If You Were Mine (The Sullivans #5)(19)
Author: Bella Andre

Heather’s laughter warmed him in places he hadn’t realized had been cold.

“How could I resist the Huge & Tiny show?”

She ran her fingers over the red dog bone box he’d sent and he wished she were touching him like that. Soon, damn it, she would be. He wouldn’t rest until he figured out how to get her to come around.

“Besides, no one has ever sent Atlas a gift before.”

“So it was the bone that threw you over the edge?” he said, letting himself savor the victory of a great idea perfectly executed.

She shrugged. “Plus the fact that all of my other trainers were busy tonight.”

Her timing with the slam was so perfect that he had to laugh, even though it was at his expense.

She motioned for Atlas to follow them out back to the training area. Of course, Cuddles followed right beside her big friend. She was all business as they began with the come command again then began to work on sit.

As if he knew he had to make up for his earlier outburst of excitement, Atlas was the perfect example of a well-trained dog. No matter how Cuddles tried to distract him, he kept his eyes on Heather.

Zach couldn’t pull his eyes from her, either. She was shockingly beautiful, even in a sweatshirt and faded jeans, her braid trailing down her back with wisps of hair framing her face.

He wished he had an excuse to touch her, to feel the warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips, her softness against his lips.

She directed him to begin using the sit command, but for the first time, Cuddles didn’t immediately pick up on what they were trying to learn.

After a few failed attempts, Heather said, “You’ve got to focus on your dog to let her know how important it is to you that she does what you’re asking her to do. She can tell if you’re distracted by something else.”

“You’re right,” he admitted. “I am distracted.” In all seriousness, if he didn’t get that kiss from her soon, he was going to lose his mind.

“All she needs is fifteen minutes of your focused attention. Surely,” she challenged him, “you can pull that off.”

“Do you know what Cuddles did all day long?” Without waiting for her to reply, he told her, “She pined for your mutt, hoping he’d be here tonight. I’m pretty sure a training session is the last thing on her mind when all she wants to do is play with her friend.”

“I told you, Atlas is not a mutt,” she said automatically, and then, “And you’re exaggerating about the pining.”

“Swear to God,” he said, “I showed her a picture of a Great Dane on my phone and she went wild.”

He could see her fighting a grin as she worked to keep to just business. “Our time is almost up and I’d hate for you to leave tonight making negative headway with Cuddles.”

“How about this,” he negotiated, “I’ll get both of us on track for the rest of the session if you’ll agree to let them play while we eat dinner afterward?”

Her mouth tightened. “After breakfast at your house and what happened at the park—” Another flush told him she hadn’t forgotten how perfectly their bodies had fit together when he’d saved her from the skateboarder. “—I know it seems like the lines have gotten blurred, but I haven’t changed my mind about things. About us. I’m happy to support your training with Cuddles to make things better for the both of you while you’re taking care of her, but I’m not interested in anything else.”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

She blinked at him. “Did you hear what I just said?”

He grinned. “So that’s a no.”

Her lips lifted from her teeth in that snarl he found so sexy. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

“Thank you.” He couldn’t stop grinning.

“It isn’t a compliment,” she snapped.

“One date.”

She began to pack up her training bag. “No dates. I think we’re officially done here. And I can’t work with you on Thursday or Friday.”

“We don’t want to work with another trainer.”

“It’s nothing personal,” she said. “I just can’t do it.”

Zach hated the fact that it actually didn’t sound personal. But why? Women loved him. Why didn’t this one? And, more to the point, why couldn’t he just let it go and move on to the next easy—boring—conquest?

“What could possibly be more important than Cuddles?” And me?

“Bark in the Park.”

It took his brain a beat too long to figure out what she was talking about. Finally, it hit him. “The dog day at the ballpark?”

“I chaired the committee and I have a lot of loose ends to tie up before the game starts Friday night.”

“Sounds like a lot of work.”

“It is,” she agreed, and he finally noticed how tired she looked.

“I can help.”

“No!” She flushed again. “What I mean is that I’ve got a great team of people who have been working with me and we’re in the home stretch now. But thanks for the offer.” She looked at her watch. “We should call it a night.”

Like hell he was giving up that easily.

“If Cuddles sits, have dinner with me.”

She looked like she was going to refuse, but then she glanced over at Cuddles, who was on her back, working on a good deep back scratch in the grass.

“Okay, but when she doesn’t, you have to agree not to ask me out again.”

He couldn’t believe the whole thing was up to the puppy. “Deal.”

“Cuddles!” The puppy looked at him from where she was sprawled out on the grass and he gave the hand command a split second before saying, “Come!”

She immediately hopped up and sped over to him.

“That one doesn’t count,” Heather told him.

He shot her a look that said he already knew that. He paused, sent up a silent prayer, then said, “Cuddles, sit!”

The puppy blinked up at him for several seconds and he thought it was all over…until her little ears went back and she plopped her rear down on the grass as if she’d been waiting her whole short life for him to tell her to sit.

He reached into the treat bag on Heather’s belt—taking any excuse to touch her—and handed one to the puppy while telling her what a good girl she was.

“How was that?” he asked Heather.

She shot him a suspicious glance. “You played me.” She looked at Cuddles’s innocent face and then his less innocent one. “You were practicing before tonight, weren’t you?”