by S. M. Butler
A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “No, I don’t believe we have.” He extended his hand. “Jordan Levi.”
That fucker. Did he really not remember her? Or was he just saving face? She couldn’t tell. His face was a mask she couldn’t decipher. It was all smiles and charm.
She hesitantly took his hand. Damn, it was warm, encompassing hers completely. He held on to it a moment too long, which made her think he did remember that night.
“Penny, Jordan works down the street with Axel.” Betty waved absently at him as she opened the counter door and walked behind it. “Jordan, Penny is Tessa’s little sister. She’s been away at school the last couple years.”
“Ah, I see,” he said. His gaze didn’t leave her and neither did his hand, holding tightly to her. If she tried to pull away, Betty would notice.
Fuck. Of all the damn places she would run into Jordan again, did it have to be her hometown? How was this even possible?
Betty vanished into the back of the place, and Penny could hear cooing sounds as Betty got to work on the dog. She gazed longingly after her as Jordan tugged on her hand. “Well, what do we have here?”
She faced Jordan and swallowed. “You, apparently.”
“And you,” he replied. A mischievous glint appeared in those brilliant blues. “Will you say goodbye this time, sneaky little mouse?”
“Cheap shot,” she hissed under her breath.
“So’s sneaking out after incredible sex without a goodbye.”
“I knew you remembered,” she whispered, pulling her hand back. He held on for a half second, before letting her loose. “What are you even doing here?”
“I live here,” he said, motioning out the door with the cane in his hand.
Jesus. He lived in her hometown? How fair was this? Why did they not talk about this that night? Shit, she supposed she hadn’t been up for talking that night. She’d been very drunk, very horny, and he was an excellent specimen of a man. Even standing there, her body was so attuned to his presence that she wanted to press against him.
His fist closed tightly around a long piece of dark wood and suddenly she remembered the boot on his foot. She frowned. “What did you do to your leg?”
His lips pressed together, and a wave of heat radiated from him. Was he angry at the question?
She narrowed her eyes back. “Never mind. You don’t have to tell me.”
“I broke it,” he said, somewhat reluctantly. “At work.”
“How do you break a limb working on a car?”
He shrugged. “I’m special. But at least I say goodbye before I leave a person I was just intimate with.”
“Still on that?” she snapped.
“Still waiting for an apology,” he replied hotly.
“Don’t be an asshole. You’d have done the same thing. You’re just mad I beat you to it.”
“Strangely enough, you’re not the first to call me an asshole today,” he said.
“Shocker,” she shot back.
“You know, it’s really not surprising you’re that harpy’s sister. Guess I should be glad I didn’t fuck her when I had the chance, too. It could have been awkward now.”
Wha—Was he serious with this? Had he tried to sleep with Tessa?
“She’s not a harpy.” Well, harpy was a little bit accurate… but he wasn’t allowed to call her that. He wasn’t family. “And you can go suck a grenade.”
“I’d rather suck something else of yours,” he replied, grinning widely. “There’s an alley on the side of this building. Want to go for round two?”
She glared at him but made no movement. He was standing in front of the only exit. She was pretty sure he was doing that on purpose, too, to keep her there, listening to his bullshit.
“I didn’t get to tell you ‘happy birthday’ that night. Hope you liked my present, though,” he said.
“You did tell me ‘happy birthday’ actually. Now get out of my way,” she demanded. “I’d like to leave.” His scent washed over her as she made her move for the door. Cinnamon? And something else she couldn’t identify. It was spicy yet not overwhelmingly so. Just enough to heat her body.
“Oh, no, we’re just getting started, darlin’,” he said, looming over her instead. He blocked her exit, moving like a dancer with that cane. To avoid touching him, because if she did, she’d be lost, she stepped back. It was the wrong move, because he walked her back with his big body until she hit the wall behind her.
