Before he could ask, she spun out of his arms and hurried out of the room. Unable to help himself, he followed in time to see her grab a huge bag covered in glitter, with the name Medusa inscribed in rhinestones.
“Do you have any idea who this guy was?” Percy asked. “Why’d he take the dog? Do you think he was hired muscle, or was he acting alone?”
Andrea frowned, a fluffy blanket in one hand and what looked like a bunch of tiny diapers in the other. “What difference does it make if he was being paid or not?”
“Motivation will help us find the dog,” Percy said.
A tiny furrow wrinkling her brow, Andrea paused in the act of adding to the bag what looked like an oversize knitted sock with the toes cut out and a feathered fringe. “But I know where the dog is. So motivation doesn’t matter. We just have to get her.”
“Motivation always matters.” Then he sighed. “But I can deal with that later. Tell me where she is.”
“I’ll tell you how to get there when we’re on our way.”
“What do you mean, on our way?” Horror overshadowed desire. “You’re not going with me.”
No way. He had a job to do. A dognapper’s ass to kick for tying up Andrea and making her cry. And he had a plane to catch for a vacation that he needed even more desperately now than he had this morning.
“Tell me what you know,” he cajoled with a smile that had never failed to charm. “I’ll get the dog, punch that guy out for you, and when I turn the dog over to Day, I’ll make sure he knows what you went through.”
There. All the bases covered. He waited for her agreement, and hopefully one of those incredible smiles. And since he was a man who believed in tempting fate, maybe even a sweetly grateful kiss of thanks before he left.
* * *
AS PERCY SMILED THAT WARM, heart-melting smile of his, Andrea almost nodded. Then she stopped and frowned. Did anyone ever say no to him?
It wasn’t just the fact that he was gorgeous that made him dangerous, although he was. It was that he was sweet, charming, smart and so damn good at everything. Everything. He had women throwing themselves at his feet, all desperate to be the one who didn’t say no.
A part of her—a teensy, ignorable part—wondered if that’s why she’d run from Percy without explanation. Because she’d been desperate to stand out from his crowd of adoring admirers. Beautiful, sexy, skinny admirers.
Maybe it was so easy to ignore that teensy part because she knew perfectly well she already stood out from all those women. She wasn’t beautiful, she wasn’t sexy. And no amount of dieting seemed to make a dent in the extra fifteen pounds padding her curves, so her mother’s assurance that she had such a pretty face wasn’t much consolation.
Despite Percy’s gorgeous smile and sweetly worded request, she was going to have to say no to him one more time.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t agree to that,” she told him. “If I tell you how to find Medusa, you’ll leave me behind. She’s not the most trusting dog under the best of circumstances and she’s particularly fragile right now. She knows me. She trusts me. So I’m going.”
“You don’t think I can handle a little dog?” His laugh was pure masculine confidence. Andrea wondered what it was like to be that self-assured.
“Nobody can handle Medusa,” Andrea told him, laughing at the idea as she finished gathering the dog’s necessities. Sable brush. Organic doggie treats. La Mer moisturizing cream. “She is a very rare, extremely expensive dog. She’s used to being treated a certain way and has a distinctive personality.”
“In other words, she’s a spoiled brat of a dog?”
Andrea wrinkled her nose, but didn’t disagree. “As for the rest, it doesn’t matter how you spin it. If you rescue Medusa without me and return her to my client’s soon-to-be ex-husband, my business will be ruined. Diamonds and Doggies will make sure of it.”
She’d have insisted on going out of worry for Medusa. But just thinking about her rival groomer only amped up her resolve.
“What is Diamonds and Doggies?”
“It’s a high-end dog-grooming boutique. The owner, Raye Jensen, claims there’s room for only one groomer to the elite in the Bay Area. When I opened my salon, she warned me to stay out of her way. If she gets word that a dog in my care was stolen, and then handed over to that miserable excuse for an ex-owner, Day, she’ll have all the ammunition she’s been looking for to steal every one of my clients.”
