There was a pause, and as he waited he heard her take a breath.
“So, it’s still okay for me to come, even with the bad weather?”
“Definitely. Like I said, watchin’ a storm here is, well, I guess in your world you’d say it was cool.”
“How can I pass up something that’s cool?” she laughed. “Maybe I should come earlier though, before the rain starts.”
“You come on over whenever you want. I can even pick you up if you’d like.”
“No, I’ll drive,” she said quickly.
“Then just show up when it suits you. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
“Super. I’ll be leaving here in a few minutes. I’ll see you soon.”
Ending the call he let out a sigh and grinned broadly. Of course she would bring her own car. Though it went against his grain, and he would have preferred to do the gentlemanly thing and knock on her door and bring her over himself, she needed the security of having her own transportation in the driveway. The fact that she was taking a leap of faith and was coming at all was progress. He set to work making sure his house was in order, and it was only a short time later that he heard the sound of raindrops hit the roof.
“Damn, that’s one fast movin’ storm,” he muttered as he tidied up the bathroom and wiped down the counters.
Moving into the living room he started the fire, then heading back into the kitchen he tore apart the lettuce for the salad and whipped up the dressing. It was an old family recipe that called for a dash of cayenne pepper which gave it a wonderfully surprising bite, and placing it in the refrigerator he set about laying the table in the dining room. He’d just finished when he heard the rain begin splashing against the windows in earnest, and peering out the kitchen window into the backyard, he was surprised at how quickly the storm had descended.
Returning to the kitchen island he poured some half-and-half into his milk frothing machine and made himself a latte, then carrying it into the living room he set it on his impressive coffee table, which was actually a large slab of wood cut from a tree trunk and highly polished. The peal of distant thunder made him glad Crystal was already on her way. If the storm picked up steam the rain would soon become torrential, and dropping on to his couch he turned on his television and settled in to watch the Sunday morning football game.
He finished his coffee, and as the minutes continued to tick by he started to worry. Her house was only about fifteen minutes away, and it had been close to half-an-hour since she’d called. Muting the television, he picked up his mug, wandered into the kitchen, washed it out and put it away, and was thinking about calling her to make sure everything was okay when the doorbell rang. Breaking into a smile he hurried to answer it, but when he opened the door he stared at her in shock.
“Crystal, look at you!” he exclaimed, staring at her red, worried, drenched face. “What happened? You’re completely soaked. Quick. Come inside.”
“No, you need to come to my car, and hurry,” she said breathlessly.
“What’s going on?” he asked grabbing his parka from the coat rack.
“You’ll see, quick.”
Hurrying down his front path through the rain, she led him to her car and opened the door to the back seat. Peering inside he could hardly believe his eyes. Laying flat on its stomach, his head between his paws, was a bedraggled, drenched, and woeful dog.
CHAPTER FOUR
“What the hell?” Clay muttered sliding into the back seat out of the rain. “The poor thing. Where was he?”
“I saw him off the side of the road,” Crystal replied climbing into the front of the car and leaning over the center console. “He was laying down, and when I walked towards him he got to his feet, but honestly, Clay, I think he was too tired to run away. It was pouring and we just stood there staring at each other, then I remembered I had a granola bar in my pocket. I threw him a couple of pieces and he ate them, then he slowly came up to me. After that he let me get him into the car.”
“Poor guy,” Clay repeated. “This is totally weird.”
“Why?”
“I’ll tell you later. Let’s get him into the house.”
As Crystal had relayed the story, Clay had been gently stroking the dog’s side, both to reassure the animal, but also to do a quick check of the dog’s state. As far as Clay could tell there were no broken ribs, and though the dog was painfully thin, he didn’t react to any of Clay’s gentle prodding.
“How do we do that?” Crystal asked.
“I’ll lift him out. Do you have any more of that granola bar?”
“Yes, here,” she said, finding it in her pocket and handing it to him.
“Here you go, fella,” Clay said offering it to him. The dog sniffed it, gobbled it up, then immediately dropped its head back between its paws. “I don’t think he’s injured, but I’ll get him over to my vet first thing in the morning. Right now he needs some food and water, and a long warm sleep, but I need you to do something for me before I take him inside.”
“Sure, of course, just tell me.”
“The kitchen is to the right, and there’s a door that leads into the garage. Just inside to the left are some cabinets, and inside the first one is Trooper’s old bed. Put that in front of the fire in the living room.”
“I’m on my way,” she said, and climbing from the car she hurried back to the house.
Clay saw her disappear into his front door, then turned his attention back to the disheveled mess laying next to him.
“I guess the Good Lord heard me, or maybe it’s Trooper who sent Crystal to save you,” he mumbled, continuing to stroke the dog’s tangled coat as he fought a swell of emotion. “Either way, your bad days are over my friend.”
