Animal Attraction

Fifteen

Dell was already back in Sunshine, a hundred miles away from Melinda’s ranch. At the bakery, to be exact, eating a half-dozen donuts, because for the third time in a row he hadn’t stayed for a date with Melinda.

Although he should make a date-with a shrink.

He wondered what Adam was teaching Jade right this very minute. And if she was wearing that look of intense concentration she got when he was showing her a new move, the one that said she was earnest and serious and focused on kicking ass.

God, he loved that expression.

Adam appeared at his side and plopped into the other chair at Dell’s little table. “You’re an idiot.”

“Aw, thanks.”

Adam reached out and snatched an old-fashioned glazed donut.

“Hey.”

Taking a huge bite out of it, Adam leaned back. “Don’t you want to know what makes you a fucking idiot?”

“No.”

“It didn’t go so well with Jade tonight.”

Dell straightened. “What do you mean? What happened?”

“She was nervous about tangling with me on the mat.”

“She tell you that?”

“No, she told me that she was exhausted, so we had to stop.”

Dell blew out a breath. “I don’t get it, she’s been doing so well.”

“Yes, and this is where the fucking idiot part comes in. She’s good with you touching her. She feels safe with you. What the hell is going on with you two?”

“Nothing. She’s leaving.”

“Yeah,” Adam said. “I got that. But she’s not gone yet. You’re just backing out of her life?”

“What part of leaving don’t you understand?” Dell asked.

“If it were me, I’d take every last second I had.”

“Yes, well, I always was smarter than you.”

“Come on,” Adam said, shaking head. “If this were any other woman, you wouldn’t give a shit that she was leaving. It wouldn’t matter.”

“We work together.”

Adam waved this away as inconsequential. “You know what my point is.”

“Not really.” But Dell did. Christ, he did.

“You going to tell her how you feel about her before she goes, or are you going to be a total pussy about it?”

“Telling Jade that his feelings for her had changed, deepened, felt like the dumbest of all the dumbass moves he’d ever made. He didn’t want Jade to consider him as her…

What?

Christ. “I have to go.”

“Shock.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re so smart,” Adam said, stealing the very last donut as he rose. “You figure it out.”

Jade went to the animal center instead of home. She’d been running some accounting reports and wanted to check on them.

Or… she wanted to keep herself busy.

She decoded the alarm, flipped on the lights, and sat at her desk, immediately losing herself in the comfort and stability of accounting. Accounting didn’t require much. The numbers either added up or they didn’t, and the predictability of the work was soothing all in itself.

After an hour, she got thirsty and headed into the staff room for a bottle of water. She stepped into the room and as her hand reached out to flip the light switch on the wall, she heard it.

A loud exhale.

Male.

Panic. Her hand flailed and instead of getting the light switch, she hit the counter. Her fingers wrapped around something and without thinking, she held it out in front of her as a weapon just as a large shadow surged upright at the table in front of her.

“Holy shit,” she gasped.

“Holy shit,” someone else gasped, and then there was a beam of light that blinded her.

Jade stepped backward, out of the room, then whirled and ran down the hall to the front desk, where she groped for the panic button, which she hit five hundred times in a row.

“Jade?”

She was still hitting the button as she looked up. Keith stood in the doorway wearing nothing but his long hair standing straight up on one side and a pair of Big Dog flannel boxers that said BLOW THIS down the fly. She was so shocked, she just stood there, her finger still on the button.

“Dude,” Keith said, scrubbing his hands over his face. “You scared the shit out of me.”

Knees wobbling, Jade sank to her chair. “What are you doing here?”

“My roommate got lucky tonight and he made me leave so he could have the place to himself.”

“So you were sleeping here?”

He gave her a reproachful look. “Was sleeping. Jesus, you are one noisy chick. What were you going to do with that?”

Jade looked down and realized that she was gripping a plastic fork. It’d been what she’d grabbed off the counter. “I… I think I was going to stab you with it.”

“Dude.” He scratched his chest. “Gotta piss.” He vanished in the back.

The front door crashed open and Dell burst in. Jade stared at him. He stared right back, concern and anger and fear all over his face as he came to her. “Jade.” He sounded horrified as he reached her, hauling her up out of her chair and wrapping his arms around her tight. “You hit the alarm? What happened, are you hurt?”

“No, I-”

There was a scuffle of feet in the doorway to the back rooms, and in the same instant Dell whipped Jade behind him. There was a gun in his hand.

A gun.

Keith was in the doorway again, still in his BLOW THIS boxers, holding an opened soda. His eyes went wide at the sight of Dell standing there, gun drawn. “Holy shit,” he said in a repeat of what he’d said to Jade, jerking, spilling his soda down his bare chest. “Am I dreaming?”

“I came into work because I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep,” Jade started.

“Unlike some of us,” Keith muttered.