Andrea had finished packing while she was talking. Digging into her purse, she found her keys and used one to open the glass-fronted cabinet. Her fingers closed on the small metal wand at the same time she heard the bells over the front door jangle. She grabbed the device and tossed it into her purse, then pulled the dog’s tote bag over her shoulder and turned to Percy.
“All set,” she told him. “Just give me a second to fill Dina in and call the vet.”
He was busy making notes.
“What’re you doing?”
“Adding your rival groomer to my list of people with motivation to steal a dog.” He pocketed the notepad and gave her a long look before shaking his head. “I’d really rather you stay here. If this dog is as expensive as you say, they might call with a ransom demand or something.”
“I’m going,” she insisted. “You can’t find her without me, so there’s no point in arguing.”
He gave her a look that was a mixture of frustration, calculation and impatience.
But underneath she saw desire. Intense, sexual heat with the promise of soul-stirring satisfaction.
A promise she knew he could keep.
Andrea gulped.
That, right there, was why she’d run away from him three months ago. Because the minute he gave her that look—like he wanted to nibble chocolate off her toes—she lost her senses. And given that he was the most sexual man she’d ever met, with women throwing themselves at him left and right, she knew there was no way he’d be interested long-term in her pudgy, unremarkable self.
“Setting aside the fact that I work alone,” he said quietly, his voice low and tempting, “do you think it’s a good idea for the two of us to spend so much time together? I mean, you obviously had a reason to put an end to us before. Are you prepared to explain that? And to take a chance on whatever’s going to happen when I’ve got you all to myself for a few hours?”
Tiny shivers spun through her system as Andrea tried to catch her breath. The images of the two of them wrapped around each other in the dark flashed in delicious Technicolor. She knew she didn’t want to explain herself. If she’d been able to do that, she would have that morning, instead of running away.
But what might happen in the few hours they’d be together?
That, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to avoid.
Still, it was a risk she had to take if she wanted to save the dog and her reputation. The only question was, could her heart hold out?
4
AS HE WAITED—NOT SO PATIENTLY—in his car for Andrea to do whatever she had to do with her assistant, Percy barely refrained from pounding his forehead on the steering wheel. His mother had always warned him to be careful what he wished for. And this was a perfect example. He finally got what he’d spent the last three months wishing for. Andrea Tanner, begging for his company.
And it wasn’t because of his hot body or his incredible kissing style. Nor for his looks and his great personality. Nope, it was over some damn dog.
This was stupid. He should go. He could tell Day he’d handed off the case, let the cops take over and get himself on that plane. Away from temptation.
Before he could do the smart thing and leave, Andrea ran out the door, her long hair flying behind her as she hurried to join him. She had a purse over one shoulder, that flashy tote bag over the other and a worried frown on her face. As she leaned into the car to toss the tote behind the seat, the bright purple fabric of her dress pulled tight against her lush body. His mouth watered.
Nope. As tempting as she was, he was
n’t going to go down that path. Not again. They’d get the dog, solve the case. He could chalk this up to paying karma back with change, and get back to his happily charmed life.
“You said you know where the dog is, right? So where to?” he asked. Once she told him, he could escort her right back out of the car and out of temptation’s reach.
“Head toward San Francisco,” she hedged.
Percy shot her a look, noting the suspicious set of her chin. Smart girl. Fine.
Telling himself to at least pretend to be irritated to have to spend more time with her, he frowned.
“Tell me why someone would kidnap this dog.” He pulled away from the curb as soon as she hooked her seat belt. “Do you think it has anything to do with the custody battle? I saw the paperwork. My client got the dog and his ex got a house, so money plays in. But why the drama? What’s the motivation for dognapping?”
Andrea pursed her lips, their glossy fullness making his mouth water. Even though he knew he should be trying to get rid of her, another part of him—the part that thought sex was the answer to everything—figured having her around might not be all bad. Maybe now he could get her out of his system.
“Medusa is a rare Chinese Crested. Her pedigree is stellar. In fact, her sire was commanding five-figure stud fees. She’s the last of his line, which makes her value even higher.”
