Talking Dog II: Never Send a Dog To Do a Woman's Job

by Shelley Munro

  “I worry more about Janaya,” Alex muttered, stepping on the brakes with all his strength. The vehicle screamed, the stench of rubber heavy in the air.

  Lily stared fixedly at the nearest tree. It got bigger and bigger until all she could see through the driver’s window was tree. The impact threw her toward Alex and then the seat belt jerked her back. Killer yelped twice. Alex cursed. The engine groaned. Metal screeched as it made contact with a branch. A dull pop preceded the crackle of broken glass.

  Then at last the vehicle stopped.

  Lily sucked in a breath and gingerly tested her limbs. Everything worked. And at least they hadn’t hit hard enough to activate the airbags. “Alex, you all right?”

  “Yeah. Will the vehicle still work?”

  Lily sure hoped so. “Killer, sweetie. You can come out now. Everything’s okay.”

  Killer poked her head out from behind Lily’s legs. She cast a disgruntled look at Alex, and Alex guessed he was in for a tongue-lashing when Killer got him on his own. He checked out Lily. Judging from her set expression there wouldn’t be much flesh on his bones for Killer to pick over. His stupid pride had landed him right in the middle of a mess. In hindsight, he should have admitted he hadn’t had much experience with Earth vehicles.

  “Turn off the engine,” Lily snapped.

  Alex noticed she didn’t call him sweetie. He switched the vehicle off and silence throbbed in the cab. Lily jerked open the passenger side door. Killer sprang out and Lily followed.

  Basuko and double basuko. Alex flung himself at the door, intent on getting out to inspect the damage. It didn’t budge. “Basukoation,” he muttered, shoving against it with all his strength. Finally, it opened with a protesting groan far enough that he could squeeze out. Pissed, more with himself than anything, Alex climbed out and slammed the door shut. It bounced back and almost hit him at knee level. Alex jumped back and promptly fell over an exposed root. He landed hard enough to smack the air from his lungs. Winded and struggling for breath, Alex lay on the ground and scowled up at the tree canopy and the patches of sky between. He should have followed his gut instinct to stay in bed this morning.

  A short yap right next to his ear made him start.

  “Car hurt. Luke be grumpy.”

  “I’ll get it fixed,” Alex snapped, climbing slowly to his feet. That damned dog was getting on his nerves. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she’d purposely interrupted them last night. He pushed past the spotted animal and stepped around to join Lily at the front of the car. Blast, he’d broken the side mirror as well. Alex kicked it out of the way, and it rolled drunkenly underneath the car.

  “It doesn’t look too bad,” she conceded. “I think I should be able back it out from under the trees.”

  “I’ll pay for the repairs,” Alex said.

  “Damn right you will,” Lily stated. She turned to look him in the eye. “Don’t lie to me again.” She advanced on him, her finger pointing and coming dangerously close to poking him in the chest. “Don’t ever lie to me again. I don’t like it, and I won’t put up with it. I hate people who lie,” she ended on a hard note.

  Alex nodded, uncomfortably aware of the lie he was living. He focused on the vehicle, deciding a change of subject was in order. “The tree gouged the driver’s door. It will have to be repaired before we can leave.”

  “Maybe I can fix it.” Lily stepped past him, grabbing Alex’s shoulder for balance as she squeezed between him and the car. Her scent took him from interested to hot and ready before he had time to formulate a countermove to protect himself. It was as though being apart during the night had done nothing to dampen his ardor.

  “Door broken,” Killer barked.

  Alex shot her an aggrieved look. The dog should try telling them something they didn’t know, he thought grumpily.

  While Alex watched, Lily tried to shut the door, but it wouldn’t remain closed. “We’ll stop by the garage. Hopefully Samuel will be able to fix it for us today.”

  The cadence of her voice changed when she mentioned the man Samuel. It went soft and dreamy, and she smiled as if an enjoyable memory pleased her. A strange sensation squeezed his rib cage at the thought of Lily and another man. He knew about her ex-husband, but that man was no threat. The ex was downright stupid. This unknown Samuel was worrying.

