“Aw,” she said, as Neil reached for her hand. “See, I waited for you this time.”
“I noticed,” he said, grinning. “Come on. Hopefully, you’ll find a dog you like today, now that you’ve got the bug.”
“With everything that’s happened with Claire, I kind of forgot about it.”
Reaching the end of the sidewalk, Neil opened the door leading into the shelter for Anna, answering, “That’s what I figured.”
It was clean and airy inside, and a woman was sitting behind the desk, talking to someone on the phone.
At that moment, a man came walking through the breezeway from the opposite direction, heading toward the desk, and he paused, obviously noticing Neil and Anna.
“Hey there. What can I do for you today?”
Neil nudged Anna in the ribs. “Anna here might be interested in adopting a dog.”
The man grinned. “Okay. Have you got any preferences for a breed or age?” And then he frowned. “I see you have a prosthetic. Would you prefer a service animal?”
“Nah, I’m good with this,” Anna answered, tapping her arm.
“In fact, she’s the weapons specialist for the new retraining program for wounded warriors,” Neil answered, wearing a grin. He was getting to love the looks of amazement Anna received when someone became aware of her qualifications.
The man blinked, grinning slowly and holding out his hand to Anna. “I’m Tim Atkinson, by the way. I had some PTSD issues when I returned home, so that’s how this whole training program got started.”
Anna shook Neil’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, Tim,” Neil said, reaching for his hand and shaking it as well. “This is Anna, and I’m Neil.”
“So let’s start you out with the general population,” Tim said, leading them past the reception desk toward a door on the right.
“I wouldn’t mind adopting an older dog,” Anna said as they made their way down a hallway. “It’s probably harder for them to get adopted?”
“It is,” Tim answered, opening the door leading into a bright sunny space which was the size of a warehouse, and had a concrete floor.
“What a setup,” Neil muttered.
“I’ve opened training centers in several other states, so some of our animals come and go depending on where they’re needed most. But I know for a fact that we have one of the most well-kept facilities in the nation.” Tim kept walking toward the perimeter of the space. “I’ll show you some of our older animals first. There are ten dogs here who range between five and eight years old.”
Neil watched Anna as she glanced at each of the dogs. The majority of them were barking like crazy and Neil grimaced when a couple of them jumped at her from inside their cages.
Finally, she walked up to a dog who was sitting with his tongue hanging out, watching her with what appeared to be great anticipation.
Neil thought the dog looked a little sad; like he was scared to be hopeful.
Tim said, “He’s a chocolate Lab. The weird thing about it is, I think he’s a purebred. And he’s been fixed. He was picked up as a stray, and a lot of his teeth seem to be missing. If it weren’t for his age, he’d be a contender for our service dog program.”
“Maybe he lost his home in one of the hurricanes?” Anna asked.
“Could be,” Tim answered. “He was brought to us from one of our facilities in the south.”
“I want him,” Anna said firmly.
A slow smile spread over Tim’s face. “Maybe you’d like to take him for a walk first?”
Neil answered wryly, “Yeah, I think that might be a good idea.”
Anna laughed. “It’s crazy, I know, but I feel like he’s talking to me.”
When Neil rolled his eyes upward, Tim covered his mouth with a hand, whispering to Anna, “Not as crazy as you’d think. All of them talk to me.”
Neil snorted, but then he couldn’t help it.
He had to laugh too.
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, instead of jumping into the back of his pickup as Neil had strangely imagined, the chocolate Lab was sitting between Anna and him on the front seat as they drove away from the shelter.
Tim didn’t seem to think they’d need a cage because the dog was so well-behaved and had obviously been trained in the past. The shelter offered a nice variety of supplies, so they’d purchased two large bags of dog food, some bowls, toys and a collar and leash as well as a long chain to use temporarily.
“You know this dog is going to eat like a horse? And you’re going to need a monstrous size pooper scooper?”
