Page 60 of Must Love Dogs… and Hockey

“Yeah.” I throw back the covers. “I’ll take him.” I start looking for my clothes. “Shit. I only have my suit.” I pick up the pants. “Where the hell is my underwear?” I glance around the room. “Oh no.” I spot it on the rug where Otis slept. I pick up the boxer briefs to discover they are now crotchless. “Shit!”

Lilly rolls on the bed, laughing. “Oh no.”

“He ate my fucking underwear!”

“Is that the first time? Dogs love underwear.”

“I guess I don’t leave them lying on the floor at home.” I shake my head. “Commando it is.”

She’s watching me move around the room naked. It doesn’t bother me, I’m used to being naked around a lot of people in the locker room. I’mnotused to someone looking at me the way she is. She looks…excited. Aroused.Damn.

“Do you want to go home to change?” she asks.

“Maybe?” I pull up my suit pants, tucking myself in before zipping up. “Come with me. We can drop off Otis and go for breakfast.”

After a beat of hesitation, she says, “Okay.”

I shove my arms into my wrinkled shirt and quickly button it, leaving it untucked, then sit on the flowered chair to put on my socks and shoes. “I’ll be right back.”

“My keys are on the table near the door. Take them so you can get back in. I’ll get dressed.”

Otis and I jog down the stairs and into the living room.

“Hi.”

I pull up short at seeing the woman on the couch. She’s sitting cross-legged, holding her phone in one hand and a mug in the other. Short, dark hair frames a petite face with big eyes and a small mouth.

She grins at me. “Easton, I believe?”

“Uh, yeah. Hi. You must be Carlin.”

“That’s me.” She sets down her mug and rises, extending a hand. “Good to meet you, finally. I’ve met Otis, of course.” She bends to rub his head. Clearly he knows her, doing his happy doggy dance around her.

“I just have to take him out.” I move toward the door.

Okay. That was slightly awkward. Then again, it could have been worse. She didn’t seem horrified or offended that I’d been there all night. So that’s good.

I grab my coat, Otis’s leash, and Lilly’s keys as she instructed and head outside. It’s bright and sunny, the air crisp. I lead Otis toward the park. Luckily I have a poop bag in my coat pocket, and I let him take care of his business then hike back to Lilly’s.

Inside, I unclip Otis and he runs and jumps on the couch beside Carlin. She grins and gives him some love. I guess I have to like someone who likes my dog. I stand uncertainly for a moment. Is it too forward to go back upstairs? Maybe I should wait here for Lilly.

“Would you like some coffee?” Carlin offers.

I’d love some, but I say, “That’s okay. We’re going out for brunch.”

“Sounds good.”

I guess I better make conversation with her while I wait, so I ask her what she does for a living and we chat until Lilly comes bouncing down the stairs, dressed in ripped jeans, a loose gray sweater that droops off one shoulder revealing enticing black lace beneath it, and short boots. “Hey! You two met.”

She looks at Carlin and a wordless exchange of information passes between them.

“Yep.” I stand. “We were just discussing that high-speed chase the other day where it turned out a dog was driving the car.”

Lilly laughs. “Get out of here.”

“True story! The guy was wasted and said he was trying to teach his dog how to drive.”

“Hmm…” Lilly sets a finger to her lips.

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