Pawfectly In Love

by Stephanie Rowe

  Ever since the day in his office, she was different. The wall she'd kept around her heart had cracked, and he was working his way further and further into her heart with each passing day. She'd been thinking about law again, thinking about how maybe she could do it, if Luke was with her, grounding her, being her shield.

  And today, she'd made sure to finish her swim early, so she was fully dressed by the time he arrived. She knew that if he showed up and she was still in her bikini, there were going to be kisses, and those kisses were going to lead to more. She'd been sure to be fully dressed by the time he arrived each time; no more bikini encounters.

  The crunch of tires in the driveway made her heart leap, and Bandit bounded to the front door, barking. He already recognized the sound of Luke's car, and knew his pal Muffin would get to play with him once the training was finished.

  Paige patted her hair, then scowled when she realized she was primping. She messed her hair back up, then walked to the front door.

  "Hey," Luke said as he climbed out of his car, which had a few mud splatters on it. He waved at Paige, then hooked Muffin to the leash before letting him out of the car.

  "Hi." His muscles were rippling beneath his cotton tee shirt, and his shorts fit snugly across his now-healed butt. If only he were a jerk. But he wasn't. He just wasn't.

  Luke glanced up at the darkening sky. "I think I felt a drop."

  Paige walked off the porch and held out her hand. After a moment, a cold drop splashed on her palm. "Yep. It's raining. We better get started."

  "What's the plan today? More heeling?"

  She rubbed Muffin's head while she tried to concentrate on Luke's question. Lately, she seemed to be having more and more trouble keeping herself from thinking interesting thoughts about him. Each time he brushed her arm, it sent chills through her. "How's the whistle-training going? Does he come when you whistle?"

  "Yep. I haven't tried it in a situation where he's distracted though. I'm afraid if I whistle when he's got something more interesting going so he doesn't respond, then he'll start ignoring me again."

  "Why don't you let him off the leash with Bandit? Let them wander a bit, then whistle. Bandit will come too, so even though he's distracted, Muffin will still respond as well."

  Luke nodded, and unhooked his dog. Delighted to be relieved of training before it had even begun, Muffin trotted across the yard with Bandit, heading for the lake.

  The raindrops grew more insistent, splashing off Paige's head. She could feel each cold drop on her scalp. The clouds above her head had turned to dark purple, and the black clouds were much closer.

  Luke whistled.

  Paige pursed her lips for a follow-up whistle, but it wasn't needed. Both dogs spun at the same time, sprinting across the yard toward their owners. Little shiny spots decorated their coats, as the rain started coming down harder.

  Luke gave each of the dogs a treat. Paige grinned at his readiness. The man had become a true dog owner, carrying treats wherever he went. "Good dogs," he said, squatting down to ruffle their furry heads.

  He seemed oblivious to the rain, but Paige wasn't. "It's starting to pour, Luke. Let's go inside and see if it blows over. Unless you're in a rush and just want to reschedule?"

  "Nope. No rush. I'll come in." He sauntered up the steps to the deck, leading the way inside.

  Paige trailed after him, marveling at his change in personality. "When I first met you, you would never have had the time to wait out a rainstorm. You would have rushed back to work," she said. She grabbed a spare towel and tossed it to Luke.

  She used another towel to wipe her face, nearly dropping it at Luke's response.

  "I couldn't exactly turn down an invitation to hunker down with you, now could I?"

  Her heart rate increased, but she didn't look at him. "I didn't ask you to hunker down."

  Luke set the towel on the table and walked toward her. "Thinking about the kiss that Mrs. Hopsman interrupted has been keeping me up nights. I'm sleep-deprived and cranky."

  "Luke..."

  "I think I need to get you out of my system."

  "Go back to your side of the kitchen."

  Luke grabbed the ends of her towel and draped it behind her. Resting it against her lower back, he tugged on the towel, pulling her toward him. She tried to yank it out of his hands, but Luke didn't release it. Paige leaned back, but her hips were nearly against his. He smiled, his eyes daring her to play.

  "Luke?"

