Page 101 of Dallas

“Confused about the...she’s a dog!”

Sam crossed her arms beneath her breasts, the motion tugging her shirt tight across them. He imagined her expression was fierce, but he was having a hard time motivating himself to raise his focus and confirm it. Angry eyes...perfect breasts. Frowning mouth...boobs.

There was no contest.

But at some point, he had to acknowledge that he’d passed from normal, expected male study of the female form to slobbering douche bag, so he had to no choice but to look up. Yeah, she was mad.

“Where doyouget off being mad? Your dog chewed up my?—”

“Ten dollar throw pillow.”

“The money isn’t the point. It’s mine. And I like things where I left them and not desecrated by the hound of the Baskervilles.”

“It won’t happen again, Jace. Come on,” she said to Poppy, genuinely stern now. “Outside.”

She walked out with the dog and returned a few moments later without her. “She’s thinking about what she did.”

“No she’s not. She’s thinking about when she can kill again.”

“Jace, I’m sorry. She really doesn’t normally chew. Shedoes drink out of the toilet—I can’t lie. But she doesn’t have opposable thumbs, so we’ll just make sure the bathroom door is closed and she’ll go for her water bowl.”

“She can’t stay in the house, Sam. Not while you’re gone. I can’t have her in here. It would drive me crazy.”

“Jace, what am I supposed to do with her?”

“She can hang out with me. That way I can keep an eye on her. She’s never made a move toward any of the animals on the ranch before, so I’m assuming she’ll stick close, right?”

“Well, yeah, but you hate her.”

“I don’t hate her, not any more than I hate the idea of any dog in my house and on my furniture. We’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t try to crawl in my lap like an overgrown puppy.”

“She’ll be a mess if she follows you around all day.”

“I’ll hose her off inside where I take care of the horses. She won’t get cold. I don’t mind mud out there. I mind it on my floor. There’s a difference.”

“Okay, thanks. I’m sorry we’re being high-maintenance guests. That wasn’t my intention.”

He let out a long breath. “I know, Sam. We’ll be fine. We just have to establish a routine.”

“Well, in keeping with that theme, I brought more dessert.”

“I like that routine.”

Samantha felt a little glow at the center of her chest. She had no idea why Poppy had decided to go postal on the pillow, and she really did feel bad, in spite of the fact that protectiveness for Poppy made her a little prickly. So the idea that something about her was welcome in Jace’s eyes was...nice.

“I’ll bring out a tray of cupcakes. You sit down. We’ll watch a movie. Your pick.”

He muttered something about cupcakes being preferable to popcorn. “Sure, Sam.”

“And Poppy can come sit by the fire. It’ll make a nice domestic picture.”

“Nothing with that much fur features into my version of a nice, domestic picture.”

For some reason, his words made the glow vanish. Leaving her cold and a little sick. “Oh. Well, what does feature in your nice domestic picture?”

He shrugged. “Me by myself, I guess. Or with you over for a movie.”

But living by himself. Not with a wife. Why did that bother her? She shouldn’t care. If Jace had a wife she’d never get to see him. She’d long dreaded that day, really. The day when another woman became more important to him than she was.

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