Anna just laughed, wrapping an arm around the dog’s neck as he licked her face.
“You need a name,” she said to the dog, as Neil drove past the parking lot of the wounded warrior home toward the road leading to the cabins.
“We’ll pick up your jeep later, maybe after we take a walk with the dog,” Neil said.
“Okay,” Anna answered, looking at the dog. “Abe, Barnaby, Claude, Darwin, Ernie…”
Neil looked at her quizzically. “What are you doing?”
“Finding a name that he likes,” Anna answered.
He looked at her closely. Yep, she was serious.
“Finley,” she said
Lifting his nose in the air, the dog barked sharply.
“That’s it,” Anna said excitedly.
Neil began laughing loudly.
And Finley rewarded Neil by running his tongue over Neil’s face instead of Anna’s.
* * *
“He already knows how good he has it with you,” Neil said, a smile on his face. Neil and Anna were sitting outside on two of the rocking chairs lining the front porch overlooking the lake, and even though Finley was hooked to the long chain, so far, he hadn’t left Anna’s side. The dog seemed unbelievably mellow, and frankly, Neil was amazed so far at his behavior. It was as if the dog had been waiting for Anna to come into the shelter and take him home.
After feeding him, Anna and Neil had taken Finley for a walk to pick up Anna’s jeep. Currently, the steaks were cooking on the grill, and Neil stood up and flipped them before sitting back down in the rocker and sipping his beer.
The first thing they’d noticed walking into Anna’s cabin when they’d returned earlier was the stale scent of unrecognizable cologne in the air. Anna had already spoken with Sarah, mentioning their latest trap, and Sarah would be sure to request the security videos for today as well as last night’s. Neil knew that Will Abernathy would be more easily identifiable during the day, but now that Anna had Finley, they probably wouldn’t have to worry about further intrusions.
Which had been in the back of his mind when he’d decided to drive Anna out to the shelter.
“The steaks should just about be ready,” Neil said.
Anna stood up, intending to go inside to set the table and make a salad, and Finley immediately rose on his feet to follow. They’d already had potatoes cooking on the grill, and Anna had removed them a few minutes earlier and left them cooling off inside.
She grinned, unhooking Finley from the chain so he could go along with her inside.
Neil could swear the dog was smiling too when he went through the door behind Anna, and he shook his head dazedly. “Nah,” he muttered, getting up to remove the steaks from the grill.
Twenty minutes later, Neil was biting into one of the best steaks he’d ever eaten.
“Gee, this is good,” Anna murmured, echoing his thoughts.
Neil grinned. “I was just thinking the same thing. Of course, it might have something to do with the company.”
When Anna grinned, his eyes took her in. Her long dark hair, beautiful green eyes, and those kissable rose-colored lips.
She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known.
Her face was arrested, and she was staring at him too.
Finally, Neil cleared his throat and smiled, continuing to eat.
Once they finished eating, they were quiet, working in companionable sile
nce as they both began clearing the table. Cleanup was quick, since the cabin had all the modern amenities including a dishwasher.
“It’s such a beautiful evening,” Neil said. “Want to sit outside and have a few more beers?”
“I was going to suggest the same thing,” Anna answered, pulling a couple beers from inside the fridge after putting away the remaining leftovers.
Finley stood up as they approached the front patio door and followed them outside.
“I don’t think he’s going to go anywhere,” Anna said, attaching the leash to Finley’s collar. “But I’d sure hate to have to spend the rest of the night chasing down a lost dog.”
Neil grinned. “After everything that’s happened this week, that would be just the way it would go, wouldn’t it?”
“Tell me a little more about yourself, Neil?” Anna asked as they sat back down on the rockers.
And Neil began to talk about his past, his parents and relatively happy childhood, even though Mom had been home alone with Neil quite a bit since Dad always seemed to be deployed.
“And your marriage?” she finally asked.
