Page 12 of Unlawful Seduction

He was even more gorgeous than I’d remembered, yet there was still a hardness to him that gave off dangerous vibes. He was dressed in all black including another leather jacket, wearing combat boots that I was envious of since my feet were freezing.

After easing me inside, he stood in the snow staring at me for a few seconds with his lips parted. My gaze was drawn to how full and rosy they were while mine were likely thin and white from the frigid temperatures.

“Are you okay?”

God, his voice was rich and husky, the deep tremor matching the way my heart was beating.

I felt a cold nose against my neck and laughed nervously. “I’m fine.”

“Take care of her, Jax. She’s your responsibility.” He closed the door and while Jax was sniffing away at all the smells I had on me, I was watching every move the huge man made.

I had to shift my attention to the side mirror as he headed to the trunk, reaching into the back. His strides were long and purposeful, passing by my window only a few seconds later.

“So, what’s his story, Jax? Huh? Are you going to tell on your master?”

Jax licked my face in reply, his tail thumping against the seat as he panted. I wrapped my arm around him instinctively and he all but melted into me. The warmth of his body was exactly what I needed. His owner headed to my truck, the headlights of his truck highlighting his features better than the afternoon sun had done the day before.

I was thrown by my attraction to him since I’d promised myself I wouldn’t bother looking at another man for a very long time. But he wasn’t just any man.

He was like some statue of a god brought to life. When he opened my hood and bent over, I had to chastise myself for the filthy thoughts drifting through my mind. From what I could tell, he was in incredible physical shape, his dimensions perfect for his tremendous height.

Jax whined, but his tail was still thumping. I took a quick glance around the cab of his truck, which was a hell of a lot more modern than mine. I was hoping to gain some information about him. I wasn’t certain other than if I needed to call the police. Ha. I reminded myself my phone was effectively dead.

Since the stranger remained with his head under the truck’s hood, I couldn’t help myself and snooped. He had a backseat with what looked like two bags of groceries on the floor. I smiled when I noticed there was a dog’s bed and some dog’s toys on the backseat. I stole another glance before daring to open the console between the seats.

As soon as I peered inside, Jax decided that was the moment he wanted to climb onto my lap.

“Oh, buddy. You can’t do that.” I stroked the back of his neck several times, but he wasn’t interested in moving one inch. There was no way I could close the console lid. Oh, this wasn’t good.

I finally managed to budge the pup by a few inches so I could lean over and place my hand into the console. When my fingers wrapped around something cold and metal, I stiffened. Exhaling, I pulled what I was now holding into the limited light.

A gun.

Holy shit.

I could swear the man had radar in the back of his head. He rose to his full height, turning slightly so he could stare into the windshield, his eyes locking with mine. Even though the windshield wipers had a difficult time keeping up with the heavy snowfall, there was a strange and electrifying connection from the intensity of his stare. Inhaling, I slowly pulled my hand free of his console, even offering a waning smile.

Jax licked my face just then and I laughed. By the time I glanced out the windshield again, the cables were attached and the mystery man was headed toward my driver’s door. I said a silent prayer the engine would turn over. I made certain the console was completely closed and breathed a sigh of relief. The man’s vibe was very dark, completely controlling. I also sensed he was a loner.

When I could tell my dad’s old truck was brimming with some life again, I almost jumped for joy. The mystery man kept the cables attached and I watched as he scanned the darkened street inch by inch as if he was looking for something specific.

“Who is your daddy, Jax? Huh?”

The white pup licked my face again in response. I was still freezing to death and nuzzled closer to the huge dog, finally noticing he had a stunning collar, one with various shades of vibrant color. There was even a tag with Jax’s name on it. However, there was no phone number, no address, and no microchip number so if lost, the two could be reunited.

Maybe two minutes later, the stranger seemed satisfied, pulling the cables and folding them in his hand. He left my dad’s truck running and slowly walked around my side to return the cables where they’d been.

I opened the door, snow and ice immediately pinging my face. I shuddered as I carefully stepped out, waiting as the unknown man made his way back in my direction.

“It’s working. For now,” he said gruffly.

“What do I owe you?”

He slowly lifted his head, glaring at me as if I’d insulted him. “Not necessary.”

The man certainly wasn’t going to take any money. There was little I could offer until I thought about Jax. I’d placed a few business cards in my back pocket. With my hands shaking, it took a few seconds to pull one out. As I stretched my arm to hand him one, he took a seriously deep breath. Did he think I was offering him a bomb?

“It’s just my card. I have a clinic in town. You know, if you ever need something for that sweet little pup of yours. It’ll be on the house. Okay? That’s the least I can do for the help you gave me.”

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