Page 36 of Junkyard Dog

Hear Charlotte’s voice before heading to his shift at the tavern.

He ran his hands through his hair, his fingers flexing as they continued to hold the sensation of her skin, the heaviness of her breasts in his palms. Leaning back in his seat, he rolled down his window and allowed the faint warm breeze to hold him in the moment, to force his focus to his mission and away from the siren luring him from it.

Chapter Thirteen

Charlotte bit herlip and took a step back as Alex closed in on her, his long hair tied back in a low ponytail he had instructed her very sternly not to pull. He assessed her stance, choosing to go with a frontal attack this time and regretting it as his back bounced off the gym mat.

He rose up on his elbows, his healing ribs protesting loudly. “I give,” he announced, dropping back down and closing his eyes. “I’m man enough to know when I’m outclassed.”

“You lasted longer than Max,” she offered, kneeling at his side and placing her hand on his stomach. “You’re all sweaty and gross. You slid right over me.”

His arms shot up and wrapped around her, pulling her on top of him and holding her tight to him, sore ribs be damned. “It’s not gross,” he countered, tightening his hold when she screeched and attempted to squirm away from him. “It’s manly.”

“It’s icky.” She laughed, pushing off his chest and holding her palms out to him. “Eeeewwwwwwww.”

He reached up, ran his hand along the back of her neck, and looked at her with amusement.

“I’m glowing,” she retorted, rising to her feet and snatching a towel from the bench. “I’m glowing like a stuck pig but glowing nonetheless.” She tossed the towel at him. “Go shower up. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

He grunted as he got to his feet, admiring the view while she walked away from him, her shirt clinging to her glowing form. Keeping the water barely tepid to cool his amping libido, he showered quickly and dressed, running his fingers through his hair as he pulled his ball cap on.

She was leaning against the door when he exited the showers, her gym bag slung over her shoulder and her wet hair dripping down the back of her shirt.

Damn.

“How’s the ego?” she inquired with a grin, glancing down when he grabbed her hand.

“Nothing a raw steak can’t heal up.” He tossed his bag into his SUV. “You’re going to have to teach me that shoulder move so I can kick some ass on the job.” He smiled at her. “You coming over?”

She hesitated.

He tilted his head and watched while her expression grew thoughtful, her eyes hardening slightly as she tugged her hand out of his.

“I think I’m going to head home,” she finally said, unlocking her car and throwing her bag in. She bent to get in before pausing and straightening, crossing over to kiss him quickly. “I’ll text you later this week, okay?”

He leaned against his SUV until she was out of sight, knowing it was time to make the call he should have made two mornings ago.

*

Charlotte eased offthe gas as she rounded a bend in the road, cracking a smile as Butch jogged up alongside the truck, his leash dangling from his jaws. “Hey, boy!” she called, draping her arm out the window for a quick ear scratch. “You riding in or out this evening?”

Butch butted the door with his head, his preference clear. She unfastened her seat belt and got out, opening the back door for the beast and waiting until he’d settled before she tucked the leash tight to him and slammed the door closed. “I’ve got nothing but kibble today,” she warned, laughing when the immense animal snorted and turned his head away from her. “What do you say to a tour of Sheep’s Pass?”

The dog laid his head on her armrest as she drove, chuffing in protest every time she stopped the soothing petting of his ears. “Demanding thing, aren’t you?” she muttered, turning onto the narrow road that led to the pass. “We’ve got an hour of daylight left. Let’s walk it.”

Butch jumped from the truck and padded alongside her, his ears twitching with every bristle of the browning foliage. She kept one hand on the beast’s back as they made their way up the path, her steps slowing as the climb became steeper. “This isn’t so bad,” she panted, balancing on the poor dog more than she should. “No men. No moral conundrums. No weird rules. Just you, me, and the red coachwhip over there.”

The dog placed himself between her and the snake, adapting his speed until she was out of striking distance.

“You probably have another eight or ten years left in you,” she continued, bending down to pick up a discarded coffee cup and shoving it into her back pocket. “Better odds than wasting time on some random guy with a short shelf life.”

Butch’s head turned up to her for a moment, his long fur flopping into his eyes.

She wrinkled her nose at him. “You get it. Come on. Top of the pass and we’ll head back.” Looping the leash around her wrist, she continued the climb. “You know, it would be so much easier to just wham-bam-thank-you-sir that guy if he wasn’t so damn sweet. And funny. Super-hot guys are so rarely funny.” Butch chuffed and shook his head. “But there he is, being all chivalrous with opening doors and asking permission to kiss me. Who does that? None of the guys I date, that’s who.”

Scooping a nasty cigarette butt off the sand, she shoved it into the crushed cup in her pocket. “And a bounty hunter? What the hell, right?” When Butch responded with a snort, she patted his head. “That’s one of those things that could put me on a daytime talk show.” Her hand tightened on the leash as her heart tightened in her chest. “Though I suppose Alex is the perfect final fling before I enter the career-spinster years Max keeps warning me about.”

*

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