Hot in Here

by Lori Foster

  She stared at him in disbelief. “Of course I am. What woman wouldn’t be?”

  He had to laugh. The confusion on her face was priceless. “Honey, plenty of women turn me down.”

  “But…why would they?”

  Buck tucked her face into his shoulder so she wouldn’t think he was laughing at her. “You’re going to make me conceited.”

  He felt her lips touch his skin. “No. But you are sexy and strong and handsome and funny.”

  “Sadie, stop.”

  “It’s true.”

  Her compliments should have pleased him, except that he knew she drew unfavorable comparisons between them. “You’re not too strong from what I can tell, but you’re definitely sexy.”

  She snorted, and coming from Sadie it seemed a very odd sound.

  Buck caught her face and turned it up toward his. “It’s true. You’re about the softest thing I’ve ever touched.” He kissed each of her eyelids and felt the flutter of her long lashes. “Your eyes could eat a man alive.”

  She looked away in embarrassment.

  “And your big heart just turns me to mush.”

  Her gaze swung back to his. “My big heart?”

  “The way you love the animals.” She’d shared so much, he figured he should share a little, too. “Do you know, I’ve stood at my window and watched you with them? A few times, I even hung out in the yard, wanting to join in.” He flicked the end of her nose. “But you never asked me to.”

  Her brows shot up. “I didn’t think you’d want to.”

  “So now we’re both learning something.”

  Tish let out a squeaky bark, drawing their attention.

  Sadie groaned. “Oh, no. She wants out again.”

  The dog stood on Buck’s underwear, her ears back, waiting.

  “I can help you get the leash on her.”

  “Easier said than done. She runs from me, and as you’ve already seen, she’s hard to catch.”

  Buck decided to try his luck. But sure enough, as soon as he got close to Tish, she grabbed up his underwear and ran off with Butch in hot pursuit. They shot under the couch and out of reach before Buck could stop them.

  Sadie stepped up behind him. “See? This is why I had to buy a carpet shampooer.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she wants out, but she’s afraid of me, so she sneaks off and ends up…piddling on the floor.”

  Buck grinned. Piddling, indeed. “Let’s put our collective minds to this one. We’re bigger, definitely smarter and human. I might not be the swiftest guy going, but no way am I going to be outwitted by a Chihuahua.”

  Sadie sat on the chair opposite him. “Any ideas?”

  Buck bent and looked beneath the couch. Butch, normally so nice to him, had turned into Demon Dog. He snarled and growled, placing himself in front of Tish.

  “You’d think I was a marauder of Chihuahuas the way he’s carrying on,” Buck complained.

  “He thinks he’s guarding her.”

  “Easy boy. She’s all yours.” Butch was not reassured, given the way he continued to bristle. Then, a thought coming to mind, Buck said, “Wanna go out? C’mon, Butch. Wanna go out?”

  Butch’s ears perked up and he barked in excitement. He started to crawl out from under the couch, but when Tish didn’t follow, he whined.

  Buck moved to stand behind Sadie’s chair. “Let’s be really quiet. Don’t move, okay?”

  She shrugged.

  “C’mon, Butch old buddy. Let’s go outside.”

  Again, Butch came out, then grumbled and whined until Tish poked her little bald head out. She had Buck’s underwear clamped in her teeth. She eyed the humans, then crept toward the patio doors.

  “Where’s the leash?” Buck asked.

  “On the wall by the door. But don’t pounce on her. If you do, she’ll never learn to trust me.”

  “I haven’t pounced on you, have I?”

  “Uh…no.”

  “Remember—trust.” He slipped out from behind the chair. Butch saw him and started yapping in happiness. Slowly, Buck knelt down about five feet from the dogs. “Come on over here, Butch. If you do, she might.”

  Butch never turned down a nice pet session, so he did as instructed. Buck spent a long time just stroking the dog, playing a little, lavishing attention on him. Tish watched from a safe distance in fascination and obvious yearning.

  She reminded Buck of Sadie.

  He turned to her. “Sit with us. Slowly. Tish knows you better than she does me.”