“Well, we grew apart. Everything was fine before I headed out on tour. But even though I warned Wendy what would happen once I enlisted, she still wanted to get married, so we did.” Neil shrugged, taking a sip from his beer. “Something that I’ve never mentioned to anyone else is that she began seeing someone when I was on my second tour. She got pregnant.”
“Oh, Neil,” Anna murmured, reaching over and laying her hand over his. “I’m sorry.”
“It is what it is, Ace,” he said, looking into her eyes. He cleared his throat, “The thing is, I offered to stay together. I’ve always wanted kids.”
When Anna gave him a soft smile, his heart started beating madly in his chest.
“Me, too,” she finally said.
“And then she lost the baby,” Neil said, sipping his beer and staring across the lake.
“I’m sorry.”
He nodded, and they were quiet for the next few minutes, while a light cool breeze blew in from across the lake.
“Well,” Neil said, looking at his watch. “Ready for bed?”
“Yeah, it’s getting a little late.” Anna burst out laughing. “What is it? Like eight o’clock?”
Neil grinned, and disconnecting Finley’s chain, he attached the leash, walking him out on the grass as Anna cleared the porch and made sure the fire had gone out for the grill.
Neil followed Anna into the cabin, removing Finley’s leash from his collar as Anna made her way around the cabin, locking windows and doors.
When she was finished, Neil reached for Anna’s hand and led her into the bedroom.
Neil’s gaze dropped to her mouth, and he heard her quick intake of breath. When he raised his eyes to hers, he recognized the gleam of certainty and desire. Neil knew when he kissed her, everything else would fade from his mind.
His hand moved through her hair, cupping the back of her head, tilting her face towards his. And when his mouth touched hers, a spark of heat shot through him.
Finally, he let her head drop, pushing shut the door and pulling her into his arms. He had to search for breath. His chest felt tight as his heart started pounding hard against it, and he felt her irresistible pull, which sent his arms around her waist and his mouth down on hers. She tasted like fire, or maybe that was just the heat running through his body. His kiss was demanding, parting her lips as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth so he could taste more of her. The sweet moist curve of her mouth made him think of the other places on her body he wanted to taste, to touch. He’d been holding back desire, but now it was flooding past his defenses, and he couldn’t stop the need running through him.
A need she must have felt too, because she was kissing him back, running her hands over his waist, her fingers seeking the skin beneath his shirt. He wanted to rip off his shirt, and hers too. He wanted to drag his mouth down the side of her jaw, to the curve of her neck and the valley of her breasts. Tingles ran up and down his spine as his fingers tightened on her shoulders, while trying to control his desire.
Anna fell onto the bed as Neil helped her off with her jeans and dropped them to the floor. And then he pulled off his shirt from over his head and tossed it with her jeans.
Dropping on the edge of the bed, Neil took off his prosthetic.
They made short work of the rest of their clothes, and when Neil helped Anna slip off the prosthetic harness from over her shoulder, he bent over her, running his mouth tenderly over the remains of her damaged arm. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known,” he said softly. “Period.”
And then his body covered hers, every point of contact hot, from their mouths to their chests and hips.
* * *
Anna loved the weight of Neil, his scent and the power in his body. He suddenly moved, and she was stunned to feel a sense of loss. But then his mouth found her breast, moving lower to her stomach, tasting, touching, leaving no part of her body unseen or unloved. Neil was taking his time, and the tension built to an incredible degree, finally bursting free.
Anna was still trembling when Neil made his way back up her body. She was frantically touching, running her hands up and down his back and over his buttocks, urging him closer, wanting to feel him inside of her, the ultimate connection she’d been searching for since the moment they’d met.
“Condom,” he muttered, reaching for his jeans and nearly falling from the bed as he dug his wallet from the pocket.
When she heard Finley whining in the next room, Anna sat up for a moment and just laughed.
Neil grinned after suiting himself up. “Uh, oh. Not exactly how I envisioned this.”