Her heart thumped wildly as he placed one big palm against the wall over her head. He leaned in toward her, his body impossibly hot. His breath scalded her cheek. “Imagine my disappointment when I woke up, still naked and hard, to find ya gone, and the bed cold.”
“Stop it,” she whispered, though her voice was so weak even she could tell she didn’t mean it.
His lips were right by her ear, his voice a low rumble. “I had so much fun with you, little mouse. I really was looking forward to sliding into your body again in the morning before we said goodbye.”
She closed her eyes because he was too near, too hot, too much to look at. But it was the wrong thing to do. With her eyes closed, his body surrounded her like a heating blanket. His lips closed on the bottom of her ear, his tongue sliding along the skin.
She bit back a moan. How did he elicit such a reaction from her in seconds of seeing him?
“Stop,” she whispered again.
He released her ear, but he didn’t move away from her. Instead, he pulled back just enough to meet her gaze with those fiery tropical orbs. His body crowded hers as Doc Betty’s voice rang through the air from the back room. “Does this little guy have a name, Jordan?”
“I don’t know, Doc,” he said, his eyes not leaving hers. “I found him outside Miguel’s store.”
“You should give him one,” Betty said, her voice getting louder as she approached.
Jordan cocked his head to the side and grinned at Penny. He mouthed out, “We’re not done, little mouse.”
He stepped back; his knuckles white on the cane as he leaned on the cane for the support. Penny dipped under his arm, desperate to be far away from the heat of his hard body. He was too impossibly hot, too virile, too much man for her to be comfortable. If it had been even one more second, he would have cracked her wide open.
Betty appeared with the clean dog in hand. His matted fur was free of dirt now, a light chestnut color instead of the dull brown he’d had before. The dog wagged his tail as Jordan took him from Betty. “He likes you.”
“At least someone does,” Jordan quipped with a chuckle. His eyes met Penny’s in a knowing way that infuriated her. But fuck her heart, but it thumped as wildly as that dog’s tail as if it were as happy to see him, too.
14
Jordan’s muscles tensed, his body tightening as his blood burned hot. His cock… well, that fucker had just been waiting to ambush him with the most inopportune hard-on ever. Penny looked completely struck, as well. Blindsided. And uncomfortable. But still… her eyes, those beautiful dark orbs, told another story. The second he’d touched her, desire had flared in those eyes. She fought it even now, even as the good vet spoke.
Doc Betty shoved the newly washed dog into his arms. “What are you going to name him?”
Jordan blinked. Name him? “What?”
“The dog,” she said. “He needs a name.”
“I’m not keeping him,” Jordan said. He made a big show of his cane and his leg. “I’m not in any position to care for a pet.” And he didn’t want one. He was barely responsible for himself. How could he care for a dog? And once he went back to work, how would it even work with the missions, which sometimes went days long?
“Nonsense,” Dr. Tanner said. “It’ll be fine. I bet Penny might help you.”
Penny’s eyes widened.
As he looked at Penny, he knew this was wrong. He had no business being anywhere near her. The mission was done. He’d done the job and had the hole in his leg to prove it. Reilly w
ould figure out Penny’s access codes were used. He couldn’t be seen with her. But at the same time, he was unable to walk away from her.
His father would tell him to run, to bail. You didn’t contact a mark after the job was complete. You vanished, disappeared without a trace. Wasn’t that exactly his father’s M.O.? Show the woman a good time, get what he wanted, and bolt? Fuck the consequences?
But he was also grounded for the next six weeks. No missions. Nothing to occupy his time.
“She could use the experience if she’s going to be a vet in this town,” Dr. Tanner was saying.
Jordan blinked. Betty had been talking about something. What had she said? He glanced at Penny, whose facial expression had turned lost, like she had no idea how they’d come to this part of the conversation. He could relate, honestly.
He tuned back into the conversation with a long blink. “A vet?”
Penny’s cheeks tinted pink, but she said nothing. Like she’d been frozen by something.