  * * * * *

  “We were lucky Sam was willing to lend us his SUV while he ordered the replacement door for Luke,” Lily said. “I don’t know why you treated him so badly. Are all the males on Dalcon as surly as you?”

  “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.” Alex had known exactly what was going through the Earthman’s mind. And Lily was blind if she didn’t see that Sam was attracted to her. He’d had way more than friendship on his mind.

  “We went to school together,” Lily explained as they drove down the main street of Sloan.

  At the back of his mind, Alex noted the trees lining the streets and the colorful red and purple flowers in the plant boxes. “Is this a typical town?”

  “Our discussion is not finished,” Lily said with a sniff.

  “Yeah,” Killer agreed. “Lily has more words to tell you off.”

  “I understand that you’re my tour guide, and we need to keep this on a professional basis,” Alex said stiffly.

  “A pro basis?” Killer barked. “Lily nice lady.”

  Once again, Alex ignored the dog. No use encouraging her outspokenness. “I’ve said I was sorry about the vehicle. I’ve offered to pay for the damages, and I will. Can we please start over?”

  The look Lily gave him seared straight to his toes. That bloody sexual awareness again even though he’d taken double doses of the travel pills. At this rate, he was going to run out of pills. His mind sneaked away on him, darting back to the scene last night, remembering the feel of Lily in his arms, the smooth texture of her naked breasts. The taste of her. Alex bit back a groan and stared fixedly out the window at the passing scenery.

  “All right,” she said after what seemed to Alex an extraordinary length of time to consider his proposal. “But if I find you’ve lied to me about paying to fix Luke’s vehicle or anything else then all bets are off.”

  Alex opened his mouth to reply then snapped it shut. Best he not answer that one. “So this is a normal town?”

  “We’ll pass through several Kiwi towns today. You’ll get to compare for yourself, but yes, Sloan is fairly typical with a bank, post office and a few shops.”

  “What is this Kiwi?” Alex asked. He couldn’t remember reading about a Kiwi and had no idea what the word meant.

  “A kiwi is a flightless bird native to New Zealand.” Lily glanced across at him. “New Zealanders call themselves Kiwis. It’s an affectionate term.”

  “So you are a Kiwi?” Alex asked, savoring the unfamiliar word on his tongue.

  “Yeah. If we get time, we’ll visit the kiwi house so you can see them.” She glanced at the guidebook that sat on the seat near Killer. “You should find a picture of one in there somewhere.”

  Lily indicated to turn onto the motorway south. “Actually, we can take a slight detour and go via Rotorua. It’s not far out of our way but there’s a kiwi house there. Kiwis are nocturnal,” Lily said. “So they keep them in specially controlled environments to fool the birds into thinking it’s night rather than day when they normally sleep.”

  Alex frowned at her professional manner. It was as if she thought to distance him and treat him like a client. Despite his fear of bonding, Alex’s irritation blossomed. He wasn’t used to being pushed aside, especially by a female, and he didn’t like it. Talk about ironic, he thought. For a male trying to blend in and go about his business, he wasn’t doing such a good job. He had to concentrate on his fledgling business.

  “I’d like to see a kiwi. Isn’t Rotorua the thermal area?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Good, I’d like to visit the place.”

  “Okay,” Lily said. “Check out the guide
book and decide what you’re interested in seeing. You can do the tours, and I’ll talk details to the site operators and find out about group discounts and that sort of thing.”

  Alex settled back to enjoy the ride—or tried to. Each time Lily changed gear, her arm brushed his thigh, and as it became warmer inside the car, her scent seemed to permeate each breath he took. He picked up the guidebook, opened it to the section on Rotorua then stuck it on his lap to cover up his blatant erection. This promised to be a long drive, which was why he’d wanted to operate the vehicle in the first place. He’d foreseen this development after the way his body had reacted to her last night. Pity he hadn’t been so smart earlier on and chosen a male tour guide.

