Page 26 of Puppy Kisses

A shadow passed over his face, a frown that seemed more serious than the conversation warranted. “You don’t smell like anything.”

She blinked. “What?”

“That’s how I knew it was you. You have a very particular nonscent.”

She wasn’t done with the other conversation—the one that implied she was fickle—but she allowed herself to be distracted. “How can someone have a nonscent? The absence of smell is just air. That doesn’t make sense.”

“No,” he agreed and rolled his shoulders. “It doesn’t. But it’s true nonetheless. Well? What’s on the puppy-training agenda for today? I got Phoebe to clear me two hours this morning, but Zeke and I need to do a full herd check later. We’ve got a few late breeders who’ll be calving any day now.”

“Aw. Baby cows?”

His mouth firmed into a hard line. “Yes. They’re adorable and small and all things delightful. Well?”

She sighed, feeling more dejected by his reaction to her arrival than she cared to admit. As usual, she was more of a burden than a benefit, a not-altogether-welcome break in the day. Adam needed her—for now—but there would soon come a time when that would no longer be the case.

She blamed that feeling, that pang of inevitability, for what came out of her mouth next.

“I thought we’d begin with a quick blow job in the back of the barn to get things loosened up,” she said without a trace of inflection. “Then we should probably do some basic skills training with both puppies before introducing Uncle to one or two of the cows. Just to start. We can bring in the whole herd later.”

Adam coughed until his face began to suffuse with red. “That’s not what I had in mind.”

“I know, but it’s best to get him used to the animals a few at a time. He’s never seen a cow before, so it’s impossible to tell how he’ll react. For all we know, he might take one look at them and think he’s at an all-you-can-eat hamburger buffet.”

Since Uncle stood like a patient giant while Gigi pranced and nipped around him, there was little chance of him doing anything even remotely like that. Still, Dawn had a schedule and she meant to stick to it. Lila might not consider her the most professional dog trainer in the world, but she wasn’t completely unreliable. See? She could totally make plans.

“With the exception of that first bit, it all sounds fine to me.”

Dawn took a step toward him—close enough for him tonotsmell her, but not so close they were touching. “What if I told you that the first bit isn’t negotiable?”

He cleared his throat. The slight tinge of red that had taken over his complexion hadn’t abated any, but he held his head at a dignified angle in an effort to counteract it. “I don’t remember my sexual services being a part of this bargain.”

“Technically you aren’t serving anything. All you have to do is stand there. I’ll take care of the rest.”

He didn’t answer, his silence making her feel as though she were six inches tall. Since it seemed she had little to lose at this point, she risked laying a hand flat on his chest. To all outward appearances, it was a sexual gesture, a symbol of intent. Her fingers curved into the plane of his pecs, reveling in the solid strength of him…not to mention everything that solid strength had to offer.

Dawn wasn’t able to fool herself that easily. She liked placing her hand over his chest because she wanted to feel the steady thump of his heart. He was so warm and alive, so generous when he allowed himself to be.

“You’re tense, Adam. Wound up. The puppies will be able to tell that the only thing you want to do is pin me up against the nearest barn wall, and it’ll negatively impact their training. Consider this part of the whole Dawn Vasquez training package.” Even though he couldn’t see her, she allowed her lips to curve in a smile. “Satisfaction is guaranteed.”

He stopped breathing. The rhythmic beat under her palm gave an erratic leap, but he allowed no other outward signs of discomposure to appear. At least, not until his hand gripped her around the wrist. He didn’t pull or push her away—just stood there like a statue, holding her.

She let him do it, her own breath caught until his tongue began a slow and tortured journey across his bottom lip. “Do all your clients get this kind of personalized treatment?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

“Contrary to popular opinion, no. Most of my sexual partners have been accumulated the normal way.”

“Define ‘normal.’”

“Oh, you know. Tinder. Bars. Incredibly unsubtle dinner parties thrown by my sisters. Sometimes, I like to seduce the brothers of my friends, but that doesn’t always result in a sure thing.” She paused before adding, “It doesn’t have to be a life-or-death decision, Adam. Either you want me before we get started, or you don’t. It’s that simple.”

He took a wide step back, severing the physical ties between them. Dawn tried not to let the rejection sting, but there was no denying the pinpricks attacking her heart. She also prepared to lead the puppies out of the barn so they could get to work. She knew from experience that when Adam said he had two hours cleared out of his schedule, two hours was exactly what he meant.

But he didn’t follow. He was still standing there, his head tilted toward her. “Why are you doing this?” he asked.

“Training puppies? Or trying to seduce you?”

“Both. Neither. All of it.” The words were tumbled, rushed—both of which were wholly unlike him. He took a deep breath and began a more careful recitation of her sins. “Rescuing Methuselah, training Uncle, offering to help Bea on our behalf, all these promises of sexual escapades in inappropriate places… Why are you doing it? What’s in it for you?”

She shrugged. It wasn’t a very helpful gesture considering that Adam wasn’t close enough to feel her move, but she didn’t know what else to do, what else to say. To admit that most of her life decisions were born of impulse would only reinforce the low opinion he already had of her. He thought she was irresponsible and irreverent, that she was only interested in him because she had an itch and he was on hand to scratch it. The thing he didn’t understand though, the thing thatno oneunderstood, was that she didn’t regret her impulses.