He cocked his head to the side as he stared at her. “Well, love? Would you like to help me a little? I’m sure Ralph would appreciate the help, too.”
Ralph? What kind of name was Ralph? And had he seriously just named a dog he had no intention of or business owning? He glanced down at the slightly damp dog. Actually, the name kind of fit the thing.
Penny started to speak, but Doc Betty beat her to it. “Of course, she will. She loves this sort of thing.” Penny frowned but didn’t say anything.
Jordan was starting to understand why Penny had called her hometown stifling. He wondered if the entire town treated her as if she had no voice. This time, though, it was to his benefit that she wasn’t arguing. “You’d do that, Penny? For me?”
She clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes at him. But then she forced a small smile onto her face. “I suppose we could work something out.”
“Good, then it’s settled,” Betty said, looking satisfied with herself. She walked back behind the counter and scooped up a little white dog from the floor. Jordan blinked. How long had that dog been there? “I have to get Pepper into the bath and groomed, so you two go work out the details on your own, okay?”
She whisked the dog she held to the back and then a few moments later, there was a soft hum and the sound of running water.
Jordan looked back at Penny, who was openly glaring at him with her arms crossed across her chest. “Penny—”
She let out a disgusted breath and stomped out of the place, the bell dinging over the door as she left.
Shit.
He ran after her but winced as he put weight on his hurt leg. He set the dog down as he stepped out onto the sidewalk and saw Penny hurrying down the street. He forced himself to move, leaning heavily on the cane as he called after her.
“Penny, wait!” he called.
She stiffened, her back going straight as a board. Her fists clenched tightly, so tightly her knuckles were white. He gripped her elbow when he reached her and tried to turn her to face him. “Please, love. Just let me explain.”
“That was a dirty trick,” she said, whirling on him. She wrenched her arm free. “How dare you.”
“You’re not going to listen to me otherwise,” he said. “I want to see you.”
She glanced around nervously, and then pulled him into the alley. He nearly laughed, but he held back. She was mad enough without him pouring petrol on the fire. “Do you know what the definition of a one-night stand is?”
“Of course.”
“It was fun. Great sex. But that’s all it was. We’re not going to do that again.” She glared at him. “I don’t need you insinuating yourself into my life.”
He grinned. “You think it was great sex?”
“Of course, that’s what you zero in on.” She rolled her eyes and started to walk away, but he managed to get his body in front of her.
“Penny, just wait a sec.” He sighed. “I’m not asking for sex.”
“Then what do you want?” she demanded.
He looked over her. The level of anger on her didn’t quite match up with this situation. She was fighting a demon of her own here and he wasn’t quite sure what it was. He schooled his features instead and switched tactics. He pointed toward Ralph, who stood at the entrance to the alley with his ears pricked and his tail wagging. “I wasn’t intending to adopt a dog today. I need help with him.”
She stared at him. Then at the dog. Then she laughed. “Doc Betty had a way of making people do what she wants, doesn’t she?”
He nodded. “Yeah. She does.” Then he added, “I’ve never owned a pet before.”
“Never?” she seemed flabbergasted by his admission.
Was it really that strange? He supposed in this quiet little town where people had more time than money, maybe it was. He shook his head, swallowing hard. “Never. Completely clueless.” At least that wasn’t a lie. He’d never owned a pet, had no idea how to care for one. The life of con artists and thieves didn’t tend to do well with animals in tow. Not to mention, being a Reaper.
She glanced at the dog, her eyes softening. Maybe it wasn’t right to use the dog to get on her good side, but now that he’d seen her here, he wanted to spend time with her. She did something to his body, did something to his head, and it was driving him insane trying to figure out what it was. It was like, all the stress in the world got lifted off his shoulders when she was around.
He wondered if she’d seen the shit on his chest that morning she’d left. He’d woken up with the sheets around his waist, lying on his back. If he’d been in that position when she’d left him, she would have seen the scars. She’d touched them. He wondered if she’d realized what they were when she’d run her slender fingers over his chest.
