Pawfectly In Love

by Stephanie Rowe

  "Why don't you let me speak to her? I bet I can change her mind. Then she doesn't have to blame you for taking away the best opportunity of her life."

  Paige gritted her teeth. The man was domineering and impossible. So what if he looked positively delectable in his blue jeans and hiking boots, with a day's worth of stubble on his face. He didn't look at all like a lawyer right now. She had to get away from him before she committed her "lawyer friend" to a dinner with the man. "I'll see you around."

  She pushed by him and stalked to the bathroom, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder.

  Luke stared after her, unable to drag his eyes off her shapely rear end. Although he could see less of her than the first time he'd met her, she looked even sexier with her blue jeans and modest tank top than she had in her wet t-shirt. Perhaps that's because he knew what was underneath. The way her bangs fell over her forehead, the blond hair contrasting against her blue eyes... Before he could stop himself, he marched over to the bathroom door and knocked on it.

  When no one answered, he pushed open the door and poked his head in. "Paige? Is anyone else in there?"

  "Luke?" She sounded strangled, and he grinned. No other women answered his call, so he walked inside. There were two stalls, and he could see feet under one door. Tanned calves with white ankles and feet, indicative of a woman who spent her days running around with dogs, not stretched out on a beach chair tanning. The pink toenail polish was chipped, but it made her feet even sexier. He'd thought he preferred women with a manicure, but apparently not. "I've got a proposition for you, Paige."

  "What are you doing in here? This is the women's bathroom."

  Luke lounged against the wall, watching her feet. They were bouncing quickly now, as if he were making her nervous. "Are you interested in hearing my proposition?"

  "Not at this moment, no. Can you leave?"

  "No. I'm in the mood to discuss this now." He chuckled at the muttered oath that floated under the stall door toward him. Damn, he liked her spirit. "You were right about Muffin. I need help, and there are no other decent dog trainers in the area."

  "Of course I was right."

  He heard a scrabbling sound from inside the stall, and assumed she was trying to peel the toilet paper off the roll. He wondered what she looked like with her pants around her knees, but then decided not to let his mind wander down that path. "I'll let you train us on one condition."

  "Oh, blessed me. You'll let me train your dog if I do something for you? Isn't today my lucky day." The toilet flushed, and he watched her feet change shape as she stood up.

  Luke grinned. "Aren't you willing to make a deal to ensure one more happy dog in this world?"

  Paige yanked open the stall door and glared at him. "I can't believe we're having this conversation in the bathroom."

  "Your fly is open."

  She glanced down, then yanked on the zipper. It stopped halfway, ground to a halt by the pink fabric of her tank top, caught in the teeth. Muttering under her breath, she tugged at the zipper, her cheeks flushed.

  Luke leaned against the wall and watched her struggle. "Anyway, want to hear my proposition?"

  "No." She gave a hard tug on the zipper, only to have her fingers slide off the tab and grind into the metal. Squawking in pain, Paige sucked on her thumb.

  Luke walked over to Paige and crouched in front of her, trying not to think of what she was doing with her thumb.

  "What are you doing?" She sounded appalled.

  "Helping you with your zipper. You'll never get back to your hot date if I don't."

  He reached for her pants, but she caught his hand. "Um, no. I can get it."

  Luke let her push his hand away, but he didn't get up. He merely looked at her. Warily eyeing him as if he were a psychopath, she yanked on the zipper again, grimacing when her fingers slipped off it again. She tugged twice more, with no success.

  Finally, she inclined her head slightly. "Fine. Assist me."

  This time, when he reached for her pants, she didn't stop him. He grabbed the tab of the zipper and tugged, pulling her hips toward him with each pull.

  "So, what is the proposition?" Paige asked. She crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on the painting on the wall, as if she weren't remotely bothered by the intimacy of Luke's position. He would've believed her if he couldn't see her pulse racing in her throat.

  "I'd like to change the terms of the contract." Luke slid his right hand inside her jeans so he could ascertain where the fabric was trapped in the back of the zipper.

