Page 20 of Must Love Dogs… and Hockey

I grin and take a seat on another stool, sliding it away from her so I’m not close enough to smell her, because damn, she smells good. “You haven’t tasted it yet.” I pass her the container of sour cream. “For the hash browns.”

She lifts an eyebrow. “You clearly don’t count calories.”

“Sure I do.” I pat my flat abs, and her eyes linger there. “Takes work to stay in this kind of shape.”

She rolls her eyes.

“But I have cheat days.”

“Oh. Okay, a cheat day. Let’s go with that.” She drops a spoonful of sour cream on her potatoes, then forks some up while I do the same. “Oh. My. God. This is fantastic.”

I imagine her saying those words in that throaty voice in bed. I clear my throat. “Are you ready to clap now?”

She chokes on a laugh and drops her head forward. “Almost.” She digs in again. “I feel my arteries clogging. But that’s okay, it’s worth it.”

“I doubt your arteries are clogging. How old are you?”

“Twenty-six.”

“Hey, me too.”

“Really?” She tips her head. “You look older.”

I feign insult. “Gee thanks.”

“No, no! I don’t mean that in a bad way. Maybe it’s because you’re so big.”

“Iama big boy.” I give her a knowing look.

She rolls her eyes, unfazed. “Riiiiight.”

This amuses me. Our eyes meet and we share another smile, and damn, it’s hot in here. Her eyes widen fractionally and I think she feels it too. I want to make a dirty comment, but she’s alone in an apartment with a man she barely knows and I don’t want to creep her out.

Instead, I say, “So. Dog walking.”

She grins. “Yeah. Why not?”

“No, why?” I remember that day in the park when she mentioned her messed up life.

“Working with people hasn’t gone so well for me. I think working with dogs will be better.”

She has me curious. “Is that what you meant when you said your life is a dumpster fire?”

She sighs. “Yeah. I lost my job last week. And it took me a year to find it.” One corner of her mouth deepens in a glum smile.

“Huh. You don’t look like someone who’d have a hard time finding a job.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “What does that mean?”

“You’re hot.”

“So you’re saying I could work as a stripper?”

I choke. “No! Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

Her lips thin. “Believe me, I considered it.”

Holy shit.

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