“And I came in on Keith sleeping in the back room, but before I realized it was him, I’d hit the alarm. I’m sorry, Dell.”

He swore and tucked the gun into his jeans waistband at the small of his back. Then turned and hugged Jade in close. “Don’t be sorry. You did the right thing.”

“It’s my fault,” she whispered, pressing her face into his chest. His bare chest because he was in jeans and an unzipped sweatshirt with nothing beneath it. His athletic shoes were unlaced and he didn’t appear to be wearing socks.

He’d been in bed.

Beneath her cheek she could feel his heart pounding hard and fast. She’d wondered what it would take to ruffle the unflappable Dr. Dell Connelly.

She’d found it.

Her.

Her safety. “You have a gun?”

“I get notified at the same time as the police when the alarm goes off. I saw your car in the lot. I thought-”

He’d thought she was in danger.

Still holding her against him, Dell reached into his pocket. “Need to call this in and tell them it’s a false alarm-”

Before he could finish that sentence, several squad cars came flying into the lot, lights flashing.

“Dude,” Keith said on a sigh.

The next morning, Jade was at her desk staring down at the newspaper. There were two stories of interest. The first one was front page. The guys robbing the vet clinics in the state had been caught in Boise when they’d tried to hit a twenty-four-hour emergency pet hospital. No one had been injured.

The other story was on page three.

Dr. Dell Connelly’s ex-fiancée and receptionist at Belle Haven catches their animal tech Keith Roberts In the Act. Of Sleeping.

Sighing, Jade tossed the paper aside. The police had been quite understanding of the mishap. Keith got over himself. Dell swore he wasn’t upset with her, but something had happened.

He’d pulled back. She didn’t know why.

After morning rounds, he’d gone into surgery and Jade spent the time reorganizing files and updating inventory. Dell was gone for a few hours, seeing pets at a vet hospital about an hour away. When he called her from there about some records he needed, he sounded perfectly pleasant.

And perfectly not himself.

“Dell,” she said after she’d told him where to find the records. “Are you okay?”

“Of course,” he said, then paused. “And you?”

An odd longing filled her. A longing for him, which was unsettling. She wanted… well, she didn’t exactly know.

And wasn’t that the problem.

“I’m peachy,” she said, and when he’d hung up she smacked herself in the forehead with her phone, castigating herself aloud. “Peachy? You’re peachy?”

“I think pineapple works better,” Adam said, walking through the reception area. “It’s prickly.” He flashed her a quick grin, making her laugh and shake her head.

“You on for tonight?” he asked.

Tonight was poker night. Dell, Brady, Adam, and Lilah were religious about the twice-monthly get-togethers. Dell hosted them at his place and these guys took their poker very seriously. “Yes,” she said. “I’ll be there.”

“Bring your cash and valuables,” he said.

Two weeks ago Jade had cleaned Adam out. He wanted his revenge. “There’s going to be an ass-whooping tonight.”

“Hmm,” she said. “I’ll bring my can of hair spray, too, in case it gets ugly.”

He reached into the candy jar on the counter that Jade used to bribe little children into behaving. “You can’t scare me like you do Dell.”

She went still. “Is that what I do, scare him?”

Adam flashed her a look of sympathy that she didn’t want. “Jade-”

“No, never mind.” Standing, she nudged him clear of her area. “Okay, out you. I have to close up.”

He managed to grab a handful of candy before she pushed him away. When she was alone, she looked at Gertie. “Men are annoying.”

Gertie cocked her head in agreement, but Jade let out a low laugh. “Oh, who are you trying to kid? The minute he shows his face, you’ll drop everything for him. Face it, Gert. You’re a Dell ’ho.”

Gertie grinned and drooled.

Jade sighed. She was a Dell ’ho, too. She finished closing up and got Beans into the carrier, surprised when she straightened to find Adam back in her space. “You didn’t have to wait for me. The bad guys have been caught.”

He shrugged. “Humor me.” He paused. “And about Dell. He-”

“You don’t have to explain him to me.” She pointed to a stack of phone messages from the day, which she’d already entered onto a spreadsheet and sent to Dell’s e-mail.

Adam picked up the messages and flipped through them. “Okay, Tina’s his housekeeper. Shelly’s a good friend of mine. She called me, too, wanting to know what to get the man of mystery for his birthday next month. I told her a kick in the ass. Amanda…” He lifted a shoulder and stared at that message. “Okay, that’s a new one,” he admitted, rubbing his jaw. “And probably not worth remembering.”

Jade sighed. “She’s a drug rep.”

“And you think Dell’s into her?”

“No,” she admitted. “He took her to lunch last week when she drove in from Boise, and since then she’s called twenty times, but he hasn’t gotten back to her.”

“And how many times has Melinda called?”

“Four, and there’s two hang-ups, which thanks to the magic of caller ID, are also hers.”

