Page 103 of Broken
“He’s adorable,” Prescott replied.
“My brother and sister-in-law’s dog had puppies. I fell in love with him the second I laid eyes on him.”
She stilled, as if she’d said too much. Then, she shook her head, as if chasing away a thought.
“The family that was supposed to take him fell through and I’m seriously thinking of getting him. Can you please ask Z what his thoughts are on pets in the condo?”
Prescott admired Jacqueline. She was a feisty, independent, confident and competent woman. He didn’t think she was intimidated by Z.
“I’m happy to ask him, but why don’t you?”
“He doesn’t know I’m staying here,” she explained. “Addison called me to let me know she was skipping town and to thank me for taking this case. When I told her I needed a place to stay, she told me the condo was empty and gave me the code.”
“I’m still not tracking… why don’t you want Z to know you’re here?”
“In addition to the condo code, there’s a building code, which I didn’t have and Addison had forgotten to give it to me, so I called her. Rather than call her dad, she put Hawk on the phone with the security guard. He pretended to be Z and gave the guard permission—”
“The guard bought that?” Prescott asked. “You can’t stay here. It’s not safe enough.”
Hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She hated having to look over her shoulder, hated wondering if the killer was still out there, but she hated living in constant fear too, so she squared her shoulders and forced it out.
“Iwassafe until you barged in at four in the morning and almost got shot,” she pushed back. “Please just check with him.”
Prescott was at a crossroads. He could talk to Z or he could nudge her in the right direction. If she lived in his house, he could ensure her safety… and see her every single day.
“I don’t have to ask him,” Prescott began. “He’d never allow a dog, especially one that sheds as much as a shepherd. I’m not sure, but he might be allergic.”
“Damn.”
“You can’t leave a puppy all alone in a condo all day,” Prescott said.
“Well, I wouldn’t. I’d come home—”
“You and the pup should move in with us.”
Her eyes widened. “I can’t move into your home. You have Ethan. That would be confusing for him. And what about the puppy? He’d get attached to it. The puppy would get attached to Ethan.”
He fully expected her pushback.
“I’ve got master suites on all three floors. I was sleeping on the first floor, but I moved upstairs to be closer to Ethan. You can take the first floor.”
“I’m not sure my moving in, with a puppy who’s not potty trained—”
“Ah, hell, you definitely have to move in. If Ethan sees you training the dog, maybe it’ll motivate him to do his business in the toilet.”
She smiled. “You sound desperate.”
“If anyone knows how desperate I am, it’s you.” He dipped down and kissed her, then dropped another kiss on her bare shoulder.
“I’ll give it some thought.” She leaned up, kissed him back. “That kiss is from Jack because Jacqueline still can’t stand you.” Biting back a smile, she opened the front door.
He stepped into the hall. “Gotta say, I love the way you hate me.”
So, do I, Prescott Armstrong. So, do I.
* * *
Jacqueline