When his eyes roved over her body, Anna’s eyes wandered over his. Neil was powerfully built, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. She’d never been this attracted to anyone in her entire life, and reaching out, she couldn’t resist running her hands through the dusting of hair covering his chest.
Neil swallowed, staring into her eyes and pulling her close as he laid over her, continuing to hold her gaze.
“It’s oh so much better,” he whispered softly into her ear as he finally slid into her, making their connection complete.
It seemed like things were happening in slow motion. And when his mouth touched hers again, a spark of heat ran through her. She took the kiss that she needed, and as their lips blended while Neil began moving with strong powerful thrusts, she gasped as her body arched greedily under his.
As sweet satisfaction rippled through her, Anna knew she wouldn’t regret anything, past, present, or even in the future which could possibly keep them apart, because her senses were alive with something she’d never felt before.
Love.
Chapter Fifteen
Neil woke up the next morning with a smile on his face. After making love with Anna numerous times through the night, he should have felt exhausted.
Instead, he felt better than he ever remembered feeling his entire life.
A soft kiss brushed the back of his neck, and turning over and wrapping his arms around Anna, he opened his eyes, getting ready to kiss her back.
But holding off, Neil blinked, and then his eyes went wide. “Finley? What in the heck are you doing here in the bed?”
Anna suddenly appeared at the bedroom door, and her mouth gaped open.
Finally, she snorted. And breaking into explosive laughter, Anna dropped onto the floor.
Finley finished giving Neil his kiss before jumping from the bed and licking Anna’s face, obviously concerned by her behavior.
“I should have figured it wasn’t you, cause he kind of stinks,” Neil muttered.
Anna laughed harder.
The situation was pretty comical, so Neil finally gave in and began laughing--hard.
* * *
After arriving at work, Neil and Anna spent the rest of Thursday morning touring the lake on a pontoon boat belonging to the owners of the Drag
onfly Point Inn. And while they were on the lake, Josh was sure to point out available lots of property which could potentially be used for training.
Neil and Anna returned to the cabin for lunch, relieved to find Finley keeping out of trouble and sleeping on the blanket Anna had laid on the couch the previous night.
Neil looked at his watch and waggled his brows while Anna got ready to take out the dog. “I wish we had more time.”
Anna grinned. “I think we’d better eat, otherwise we won’t be able to keep up our strength.”
Neil laughed softly, grabbing some chicken salad and bread from inside the fridge, slapping together some sandwiches for them both.
Their routine remained the same during the next few days, and they were rarely apart, and Neil was surprised to realize just how close they were becoming, and how reluctant he was to leave her for even a few hours.
He’d never felt that way with Wendy.
Saturday came quickly, and soon Neil and Anna were trying to figure what kind of engagement gift they should give Luke and Kelly. Much to Anna and Neil’s surprise, an invitation for Finley to come along had been handed down through the grapevine. The party would be an all-day open house, beginning mid-afternoon and continuing through the evening.
Neil waited in the truck with Finley while Anna went inside the grocery store to purchase a gift card, and soon the three of them were on their way to Dragonfly Pointe.
“According to Luke, their house is located at the end of the road across from the beach,” Neil said as they drove past the Dragonfly Pointe Inn.
Wearing high heeled boots with a pair of form fitting jeans, Anna was looking pretty hot today.
And super feminine too; a long-sleeved sheer green and blue floral blouse with a ruffly collar covered a navy-blue tank.
“That must be it down there,” Anna said.
Several cars and trucks were lining the side of the road.
Pointing at the wide-open space to their right, Neil asked, “Why don’t we park in the beach lot?”
“Good idea,” Anna answered. “We don’t want to be blocked in when it’s time to leave. I’d rather walk a little further.”
After Neil parked the truck, he walked around to the other side to open the door and help Anna with the dog, and soon they were following the music as they made their way along the graveled road. Apparently, Luke and Kelly’s party included entertainment from a live band.
Two Hearts In Accord (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Book 7) Page 12