Page 39 of I Hate You More

“Because you haven’t seen the magic inside that animal,” she said. She waited until he looked back at her, his expression sharp, before adding, “But don’t worry, I have. Other people might not think he’s worth the effort, but I know better.”

From the way he swallowed, it was obvious he knew exactly what she meant: that the dog’s potential was nothing compared to his own. Spencer was just as recalcitrant as Wheezy and twice as frustrating, but as her initial instincts had proven, there was a lot more lurking underneath that pair of dark, brooding eyes.

Her instincts also warned her that now was a good time to make her exit. With any luck, Spencer would be so busy digesting this new information that he’d fail to realize that although he’d readily answered her question about his single state, she hadn’t dared to touch his.

“Tell your brother I decided to finish the session at home, will you?” she said. “Now that I have access to your voice anytime I want, nothing can stop me.”

Since Spencer was still standing there looking as though he’d been hit with a lightning bolt, she braved a step forward. Crossing the line, she lifted a hand to his cheek. His skin was surprisingly soft, and she was startled enough by the feel of it—and of him—that she allowed her thumb to stray to his lips. The scent of her desire still clung to her fingertips, but that didn’t stop him from touching his tongue to her skin. Instead, it seemed to encourage him, and he only stopped himself from taking her thumb all the way into his mouth by forcing a deep, shuddering breath.

“Thank you for the recording, Spencer,” she said. “And for one of the best orgasms of my life.”

“But I didn’t even touch you,” he managed to say.

“I know,” she agreed. “It makes me wonder what will happen once you finally do.”

Chapter 10

“Oh, Spencer! Spency-boy! I saw your truck, so I know you’re home. You can’t hide in your room forever.”

Spencer glanced up from the romance novel he was reading—something calledTo Hook a Star. In all the bustle of getting Wheezy hooked up to his leash and dragging him away, Ruby had left her book behind. Since it had been well ensconced on Caleb’s side of the living room, Spencer had been forced to break his own rule to go grab it, but that hadn’t bothered him as much as it might have a few weeks ago.

While he still believed in thetheoryof symbolic rules as a way of keeping order, there was no denying that it had felt good to step over that line.

Reallygood.

“What do you want?” He got to his feet and poked his head out his bedroom door, the book still in hand.To Hook a Starwasn’t nearly as graphic as the erotic novel that sat half-read on his nightstand, but he liked it. More to the point, he liked that Ruby liked it. It hinted at a softer side he was only just starting to see. “I’m busy.”

“No, you’re not. You’re brooding alone in your room like you always do.” Caleb drew up to the edge of the line and made a big show of looking around the living room. “Where’s Ruby? She was supposed to wait for me.”

“She wanted me to tell you she’s going to finish the training session at home.”

“Goddammit, Spencer. What did you say to run her off? I was only gone an hour.”

He ignored this. To divulge any of the details of his interaction with Ruby would be to divulge all of them. How she looked as she’d removed her shirt, daring him to do something about it. The way her eyes had widened in shock when he’d accepted the challenge. The sound of her moans. The gyrations of her hips. The—

He cleared his throat and forced himself to think of expressing anal glands and removing embedded maggots instead. He had to go to the darkest side of veterinary care; Caleb would see through him otherwise. He’d never been able to lie to his brother.

“Maybe she has better things to do than sit around waiting for you,” he said as soon as he had a better handle on himself. The maggots helped. “You forget that most of us have responsibilities.”

Caleb laughed. “Don’t worry. Living with you is a constant reminder of the weight of responsibility. Am I allowed to ask why you’re holding a book with a pink cover, or is it better not to know?”

Spencer didn’t make an attempt to hide it. “It’s research. And I’m serious. Has that animal improved in the slightest since you took this job?”

“Of course he hasn’t. I assume that was why you allowed me to take her on as a client in the first place. You know damn well Wheezy is untrainable.” Caleb paused just long enough to take a breath. “Aren’t you going to ask me how it went with my parole officer?”

Spencer sighed. For once in his life, he wanted to talk about something other than his brother’s legal problems. He wanted to discuss what they were going to do about Wheezy. He wanted to talk about his feelings for Ruby. He wanted to rip that tape up off the floor and sit in his own living room so they could have a conversation face-to-face.

Shit.What he really wanted was a friend—hisfriend, his twin brother, the companion of his youth. Not the roommate who lived to thwart him or the reckless competitor who would do anything to win.

Once upon a time, being around Caleb had been easy. His brother had always laughed and loved large, as his obscenely high number of friends could attest. All that laughing and loving got him into trouble sometimes, but that was Caleb all over. He never let anything bring him down. Not the guidelines and conventions that were Spencer’s bread and butter, and definitely not the idea that an arbitrary set of rules could dictate his life.

He admired that about Caleb. He always had.

“Caleb, I—” he began, but his brother interrupted before he could figure out what he wanted to say.

“Hang on a sec, would you?” Caleb asked. “Caesar wants to be let in.”

Spencer heard the sounds of the sliding door opening and the bulldog bouncing exuberantly inside. Even though he’d gone out to play with and feed the dog after Ruby had left, Caesar had declined the invitation to accompany him inside afterward. The arrival of Caleb, however, was a cause for celebration.