“So money is the most obvious motivator.”
“Sure, I suppose it could be. She’s worth a bundle. But only if she’s claimed publicly. To command that kind of money, the dog’s pedigree has to be documented and shared. You can’t breed a dog and pretend it’s another one.”
As she was talking, Andrea shifted in her seat. Drawing one knee up so the bright purple fabric of her dress slipped into temptingly dangerous territory, she curled her hand around her ankle and tilted her head back, then side to side as if stretching out the tension.
“Hmm,” was all Percy could offer, since his tongue, among other things, was swollen.
Turning onto University Avenue, he was glad traffic demanded his attention. Only his worry about damaging his precious Vette seemed strong enough to keep him from leaning over to lick his way up the silky-smooth skin of Andrea’s leg until he discovered what color her panties were.
To distract himself, he punched a key on his cell phone so it rang through the Bluetooth strategically hidden in his car’s dash. Five rings later and the canned message telling him his offices were closed for the week came on.
“Dammit,” he muttered, hanging up. He checked his watch and growled. Jolene should have still been there.
“Did you think you were going to answer your own phone?” Andrea teased with a laugh.
“I wanted my secretary to run some reports on the Days. Financials, custody dispute, divorce settlement. That kind of thing.”
For all its high dollar value, he was sure the dog’s kidnapping had something to do with one, the other, or both of them.
“Secretary, hmm?” Andrea’s feet both dropped to the floor and she shifted just a little toward the door, taking her sweet scent farther away from him. Despite the warm June sunshine, a light chill filled the car. “Let me guess. She’s blonde, built and totally devoted to you?”
Bottle blond with iron-gray roots, built like a rusty steamship and totally devoted to bossing him around, maybe.
“Sure. Why not,” he decided with a laugh. “And better yet, she knows how to keep me in line.”
“The two of you must be ever so happy together,” Andrea said stiffly. Then, as if unable to help herself, she gave him a narrow look. “Doesn’t having her in the office interfere with your wild dating life?”
“I don’t date people who work for me.” Especially not people old enough to be his grandmother. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous. After all, you’re the one who dumped me. Not the other way around, sweetheart.”
Reminded of that little tidbit, Percy’s smile fell away. Why had she blown him off? There was clearly heat between them. He was a good guy. He knew how to treat a lady and didn’t skimp on dates. So what had gone wrong?
He figured it was a testament to how tired and burned out he was that the words almost slipped off his tongue. What a way to destroy what was left of his ego.
To distract himself from another close slipup, he focused on the case again.
“Day knew where the dog was today. How? Given the acrimonious state of their pending divorce, I can’t see his ex-wife keeping him up-to-date with her schedule.”
“Eliza is more than happy to share the nasty details of her divorce with anyone who will listen,” Andrea said, relaxing again now that the topic was back on the dog. “She claims that she got custody of Medusa, while her husband got the house in Monterey. She can’t be behind the dognapping.”
Percy just shrugged. He had legal docs—and he’d have Jolene check them closer—that stated the dog belonged to Day.
“Sure, she could be,” he told Andrea. “She knows her ex wants the dog. What better way to have your cake and eat it, too, than to arrange for it to be stolen. She creates some drama, pisses off her ex and hides the dog away until the settlement is done. Then, voila, suddenly she has a new dog.”
Andrea was shaking her head before he finished talking. “She can’t claim Medusa to be anything but herself.”
“Why not? A dog’s a dog.”
“I told you before. Medusa’s worth a fortune, but only if she’s documented. So as soon as someone tries to show her or sell her puppies, they’d be outed. Eliza doesn’t want her because she’s a beloved pet. She wants her because she’s a rare pedigree that’s fun to show off. Kinda like the five-carat diamond she still wears despite the divorce.”
“Classy.”
Andrea chuckled. “Oh, yeah. Added to all of that, Medusa is due to come into heat any day now. That’s why she was in the boutique, getting all prettied up for her, um, date.”