Adam just shook his head. “Christ, you two are a pair.”

Dell was slumped in his dining room chair as he gathered his cards in. He’d lost.

To Jade.

Fitting, he thought. Since he’d already lost her-a fact that had been slammed home to him last night. Only a few weeks ago, what had happened in the clinic last night would have paralyzed her with fear and insecurity. But the self-defense he’d taught her had bolstered her confidence and given her some belief in herself.

And now she was going to use that newfound strength to leave here.

Great job, Connelly. Well done.

Jade was smiling as she gathered all his nickels and dimes in close, making careful, perfect stacks.

“So you have what,” Lilah said to Jade. “A few weeks left?”

Jade didn’t look up from her winnings. “About.”

“Wish you wouldn’t go,” Lilah said. “We’re going to miss you.”

“You’re the only one who can keep the knucklehead in line,” Adam said in agreement.

The “knucklehead” didn’t speak because if he did, it would be to utter the two words that had been stuck in his throat for so long he was choking on them.

Don’t go.

“This was always a temporary situation,” Jade reminded them softly. “But I’ll miss you guys.”

“Me too,” Lilah said, and pulled Jade in for a tight hug, the full-body kind that only women could pull off. “You’re leaving me here with all this testosterone, it’s not fair.”

“I’ll visit,” Jade said.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Lilah sniffed and nodded and then composed herself. Jade did the same. And just like that, it was over and the two of them were smiling again.

Not Dell. He couldn’t have smiled to save his life. His throat burned. Fucking burned.

Lilah filled the silence, talking about flying to Chicago to visit Jade and shop, flirting with her husband-to-be, making fun of Adam for losing when he wanted to win so bad.

Brady was just sitting there, clearly enjoying Lilah’s antics. Adam was quiet, probably calculating his revenge hand.

“Love how you always kick their asses,” Lilah said to Jade. “Promise me you’ll fly in for our poker nights once you go home. Brady can get you in the chopper.”

Brady nodded his agreement of that and Adam said something about how he’d have to start saving up for that since she kept killing him, but Dell couldn’t joke about it. Hell, he couldn’t hardly fucking breathe.

And how the hell she could, he had no idea.

Two weeks…

“My deal.” Jade took the cards, shuffling like a pro. “Five-card stud. Deuces wild.” She dealt, then surveyed her cards with that same little smile she always gave her hand.

She had a helluva poker face.

And if she’d looked like a naughty secretary yesterday, tonight she looked like a gambler’s wet dream. Snug, silky, long-sleeved T-shirt with an equally snug vest that tied up the center into a bow between her breasts.

He wanted to tug on that tie with his teeth.

Her jeans were cut low, and when she leaned forward to collect her winnings or to toss her cards, her shirt rose a little, revealing a mind-melting strip of smooth, creamy skin.

And just the very tiniest hint of twin dimples above the best ass he’d ever seen.

Christ, she was killing him.

He drew two cards and came up with three tens and a deuce. He went all in.

Brady shook his head and folded. “Sucker.”

Adam looked pained and also folded.

Lilah grinned but joined Adam and Brady in folding.

Jade pushed her money to the center of the table. She was in.

Dell looked into her eyes, and it might have been just the two of them-except for their audience, of course. The Three Stooges, watching them like a prime-time sitcom.

“You packing any heat?” Jade asked, studying his face.

“A little late to ask,” he said. “You’re all in.”

“In more ways than one,” she murmured. “Going to show me what you’ve got?”

In more ways than one? What did that mean? He revealed his cards. “Three of a kind.”

Jade’s brows went up. “Nice,” she said, but stopped him when he leaned forward to collect the pile.

“Not so fast.” She laid her hand out.

Full house.

Brady and Adam grimaced in tandem. Lilah chortled with glee.

Jade smiled and gathered the booty toward her. “You lost, Dr. Connelly. All of it.”

Yeah. A feeling he was getting far too used to.

Much later, Dell was alone on his couch. He had his remote in hand, and Gertie doing her best imitation of a lap dog, leaving a good amount of slobber on his thigh.

A knock sounded at his door.

Not Adam or Brady. They’d left an hour ago, and besides, they both had keys and absolutely no care for Dell’s privacy whatsoever. They’d just barge in.

Dell glanced at his watch. Two in the morning. Frowning, he shoved Gertie off him and headed to the door, glancing out his living room window as he did.

Jade’s car was in the driveway.

What the hell? Gertie peeked, too, and gave a bark of wild enthusiasm.

Speeding up his pace Dell pulled open the door, reaching down to grab Gertie’s collar just before she could launch herself at Jade.

“Gak,” Gertie said, back paws on the ground, front paws in the air as Dell held her back.

