Page 10 of Seductive Swimmer
“Deal.”
Once I’ve changed into the pair of cropped leggings and sweatshirt that Carlene loaned me, I head to the back. I drop my purse in the desk drawer in the office I sometimes work at, and push open the door that leads to the kennels. I’m greeted by the sound of a dozen dogs, all excited to see me. Okay, fine, they’d be excited to see anybody, but it still brings a smile to my face.
I take a moment to give each of them some affection, but my focus is on a kennel that is about halfway down the row. Inside is a beautiful dappled grey dog, with soulful eyes that instantly soothe me.
“Hey, Molly. How’s my favorite doggo?” I croon softly. Her tail bumps against the floor as she stands up to greet me. She’s been at the shelter for a month, and every time I come in, I’m terrified someone has adopted her. At the same time, Carlene and the other staff know how much I love her, so part of me wonders if they’re doing something to ensure she’s available when I’m finally able to bring her home.
Molly’s calm, not bouncing with excitement like some of the other dogs, but I know she’s happy I’m here. And it’s her chill, relaxed personality that I desperately need today. Her nurturing energy brings balance to my wild emotions. I choose to believe we have a connection, and it’s why I’m so determined to save enough money to adopt her.
Leash in hand, I open the door to her kennel and clip her collar on, then attach the leash. Molly walks out with me, a spring in both our steps. We head out into the sunshine with a wave to Carlene and set off toward Madison Square Park a few blocks away. Already, the last threads of tension in me are receding, and a peaceful happiness is taking its place. Who cares if I have to work with the sexy swimmer of my fantasies? I can handle it. I can handle anything. I refuse to let his arrogant charm work on me. I refuse to let him chase me away from my pool with his rippling abs and tight swim trunks. Nope. I, Savannah Reese, will be strong enough to resist the temptation that is Alexander Devlin.
Armed with my new resolve, I wander through the park with Molly, stopping to let some kids pet her, smiling at their comments about how tall she is. There’s a fenced in area where she can go off leash, as long as there are no other dogs present since she’s not very well socialized yet. We’re lucky the space is empty today, so I let her have a few minutes to lope around. But in true greyhound fashion, she tires of running quickly, and we find a bench to relax on. I’ve got a gelato from the cart nearby, and Molly has some water that I brought with me in a collapsible bowl. I can so easily see this being my life, dog walks and park visits. I want it so badly.
An hour later, Molly and I head back to the shelter. I hate this part. Leaving her there, when my heart is yearning to take her home. It feels like I’m abandoning her.
“Soon, baby girl. Soon,” I whisper to her as I stroke her head. She leans into me as we stand outside the shelter, and I know we’re both reluctant to go inside.
Heaving a sigh, I pull open the doors and gently tug Molly inside. Carlene smiles at us, but she’s on the phone, so we head on back. I spend some time in Molly’s kennel, loving her up even more. I don’t want to leave.
Eventually Carlene finds me there, on the floor with Molly’s head in my lap. She slides down on the floor next to me and like the good friend she is, she doesn’t say anything right away. Dog walkers aren’t meant to stay after they’ve exercised the dogs, and they definitely are not meant to cuddle the dogs in their kennels. But because I work here, and because of my bond with Molly, I can get away with it.
“I wish you’d talk to Suzette about a payment plan or something. She deserves to be home with you,” Carlene says softly.
“I know,” comes my eventual reply. “But I can’t take her home yet. I hope to, soon. I just got a new contract today that should give me enough to finish paying off my student loans, and then I can adopt her.”
Carlene shakes her head with resignation. She doesn’t agree with my resistance to accepting any help with affording Molly. But the accountant in me just can’t handle being irresponsible with money in any way, and taking on an expense like a dog before I’m ready would not be smart. Not to mention, I swore to myself I would make it on my own when I moved here. Accepting help for something like a dog, something that isn’t even a necessity, would be the exact opposite of being independent and responsible.
“Fine, fine. Tell me about the job. Is this the one with DC Group? Have you looked them up? The two guys that started the company are hot A-F.” Carlene waggles her eyebrows at me suggestively as she nudges my shoulder. “Maybe a little office romance is in your future, my friend.”
My heart starts to thump erratically at her innocent suggestion. Just like that, the peace I had found on my walk with Molly is gone, and the restless feeling I have from thinking of Alex is back. Mental images of him in his swim trunks war with images of him in a suit. I honestly don’t know which look I like more.
Avoiding this pesky attraction while working alongside him is going to be a challenge, but I can do it.
Molly lifts her head and licks my hand.
I have to do it.