Percy slid Andrea a sideways look and cringed. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
Andrea’s laughter filled the car. The sound was pure joy, uninhibited and full of delight. It was all Percy could do not to pull over, drag her across the console and kiss her until she was as crazy with wanting as he was.
“Despite the pampering bath, hair and nail treatment and doggy facial, poor Medusa’s date isn’t pure romance. To prevent any possible damage by an, um, enthusiastic partner, the date will take place in a laboratory on Monday morning,” she said, her words stiff and heavy.
“You sound upset.”
Andrea sighed, her shoulders drooping before she gave a helpless shrug. “I don’t have any right to be. I mean, she’s a valuable commodity and her puppies will be worth a small fortune. And this kind of thing is pretty standard once you start dealing with dogs at this level.”
Yeah. She was upset. Without thinking, Percy reached over and took her hand to give it a comforting squeeze. Her fingers curled into his, making him feel like a giddy schoolboy. Where the hell was his legendary cool with women now? Still, he was thrilled when she didn’t pull away.
“That’s why it can’t be Eliza.” Andrea gave a decisive nod. “It has to be Day. It’d be just like him to stage this elaborate drama to keep Medusa from her date.”
“Hmm.” Maybe. Or maybe not. His number-one rule in solving cases was to keep an open mind. “First things first. We rescue the dog. Then we figure out who’s behind the dognapping.”
He shot her a glance, wishing she’d stop nibbling on her lower lip. Or, if he was going to throw around wishes, maybe she could nibble on his instead.
“So where’s the dog, exactly?” The sooner they got it, the sooner he could put some distance between himself and the misery of knowing Andrea didn’t want him the way he wanted her. He’d never had to chase a woman in his life, and he wasn’t about to start now. Not when the chase would clearly end with him empty-handed. Again.
* * *
IT WAS AS IF SOMEONE, somewhere, had peeked into Andrea’s wildest drea
ms and brought Percy back into her life as the ultimate temptation. A larger-than-life hero swooping in to rescue her. All she could think of were the ways she wanted to thank him.
Most of them started with her undressing him with her teeth, and ended with her begging him to let her be a part of his life. Her fingers still clinging to the warm strength of his, Andrea sighed. Because while she might have a lousy dating record, enough extra weight on her to make bathing-suit season a misery and a little bit of trouble standing up for herself…she wasn’t a masochist.
“Andrea?” Percy prompted. “Where’s the dog? How do you know how to find it?”
Focus on the task at hand, she lectured herself. Again. Let Percy work his magic to find the dog and save her career.
“As I mentioned, Medusa is really valuable,” she said, giving her fingers a tug, trying to free them from his grip.
When he wouldn’t let go, she sighed and moved their hands toward the console instead of being so temptingly close to her heat. After the day she’d had, who knew what crazy things she might do in a moment of stress-induced comfort seeking. Like take his hand and slide it right up her skirt.
“So?”
“So, like most dogs who are either well-loved or worth a lot, she’s been microchipped. And she’s wearing a GPS tracker.”
“Huh?” He looked over, questions in his eyes clear even through his sunglasses. “She’s trackable? Did you call whoever she’s registered with?”
Andrea gave the tiniest of winces. She hated admitting things like this. It wasn’t that it was wrong to have a GPS tracking device. That was just smart business. What was wrong was that she didn’t tell her clients that as soon as the dog was left in her care, she put a tracking device on their collar. Just in case. She’d been determined to never lose another one, even briefly. So much for that resolution.
“I’ve got the GPS monitor to track her,” she admitted. Tugging her hand free, she grabbed the device out of her bag and held it up. There on the screen was a red beeping light next to a San Francisco address.
“That’s awesome. You’re so damn clever.” He shot her a smile that made desire curl tight in her belly. Andrea’s heart bumped a little faster and she swallowed, suddenly wondering if this whole thing was some kind of gift from the gods. A hint for her to give Percy a chance. To get past her fear of not measuring up to all his other women.
Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume VII: The Steadfast Hot SoldierWild Thing Page 11