  But he didn't answer. He simply gave the towel a final tug until she was pressed against him, anchored to his pelvis. His lips were inches from hers, but he didn't close the gap. Paige could feel the heat of his breath on her face, and his eyes were like the rumbling storm clouds outside. She didn't think she'd be able to resist a genuine invitation. Not when in her soul she wanted to believe in him, wanted him to treat her with the kindness and love he so freely gave his sister.

  Slowly, she let go of the towel, moving her hands to rest on his chest. His shirt was still damp from the rain, and it clung to his skin.

  A rumble sounded. Paige wasn't certain whether it came from Luke or from the storm outside. She didn't have time to figure it out, as her mind suddenly scrambled when Luke finally closed the distance between them, his lips crushing hers in a passionate kiss that left no doubt as to his intentions.

  A little voice whispered that she should resist, but the burning flame growing in her belly drove her to respond, pressing her body against his, meeting each demanding kiss with more demands of her own.

  "Paige." His voice was husky, sending goosebumps down her back. He slid his lips down her neck, nibbling on her collarbone while his hands roamed her damp body, scooting under her shirt to caress the bare skin of her back.

  She felt his arousal pressed against her front, the evidence of his interest stoking her own fires of passion. Of their own accord, her hands slid under his shirt, caressing the chest that she'd been dreaming about since their swim in the lake. His skin was hot to her touch, and she could feel his heart pounding under the palm of her hand.

  Gripping her bottom, Luke lifted her against him, devouring her neck, shoulder, and throat with sensuous kisses. She could feel the prickle of his whiskers against her skin.

  He moved his hands around her waist, sliding them under her bra. When his hands cupped her breasts, Paige groaned softly, her skin tingling every place he touched.

  Luke felt his control slip when Paige's body became soft and pliable against his. He hadn't meant for it to go this far; he'd intended only to have one kiss to convince himself that he wasn't interested. But he hadn't been able to stop, and he wanted it all now. Visions of her lithe, tan body in her turquoise bikini assaulted his senses, and he knew he couldn't stop himself.

  Wrapping his arm around her waist, he hoisted her onto the counter. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him against her. Luke groaned, his pants painfully tight. As he buried his face in her neck, feeling her hands frantically roaming his bare back, he realized that he would be happy in her arms for the rest of his life.

  His eyes shot open and he froze. Jesus. For the rest of his life?

  "Luke? What's wrong?"

  He lifted his head and met her gaze. He had to protect himself, push her away before he threw away all he'd worked so hard for, before he fell in love with her so completely that he was willing to give up his life for her. "This doesn't change anything."

  Her eyes were still clouded with passion, and her hands were stroking his forearms. "What are you talking about?"

  "I'm going back to Boston, Paige."

  Paige's hands stilled and her eyes cleared. "What?"

  "I want you, badly, but I can't lie to you. No matter what happens between us, I'm still going back to Boston." The words bit deep, raging inside him. He wanted to deny them, to take them back, to do anything to not be the guy who had to walk away from this…but he didn't. He just stood there.

  Her fingers became ice cold. "You bastard. Let go of me."<
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  Luke tightened his grip on her waist, desperate at the thought of being rejected by her, even though he knew he'd intended for it to happen. "We can still enjoy each other during the time I'm here, Paige."

  Her voice was as cold as a frozen lake during a New Hampshire winter. "Get away from me."

  "Paige..."

  "Now!" She shoved his hands aside and jumped off the counter, tugging her bra back down over her breasts. "You had to go and prove you were the despicable creature I thought you were, didn't you?"

  Shit. His chest hurt. Like absolutely fucking hurt. "I'm just being honest. What's despicable about that? Would you rather I had sex with you then left without a word?" God, the words tasted horrible as they left his lips. He wanted to shout that he didn't mean them, that he was falling in love with her and all she represented, but he didn't. Couldn't. It couldn't be happening to him.

  She curled her upper lip in distaste. "Leave it to a lawyer to try to twist it to his benefit. Thanks for the favor, Luke. Glad you spared me from being another one of your faceless romps."

