his voice. He edged in, keeping his hands on the counter behind them, until they were pressed chest to chest, hip to hip, and oh, dear Lord did that feel good. “What I want is to stay in and take advantage of this empty house.”
“What’s stopping you?” she asked, breathless, tipping her head and angling her mouth toward his.
“I didn’t expect to have a four-legged chaperone.”
Hannah cut her glance to where Duke was sprawled on the kitchen rug regarding them with steady brown eyes. Was he really bothered by the dog? Her lips quirked up. “Are you afraid he’ll be reporting back to Percy on our shenanigans?”
“I mean, look at that face. Doesn’t he seem like he’s judging us?”
The dog grumbled, as if to answer the question.
“See?”
Laughing, she shoved playfully at Ryan’s chest, which was about like pushing at a brick wall. “If you’re concerned about reports of immodest behavior getting back to Percy, I’ll restrain myself from ravishing you and feed you dinner instead.”
At the word “dinner,” Duke’s ears pricked.
“Somebody’s still hungry,” she laughed.
“Wait, let’s not get sidetracked. Did you just say you were going to ravish me?”
“What? Duke, did you hear me say that?” Duke swiped a paw down his muzzle. “Duke said all he heard was dinner, so I guess that’s the program now.”
“You,” Ryan said, pointing a finger at the dog, “are a lousy wingman. What are we having?”
“Chili.”
“Which needs time to simmer, right?” One corner of his mouth curved. She wanted to nibble just there, and work her way along that strong jaw.
The food wasn’t the only thing at a simmer.
“It does.” She slipped away from him to dig into the bags on the counter and catch her breath.
“During which time we could discuss...” He followed, moving up behind her, his chest to her shoulders, leaning down to her ear. “—dessert options.”
“I do love me some dessert.” The high, breathy quality of her voice wasn’t a surprise. He would know exactly how he affected her, and she found she didn’t mind at all.
“I’m a fan of dessert first, as it happens. Carpe diem and all that.”
“While I am interested in your philosophies on seizing...things,” she turned around, took his hands, and slapped an onion into each palm. “Good things come to those who chop.”
He laughed as he backed up towards the knife block on the nearby counter. “Is that so?”
“Dice and find out.”
“You’re on.”
The drag and thunk of a knife against butcher block was a steady beat behind her as she began to brown the ground beef. The weight of his eyes settled on her back as he chopped, and with it came the first skittering of nerves. Some of it was anticipation, but despite how much she enjoyed him, and what was happening between them, some of it was uncertainty.
Their alone time together had been limited. He was Percy’s guest, and she felt weird having him over with any romantic intentions when Carolanne could walk in at any moment. So far, their escalating attraction had been limited to a lot of simmering glances, subtle flirtations, and a few toe-curling kisses. But this thing they were talking around, this dessert, that was the next level. A big step that couldn’t be taken back.
What would it do to her when he left? Because he would leave. He’d been transparent about that from the start. He couldn’t offer her what she was beginning to want with him—a long-term exploration of this connection between them. She’d never had a no-strings affair before, and she wasn’t at all sure she’d survive one. Sliding over the line into love with him would be so very easy, and that was enough to make her hesitate, despite how much she wanted him.
And she did want him. That wasn’t in question. She liked him, and she more than liked the kind of man he was—one who gave up his precious leave time to come help a man he considered family. But much as she’d said they should take what they could get while they could get it, she’d be lying if she didn’t admit she was already attached. Maybe too attached. Crossing this line with him would only make that worse. It was how she was built.
And yet, she wanted that connection with him, and she thought he needed it with her—at least for now. Over the past week, he’d been slowly emerging from that hardened shell, letting down some of those walls. She wanted to know the man on the other side.
“You’re thinking awfully hard over there.”