“Were you sleeping?” Jade asked, her hands tightly clasped together. She sent a quick look over her shoulder as if the dark night was unnerving her. “You were totally sleeping, right? Never mind.” She started to turn away, but Dell used his free hand to snare his second female of the night, catching Jade in the back of her jacket and reeling her to him. Because it was cold, he pulled both woman and dog into his house and shut the door.

Gertie shoved her face into Jade’s palm, blithely demanding a rubdown, which Jade granted. Everyone seemed happy with the momentary distraction, especially Gert. After a moment, the dog shuffled back off to her spot on the couch.

“I-” Jade let out a breath. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“I wasn’t sleeping. I was just sitting here thinking of how broke I am.”

She smiled, and he felt the usual reaction in his chest. And south. “Not that I’m complaining,” he said. “But what are you doing back here?”

She hesitated. “Remember how when you were a kid and you knew something was a really bad idea, but you wanted to do it anyway, even when everyone from your nanny to your best friend told you it was stupid?”

He’d been moved around too much for best friends. Adam had fit the bill, but if Dell had gone to do something stupid, Adam had most likely been the ringleader. “Never had a nanny.”

She nodded with a little grimace. “I knew that. I didn’t mean… I just… The stupid thing. I’m trying to tell you about the stupid thing I want to do.”

“The thing your nanny and best friend would try to talk you out of.”

“Yes. But they’re not here. And you…” She shook her head and walked into his living room and looked around.

“Forget something?”

“No, I was just sort of hoping to find your Adopt-a-Farm-Animal type of secret thing you do when you’re alone.”

“Guys have… different alone-time activities than women. Very different.”

She laughed and dropped her coat to his couch. Okay, that meant she was staying, for at least a few minutes.

Or maybe not.

He’d long ago given up trying to read her mind. She’d changed out of her gambler’s wet dream outfit and was now in a snug black sweat suit. The bottoms were contoured to her body. The hoodie was unzipped to just beneath her breasts and beneath was a lacy white number that fucked with his head. She entwined her fingers and looked at him.

He looked back.

With a sigh, she sank to his couch and patted the spot next to her.

He joined her, trying not to notice that she smelled like heaven on earth or that he managed to sit as close as he could without actually sitting on her. Which made him no better than his own damn dog.

“You haven’t been yourself,” she said softly. “You know, since we…”

Actually, to be technical, it had nothing to do with their night and everything to do with the fact that she was leaving Sunshine. But he had just enough pride to keep his mouth shut.

Barely.

Because if he opened it he’d do it. He’d say it.

Don’t go.

So instead he did something even more dumb. He dragged her up against him and kissed her, because he remembered how good she tasted, remembered that soft, sexy as hell little sound she made when he touched his tongue to hers. Remembered what it had been like to be inside her, how she’d felt all silky soft and naked in his arms.

She kissed him back until he was hard with hunger and need, but even he knew it wasn’t all physical. There was a deep and overwhelming longing within him, one he’d successfully buried for a long time but he was having trouble putting it away again.

“Dell?”

No. No talking, because he knew damn well the wrong thing would come out.

The begging.

Because God, really? What the fuck did he know about keeping a woman in his life? Not nearly enough to keep Jade with him, that was for damn sure.

Which didn’t stop him from pushing her down to the cushions and covering her body with his to kiss her again.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what stupid thing I wanted to do?” she whispered.

“Please, God,” he breathed against her neck. “Say me.”

She bit her lower lip but burst out laughing, anyway. “Dell.” She dropped her head to his chest. “This is all your fault. I just keep thinking about our night. I know it was a one time thing, it has to be a one time thing. I’m leaving, and you don’t do more than one night things, and…” She lifted her head and looked at him beseechingly. “Can you help me out here? Be the voice of reason?”

“What do you expect me to say, don’t want me? Are you kidding?”

“Tell me it was bad,” she said. “Like… bad bad. So bad that we don’t need to repeat it because it was so bad.”

Letting out a breath, he opened his mouth.

She nodded, eager to hear what he might say.

“Jade.”

“Say it.”

“It was bad. So bad we should repeat it to learn from it.”

She went still, then snorted. “Way to be strong.”

He knew every bit as much as she that this shouldn’t happen. It was risking too much. Someone was going to get hurt.

Too late for that…

And in any case, he couldn’t let her go. In fact, his arms came around her and held on. “Jade, what the hell am I going to do with you?”

“Are you as scared as I am?”

“Terrified,” he said. “Hold me.”

She laughed but did just that. “You know,” she said, mouth against his ear. “Someone once told me that when I’m in an unsure situation, calm assertive dominance is best.”

He stroked a finger over her jaw, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You want me to assert some calm dominance now? Over you?”

She shivered and her eyes darkened. “Maybe just this once…”

As he went from zero to sixty in less than a second, rising with her in his arms to head for his bed, he had to wonder just who was the one in control.