  Luke's gut twisted at the pain so evident on her face. He hadn't intended to hurt her; he'd just been so concerned about protecting himself. His heart was lurching at the pain in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

  "Get out of here."

  Luke grabbed for her arm. "Paige. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I was being an idiot. I just—"

  "If you won't leave, I will. Let yourself out when you finally realize you aren't wanted." Paige ran for the door, whistling for Bandit. The two of them were gone before Luke could move.

  Even as he tried to convince himself that it was better this way, better that she left before he could tell her what he was really feeling, he walked to the window to make sure she was all right. The rain was beading across the window in sheets, making it difficult to see clearly. He thought he could see dark movement down on the dock, but it was too blurry to make out.

  Was she going out on the lake? Not with the storm coming. She was smarter than that. Unless he'd upset her so much that she wasn't thinking rationally? Shit. He wanted to rush down to the dock and make sure she wasn't doing anything stupid, but he resisted the urge. He'd give her space, but he wasn't leaving until she was safe back inside.

  He had just started to turn away from the window when a flash of red caught his attention. The blob of red was on the water, moving away from the dock. Son of a bitch. She had gone out on the lake, and it was his fault.

  His hands suddenly clammy, he yanked open the sliding door and sprinted across the deck, Muffin nipping at his calves. A red kayak was moving rapidly into the lake, being tossed about by the whitecaps.

  Slipping once on the wet boards, he made it to the end of the dock in time to see her rounding a bend in the shoreline. "Paige!" He cupped his hands around his mouth, but the wind swept away his words.

  The next moment, she had turned the corner, out of his sight. Luke rested his hands on his hips, staring at the last spot he'd seen her. "She knows what she's doing, doesn't she?"

  Muffin whined.

  "She lives on a lake, for cryin' out loud." Luke chewed his lower lip, hoping she'd reappear. Then he noticed the water. The wind was blowing in the direction Paige had gone, because the current had taken her. That's why she'd disappeared so quickly. She wouldn't be strong enough to paddle back against such a strong wind.

  "Hell." He was going after her.

  There were no other boats at the dock, but she had to have another one. Somewhere.

  "Come on, Muffin!"

  Together they sprinted up the hill, past the house to the garage. Luke flung open the door. Sure enough, an old canoe was propped against the wall. He grimaced, but it appeared to be his only option. They'd be lucky not to be swamped by the time they hit the first corner.

  They had to try.

  He grabbed a kayaking vest and strapped it around his dog, Muffin's forelegs fitting through the armholes easily.

  Luke chuckled at the sight of the big dog in an orange life jacket. If he weren't so worried about Paige, he'd be laughing at himself, packing a dog off in a canoe. Paige was getting to him, turning him into the kind of sap who didn't go anywhere without his dog. He was pathetic.

  He grabbed another life jacket and slipped it on. It didn't come close to fastening across his chest, and he wondered whether it would even support him if he went over.

  As if he had time to worry about that. He hoisted the canoe over his head and grabbed two paddles with his other hand, in case they found Paige. Or rather, when they found her.

  The sodden duo ran back down the hill, sliding on the wet grass. Once at the water, Luke set the canoe on the frothing lake, holding it against the dock. "In, Muffin."

  To his surprise, Muffin carefully jumped from the dock into the boat, bracing against the tilting boat. "Muffin, down."

  When Muffin looked at him in consternation, his legs splayed to keep his balance, Luke rubbed the dog's head. "Muffin, down. Or you'll tip us both over."

  Muffin sank to the bottom of the canoe, his chest resting against the floor. "Good boy!"

  Guess the dog training lessons were paying off. Damn, he liked having that dog with him.

  Before Muffin could change his mind about being agreeable, Luke climbed into the stern.

  "You keep an eye out for Paige," he said, pushing off from the dock. He rolled his eyes at himself as he began to paddle. He was having conversations with Muffin. His sister would be ecstatic. His colleagues would be stunned. But Paige would be the happiest, because she'd just wanted him to love his dog. He wanted to see her smile when he told her that he'd fallen victim to the four-legged charm, just as she'd predicted.

