Page 47 of Lock ’N’ Load

“Miss Annie?” He grinned, displaying even white teeth.

“Miss Annie was my doll.” She punched him in the arm, noting his bicep really was as rock solid as it looked. “So don’t you dare laugh.”

His expression sobered. “Not laughing. Getting attacked by a dog under any circumstances is no laughing matter. Even though it didn’t bite you, I can understand why it traumatized you.” He gently gripped her chin. “Did Sheba attack you?” She shook her head. “Did she slobber on you?” Again, she shook her head. “Did she go after Poofy?”

“No, but—”

“I’m not discounting your fear. Based on your experience as a young child, there’s a basis for it. What I’m asking is, what was Sheba doing that got you screaming like a banshee?”

Frowning, she had to force her thoughts back to the very moment when she knew Sheba was in her room. “She was on the bed…” Her voice trailed off, as she realized the truth. “Lying down next to me.”

“Hate to be the one to burst your cynophobic bubble, but she was sleeping. I don’t ever let her up on the bed, but at times, she acts like a teenager, pushing the envelope and seeing what she can get away with.” The corners of his mouth lifted.

“She stays in the house with you?” Now that was an issue. A big one.

He shook his head. “Mainly, no. If I let her inside every night, she’d sneak onto a sofa or a bed the second my back was turned. Like she did on your bed. I don’t want her to get lazy and lose the drive to work. That’s a mistake a lot of K-9 officers go through with their first dog, then they have to spend more time getting their partner to re-engage.”

Interesting. “Who knew the d-dog psyche was so complex?”

Again, he gave her a smile, and she realized she liked it. His smile made her tummy all fluttery. “My point is, not all dogs will hurt you. Most, in fact, never will. Sheba never will, nor will any of the other K-9s in my kennel. They’re trained to protect the good guys.”

Suddenly, the air between them got thick and hot, steamy even, although there wasn’t much space between them at the moment. That’s when she noticed the purplish bruise visible beneath his chiseled, stubbled jaw.

She touched her fingers to his face. “How did you get this?”

He snorted. “You kicked me.”

“What?” Her jaw dropped. “I did not kick you.” His grin turned into a full-fledged smile. “When?”

“Did so.” He tipped his head to where Poofy had now mellowed on the desk and sat watching them. “You were so hell-bent on getting back inside to rescue that fur ball you kicked me, so hard my head hit the house. Got me good.”

“Sorry.” She gave him a regretful grimace. “Does it hurt?”

“Not much.”

“Great. N-nothing like kicking the g-guy who risked his life to save my cat. Or me. For the second time in less than a week.” Her arms were still loosely around his neck, and she knew she should move them, but she didn’t want to. It felt too good being here like this. Wrapped up in his arms. Warm and safe. “Thank you.”

Their gazes locked. Neither of them said a word. He swallowed, his eyes dipping to her mouth, and for a minuscule moment, she thought he was about to kiss her.

His chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “You’re welcome. Just doing my duty.”

His duty?

Right. Not that it was a shock, but it hurt to hear him say the words, a stark reminder of her unflappable mantra: men like him don’t go out with women like me.

Desperate to hide her disappointment, she looked away, cringing inwardly.

“Trista, I—” Matt clenched his jaw, giving her a look that told her she hadn’t hidden her emotions well at all. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to accept the inevitable. “It’s okay.” She patted his chest. “I g-get it. I really do. I’m an assignment to you, probably one you didn’t even want. Barely ten hours under your roof, and I’ve already created utter chaos.”

As if sensing her change in mood, he stood and released the arm he’d had beneath her thighs so she could lower her legs to the floor. As she slid down his body, the T-shirt rode up her thighs, and for one agonizingly long moment, they were skin on skin, her legs brushing against his, her belly contacting the hard bulge between his legs. She widened her eyes, floored by the intimate knowledge that she’d done that to him. Perhaps it was more than just duty he felt toward her.

She froze, daring to think the unthinkable. Was it even possible? Could a man like him actually be interested in a woman like me?

Hesitant hope blossomed in her heart.

His hand remained at the small of her back a moment longer before he let his arm drop. “I’ll meet you downstairs, introduce you to the guys. Then we’ll have to talk about procedure while you’re here.” He went to the door, turning at the last second with his hand on the knob. “Tug it shut harder next time until you hear the latch click. That’s probably how Sheba got in.”