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God, she was sexy all riled up.
“I called you.” He creaked his chair back even further, taking in the sight of her in white jeans and layered yellow tank tops. “And it’s a private plane. My private plane, for that matter. There’s no way to miss a flight that’s waiting for me to give the go-ahead for takeoff.”
Speaking of taking off... What he wouldn’t give right now to peel away those tanks of hers, one at a time, with his teeth. He’d left her place last night to give himself space to regain control. Instead, their time apart had only taken his need to another level.
“Would have been nice to know you had other plans for your day before I reached the landing strip. I could have worked, too, or slept in. Or...” She held up her hand, four leashes in her fist. “I could have let the dogs play and run around in the yard longer.”
She dropped the leashes and the four-pup pack stampeded into his office. Stone barely had time to bark, “Heel, damn it!” before Gem launched into his lap, the full force of the yellow lab almost tipping his chair over. Stone regained his balance then knelt to greet the dogs. Ruby, Sterling and Pearl licked over his face with slobbery wet tongues. He liked animals—clearly, since he’d grown up on a ranch—but these guys in full force were a little much, even for him.
Barks and yips continued until Johanna dipped into sight again, regaining control of the pooches one at time until all four mutts sat in a perfect line. Which only proved she could have controlled them right away. She’d let them overrun him on purpose.
Wincing, he stood, swiping an arm across his face. He shrugged off his suit jacket. Thank goodness he hadn’t bothered with a tie today.
He draped his jacket over the back of his leather chair. “My apologies for inconveniencing you. Even if my grandmother questions my ability to run the company, I do still have obligations here that needed to be taken care of before I could leave.”
“Is that what this is about?” She crossed her arms, which threatened to draw his eyes to her chest just when he needed to keep his wits about him and focus on her words. “Showing your grandmother you’re indispensable?”
“That’s not a nice accusation.”
“Is it true?” she pressed.
Damn it, she always saw right through him. But that was only part of the picture. “My primary goal is to bring my grandmother peace. A crisis here at the office will only add to her stress level at a time when she can’t afford any additional drain.”
Silently, Johanna assessed him through narrowed eyes while the dogs panted, lazy tongues lolling.
“What?” he said. “You don’t believe me?”
“I’m skeptical,” she said slowly. “Are you still sulking because Alex brought me flowers?”
Did she have to read his every thought? “I don’t sulk. I’m charming. Everyone says so.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Yep, you’re sure charming the socks off me right now.”
Really? He recognized a challenge when he heard one. He flattened a palm to the heavy oak desk that mirrored the one in the ranch office. “If memory serves, I charmed off more than your socks right on this desk about ten months ago.”
Her jaw dropped, then clamped shut before she finally said, “Never mind. If you’re finished, let’s leave so we can get this trip over with sooner rather than later.”
All the more reason, in his mind, to prolong this little chat.
She leaned down to gather the leashes.
Kneeling, he clasped her wrist. “Wait, you started this. Let’s talk.”
“Let’s not.” She tugged her arm free.
“Fine. Not talking is okay with me, too.” Standing, he swept off his desk.
Her eyes went wide. “What are you doing?”
“You said you didn’t want to talk.” He fingered a button on his shirt. Sure he knew they weren’t really going to have sex on his desk, but he reveled in the regret in her eyes that she couldn’t hide in spite of her scowl.
She shook her head, blond hair loose and silky sliding along her shoulders. “You’re being outrageous.”
“Good.” He untucked his shirt.
“Stop. Now,” she said firmly.
Okay, he’d pushed her far enough for today, but he could see that while their love for each other might have burned out, their passion still had plenty of fire left.
He buttoned his shirt again and tucked in the tails. “Spoilsport.”
“Let’s clean up the floors first before we go.” She brushed papers into a stack. “The pilot’s waiting.”
“Damn waste of an empty desk.” He stacked a haphazard pile of Diamonds in the Rough promo flyers and placed them on the drafting table.
She glanced up at him through long lashes. “Are you trying to chase me off? Because if you don’t stop with these stunts, I am out of here. I will place the animals because it’s the right thing to do, but you, however, are on your own.”
For some reason, her words caught him off guard. He leaned back against the desk, a weary exhale bursting from him. “Honest to God, Johanna, I don’t know what I’m doing. Ever since my grandmother dropped her bombshell, I’ve just been reacting.”
Standing, she clutched a stack of files to her chest, the dog leashes still trailing from her grip. “That’s understandable.”