  After they turned off the motorway, they passed lush green pastures dotted with cows, sheep and horses. Alex noticed the small towns they drove through were similar to Sloan, some bigger, some smaller, but each full of what he was becoming to regard as Kiwi character. Now and then, he turned the pages in the guidebook. Lily was right. A visit to Whakarewarewa, the thermal reserve, where they had bubbling mud pools and geysers along with a kiwi house sounded fascinating. Something that would interest his clients.

  “I hungry,” Killer barked without warning.

  “Don’t bark in my ear,” Alex snapped.

  “Wanna smell outside.” Killer scrambled into his lap and shoved her nose in the four-inch gap between the window and the frame. Her entire body wriggled with pleasure as she scented the outdoors.

  “Smells funny,” she said.

  The spotted creature was right but Alex could hardly start up a discussion with her without Lily wondering what was going on.

  “Aren’t dogs strange the way they like to shove their heads out the windows of moving vehicles,” Lily observed. “I think we’ll stop for lunch soon. There’s a picnic spot at the top of the next hill. Killer looks as though she’d like a run.”

  “Oh, boy,” Killer barked. “Rabbits!”

  Lily laughed. “Sounds like she agrees with a stop.”

  Alex shrugged. Lily didn’t know the half of it. “I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs a bit.” And some fresh, Lily-free air would do him a power of good.

  Lily pulled up at the picnic spot five minutes later. There was only one other car in the parking area when they arrived.

  Alex opened his door, and Killer shot out, nearly unmanning him in the process. With a muttered curse, Alex climbed out and went to the rear of the vehicle to help Lily with the picnic basket.

  “Where do you want to eat?” Lily asked. “We can use the tables over there or take one of the walking tracks and find a place in the sun.”

  No sooner had she spoke than Killer took off down the track, paused briefly and then darted down the right-hand fork.

  Alex wrestled the cane picnic basket away from Lily. “I guess we’re going the same way as Killer.”

  Lily pulled a tartan blanket from the back, locked the vehicle, and then fell into step with him. A small bird with a fanlike tail flitted about them while Alex heard the guttural call of another bird in the distance. The situation reminded Alex of an outing on Dalcon with a special female. He’d attended many picnics before he’d grown smart enough to realize the attraction was his status and not his company.

  They headed off down the dirt track that wound between mounds of rocks and manuka trees. A series of clicks sounded, and Alex decided it must be a tui. He’d actually absorbed quite a bit of knowledge during the long, sleepless night. The guidebook hadn’t put him to sleep, but he’d learned a fair bit about New Zealand.

  The track narrowed, and Lily went first. Alex’s gaze zoomed to her butt. To his frustration, the black skirt she wore was shapeless, making it difficult to ascertain the female form beneath. The long red jumper didn’t help much even though the color suited her. He wished she’d wear a garment that showcased her beautiful curves instead of hiding them. Then again, perhaps not. Other men would ogle her.

  Alex thought of the court painters as a case in point. They would offer many gold coins to paint her naked form. He hated the thought of other males seeing her lush curves. The visual that popped into his mind sent his system into full arousal, his cock stabbing against the loose cotton pants he’d taken the precaution of wearing today to lessen the pain. While the thought had been good in theory, in practice he still ached. All over.

  The rush and bubble of water filled the air as Alex and Lily rounded the curve in the track. The dim light beneath the trees gave way to sunshine when they stepped into a clearing. Alex caught a flash of white from the corner of his eye as Killer bounded across the swift-flowing water and leapt up the grassy bank on the other side.

  Lily slowed to a halt and stared at the water.

  Alex caught the look of trepidation. “I’ll carry the blanket for you,” he said. “You’ll be fine. The stones are close together.”

  Lily gazed at the six stones that jutted out of the water in something akin to horror. This was the stuff of a clumsy person’s nightmare. And it wouldn’t be much easier wading through the stream. The water would be freezing cold despite the sunny day and the rocks would be slimy underfoot. That was assuming it wasn’t too deep for her to cross. “You go first.” Her voice sounded faint and more than a little frightened. She wanted to look elegant for once in her life.

  Alex speared a look at her but didn’t comment. “Okay. Sure.” He tugged the blanket from her nerveless fingers and tucked it under his arm.

