Heiress for Hire Read Online Free PDF

of her soft, cool hands gripped his arm, halting his progress. "No."
     
    Danny looked down at her. The grimy baseball hat prevented a clear view of her face, but she shivered slightly, her one hand grip on the poodle tightening. "You can tell me if something's wrong, you know."
     
    Not that he knew how to fix it. Or how to read Piper's expressions and emotions. They were total strangers to each other, with eight' years to make up for. But he already felt protective of her. He felt love, brand new and fledgling, like a spark on kindling.
     
    She just nodded and turned toward the door, her willowy shoulders straightening. "Are we bringing the dog?"
     
    He didn't want to, but he didn't think Amanda would give him much choice. "Yeah. Let's go before Amanda starts shopping without us. You'll end up with nothing but high heels."
     
    Guiding Piper with a hand on her back, he headed for the door. "Thanks, Shel. Boston. I'll talk to you soon."
     
    "We'll help any way we can, Danny."
     
    That the words came from Boston meant a hell of a lot to Danny. "Thanks."
     
    "Nice meeting you, Piper," Shelby said.
     
    That brought his daughter up short. She looked up at him, her eyes worried. Danny sensed her confusion, that she didn't know what to say. "Nice to meet you, too," he whispered to her, giving her a wink.
     
    The words came out on a painful whisper, but she said them, her little chin coming up with gutsy determination.
     
    Danny gripped her shoulder and felt the damnedest thing. Pride.
     
    Then the yipping dog wiggled, upsetting Piper's hold. He caught Baby in a quick save before there was a poodle pancake on Shelby's floor.
     
    Baby scratched his wrist with her tiny claws, searching for a hold. He grimaced as his broken flesh stung a little.
     
    Piper sighed in relief.
     
    And Danny realized he was carrying both Amanda Delmar's overpriced purse and her damn dog like an errand boy.
     
    Danny winced as they went through the automatic doors at Wal-Mart. Two feet in the store and Amanda was already attracting attention.
     
    "Hello, welcome to Wal-Mart."
     
    Amanda lifted up her pink sunglasses to gape at the old guy in the requisite blue vest. "Ohmigod, it's just like the commercial. If a smiling yellow dot bounces toward me, I'm going to freak out."
     
    Good thing she'd kept her voice down. It wasn't like twenty people had just turned and stared at her, slack-jawed. Danny pulled off his hat, scratched his head, and tried not to turn tail and run. He plunked his hat back down and grabbed a shopping cart, determined to get this over with. "Freak out after we're done."
     
    "Miss." A store manager, tugging on the collar of his button-up shirt, cleared his throat. "You can't bring your dog in here."
     
    Geez, almighty, she'd brought the poodle, even after he'd told her to leave it in the car. Baby's tiny tongue hung out over the strap on Amanda's purse as she panted enthusiastically. Danny wasn't sure which irritated him more, Amanda's disobedience, or the way Piper edged herself closer to Amanda's leg.
     
    Her long and lean, bronze and beautiful leg.
     
    This was a huge mistake.
     
    "Oh, it's okay. Baby is a working dog." And Amanda strode forward, stopping only briefly to touch a striped women's shirt on display. Her lip curled in disdain.
     
    Danny pushed the cart behind her, amazed at her nerve. "A working dog?" he asked, when she paused to read the department signs hanging from the ceiling. "What could that dog do? Guide blind mice?"
     
    Piper laughed, a quick giggle before she clapped her hand over her mouth.
     
    Danny grinned, pleased he had made her laugh.
     
    Amanda didn't look amused. She sniffed. "Farmer Funny. How quaint."
     
    They locked gazes. While her expression was aloof, Danny saw something in those green eyes that gave him pause. If he didn't know better, he'd think that was interest there. Attraction. Lust.
     
    But he did know better, and he wasn't falling for the trick his body was playing on