“So you’re not going to threaten to leave again?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking.
She chewed her lip for an instant before responding, “If you keep being honest with me, I will stay.”
“Deal.” He extended a hand.
She slid hers into his. “Deal.”
They stood there with their hands clasped for a few seconds longer than a handshake, seconds that crackled like static in the air just before a thunderstorm.
He enjoyed the hell out of a good drenching downpour, every bit as arousing as a blazing fire.
Her tongue slid along her lips as if to soothe where she’d chewed moments before. His body throbbed in response.
She tugged her hand from his self-consciously and rubbed her fingers along her white jeans. “Where’s the first stop on our journey?”
“You don’t know?” He would have expected his grandmother to tell her. Yet, even without knowing the specifics, Johanna had signed on for Mariah. That giving spirit was one of the things that had always drawn him to Johanna, even as it simultaneously scared the hell out of him. Because he’d always known she was too good for him. And too wise. Eventually, she would see through him and leave.
He’d been right.
“My grandmother has put me completely at your mercy.” He spread his arms wide.
She thrust the leashes at him. “Feels more like I’m at your mercy, but whatever. You can start by helping me with the dogs.”
Pivoting away, she strode out of his office, those white jeans showcasing the perfect curve of her hips, her butt. His fist clenched around the leather leads.
Hell, yes, the fire between them was alive and well.
* * *
Johanna gripped the leather armrests of her chair during takeoff. The private jet climbed into the sky and she still didn’t know where they were going. Yet she’d gotten back into the limousine and onto the plane with Stone and the dogs without demanding more information. She’d been grateful to use the animals as an excuse to end their sexually charged exchange in his office.
Although the confined space of the plane didn’t do much to ease the tight knot of desire inside her. The plane leveled out, and she wished her own emotions were as easy to smooth. She sank deeper into the fat chair, its brown leather and brass gleaming.
Each of the pups was now secured in a designer crate bolted to the floor in the back, complete with a luxurious dog bed and a pewter bowl. Engraved nameplates marked each crate and dish. Mariah hadn’t been at the landing strip when they returned. Apparently, one set of goodbyes had been as much as she could take. These past two days had been some of the most emotional Johanna had experienced. The only other days that could compare were when her parents had died and when she’d broken her engagement.
And what about Stone? She glanced across the aisle at him, sympathy whispering through her, mingling with the frustrated passion she’d experienced in his office. Okay, to be frank, that frustrated desire flared every time she saw him, regardless of whether he said outrageous things.
He continued to work, even on the plane, just as he’d been doing when she’d burst into his office earlier. He’d opened his tablet and fired it to life, sitting on the plane’s sofa. In days past, she would have curled beside him, close, touching. Now they sat on opposite sides of the jet.
As if he felt her gaze, he spoke without looking up. “We’re flying to Vermont to interview a family for Gem first.”
“Nice to know you’re finally giving specifics for this trip. Please do carry on about Gem, Vermont and this prospective adoptive family.”
He flashed a quick dimple without looking up from his tablet. “They have a newborn, so they prefer an adult dog that’s already trained.”
“They’re wise to know that adding a puppy is like having another baby.” Sounded promising. “Who’s this family?”
“Troy Donavan and his wife, Hillary.”
“Donavan?” she repeated in shock. She knew the McNairs had connections, but they acted so down-to-earth sometimes their power still caught her unaware. “The Robin Hood Hacker Donavan? Your grandmother chose a former criminal for her dog?”
“Where’s your sense of forgiveness?” He glanced up. “His criminal past was a long time ago. He went to reform school as a teenager.”
She snorted on a laugh of disbelief. “For breaking into the Department of Defense computer system. That’s more than some teenage prank.”
“True,” Stone conceded, setting his tablet beside his Stetson. “But he’s led a productive and successful life as an adult. Well, once he got past the playboy stage.”
“People in glass barns shouldn’t throw stones.”
“I’ve missed your humor.”
“Thank you.”
She’d missed a lot of things about him, which had made her question her decision more than once. Except Stone wasn’t known for his forgiving nature. While he’d made it clear he still desired her, she didn’t expect he would get over being dumped or change his stance on having children. So all this flirting was counterproductive.
“We’re getting off the subject,” she said. “Back to the Donavans, please.”
“Regardless of Troy’s past, all signs indicate the Donavans are a happy couple. But the whole reason for this visit is to be sure Gem is going to a good home. They understand there’s no promise the dog will be theirs.”