  Lily caught Killer’s faint bark as she tore ‘round and ‘round the small clearing on the other side, her nose to the ground chasing rabbit scents. Then she turned her attention to Alex. He made the crossing look easy despite carrying the blanket under one arm and the cane basket in his right hand. He seemed to glide over the stream, stepping from stone to stone with barely a pause. Suddenly, it was her turn. Lily debated on whether to go back to Sam’s car. She could sit and wait for them.

  “Do you want me to come back for you?” Alex called.

  Lily swallowed, her fear creating a huge knot inside her throat. Yeah, right. Then she’d look stupid and clumsy because she couldn’t manage on her own. Memories of her ex crowded her mind along with the jokes and taunts that still haunted her. She inhaled then slowly exhaled. When she glanced down at her feet she saw her hands were bunched into fists. Unconsciously, she’d clenched her fists so hard the knuckles were white. She released them and flexed her hands to stimulate the blood flow. Boy, was she a basket of nerves.

  “No. No, don’t come back. Set out the lunch, and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  Alex hesitated and then turned to walk across the clearing. Lily watched him set the basket down and spread the tartan blanket out on a grassy spot.

  Right. She’d finally found a man who didn’t think it was woman’s work to unpack a picnic. Now all she had to do was cross the stream to get to him. Any child could do it.

  Lily sidled closer to the water. It looked…wet. And cold. White water surged around the steppingstones that stuck out of the water like teeth. Where the water ran at a slower pace, it was clear enough to see the gravel bottom. Grass and dark green moss grew on the banks. Lily took another deep breath and forced herself to take the first step. She could almost hear Ambrose’s taunts when she’d fallen face-first into muddy water during a visit to his father’s farm. “Stupid, clumsy cow,” he’d said in his high singsong voice. Of course, that had made her even more self-conscious, and she’d promptly fallen.

  She wasn’t going to embarrass herself this time.

  Not in front of Alex.

  “You can do this, Lily Morgan,” she muttered in a grim voice.

  Lily took another step and stopped with both feet on the second stone. So far so good. Feeling marginally more confident, Lily stepped onto the third stone. Halfway through taking a fourth step, a flash of bright yellow in her peripheral vision snared her attention. Her head turned to track the splotch of foreign color while she placed her foot on the next stone. Cold wa
ter seeping into her leather shoe shocked her rigid.

  “No!” she gasped, her mind already leaping ahead in horror at the possible consequences.

  Lily’s body jerked in reaction to her fears. Her foot hit the safe, solid stone then slipped. She’d mis-stepped! She tried to leap the few extra inches in compensation. Her arms windmilled wildly while she teetered on the edge of the slimy triangular-shaped stone. Lily made the mistake of looking down and wobbled some more.

  A loud shriek echoed through the clearing as her feet shot from under her and she toppled backward into the water. She hit with a mighty splash. It took Lily a moment to realize the scream came from her. Not that she thought she was in danger. It was more the shock of the icy cold water. It seeped into her clothing, attracted like water to a sponge.

  The thump of running footsteps through mounds of dried leaves and grass sounded.

  “Lily!”

  For a second, Lily floundered in a panic and swallowed a mouthful of water before realizing the water was only knee-deep and she could stand without aid. She scrambled to her feet and stood wavering like a drunken man in the swift current, water dripping from her hair and clothes and down her skin. A shiver worked down her spine as cold flesh met with a cool breeze.

  “Lily?”

  She looked up at the worry in Alex’s voice. “I’m okay. Just a bit wet,” she said in a wry voice. “Stay there. No point both of us getting wet.” She took a baby step toward the bank, fighting the current and slippery footing and trying desperately not to fall again. A girl’s pride could take only so much.

  But Alex didn’t listen. He waded into the fast-flowing water and reached her side in seconds, making the whole maneuver look simple. His hands ran down her body as though looking for broken bones or bloody wounds. Lily suspected she might have a few bruises tomorrow, but that was all. The only thing that really smarted was her pride. Clumsy clot strikes again.

  Chapter Six

  Alex swept her up in his arms with an ease that stole her breath.