  The back of his hand was resting against the front of her underwear, and he was quite certain she was wearing lace. Had she worn it for her lumberjack? The thought made him grimace, and he tugged harder at the zipper.

  "What terms?" Her voice squeaked, and he knew she was as aware as he was that he had his hands down the front of her pants. He didn't believe her when she clasped her hands on top of her head, as if it were no big deal.

  "The money back guarantee." Luke gritted his teeth. "Um, I need to look at the back of the zipper where your shirt is caught."

  Her blue eyes widened slightly, but she didn't move her hands from the top of her head. "Fine. What about the guarantee?"

  Luke stood up and pulled the front of her pants away from her belly. Yep. Lace. He wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. At least he could see the fabric wedged in the metal now. "You can keep the fifteen-hundred-dollar deposit."

  Holding the zipper with his left hand, he reached inside her jeans with his right, pulling on the shirt while he tugged on the zipper. First up, then down, then up...

  "And what do you want if he's trained at the end?" Paige tried to avert her eyes, but his head was right under her face, and he smelled like the woods. She glanced down. The back of his neck was slightly tanned, with a white line showing that he'd just gotten a haircut. Even in the dim bathroom, his hair was shiny. It looked so soft. What was a lawyer doing smelling like the woods with a tan neck?

  "I want you to arrange dinner with me and your lawyer friend." He gave a final tug, and the zipper slid peacefully down, her pants falling open. "Got it."

  Paige glanced down, flushing when she realized that he had full view of her undies. "Thanks."

  "Your shirt tore a little bit." He flexed his fingers.

  "No problem." Paige quickly fastened the top button. When she went to grab the zipper, Luke grinned.

  "Zip that carefully. As fun as that was, I don't think I could do it again."

  She carefully pushed her shirt out of the way before she pulled the zipper up. Why couldn't he do it again? Not because he'd been turned on the way she had been, that was for sure. Her mind was in the gutter, and she needed to get it out, and in a hurry.

  Once her pants were safely secure, she met Luke's gaze. His eyes were dark, unreadable, except for the intense heat burning her up and making her feel like ripping off her shirt and throwing herself into his arms. So, yeah, unreadable, except for that.

  "So, is it a deal?" he asked. "A trained dog for dinner with the attorney?"

  Paige chewed her lower lip, trying to focus her mind on business. Luke wouldn't have the patience to make it through the entire training program with Muffin. It was a safe deal for her. "Sure. Dinner with my lawyer friend if Muffin passes all the tests."

  "And you won't make up tests just to keep him from passing?"

  She grinned and patted his cheek patronizingly. The stubble on his cheek pricked her fingers. God, that was hot. Why had he not shaved? Her old firm had had a "no facial hair" rule, so Luke's whiskers were a complete distraction, and completely sexy. "You're so skeptical of women, Luke. You need to have more faith."

  He clasped her hand just as she was pulling it away from his face and held it for just a second too long, if one intended "too long" to mean "too long to be proper." Because in terms of "oh wow, that felt great," it was just long enough to make her want more.

  "I'm a lawyer. Lawyers don't have faith in human nature. They have faith in the w
ritten word, with a signature on the bottom."

  Paige sighed. She didn't need a skeptical, bitter lawyer in her personal life. The zipper experience would have to fuel her fantasies, because nothing more was going to happen with the Muffin Man. "Okay, so bring a revised contract to our first training session."

  "No, have your lawyer friend redraft yours. I like her style. Tomorrow's Sunday. I'll be at your house at ten?"

  Paige groaned inwardly. That meant she'd have to do the contract tonight after she got home, or early tomorrow instead of her morning swim. "Can't we do it later? Like noon?"

  "No, I've got to go to the office later."

  "Figures," she muttered. The door swung open suddenly, causing her to jump.

  "Paige? Are you sick?" Louise walked in, her tanned face wrinkled with concern. She stopped. "Oh. Hello."

  Paige realized that she was still standing intimately close to Luke. She stepped away from him and turned on the faucet to wash her hands "Hey, Mom. Just having a conversation."