The dog slowly lifted its head, looked at him, and let out a soft whine. Clay felt his heart melt like an ice cream cone in the middle of summer, and moments later, when he lifted the starving animal from the back seat, he felt him sink into his arms. The bone-tired, four-legged traveler was on his last legs from hunger and exhaustion. Clay started up the path towards his house, walking cautiously through the driving rain, and as he approached he saw Crystal, still in her soaked coat, holding the front door open for them.
“It’s all ready,” she said as he passed. “I’ll be right back. I have to get my bag.”
“The path is slippery, be careful,” he warned.
“I will,” she promised.
With the dog still in his arms, he paused for a moment and watched her march towards her car, a sense of protection filling his heart.
“This is turning into a very strange day,” he mumbled as he turned and continued to the living room.
Gently laying the dog on the soft bed, Clay spotted Trooper’s feed bowls, one of which Crystal had filled with water. He pushed the dish forward, then sat back and watched as his new canine friend began to drink.
“How is he?”
“Lucky,” Clay replied looking up at her. “You did a great thing.”
“Uh, no, not really,” she said modestly. “I mean, I wasn’t going to just leave him there.”
Clay slowly rose to his feet and walked across to her.
“Why are you still in this wet coat?”
“I don’t know, I just didn’t think about taking it off. I was too worried. I just wanted to run in here and see how he was doing. You’re still wearing your parka.”
“I guess I am, but let’s get yours off first,” he said warmly, unhooking the buttons.
Looking up at his handsome face, wishing he would take her in his arms, she stood quietly as he slipped her coat from her shoulders.
“There, now go and warm up by the fire. I’ll be right back.”
“Um, there’s something on the table next to the coat rack for you,” she murmured.
“There is?”
“Yes, you’ll see,” she repeated. “Lucky kind of ruined my entrance.”
“Lucky?”
“The name is kind of right, don’t you think? You are goi
ng to keep him, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” he sighed, “it is right, and yes, of course I’m gonna keep him.”
“Yay,” she grinned. “It was fate, I’m sure it was.”
“Yep, I reckon you might be right about that.”
Carrying her coat he headed to the front door, and entering the small foyer he glanced at the table and shook his head. Hanging up her coat and taking off his, he picked up her gift and moved into the kitchen. Searching through the pantry he found what he was looking for; the unopened box of kibble he’d still not thrown away. Carrying it, and her present, he returned to the living room.
“Flowers?” he announced as he walked in. “No woman has ever brought me flowers before, and complete with a vase.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” she twinkled. “I didn’t know if a cowboy would have anything to hold a bunch of flowers, so I thought I’d better play it safe.”
“I’ve never had a woman arrive with a stray dog either, and I thank you for them both,” he smiled, placing the vase in the middle of the coffee table. “Here, put some of this kibble into his bowl. Not too much. We don’t know when he had his last meal and we don’t wanna make him sick. I’m gonna grab some towels to cover him.”
She poured the dry dog food into the bowl and placed it next to the water. The dog sniffed, then immediately began to devour what she’d offered.
“He’s so hungry,” she sighed as Clay returned with the towels.
“I’m sure he is,” he said sitting down next to her on the floor, “and it’s a good sign that he’s eatin’.”
“Why did you say this was weird?”
“Well,” he said dramatically, “directly from the, believe-it-or-not file, last night I made the decision to find another dog, and you rolled up to my door with Lucky here.
“You’re right, that is totally weird,” she declared. “I guess it was meant to be. Look, he’s conking out.”
Having finished his food, Lucky had laid back down and closed his eyes. Clay laid the towels over him, then taking Crystal by the hand he pulled her to her feet.
“You are amazin’,” he purred encircling her in his arms. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, thank fate. I’m just glad I saw him.”
He held her for a moment, then pulled back and studied her.
“Besides your hair being wet, how are you?”
“Fine, but the bottom half of my jeans are soaked through.”
“If you take ‘em off I can throw ‘em in the dryer.”
“Uh…”
“Crystal, I’ve seen you totally naked. Why the sudden modesty?”
“You’re right,” she laughed. “It’s being here, I guess, though I feel much more comfortable than I thought I would. I guess bringing Lucky in took care of that.”
“I have a long-sleeved T-shirt that will be a dress on you. How about that?”
“Thanks, but I’m good,” she grinned. “The shirt I’m wearing falls to mid-thigh, but this whole conversation is weird.”
“Totally,” he chuckled. “Come on through to the laundry, then I’ll give you the five cent tour.”
As she followed him back into the kitchen, she realized she wasn’t nervous about being in his house at all, and she stopped to study the decor. The floor was a dark green patterned tile, and the countertops were a matte finish, black natural stone. The cabinets were charcoal grey with brushed aluminum hardware, and the refrigerator was built in with a matching veneer. Everything was slick and modern, and it sparkled.
“I didn’t really look when I came running in here,” she said quietly. “This kitchen is gorgeous. Was it like this when you bought the house?”
“No, I renovated everything,” he replied.
“You did a fabulous job.”
