For the Love of Nick

“Are they all like that?” He gestured to Sadie, who was currently eyeing her tail as if she wanted to chase it.

“Bullmastiffs? Mostly.”

“Why?”

“Why?” She looked at Sadie, wondering how anyone could not see her innate charm. “Well…They’re big. I love big dogs. And they’re short-coated, with unmussable fur. It makes it easy to get them ready for the ring. See her inherent facial makeup, with her black mask and kohl-like eye shadow?” She cupped Sadie’s big face and kissed her nose. “Adorable, guaranteed. But also, there’s no extra grooming required. She shows au naturel. The only tool I need is a towel for the drool.”

“You mean a bucket,” he noted, watching as two long lines of it came out of Sadie’s mouth, puddling on the carpet.

Getting down on all fours next to Sadie, Danielle wiped the drool away and physically maneuvered the dog’s paws where she needed them, getting the front two in place before crawling around the back, only to have Sadie sit. She then leaned into Danielle and licked her face.

Nick laughed.

Danielle ignored both the contagious sound of that good humor, how it made her tummy flutter, and tried again. Leaning forward, she shifted Sadie back into place. “There. Stay. Oh, perfect! Nick, quick.”

Nick ducked behind the camera. Danielle, still on her hands and knees, quickly backed out of the way.

And…Sadie lay down.

Straightening from behind the camera, Nick shot Danielle a raised eyebrow.

Which she ignored. “You’re not helping,” she whispered to Sadie, crawling forward so that she could look at Sadie nose-to-nose. “Now let’s try that again—”

Behind her came a funny sound.

Whirling, she found Nick standing next to the tripod. Staring at her. Staring specifically at the butt she’d obliviously thrust into the air.

Oh good God. Face hot, she lowered her bottom to her heels. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Best pose I’ve seen all day.”

Her gaze locked on to his and refused to be freed. More than her face felt warm now, her entire body ignited. Her skin seemed pulled too tight, and her nipples poked at her blouse. Feeling betrayed by her own body, she turned to Sadie, careful to be far more modest this time as she once again coaxed the dog into the right position.

Sadie held that position until exactly the second Nick reached for the flash, when she promptly walked right off the set and sat down at Danielle’s feet.

Nick cocked his hip and studied Sadie. “Is she really some sort of champion?”

“She is.” Danielle sighed when Sadie yawned again. “You’re boring her.”

“Maybe I should dance and sing.”

“Just keep trying.” Desperation was clawing at her. Could she get the shots developed right here and now? Or would he give her the film so she could try another lab?

It had to be one option or the other, as she had to go from here straight to Donald Wutherspoon, in the hopes he’d get work for Sadie.

And income for her.

If not, then she had to get another job, quick. She was qualified, and after ten years, quite reputable as a handler. People knew and trusted her with their animals and she’d made a decent living at showing champion dogs. But stealing a dog, even for a really good reason, would ruin her. Not to mention the fact that Ted would likely look for her at any local show, or even within all of Rhode Island, which just wasn’t big enough for her to disappear.

Danielle couldn’t let Sadie be taken back. If she could only earn enough cash to disappear, then she’d go far, far away and start over, doing whatever she had to in order to make a living to support the two of them.

“Hey.” Nick suddenly appeared in front of her, cupping her jaw in his hand, looking deep into her eyes, making her realize he’d called her name several times. “What’s really going on here?”

His fingers were on her skin, electrifying her. “What do you mean?”

“You’re jumpy and nervous.” His eyes were so deep, so tuned on her, she had to swallow, hard.

“Maybe I’m always nervous around strangers.”

“We’re not strangers.”

No. No, they weren’t. “Well, then maybe I’m nervous seeing you again.”

“When you rarely gave me the time of day?” He let out a rough laugh. “Doubtful.” His thumb stroked her jaw. “So tell me. What’s really up?”

With no idea what she was going to say, Danielle opened her mouth, but before she could respond, Sadie nosed her way in between the two of them and bared her teeth at Nick.

Nick lifted his hand off Danielle. “A watchdog, are you?”

Danielle stroked a hand down the ruffled hair at Sadie’s thick neck. “She won’t bite.”

Nick eyed the dog warily. “If you say so.” But he didn’t touch Danielle again.

Shouldn’t have touched her in the first place because now he had the incredibly soft, satiny feel of her flesh implanted on his brain.

“If you’d pet her, maybe smile at her, she’d probably relax,” Danielle suggested.

“If I pet you, smile at you, will you relax?”

Her eyes widened for a moment on his before she looked away. “You’re playing with me.”

“I don’t play with people’s feelings.”

Her huge eyes met his. “Do you still hate me?”

“Hate you?”

“You know, from high school.”

He stared at her for a moment, then laughed, but she didn’t so much as smile, so his own slowly faded. “Danielle, back then, hating you was just about the furthest thing from my mind.”

“Even after…that night?”

“Especially after that night.”

When her misty eyes blinked in surprise, he nodded wryly. “Yeah. Big-time crush.”

“I had no idea.”