  Sadie sidled over to them, took the leash off the peg on the wall, then knelt down beside Buck. She scratched Butch behind his big ears. Finally, after a long, long time that strained Buck’s patience but didn’t seem to bother Sadie at all, Tish took a few steps toward them.

  She halted, eyeing them warily.

  They deliberately ignored her, hoping that without their attention on her, she’d feel safe and join in. Eventually she got close enough to lean on Sadie’s foot. The yellow underwear hung from the side of her mouth, looking like a flag.

  Sadie cautiously reached out and scratched the dog’s chin. As long as she didn’t raise her hand or move too fast, Tish was tolerant. But the second Sadie went to pet the top of her head, Tish flinched away.

  Buck’s voice was soft, hiding his frustration. “It’s okay, baby girl. No one’s going to hurt you.” He held out his hand, palm up. Tish sniffed, but wouldn’t rejoin them.

  Butch didn’t like being ignored and again insisted on going outside as promised.

  Very, very slowly, Buck caught Tish. She went spastic, howling and moaning and kicking.

  He held on to her, and she held on to his underwear.

  If it hadn’t been for the dog’s fear, Buck would have been amused. “You can keep my drawers, baby girl. Whatever you want.”

  Sadie, fretting like a worried mama, hurried to get the leash on her and open the door. Buck scanned the yard, thankful it was empty, and set Tish outside. To their surprise, she didn’t fight the leash as long as Butch stayed beside her.

  And Butch, bless his savage little animal instincts, didn’t move more than an inch away from Tish. It was almost comical watching them. They kept bumping into each other, tripping over Buck’s colorful boxers.

  Sadie sat in her one and only lawn chair, and Buck stood beside her, holding the reins on the dog. “Tish makes a better leash for Butch than the one Red usually uses for him.”

  Sadie grinned. “He’s protective.”

  Buck bent and kissed her temple. “Most of the male species suffers the same affliction.”

  Because the dogs were happy, they spent a long time outside. The sun shone directly on them, warming their skin and burning the chill out of the morning air until the day felt pleasant. The dogs were sometimes playing, sometimes just lying in the sun-warmed grass. Tish forgot all about her leash.

  Sadie watched the dogs with a pleased smile, and Buck watched Sadie.

  The sunlight did amazing things to her hair, and showed the perfection of her skin. In the bright light, Buck could see that her lashes were tipped with gold, and there were a few faint freckles over the bridge of her nose. He thought she looked beautiful, especially when she smiled so sweetly.

  After a while, he lifted her from the seat, sat down, then situated her on his lap.

  “Want to make out?”

  “Here?” Her scandalized gaze darted around the empty yard. “Someone might see us.”

  “Who? Most everyone is still in bed, and even if they’re not, they still couldn’t see us. My apartment is empty, and your apartment is on the corner.”

  He enjoyed seeing her face heat with guilt.

  “Come on, Sadie,” he teased. “You know you want to.”

  She hesitated only a moment. “I do.”

  The dogs were currently dozing, so Buck was able to engage all her attention.

  It was wonderful.

  True, he wore no more than a towel. But it was his vacation and doing no
thing more important than smooching with Sadie just felt right. It was frustrating, to be sure. He hadn’t indulged in this much innocent kissing since junior high school. Sadie’s enthusiastic involvement made it even harder. She followed wherever he led. If he kissed her throat, she murmured in delight, then reciprocated, putting her soft lips against his heated skin. If he stroked her narrow waist, she followed suit by smoothing her hands over his chest to his abdomen.

  Her innocent exploration was more exciting to him than the lovemaking of other women.

  When enough time had passed, Buck reluctantly went inside to call Henry. The manager grumbled and groused, but finally agreed to meet Buck at the back of his apartment when Buck explained he was damn near naked.

  Sadie giggled at his predicament. But she quickly sobered when Buck picked up a disgruntled Butch and started to leave. She walked him to the door, her feet lagging, her eyes downcast.

  They stopped at the door. “Have lunch with me?” Buck asked.

  Immediately her expression brightened. “Yes.”