“My dad told me renovatin’ was a nightmare, but I had a great time. Here, just through this door.”
She walked into the decent-sized laundry room, pulled off her wet boots, and quickly unzipping her jeans she threw them in the dryer.
“My socks are dry!” she declared. “How can that be?”
“Your boots must be insulated,” he remarked. “We’ll put them next to Lucky by the fire. They’ll dry out.”
“I have to tell you,” she said as he led her back to the living room, “this place is nothing like I thought it would be. These dark hardwood floors are gorgeous, and your rugs are just beautiful. Wow, that coffee table is amazing. I barely noticed it before. All of this, it’s so surprising.”
“What were you expectin’?” he asked as they stopped to stare out at the wind-driven rain swooping across the steel grey lake.
“When you said a cottage I pictured a little cabin with, I don’t know, kind of an old-world, rustic feel. This is a really cool home, and that kitchen is out of a magazine.”
“Yeah, well, the kitchen is the most important room in the house.”
“You think so?” she asked, darting her eyes up at him.
“Point taken,” he winked. “You wanna see the other most important room?”
“Of course, but I want to tell you why I brought you those flowers.”
“I just figured it’s the way they do things where you’re from. You know, the peace and love and flowers thing in San Francisco.”
“No, smartass,” she said giving him a poke. “I brought them because I wanted to say thank you, and I wanted you to know I was being sincere.”
“Thank me for what?”
“For not giving up on me,” she mumbled, dropping her eyes. “I know I can be difficult, and I don’t mean to be. I don’t seem to have any control over some of the things I do.”
“That’s how you feel when you agree to somethin’ you don’t wanna do, and then get resentful?”
“It sounds pathetic,” she muttered.
“It doesn’t sound pathetic,” he said quietly, shaking his head, “it sounds as if you need some help. What if you had a deterrent?”
“A deterrent? Like what?”
“How about,” he began, leading her across the room to sit down, “I promised to put you back over my knee and give you a dozen hard swats on your bare backside whenever you do it?”
“What?” she gasped, a hot flush crossing her face.
“Do you think that might help you be more forthright?”
“Um, I don’t know what to say,” she mumbled.
“And when you keep me waitin’ you’ll get a swat for every minute, or maybe every second. I haven’t decided yet.”
“I still don’t know what to say,” she repeated.
“Think about it. Give me your answer before you leave.”
The truth was, she didn’t know what to say because a fire was unexpectedly burning through her body, along with a strange quivering, and the sudden birth of a thousand tiny gymnasts in her belly was making it hard to breathe, let alone think. Closing her eyes she sank against him, and as she felt his arm move around her shoulder, she was cloaked in an overwhelming warmth and a startling epiphany rattled through her.
Clay Parker was not a casual vacation fling. He was more than that, much more, and what that meant, where that might take her, she couldn’t begin to imagine.
CHAPTER FIVE
The weather splashing against the windows and the comforting crackle of the fire were the only sounds in the room. Crystal had fallen silent. Clay held her softly, allowing her to catch her breath. Not only did she need a minute to process what he’d just offered, she’d had a dramatic morning rescuing Lucky. The dog was sleeping in front of the fire, his breathing soft and even, and as Clay looked over at him, he suddenly felt a wave of contentment. Everything felt right. Wonderfully, magically, amazingly right.
“Sorry,” she breathed straightening up.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” she said honestly.
Lifting her legs he pulled them over his lap, then circled his arms around her and snuggled her against his chest.
“Thanks for comin’ here,” he murmured. “Can you tell me why it was so difficult?”
“It wasn’t just coming to this place. I’m like that generally. When I have to go to someone else’s house I feel awkward. I’m just not comfortable, but strangely enough I’m not feeling like that. I guess the whole thing with Lucky got in the way.”
A sudden roar of thunder rolled over their heads, and raising her gaze she stared out at the lake just in time to see a spectacular flash of lightening.
“Wow!”
“I told you,” he grinned. “Watchin’ a storm from here is a kick.”
“It totally is.”
“You want some coffee? I make a great latte.”
“You can make a latte?”
“Sure.”
She looked into his inviting brown eyes, then dropped her gaze to his lips, his ultra-kissable, amazingly sexy lips, and impulsively leaned in and kissed him. It wasn’t a light, soft, simple kiss. It was a fervent, passionate, ‘take me now,’ kiss, and he responded, lifting his hands and holding her head as he crushed her mouth.
“Maybe you could show me your bedroom now,” she said breathlessly as they broke apart.
One arm went under her knees, the other around her back, and wordlessly rising to his feet he lifted her with him and carried her the short distance into his bedroom. Laying her down he quickly peeled off the last of her clothes, then his own, and with the sound of the storm lashing the house he climbed on to the bed and pulled her against him.
“You are a very naughty girl,” he whispered nuzzling her neck, then roamed his hands across her body as he feverishly devoured her breasts.
“I am? Why?” she mumbled.
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