Chapter One
Sloane
As I’m reading my horoscope, I laugh. “For all those Leap Year Babies out there, it’s your day! Take a leap into something fresh and exciting.”
I’ll jump right on that, but first I need to do my roommate a huge favor and save her rear end. She failed to think ahead. After double-booking herself today, she begged me to save her cushy job. In an insane moment of weakness, I caved to Kelsey’s pathetic whining. I let her convince me to take her place and now, I get to spend my morning walking some rich jerk’s spoiled dog.
As I rush the six blocks to the building housing her client’s penthouse apartment, I plan the rest of my day. I have meetings lined up one after another, then I’ll have to work through lunch to make up for my morning off. A huge competitor is taking over my company, and today is an inconvenient day to ask for time off. My boss is losing his job in the coming weeks, and he doesn’t care enough at the moment to fire me. Right now, I’m holding out hope I can impress the new management and keep my position.
My home life isn’t in any better shape. I’ve been so busy at work; things have fallen a little behind. The three-foot-high mountain of dirty clothes will still litter my closet floor tonight unless laundry gremlins suddenly decide to lend me a hand. Since I doubt I’ll have that kind of luck. Cleaning and laundry are my hot plans for later. Maybe, afterward, I’ll reward all my hard work with a pizza. I giggle a little to myself when I think about my horoscope—pulling on my clean clothes counts as my fresh and exciting leap, doesn’t it? After strolling through the massive glass doors that lead into the building, I take in the ultra-modern lobby with its shiny off-white marble floor and matching steel-gray contemporary walls and my breath catches.
My tennis shoes squeak on the spotless marble as I make my way across the huge expanse. The middle-aged security guard looks up from his computer screen and smiles. “Hi, can I help you?”
“I’m taking Kelsey’s place today walking Mr. Walker’s dog.” I hope he doesn’t call the jerk to confirm. Kelsey worried her ultra-uptight boss would consider her nerfing the poor animal off on me to be irresponsible. It is, but I kept my mouth shut. My roommate is hoping he never discovers I’m the one walking his little monster today. We’re taking such a huge risk with this stupid stunt. Not only are we jeopardizing Kelsey’s job, but I’m endangering my already precarious position, too.
Luckily, the guard shrugs and waves me by the front desk, and I smile and keep walking. Trying to ignore the butterflies in my tummy as the elevator zips up to the thirty-second floor, I close my eyes and console myself. Reminding myself that elevators are perfectly safe does little to ease my nerves. How can anyone ride these death traps every day? Relief hits me when the doors swish open. I dash out and rush to the dark, wood door at the end of the hall. Using the key Kelsey slipped into my pocket, I hear the heavy lock turn and walk into the huge entrance way then disarm the security alarm. Now, I need to find George, the spoiled dog.
When I don’t see a chubby little body in the living room, I call his name and wait to hear him charging across the floor. “Come on, George. Mrs. Beasley’s poodle is waiting for you.” Kelsey told me he loves Mrs. Beasley’s poodle and is dying to see the other dog every day when she walks in the door. Where could George be today? I don’t have time for this if I’m going to make it to my first meeting of the day. I call his name repeatedly, but George still doesn’t come running. After a few moments, I wander down the hall looking for the missing animal. My sneakers squeak on the flooring as I peak in the first huge room on the right. When I find it empty, I head down the long hall and continue my search. I wonder if Kelsey messed up the day she’s supposed to walk George.
The last door at the end of the hall is slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I breathe a sigh of relief when I find the English Bulldog sprawled on the biggest bed I’ve ever seen. “George, why didn’t you come to me? We’re going to be too late to see Mrs. Beasley’s poodle and get your ice cream. I know how much you like it.” As the bored-looking dog glances at something over my shoulder, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“You know his name isn’t George, right?” Spinning around, my poor mind goes blank. The drop-dead gorgeous face paired with the sapphire blue eyes is a double punch. Then you have the rest of the package. Wow. I’m done. His broad, masculine chest still has droplets of water from his shower dripping down onto the towel that’s wrapped around his trim waist. When he clears his throat, I realize I’ve been staring at the front of the navy-blue towel, waiting for it to magically drop to the floor.
He smirks and raises an eyebrow, and it hits me that I’m staring at Kelsey’s uptight employer like he’s Sobu Sushi while he waits for me to answer. I remember Kelsey explaining that she refuses to call the cute little dog his given name because it’s too pretentious and instead calls him George.
Well, the unfamiliar feelings running through my body cause my unfiltered mouth to let loose before I can control myself. “Alberto is too pretentious for him, so Kel… Uh, I mean, I call him George. Who would name that cute, roly-poly Alberto?”
Yikes, his blue eyes darken to almost black, and he actually sputters for a second before growling, “I named him Alberto.” He stares down at me, and I feel sweat begin to gather under my bangs.
In for a penny and all that, I shrug. “Well, it’s right up there with having two middle names.” My filter flew out the window a few seconds ago. I’m on a roll now.
My big mouth is getting Kelsey in trouble. Her boss’s face turns a shocking color before he whispers so low, I barely hear the words. “Let me introduce myself, Knox Christopher Logan Walker.” Oops, I lose count of the names as he lists them. I hope Kelsey forgives me for my loose lips.
“See, I bet you had a hard time remembering all those names when you were little. Right? So, you see what poor George is feeling.” His eyes darken as I reason with him, and I decide to change the subject before he strangles me. Sticking my hand out, I hope he uses his enormous paw to shake mine and doesn’t wrap it around my neck instead. “I’m Sloane.” Oh, no. I almost visibly cringe. Will he catch my slip and realize I’m an imposter now?
I hold my breath for an eternity before his gigantic palm encloses mine. All thoughts scatter from my mind. I watch his lips moving, but I’m concentrating on the tingles zipping around my body instead of his words. He pulls his hand away and waves it in front of my face. “Hello?”
After blinking for a few seconds, a smile weakly and try to lie my way out of this mess. “Sorry, I just remembered a ton of things I forgot to do.” Cool. My voice sounds like a dying chipmunk.
“Aren’t you going to walk Alberto?” He raises that eyebrow again and reminds me that I’m here for George. Swallowing, I shrug and glance over at the confused dog.
Without thinking, I smack my victim’s gorgeous bare chest and nearly forget what I’m about to say as the muscles jump under my palm. “Oh, yeah, Mrs. Beasley’s poodle and ice cream.” Turning to George, I grab his collar and insist, “Let’s go, buddy.” The dog looks at me like I’m crazy and sits back on the bed. God, what is happening to me? I’m usually the sane one.