“Good.” She nodded tightly. “I have no problem leaving with her if we don’t trust them to take the best care of her.”
His full-out smile pushed dimples into both cheeks, his skin weathered from the sun. “I’ve also missed the way you get fearless when it comes to your love of animals. You never were impressed with my money. That’s a rare thing.”
His genuine compliment moved her as much as his touch and that was dangerous to her peace of mind. “Back to the dogs,” she insisted. She pulled a manila folder from her carry-on backpack. “I have questionnaires for the families to fill out to help ensure they are a good fit.”
He cocked a dark eyebrow. “A meet and greet is one thing, but you have an adoption application for them to fill out, as well?”
“I prefer the word questionnaire,” she said primly. “But yes, it could also be called an application.”
He leaned back, arms along the sofa. “You do realize they could just buy a dog.”
“They could. That doesn’t mean we have to give them Gem simply because they have money. If anything, adopting Gem will show their child that love can’t be bought.” Tapping the folder, she sighed sadly. “It’s becoming clear now that your grandmother was right to send me with you.”
“What if they’re awesome but Gem isn’t a good fit or doesn’t like them? How will you explain it to them?” he asked, appearing to be genuinely interested. “What will you tell my grandmother?”
“Your grandmother will understand. That was her reason for sending us rather than just shipping the dogs directly to the families.”
“And the Donavans?” he pushed for more.
That would be awkward but not enough to make her go against her principles. “I will suggest they go to their local animal shelter to find a forever furry friend.” She couldn’t resist adding, “Hopefully, they’ll make a huge donation while they’re there.”
“You’ve thought a lot through since just yesterday.”
She rolled her shoulders in a shrug. “I’m also trusting you to roll out that charisma to smooth over any rough patches if need be.”
“Somehow I don’t think you’re complimenting me.”
Were his feelings really hurt? He seemed so confident most—all—of the time. She unbuckled and walked across the aisle to sit beside him and oops, she hadn’t given much thought to the fact that his arms were extended along the couch, which in effect put his arm around her.
She held herself upright to keep from leaning into his hold. “Why don’t you just keep Gem? Didn’t some client give him to you?”
“He’s not really mine. He may have been given to me, but he always preferred my grandmother.” He picked up a lock of her hair. “Truth is, Gem was a gift from a guy who had the hots for my grandmother and was trying to wrangle an in with the family, since she loves dogs.”
“Run that by me again?” How had she not known that?
“After my grandfather died of a heart attack, a lot of guys made moves on Gran,” he said darkly. “She was a rich widow. Pretty. Guys were lining up. Some were genuine,” he conceded. “Some were fortune hunters.”
“Yet she never remarried.”
“She says no one matches up to my grandfather.”
Johanna’s parents had felt the same way about each other. She wanted a love like that for herself and she wasn’t willing to settle. “That’s sweet and sad at the same time, loving that much and losing it.”
He shifted in his seat. “Back to the story of how we got Gem as a puppy...”
“Not so at ease with the emotional stuff, are you?” How many other times had he dodged speaking about deeper feelings when she’d just assumed he was jaded or insensitive?
“Puppy. Gem.” His firm voice made it clear he wasn’t taking her bait. He would stay in control of the conversation, going only as far as he decided to go.
“This guy thought he was being original giving me a dog to get to my grandmother. Little did he know, he wasn’t the first dude to try that. The first guy brought a puppy—Gem number one—when I was around nine. The guy who’d given him to me to get to my grandmother... Boy, did that ever backfire on him. The puppy hated kids, had zero interest in playing ball or sleeping at the foot of my bed. He just wanted to go on lazy walks, which sounded boring to me at that age.”
An image unfolded in her head of Stone as a little boy. And what little boy wouldn’t be thrilled over a puppy? How sad he must have been to have the first Gem ignore him, reject him. He wouldn’t have understood.
She leaned toward his hand ever so slightly as he toyed with her hair. “That’s why all the family members should meet a pet first before deciding on the best fit for their family. Otherwise, it’s not fair to the dog or the people.”
“So the guy learned as my grandmother showed him the door.” He wrapped the lock of hair around his finger as the jet engines hummed in the background. “The guy offered to drop the puppy off at the local shelter, which was totally the wrong thing to say to my grandmother. She dumped the guy flat and kept the puppy for herself.” He smiled fondly at the memory, his gaze shifting to the yellow Labrador asleep in her crate. “So the next time a guy brought a puppy trying to win Gran over, we named him Gem II. Both Gems were her favorite walking companions.”