“Sheriff Hannigan is pretty big on leash laws since Mr. Garner’s Great Dane tore up the town pavilion a few years back. You should start there,” she said finally. Was she agreeing to help him?
“Will you help me get him settled, then?” Jordan asked, trying to keep the hopefulness out of his voice.
“You’re really good at this whole manipulation to get what you want, aren’t you?”
She had no idea how good at it he was. He’d been trained by the best, after all. His father. A man so adept at manipulation he managed to use his own son a hundred times before retiring to some tropical island thousands of miles away. Before he betrayed his own blood. Before leaving his son to be tortured and killed for his father’s sins. It had made leaving his old life behind so much easier. He pushed the memories of his father away, out of his mind.
“It’s not my fault,” he replied. “It wasn’t my idea to keep him. I wanted Doc Betty to take him.”
“Yeah, well, she doesn’t really listen to anyone once she makes a decision,” Penny said, her voice bitter.
“You’d just be helping me with him,” he said. “That’s it. Promise. No manipulation.”
She was silent for a long time, though her gaze was scrutinizing.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Like I’ve never heard that before,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Okay, could I have a Penny for my thoughts then?” he asked.
She glared at him.
“Is that a yes?”
“Why are you doing this?” she asked. “Does it really bother you that much that I left before you did?”
He pointed toward Ralph, leaning his weight against the cane. “It’s not about me. It’s about Ralph. For his own good, I really need some dog handling tips.”
She sighed. “God, you’re a jerk.”
“Most of the time, yes.” He smiled at her. “But poor Ralph…”
“Okay, I’ll help you with Ralph… if that’s really what you’re calling him. That’s all.”
“Ralph and I are very happy you see it our way,” he replied.
She shook her head. “So ridiculous.” She walked away from him, scooping up Ralph as she neared the entrance to the alley. “You need a leash on him before t
he sheriff sees you.” She cradled the beast against her breasts.
Lucky dog.
Ralph barked, as if he’d heard Jordan’s thoughts and completely agreed.
~*~*~
Why exactly had Penny agreed to this arrangement again? One second, she’s asking for work from Doc Betty and the next, she was walking along Jubilee’s streets shopping pet supplies with Jordan. They’d gone to the general store first, earning stares from a curious Miguel as they loaded up on dog supplies. Leash. Food. Toys. It added up to more than a hundred dollars and Jordan didn’t even blink before he paid for every bit of it. But really, had she expected him to? She remembered that hotel room he’d stayed in. Obviously, he was much better off than most mechanics.
Now she was walking his dog and the bastard was sitting on a nearby bench watching them as he rested his leg, which hurt more than she figured he was letting on. When he thought she wasn’t looking, he would wince and shift his weight off it.
This wasn’t fair. She wasn’t supposed to ever see the guy again. It was supposed to be anonymous birthday sex with a gorgeous guy whose last name she didn’t even know. What were the odds that he lived in the town she’d grown up in? The town that had five hundred residents, most of which were third and fourth generation inhabitants.
As she looked over at him, he moved his leg, wincing slightly. The guy was in pain, hobbling around like a ninety-year-old with that cane. Then the expression was gone, and he glanced up at her with heat in those clear blues.
Ralph finished his business and tried to run back toward Jordan, yanking hard enough on the leash that he choked himself. Obviously, the dog wasn’t used to leads either. It would be something they’d have to train him on.
She stopped. Was she really including herself in this process? He wasn’t her dog, and she only agreed to help get the dog settled. Training wasn’t in her wheelhouse. She wasn’t sure what Betty had been thinking to put her into this position. But did it really matter what the woman had thought? That was how the town viewed her. She was the next Betty Tanner. She would go to vet school, and then she would return home to put up her own sign. Penny’s Vet Clinic. Or maybe it would be like Tessa and their mother and she’d be running Betty’s Vet Clinic.