Page 30 of The Criminal

“Poor guy. Blondes have all the fun.” Derek gave Betty one last belly rub and stood, offering me a hand.

“I wouldn’t know.” I ignored his outstretched hand and got up, flinging my long black ponytail over my shoulder dramatically.

An awkward silence fell between us, only interrupted by the dogs’ panting and Derek setting out a water bowl for Betty.

I struggled for a safe topic. His work? No. My work? Hell no. When I was about to launch into a soliloquy on the Florida weather, the most mundane thing I could think of, he spoke.

“I came by the store Monday. You were at lunch.”

“What?” I spun to face him. Hold the phone. This was interesting. Maybe.

“I was in the area.” He shrugged. “I was thinking about you.” The last part sounded like an unwilling confession.

I attempted a moment of futile self-reflection to understand the jumbled feelings his admission had created. It was hopeless. With half a bottle of wine and a bubble bath, I might untangle some of this emotional crap in my chest.

I scrambled for a reply and almost cried with gratitude when I saw Susan, a trainer at Mission Critical K9, rushing toward us.

“Hey! Lee! You’re up!” Susan pointed at me with her clipboard.

It was the reprieve I longed for. Thank God.

“Showtime, Onyx!” Asleep a moment ago, Onyx rushed to me and waited impatiently for me to put on his leash and take him to the course. I didn’t have the mental fortitude to look at Derek, so I avoided his gaze and focused on anything but him. The dog. The ground. Anything.

I cleared my head as I walked away from Betty and Derek with Onyx. I wouldn’t think about the man behind me, who I couldn’t forget but who I also couldn’t have. It was my teenage crush all over again. Desiring what would never be mine.

Chapter 14

Derek

“How’dIdo?Ascale of one to ten,” I asked Betty.

She gave me the canine equivalent of a shrug. I took it for a five on the crash-and-burn scale. No slap in the face, but also no kiss. I deducted more points since I was sure Lee’s security people would find my GPS trackers. So maybe more like a three. Or a two. Ouch.

I was out of control. The way I responded to her touch was damn close to madness.

I groaned, sat in Lee’s chair, and pointed Betty to Onyx’s blanket. My attention settled on the course where Lee and Onyx were getting ready. With the distance between us, I reexamined Lee, my obsession. She was wearing colors—a red sun shirt and army green cargo pants. It was disorienting. Adult Lee wore white. Angry teenage Lee wore black. Strange how clothes could make such a big statement without saying a word.

Lee stood at one end of the course and released her dog. I’d experienced Onyx in protection mode before, with his hackles raised and teeth bared. But in those instances, Lee had held him in check. Today, he’d show off his full potential.

He charged across the field toward a human-sized tent. He barked, and Lee ran to join him. Suddenly, the man hiding inside the tent lunged out.

It was on. Lee shouted a command, and Onyx charged. The dog grabbed the attacker’s arm, encased in a protective sleeve, and held on. His deep growls carried across the open space.

I’d seen dogs work in the military, so I expected all this, but it still was hard to mesh the vision of the attack dog out on the field with the lazy mutt that slept on the rug in my kitchen the other night.

At Lee’s command, the dog released his bite and returned to her side. She had absolute control over Onyx.

Absolute control.

I embraced the idea, wrapping it around me like a cocoon. A shield. I would be in absolute control of my reactions to Lee. The internal pep talk might have been bullshit for an average person, but I was a goddamn SEAL. My mind was my most powerful weapon. And this was war.

Lee and the trainer who had come to get her talked while the course was reset, giving Onyx a chance to try a few different scenarios. Onyx and Lee worked as a seamless team. And watching how protective the dog was of his mistress eased some of the anxiety I’d been living with since I realized someone had slashed her tires. Onyx and I were both in her corner. Unfortunately, the dog was in her bed, and I was stuck in a metaphorical doghouse.

After a few more runs, Lee and Onyx finished their session. Onyx celebrated by leaping into a kiddie pool set up for the dogs to cool off in. Lee stood with other handlers, chatting and shaking hands while the next team took their place on the course.

“You feeling like a jump in the pool, Betty?”

She batted her sweet brown eyes at me. I chuckled. That face was precious.

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