Page 40 of Here Comes Santa Paws

“Be there at six.”

Maria opened the door, and Carol rushed over to me like she made a harrowing escape from a torture chamber. I scanned her to make sure she was okay as I rubbed her back.

Maria’s smile was bright. “Carol’s the proud mama of five puppies!”

My head grew light as a ringing in my ears began. Five puppies? I couldn’t imagine taking care of one dog, let alone tiny puppies.Five of them. What kind of care did they need? Would Carol need special care? Would the dogs shit all over my house?

Elias’s grip on my thigh stopped me from spiraling into the dizziness swirling in my head.

“It’ll be okay. You’ve got me.”

I stared into his warm eyes and believed him.

Chapter 18

Roman

I eyedElias’s dogs warily as they sat at my feet, staring up at me where I sat in Elias’s kitchen.

“If they’re bothering you, you can tell them to leave,” Elias said from the stove while stirring something that smelled delicious.

“Would they listen?”

Elias flashed a teasing smile. “They might.”

“I bet they listen as much as you do.”

Elias sauntered over, holding a napkin under a spoonful of red sauce. “I can listen quite well when I’m motivated.”

He’d been making flirty comments since I showed up for dinner half an hour ago. It felt more like a date than a thank-you dinner, which should bother me more than it did.

Elias had gotten under my skin. He was too cheerful, too nosy, too pushy, too thoughtful, and was immune to my attitude. I’d never met someone more willing to put in the time to see the real me. It was easier and easier to let him in.

He blew on the spoon as he stood in front of me. I held eye contact as I opened my mouth, flattening my tongue. He wasn’t the only one with moves.

His legs brushed mine as he moved the spoon to my mouth. I closed my lips around it and let out a happy hum at the flavor explosion from a simple red sauce. It was rich, savory, and full of herbaceous flavors.

Elias’s eyebrows bounced knowingly.

I licked my lips to make him wait for the compliment he expected. “Smugness is beneath you.”

He tilted his head playfully. “At this angle, I think you are.” He winked before turning back to the stove. “Glad you like it.”

“I didn’t say I did.”

“You didn’t need to. I’ll get the pasta going.”

I stood and joined him. His dogs followed me. “Anything I can help with?”

“Want to pour some wine? There’s a few bottles of red on the rack over there.” He gestured to the corner of his dining area.

I selected a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and grabbed glasses from the cabinet Elias indicated.

Steam rose from a pot of bubbling water as he dumped narrow folds of dough into it.

“Is that fresh pasta?”

“Yeah. I made it last night,” he said casually.

---