A chocolate doughnut on a white pastry tissue landed in front of her.
“Eat something.”
Cassidy choked in shocked outrage—how dare he?! And it wasn’t a request; it had been an order—a roughly issued, don’t-argue-with-me command. He pulled out the chair across from her and sat, in the same motion running his hands down the sides of Fred’s ecstatic face.
“How do you know I didn’t already eat one of these?” she demanded.
His head tilted her way. She sensed his eyes roaming over her, adrenaline rushing to peak her nipples. Her jaw tightened at the inappropriate and uncontrollable response.
“You didn’t.”
“So sure of yourself,” she said sarcastically.
“Yep.”
His mirrored glasses reflected her annoyed and—to her chagrin—ashamed expression. Self-conscious, his action and words were a bold commentary on herperhapsunderfed physique. She wondered why she should care what he thought of her. “Will you please take those off?”
His lips twitched. “Wanna get lost in my pretty brown eyes?”
Cassidy rolled her own eyes. “You are so rude.”
“Rude?” he demanded, amused, somewhat taken aback. “Who’s rude? And before you fire back, sweetheart—” he pointed at her— “I don’t recall a word of gratitude for Fred’s life preserver.”
Cassidy’s wind left her sails, and she slumped back in her chair. She hadn’t acknowledged the gift she used on Fred every time they went out on the boat. Chastised, she turned her cup between her hands. “Thank you.”
“And your pastry.”
Her gaze snapped up to him. “Thank you, although—”
“Stop there; not interested in hearing anything else.” He leaned down to give Fred a belly rub.
She continued anyway, “Although, I didn’t ask for either.”
He peered at her over the tops of his sunglasses; it made him look even more dangerously handsome, if that was possible.
“So, you want me to make you ask for things going forward?” His smile bordered on a smirk.
Jesus Christ. He could turn anything into sexual innuendo. She tossed him an annoyed look.
“I need to know what the ground rules are,” he continued.
“There are no ground rules; there’s nothing…” She gestured between the two of them.
He sat back up in the chair. Fred rested his head on the man’s thigh.
“Just neighbors, huh?” His question dripped with playful doubt.
“Yes! Exactly.”
“Hm.” If his question had been doubtful, the sound was sheer disbelief.
Cassidy watched him warily for a few minutes as he relieved her of his full attention and turned it to her grateful dog, who was making happy little sounds and nipping at Mac’s face. She watched their interaction, still amazed at their deep and instant bond. He was like the dog whisperer, except her dog hadn’t had issuesuntilhe’d met Mac.
She commented, hoping to get an explanation, “Quite the love affair you two have.”
He tilted his head toward her again. “Jealous?”
She scoffed, her cheeks reddened. “No!”