He felt the heavy push of a fur-covered head on the back of his legs.
“Hey, Diesel. I see you did all right without me today. No chewed-up paper this time as an act of vengeance for me leaving, or accidents on the rugs. Thanks.”
Reaching into the deep freezer, he grabbed a bottle of beer, twisted off the cap, and chugged it. He’d made a special space in the living room just for the wolf—a big dog bed he’d splurged on from the pet store, and a couple of bone-shaped toys the beast seemed to enjoy. Diesel knew his way around the house well now, and he appeared somewhat content.
Finishing the beer, he tossed the bottle away and turned to pet the wolf’s head. Diesel stood there panting, but he looked like he was smiling. The wolf took the affection with vigor, relishing it. Jack stooped down so their eyes were level with each other’s.
“Diesel, I need you to be good tonight. There’s someone I want you to meet. I’ve not mentioned you to her. My girlfriend’s name is Kim. I care about her. She means somethin’ to me. I told you about her before, you’ve heard that name a few times now, but I want you to hear this again.” Diesel rocked a bit, licked his mouth, and kept staring back into his eyes. “If you try to hurt her, I can’t keep you,” he stated sternly.
The wolf whimpered, in his typical way when he was getting a scolding.
Jack gripped the hem of his black cable knit sweater and long john shirt that was beneath it and removed them both, tossing them onto the top of the freezer. It was all he had in the truck to change into after the plunge into the frosty water.
Diesel looked truly confused.
“Look, I know you don’t understand the words I’m saying, but you understand my tone.” He pointed a finger at the wolf. “I’m telling you that you better act right. I know you can control yourself. If you couldn’t, you would’ve taken a chomp out of me a long time ago. Especially now that your infection is clearing, that foot is a little better, and you’ve put a few pounds on. Now, come on upstairs. I need to shower and get changed before she gets here. I smell like wet seaweed and sediment. That’s not how you greet a lady…”
Chapter Thirteen
“What do you mean, walk in slow?”
“I mean, don’t walk too fast up to the door.”
Kim sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes as she slammed her car door and hitched her purse over her shoulder. There she was in the man’s driveway, getting a lecture about how to approach his little cabin castle in the middle of nowhere. It had been a long drive up to Jack’s house, and the last thing she wanted to do was have this man spring something crazy on her. Life had been insane enough as of late.
Still, regardless of her annoyance, the eye candy more than made up for it. Her insides fluttered as she looked him up and down, for the man looked sexy as hell just standing in his front yard. He had on a pair of dark jeans, a dark green V-neck sweater which exposed a little chest hair, and his dark brown tresses were combed away from his face, exposing his amazing bone structure.
Simply beautiful, except the fact he wore a scowl and had his big hands up, as if she had a gun and was about to shoot him. She begrudgingly took slow steps towards him, per his request.
“What in the hell is going on with you?” she asked between gritted teeth. “You have no idea what type of day I’ve had. I didn’t come over here to play games.”
“What type of day you’ve had? Lady, I was swimming in semi-solid water. Imagine jumping into a slushie. Feet first.” He huffed.
“You were swimming? Why would you do something like that?”
All he did was sigh in exasperation, as if she were grating on his nerves. Instead of answering her, he took her hand and ushered her to the front door. “Keep your voice down.” He went for the doorknob.
“Why? Who’s in here?”
“…A wolf.”
“A what?! OH, HELL NAW!”
“Shhh!!!”
As they began to argue, she heard raspy barking, and something big was bouncing and prancing around by the front door, blocking the light.
“Okay, come on.”
“Jack, I’m not going in there!”
“It’s safe.”
“It’s safe? You’re the main person always telling me horror stories about people letting their guard down and getting attacked while they’re taking pics of themselves with panthers and shit to post on social media. Or while thinking they can read the mind of an animal, and next thing you know, they’re being shredded like lettuce for a human taco! Now, here you are with a damn wolf in your house, of all things!”