Live For Me (Blurred Lines #2)(6)
Author: Erin McCarthy

“If she’s bothering you just push her away.”

Hadn’t I just said she was sweet? It didn’t make sense to me that he would suggest I found it annoying. “No, she’s fine.” I wasn’t going to push anyone away who sought affection from me. I’d been on the receiving end of that shove too often. “I’ve never had a dog.” Again and again I stroked my hands down her head, behind the ears, and along her back, her satin fur allowing an easy glide of my touch down her flank. “She’s so calm.”

He didn’t say anything and I looked up at him, realizing that I’d been thinking out loud, wondering if I should just excuse myself and go to my room. He probably wanted to be alone in his own house, not entertaining the housesitter. Why was he there, at the house he didn’t like, anyway? When I caught his eye what I saw made me hitch my breath. He was watching me with an intensity that I didn’t understand, but had my hand stilling on Amelia, my body tingling in places it had no right to tingle. I wanted desperately to ask him why he was at the house and how long he was going to stay, but if there was one thing I knew, it was that my role was never to ask questions.

I recognized that was why I was so nosy online, why I had learned to poke and sift through the Internet and find out anything I was curious about. Because face to face with people, I wasn’t supposed to ask questions. It wasn’t my role, and it was hard to stay so obedient, so detached. I also knew the minute I went into my room, I was going to Google the shit out of Devin Gold and see what I could find beyond the obvious that I already knew, which was that he owned the house and he was hot.

“Would you mind if I left Amelia here with you when I go back?” he asked. “She is so much happier here than in the city, and I think it would make me feel better about you being here by yourself.”

“I can take care of myself,” I said, defensively. It was a knee-jerk reaction, even though I knew I would love to have the dog with me. But I didn’t want it to sound like I needed the dog. I didn’t need anything or anyone, and I wanted him to understand that.

“No doubt,” he said, nodding, his tone clearly indicating he didn’t believe it for one second. “I’m sure if attacked by a desperate meth-head twice your size, you’d be perfectly capable of defending yourself.”

“I thought that’s why there’s a security system. And how many meth-heads are running around the coast?” It was stupid logic. “Hattie didn’t have a dog.”

“Hattie would bake a burglar cookies and they would part ways the best of friends. Are you saying you don’t want the dog?”

Both my hands came out instinctively to cover Amelia’s ears, like she could understand what he was saying. “What, no! That’s not what I’m saying. But I don’t want to steal your dog. You shouldn’t leave her because you’re worried about me. I’ll be fine.”

“It’s not stealing if it’s my idea,” he said wryly. “And it would be better for Amelia, truly.”

How could I resist those eyes? And I didn’t mean the dog’s. He was giving me a very sincere look, his eyes a curious amber color with gold flecks. They were mesmerizing, and the fact that he might actually have any sort of concern for my safety made me feel shy, uncomfortable. “Okay, sir, thank you.”

He shook his head with a sound of exasperation. “What is your last name, Tiffany?”

The random question threw me. I answered obediently. “Ennis.”

“Have a doughnut, Miss Ennis.” He lifted the box and held it in my direction.

So my continued use of “sir” had him using my last name. The only time I was called Miss Ennis was in court by judges deciding my fate. It left a sour taste in my mouth, but it wasn’t his fault, so I said nothing. I just reached out and took one of the doughnuts he was offering and tore into the sugary sweetness with my teeth. “Thank you,” I muttered around the mouthful.

“You’re welcome.” He drained his wine glass. “So what do you think of my house? Do you really think it’s beautiful?”

“Yes. It’s very big,” I said, chewing so I could swallow. I was going to elaborate, but the food stuck in my throat.

“It is that. It’s a lot of things, and truthfully I like Maine more than I like this house. I appreciate the space, the view.” He plucked at a throw pillow. “But I don’t get out here as much as I used to. I really should come more.”

No. No, he shouldn’t. I said nothing. Just chewed.

I had been hoping for peace and quiet. Craving it. If Devin Gold was in residence I wasn’t going to get either.

“I’m planning to stay a week.”

Jesus. That was about six days longer than I wanted. “I guess it was kind of bad timing for me to start this job. Do you want me to go stay somewhere else?” Cat would take me back. There was no ferry to Vinalhaven after five, but I could take one in the morning.

“Is that what you think I would do? Send you away on your first day?”

That definitely was a trick question. “I think it’s normal that you’d want to be alone in your house.”

“Don’t make assumptions about me, Miss Ennis.”

I felt the burn start on my cheeks and spread across my face. Yet my pride couldn’t allow the apology to pass my lips. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I hadn’t done anything wrong at all.

He was going to fire me. I was going to lose this job on the first day. But I couldn’t say anything. I just sat there, tense, refusing to drop my gaze, refusing to blink.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he announced, standing up. “I guess I wasted a fire.” He pushed the logs over with the poker and tossed ashes from the bottom over it, tamping out the flames. Standing again, he called to the dog, “Come on, Amelia. I’ll let you sleep on my bed tonight.”

His dog turned her head to look at him, but she didn’t move. He made a sound of annoyance in the back of his throat. “Really?”

I nudged her with my knees. “Go on. Go with your dad.” That reminded me of the stupid nickname I’d read online about him. Gold Daddy. It so didn’t suit him. The man I was seeing didn’t seem like a swanky player. But it was probably a public persona, an image thing.

Amelia stayed put. “Sorry,” I said, embarrassed.

But he just shrugged. “She’ll sleep with anyone. Seems to be a common problem with women in my life.”