  He shook his head. She wore her heart on her sleeve, leaving herself so open to hurt. It worried him. “I have a few errands to take care of, but I can be done by noon. You like pizza?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll pick it up. Wanna come to my place?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t leave Tish…”

  “So bring her with you.” He leaned forward and took her mouth in a warm kiss, already anxious to see her again. “You’re a package deal, right? No problem. Butch would chew my ankle if I didn’t invite her along.”

  Laughing, Sadie said, “All right, then. We’d be happy to accept.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  BUCK HAD JUST RETURNED from buying groceries when a knock sounded on his front door. Thinking it might be Sadie, he opened the door with a fat smile—which twisted to a scowl when he saw the faces of his friends Ethan and Harris.

  “What are you two doing here?”

  Harris shoved his way in. “What kind of welcome is that?”

  Butch rounded the corner in a near-hysterical tangent, slid to a halt when he saw it was only Harris and Ethan, and immediately quieted. His tail stopped wagging, and his little face showed his disappointment.

  Buck decided that he and Butch were in a bad way. They were two bachelors who’d accepted their fates, but hadn’t yet informed the ladies of the new plans.

  Ethan stepped past Buck. “Hey, Butch.” Then to Buck, he said, “You been torturing the little guy? He doesn’t look too happy.”

  “He probably thought you were Tish.”

  “Tish?” Harris straightened in interest. “What the hell kind of name is that for a woman?”

  “I think it’s cute,” Ethan argued. “She sounds like a woman with big boobs.”

  Harris laughed. “And an IQ of two.”

  “Look who’s talking,” Buck accused. “Has anyone accused you of being bright lately?”

  Smug, Harris said, “Yeah. Clair.”

  “She doesn’t count,” Ethan argued. “She married you, so she has to keep your ego healthy.”

  “Actually,” Buck interjected, before they could start a debate on Harris’s intelligence or lack thereof, “Tish is fat and bald and this morning, she stole my underwear.”

  Both men wore comical faces of horror, until Buck began to chuckle. “She’s my neighbor’s dog. A Chihuahua. Butch took one look at her and fell madly in love.”

  “Poor guy,” Ethan said sympathetically. “I know just how rotten that feels.”

  “Right,” Harris sneered. “You knew Rosie forever before you realized you loved her.”

  “Wrong. I always knew I loved her. I just didn’t realize I was in love with her. Besides, you’re no better. It wasn’t until you saw naked photos of Clair that you got the love bug.”

  Harris, ever sensitive about the photos Clair’s past boyfriend had taken without her knowledge, grew taut with anger.

  “No fighting. It’ll upset Butch.” Buck turned his back on them and headed for the kitchen. “So do either of you yahoos believe in love at first sight?”

  “No,” Harris said.

  “No way,” Ethan agreed, then he added, “But Riley must.”

  Buck paused in the middle of putting cans of cola into the fridge. “That’s right. He took one look at Red and was a goner, wasn’t he?”

  “In a big way,” Ethan agreed. He snagged a cola before Buck could put it away. “It was almost embarrassing, the way he branded her right off.”

  “I wish he was here.”

  Harris and Ethan looked at each other. Slowly they grinned with conspiratorial humor. Harris, being the bigger goof of the two, said, “Tell Uncle Harris what ails you.”

  “Go to hell.”

  “A woman ails him,” Ethan said. “I know the signs.”

  “It was only a matter of time, you know.” Harris grabbed a can of cola, and together, he and Ethan made a toast. “Here’s to happily married men.”

  Buck said, “Marriage hasn’t matured either of you at all.”

  Ignoring that gibe, Ethan said, “So tell us who the lucky lady is.” His brows pulled together in consideration. “Is it Beth? I remember you were partial to her, but I gotta tell you, Rosie doesn’t like her much.”

  “Rosie doesn’t like any woman who smiles at you, Ethan, but no, it’s not Beth.”

  “Then it must be Rachel.” Harris held his hands out in front of his chest as if juggling melons. “There’s a lot of her to love.”

  Buck narrowed his eyes. “Clair’s gonna kill you when she hears what you said.”

  “Well, for God’s sake, I was just kidding around. Don’t tell her!”