  Louise, wearing a modest tank top that showed off her sculpted arms, looked from her daughter to Luke. Watching Luke in the mirror, Paige was annoyed to discover that Luke looked amused, rather than embarrassed.

  He nodded to Louise. "I'm Luke Donovan. Your daughter and I were negotiating terms for her to train my dog."

  Paige saw the look of recognition on her mother's face and prayed her mom wouldn't make the Muffin Man reference to Luke's face.

  "Ah, yes. Paige told me about you. You're just as handsome as she said you were."

  The Muffin Man reference would have been better. She moaned to herself and splashed water on her face. "I also said he was an arrogant pill, if you recall," she said. "No offense, Luke, but you are a lawyer."

  Luke looked at her mom, looking even more amused. "She said I was an arrogant pill?"

  "She might have said something to that effect. But I'm sure she was talking about the dog."

  Luke grinned. "I doubt it. She's a bit of a pain herself."

  Paige grabbed a paper towel and wiped her dripping chin. "You don't like me because you can't control me, like you control everyone else in your life."

  "That's what you think?"

  "Yep." She tossed the towel into the trash.

  "Did it ever occur to you that your independence is one of the things I like most about you?"

  "What?"

  "Nothing."

  Paige didn't want to stay around to figure that one out. She needed reminders of why Luke was wrong for her, before she got involved and let him break her heart and ruin her life.

  "Guess we oughta head back out there, huh, Mom?"

  Louise shook her head. "Oh, no. The men are fine. Watching you two spar is much more interesting."

  "I have to go anyway," Luke said. "I'll see you tomorrow at ten."

  "With Muffin," she said quickly, irritated by the knowing look on her mom's face.

  "With Muffin," he agreed. He pulled open the door to the bathroom, then paused. "By the way, I love your black lace panties."

  "Luke!" But he was gone, leaving Paige alone to fend off her mom's questions.

  "When did he see your underwear?"

  Chapter 8

  On Sunday morning, Paige decided there was no way she could deal with Luke without swimming first. The date with Walt Jr. had been tepid at best, and her mom's constant harassment had made her dreams far too interesting.

  She had to be better in control of herself by the time Luke got there. "Come on, Bandit!" Paige took a running leap off the wooden float, sailing through the air and landing with a splash. Bandit landed just behind her, his toenails scraping down her back. "Eeeiii!"

  She arched her back against the pain, yowling in protest. As if she didn't have enough scars from his toenails already. "We are so trimming those today."

  Bandit had some issues when it came to toenail trimming, like howling, squirming, and basically falling apart when she tried to trim them, but clearly, they'd reached the limit of acceptability. "I promise to distract you with peanut butter, okay? It'll be a breeze."

  He paddled past her, swimming toward shore, clearly not impressed with the offer.

  She sighed, grimacing as the water stung her cut. Ah, well, she would just add them to her other scars from swimming with dogs. She flipped over on her back and swam toward the dock, squinting against the morning sun. A quick glance at her watch told her that Luke would arrive in a half-hour, so she needed to drag herself out of the water, much as she didn't want to.

  If she hadn't had to get up early and revise the contract, she wouldn't have gotten such a late start on her swim. She'd felt the pressure to write it well, knowing that experienced eyes would read it. That need to impress had irritated her, taking the pleasure out of her work. Already he was drawing her back into her law-induced misery. She had to resist the urge to be sucked back in. It didn't matter what he thought of the contract.

  Bandit was paddling beside her, loving his water excursion. Ever since she'd put the step on the float so he could get on it, he'd been partaking in her morning swims. It was so much nicer than swimming alone.

  Bandit barked suddenly, startling her. Paige gasped, sucking a mouthful of water into her lungs. She flipped over so she could hold herself upright while she choked.

  "Morning."

  Her stomach flipped, and she looked up, still coughing. The sun was bright, blinding her so all she could see was the silhouette of a person. But she knew who it was. "You're early."

  She closed the distance to her dock, where Luke was standing. Muffin was beside him, straining on his leash to go visit Bandit, who was already climbing out of the water, eager to visit their guests.

