Beyond the Mistletoe: A Christmas Romance (Beyond Love Book 7) Read Online Free PDF Page A

dog is Bodie, anyhow?” Eric asked.
    “He is a chiwoodle.” I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, and Eric grinned widely.
    “A chiwoodle? I’ve got to hear the mechanics about that rendezvous.” A man’s voice from behind coated my entire body with warmth. He made the word chiwoodle sound sensuous.
    Chiwoodle.
    I turned in my chair to see an incredibly sexy man walking over to us. He looked somewhat familiar, even though I couldn’t place him for the life of me. When he smiled, a few lines formed around his dazzling brown eyes, giving him a certain ruggedness, and his lips looked extra plump and pouty. I never noticed a man like this before, not at this level of detail, but I couldn’t get enough.
    As he walked over, his long stride only made his approach grander, larger than life. I imagined him in the woods, chopping down trees to build his own cabin. Everything about him oozed sex appeal and strength. Even his broad shoulders filled out his tan wool sweater in a way that said, “don’t mess with me. My ax is out back”. His dark jeans hugged his thighs all too well, and the sound of his boots hitting the slate floors produced an imposing rhythm that announced we needed to pay attention.
    He caught me taking him in and flashed another incredibly sexy smile my way, which made my belly do a gymnastic routine in his honor. I bit my lip in embarrassment and turned my attention back to the table. I needed to get a grip.
    “Hey, Derek. It’s so nice to see you.” Ayden stood up and shook the stranger’s hand.
    “I’m so happy you made it,” Gabby gushed. “I know things have been super busy with work and all.”
    “I’m never too busy for friends.” He gave Gabby a hug and found the last empty seat at the table, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off him, which he sensed. His eyes came back to mine, and his gaze intensified as his grin widened. “This is a momentous occasion.”
    When his brown eyes refused to leave mine, a euphoric sensation flowed through my veins, feeding my mind with crazy ideas about spending the weekend with this perfect specimen. I’d never felt this amount of heat roll through my body off an innocent look.
    Or maybe that was the issue. There was nothing innocent about the way he was looking at me.
    “So tell me about this alleged chiwoodle.” He sat back in the chair and cupped his hands together, not taking his gaze off me. “First thing’s first. Was the poodle miniature or standard sized?”
    I licked my lips, and Lily chuckled under her breath as I nervously glanced around the table, attempting to gain my bearings before bringing my eyes back to Derek’s.
    “Standard by all accounts.” I swallowed.
    Derek shook his head and laughed. “I don’t buy it.”
    I shrugged. “It’s the truth. Bodie’s mom was a standard-sized poodle, and his dad was a chihuahua.”
    “That doesn’t even make sense,” he laughed and so did everyone else. “It can’t be. The lays of physics—”
    “You mean the laws of physics,” Lily giggled.
    A dimple formed in Derek’s left cheek and he winked.
    “It is. I swear it’s the truth. He was a rescue dog, and his rescuers found him at a puppy mill. The story is actually quite sad and very well documented. There is proof.”
    “If you say it’s the truth then I don’t doubt it.” Derek nodded, his expression softening.
    “Bodie’s been through a lot,” I added.
    “Well, finding out Bodie is half poodle and half chihuahua explains a lot,” Eric said.
    Guilt immediately swam in my blood. I completely forgot about Eric, and Eric was kind of my date. The man who looked like he’d just stepped from the pages of a magazine. I had to collect my wits and focus on the man at hand, Esquire Eric.
    “What does that mean?” I teased, taking the last sip of my cider.
    “Well, his hair is curly, but his tail is bare and wiry,” Eric answered. “Not to mention really skinny.”
    “He just has the best of both worlds,” I joked.
    “And his