  Just then, a knock sounded on Buck’s French doors—and there stood Sadie with a squirming Tish in her arms. Buck’s underwear was half wrapped around the dog. Belatedly, Sadie noticed Ethan and Harris and appeared ready to bolt.

  Buck wondered if he could somehow magically make the guys disappear. He ran through his options—but one look at them told Buck a team of wild horses couldn’t drag them away. He gave up and opened the door.

  Taking her by surprise he whispered, “Hey,” and bent to press his mouth to hers in a warm kiss.

  When he lifted his head, she looked speechless, breathless and too warm. She glanced at Harris and Ethan, who smiled at her in turn, and her blush intensified.

  “I can come back later,” she blurted. “I didn’t mean to interrupt—”

  Harris literally leaped forward. “You’re not. Come on in.”

  Ethan pulled a chair out for her. “Have a seat. Can I get you a cola?”

  She looked overwhelmed by her welcome. “Well…”

  Buck had to grin. Damn, but he had great friends. They were total idiots at times, which was part of their charm, but he could never doubt their loyalty.

  Butch came barreling around the corner, saw Sadie and Tish, and there was no curbing his exhilaration. He turned circles, barked maniacally, and all but demanded that Sadie put Tish down.

  “Young love,” Harris crooned with a hand over his heart.

  He tried to pet Tish, but she almost threw herself out of Sadie’s arms trying to get away. Sadie juggled her to the ground, Tish snatched the underwear away from her, and together with Butch, she made her hasty escape.

  Harris stared. “My God, she hates me.”

  “Probably heard about your reputation.” Ethan grinned.

  “Ha, ha.” But Harris was both appalled and wounded by the dog’s rejection. Buck knew just how he felt.

  Sadie tried to reassure Harris. “She’s very shy. She hasn’t even gotten used to me yet. It wasn’t personal.”

  “She was mistreated,” Buck explained.

  “Mistreated?” Ethan demanded. “Who would mistreat that little thing?” Buck told them all about what Tish had been through, then he went on to describe Sadie’s role in caring for the animals. He left nothing out, extolling her dedication and caring.

  She blus
hed as Harris and Ethan heaped praise on her for her generosity. Within minutes, the two men were settled at the table, drinking his cola and eating his pizza and hanging on Sadie’s every word. Whenever she paused, they asked another question. Their interest was genuine, but Buck also knew they were deliberately welcoming her, trying to make her feel at ease.

  There was something about Sadie that brought out a man’s protective instincts. Her big heart, yes, but also her naked vulnerability, the way she left herself so emotionally exposed.

  Buck thought about throwing them out, then decided it’d be nice for Sadie to get to know them better. He’d have her alone soon enough.

  Or so he thought.

  Two hours later, Harris and Ethan were still going strong. The dogs had reappeared for a drink and a doggie treat, then gone off again for the alone-time Buck craved.

  He’d done little more than think about making love to Sadie. At first, he’d resisted the idea, thinking it might be better to ease her into it. Maybe spend a week just necking, then a week petting…but he knew his control wasn’t strong enough for that. Not with Sadie.

  And there was the very real concern that if he waited, she’d misconstrue his impatience for lack of interest. He couldn’t have that.

  He brought his attention back to his guests in time to hear Sadie say, “Yes, it’s incredibly hard to give the dogs up, but I always make sure they go to a wonderful and appropriate home.”

  “So,” Harris asked with visible hesitation, “would I be eligible to take one? Clair’s been talking about getting a pet since we’ll be moving into our own house soon.” Then to explain, he added, “Ethan’s wife, Rosie, is a realtor and she’s always finding great deals on houses. The one we offered for is a handyman special, and since Buck is a real handyman, I couldn’t pass it up.”

  Ethan nodded. “Rosie made kids and a dog and a damn picket fence all a stipulation before saying yes to my proposal.” He winked. “I’ve been working most diligently on the kid part. Since that’s not happening real fast, maybe I could surprise her with a dog. What about us? Do we qualify as suitable?”

  Because Sadie barely knew Harris and Ethan, she glanced at Buck.