  "Yeah. I was ready, so I came over."

  Paige grabbed the wooden ladder and looked up. His broad shoulders were now blocking the sun, so she could see him clearly. He was wearing khaki shorts and a t-shirt, with the same hiking boots he'd been wearing at the restaurant. He was more appropriately dressed to go on a hike than work in a law firm. It was a good look for him.

  "Want a hand up?"

  She started to reach for his hand, then remembered her skimpy bikini. She shook her head and sunk back down in the water. The man had a way of catching her in the most revealing of attire. "Um, no."

  "You ready to train? I have to get through this and get to the office. I have work to do."

  Paige pushed away from the dock and treaded water. The man was treating her like his precious underling again. He had work to do, so it was perfectly acceptable to show up a half-hour early and expect her to drop everything for him. That attitude was why she had to stop having the fantasies about him.

  She lifted her chin defiantly. "Actually, no, I'm not. I have about fifteen more minutes of my swim. I'll change and be ready for you at ten, like we agreed. You're welcome to go up to my cottage and look over the contract while you wait. It's on my kitchen table." Paige grinned at the surprised look on his face. "Or you can go do errands and come back in a half hour."

  She rolled onto her stomach and swam away, heading out toward the float. After a few minutes, she heard a splash. Good ol' Bandit. He had chosen to swim with her instead of hanging with Luke and Muffin.

  Then a hand closed around her ankle. Paige shrieked and kicked, her foot slamming into something solid. Her heart racing, she whirled around, only to see Luke treading water, his face contorted in pain.

  "Next time don't aim so low," he grunted.

  Paige grimaced, realizing where she'd probably kicked him. "Sorry. You startled me."

  Luke dragged himself the short distance to the float, discomfort still etched on his face. "You didn't hear me dive in?"

  She swam after him. "I thought the splash was Bandit. You scared me when you grabbed my ankle. I'm really sorry."

  He hauled himself up the ladder, his arms bulging with muscles that threatened to pop through his taut skin. His calves were chiseled, and his wet shorts clung to a butt that was solid muscle.

&nbs
p; She had her answer. He was not a fluffy, out-of-shape lawyer who worked twenty hours a day. Somewhere in his schedule, he had made time to take care of his body. He was a hard, sculpted male, who was far hotter than she'd had any idea when she'd seen him in his suit.

  Hello. This view was doing nothing to quell her ridiculous attraction to him. She grabbed the ladder and pulled herself partway onto the float, making sure the interesting parts of her body were out of his sight. Luke was sitting down, looking unhappy. "You okay?"

  He winced. "Yeah," he grunted. "Great."

  She grimaced at the tension in his voice. "It really hurts, huh?"

  Luke raised his eyebrow. "Of course it does."

  "Will it ache for a few days, or does it wear off in a few minutes?"

  At his curious look, Paige blushed and sank back in the water. "I didn't have brothers. I always wondered exactly how bad it was."

  Luke grinned. "It's okay. It's sort of refreshing to be around a woman who isn't too uptight to discuss these kinds of things." He looked startled by his confession, and plowed forward to answer her question. "This time it'll be fine in a few minutes. When I was a teenager, I was kicked by a horse. I couldn't walk for a week, literally."

  Paige returned to the ladder and pulled herself up far enough that she could lean on the float. "Really? Did they swell?"

  She saw his eyes dart toward her chest, then he looked across the lake, shifting his position so his legs blocked her view of the front of his shorts. Was he reacting to her? She looked down, realizing that her breasts were now visible over the top of the float. Did he think she was hot?

  No, it was probably just those dumb fantasies of hers acting up again.

  Luke cleared his throat, still not looking at her. "Yeah. Swollen, purple. My dad thought I wasn't going to be able to...well...have sex, but there was no way I was going to the doctor to be checked out. Way too embarrassing for a teenage boy. My mom was worried that she wasn't going to get any grandchildren out of me."

  "Can you?" Paige leaned a little further out of the water, entranced by the story.

  "Can I what?" Luke kept his gaze on the lake.