  Then he sobered. The water was black beneath him, the raindrops were pounding into the water, and the wind was propelling his boat fiercely in the direction Paige had gone. It would be hard enough for him to paddle back against the wind. Paige would never make it. He had to find her, and soon.

  Chapter 19

  Twenty minutes later, Luke was drenched, lost and certain he'd never find Paige or her dock again. The rain was pounding down, filling the bottom of the canoe and rattling off the aluminum hull like a snare drum. "Where is she, Muffin?"

  The dog's only response was a low growl that rumbled deep in his chest.

  Luke rested the paddle across his wet knees and looked at Muffin, who was still lying in the bottom of the canoe. "Don't they use Shepherds in search and rescue? Can't you do something with that nose?"

  Yeah, he knew that tracking from a canoe in the rain wasn't exactly catering to his dog's skills, but hell. He was getting desperate now, increasingly worried that he was going to see the kayak floating upside down, with no Paige or Bandit anywhere to be seen.

  The lake wasn't that big, but Paige seemed to have disappeared. Muffin growled again, catching Luke's attention. He eyed the dog, wondering if Muffin had been harboring a latent case of rabies that was about to flare up. He'd never heard the dog growl before.

  "What's up with you?"

  At Luke's voice, Muffin thumped his tail against the bottom of the boat, at the same time he growled again. Luke frowned at the two incongruous actions by Muffin. "What's your deal, Muff?"

  Muffin thumped his tail harder, and the growl sounded again, only this time, it was much louder. That's when Luke realized the growling wasn't coming from Muffin. It was the sky that was growling. "You gotta be kidding."

  He looked up at the black clouds, just in time to see a flash of lightning over the mountains. They had to find shore fast. The aluminum canoe would be certain death if they stayed out on the lake when the lightning got closer.

  The sky rumbled again, louder, and the thunder was quicker after the lightning. It was getting closer.

  A light sweat broke out on his forehead, mixing with the rain, and he started to paddle. Hard. Shore was straight ahead, and with the strong wind behind him, they should reach land in time to avoid being fried.

  Lightning flashed, and he
counted the seconds until the thunder rolled. The storm was coming in too fast. Where was Paige? Surely, she was smart enough to get off the lake.

  He was approaching the safety of the shore when Muffin sat up, rocking the boat precariously. Luke grabbed the edges of the boat and cursed. "Muffin! Down!"

  Muffin sank back down, but kept his head up, his ears perked toward an island, whining loudly enough for Luke to hear him over the storm. Luke started to resume paddling toward shore, then stopped, watching his dog. "Muffin?"

  The black head turned toward him, and Muffin whined. The rain was so loud against the lake surface that Luke could barely hear the dog, but it was enough. "Don't even tell me she's on that island."

  Muffin turned away and focused on the island again. Luke followed Muffin's gaze, squinting against the wind-blown rain. He could see nothing but some trees and rocks, and the island was shrinking rapidly as the wind carried his canoe further away.

  His dog sat up again, his whining becoming more frenzied.

  "Damn. You really think she's there, don't you?"

  Lightning flashed, and thunder followed soon after. He didn't have time to make it to the island before the storm arrived, not paddling against the wind. But he couldn't take the risk that she was there, and in need.

  Cursing under his breath, he turned the boat around. It tipped precariously when it became parallel to the waves, but he managed to keep it upright. "I can't believe I'm listening to a dog." But he didn't even hesitate. He had faith in his dog, and he wasn't going to doubt him.

  The wind howled, and the waves buffeted the bow of the canoe. The thunder rolled and Luke dug the paddle into the water. He didn't know if he'd make it to the island before being incinerated, but he had to try. There was no way he was going to cozy up on shore if there was a chance Paige was out on the lake in this weather.

  His muscles straining, he drove the paddle through the water, losing ground each time he took the paddle out of the water for another stroke. "Come on!"

  He paddled harder, digging against the power of nature, fighting for each yard he gained. Raindrops pelted his shoulders like hail, going right through his t-shirt. Sweat mingled with the rain streaking his forehead, and his back muscles screamed with the effort.