When I pulled my door open, I don’t think I was ever so glad to see someone. The second she walked in, I felt like I could breathe for the first time in years. Jesus. What was it about her?
“Hey,” she said, planting a kiss on my cheek and giving me one of her dazzling smiles.
Her hair was piled on top of her head in one of those messy knot-things, and she had a little smudge of makeup under her eye. It all contributed to making her even more gorgeous. I thought to tell her about the errant mascara or whatever it was, but it was so cute, I wanted to look at it for a while longer. She was perfect in her imperfection.
I handed her a glass of Chianti and watched her check out my kitchen. Her tight blue jeans and high-heeled boots caused a twitching inside my boxers and a rush of blood through my veins.
I knew I liked her, but shit, I didn’t know I liked her that much.
“Cheers,” I said, as we clinked glasses.
“Great place,” she said. “It’s just amazing.”
The dogs, curious as hell that there was a stranger in the house, pressed their noses against the sliding glass door from where they were banished on the terrace.
“Thanks. I’m really fortunate to have this place. When my parents passed, and I sold their farm, I ended up with enough for a nice down payment.” I followed her gaze past my living room, complete with an operating fireplace, and back to the modern kitchen I’d had installed. “I’d never dreamed I could end up in someplace like this.” It was absolutely true. Veterinarians do well, but not this well.
“Good lord. You really do have five dogs, don’t you?” she asked, smiling and watching them jump all over each other.
I laughed. “Yup. It’s impossible to turn them away when you know they’re going to end up in a shelter.” It was a serious weakness of mine. But not a bad one to have, if you asked me. “Not only do I have a whole pack, I’ve gotten nearly everyone I know to take in one or two strays. Maybe you can take a couple, see how they get along with Cher the rat.”
She scrunched her face. “Pretty sure that’s not allowed in my apartment building. In fact, I don’t think we’re even allowed to have the rat, but it came with Sparkle, and there was really nothing I could do about it. At least it’s in a cage unlike the rest of the rats in New York City.”
“Cheers to that.” I took a swig of my wine. “Rats are actually great pets. Low maintenance, and they stay pretty healthy.”
“Sounds like the perfect boyfriend,” she said, throwing her head back and laughing.
Damn.
“Speaking of which,” I said, “do you have a boyfriend?” I felt a quick thump in my chest. God, I was becoming a pussy.
She shook her head. “No. I do not.”
But something in her face said there was more than just a “no” answer to that question. I wasn’t going to push it, though. Whatever it was would come out later. If there was going to be a later. Which I really hoped there would be.
I served my sauce over some nice, fat bucatini pasta.
“Oh, my god. This is amazing,” she said with small moans of appreciation.
Of course, the twitching in my dick was now on high alert.
Down boy.
After dinner, she helped me clear the table. “Hey, I have to take the dogs for a walk,” I said.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
I opened the door to the terrace and five happy pups barged into the apartment and straight for her.
“Easy, guys,” I said, trying to pull them off her. But she was unfazed by the paw prints and drool they left all over her blue jeans.
Gotta love that in a girl.
When I’d leashed them all up, I corralled them, and her, into the elevator. We wandered across the street to Central Park. She shivered, so I handed her the dogs and properly zipped her jacket right up to her chin. A couple raindrops landed on her pretty face.
“Oh, shit, rain. I gotta walk the dogs, though. Do you want to wait inside?” I asked.
She shook her head, and some of the hair that had fallen out of its clasp floated around her face. “No, I’m coming with you.”