Man's Best Friend Read Online Free PDF Page A

fair.
    And it was amazing she hadn't cashed the check. Damned amazing.
    "Come on," he said. "We'll sort this out over dinner."
    "I don't want—"
    "Didn't you say we should spend some time together?"
    "Yes, but—"
    "No buts. Besides, Licks must be hungry. Will he be all right while we eat? Do you have food for him?"
    "Yes, his crate and food are in my car. But—"
    He held up a hand. "We'll talk over dinner." He came around to the front of his desk, handed her the dog, and headed toward the closet to the left of his private bathroom. When he came back, shrugging into his jacket, she looked up at him, her expression serious. "I'm sorry I interrupted your day, but I got mad."
    "Forget it." Rand took her arm. "Let's go."
    * * *
    The restaurant was near Pike's Market. The seafood was fresh, perfectly seasoned, and mouthwatering. The dinner conversation was scarce, stilted, and shallow. Tessa didn't want to be here, but she needed a few answers, for Licks' sake. She'd leave when she had them, not before. No matter how tense she was.
    Tessa glanced at her dinner companion, who brought a whole new meaning to the word grim. He ordered with authority, ate as if unaware of her presence or determined to ignore it, and looked as though he needed two weeks of straight sleep.
    She remembered her reaction to him when she'd stepped into his office earlier, their eyes meeting, holding, like in one of those old romantic movies Mom loved so much.
    First she'd had this horrid hot feeling in her chest as if her lungs were on fire, then she'd lost her peripheral vision, leaving him in crystal clear focus, surrounded by mist. He'd looked like some kind of bright, wicked angel. She'd still be standing there, if not for that strip-her-naked scan he'd given her with those icy green eyes of his.
    Of course, when they'd been looking at her they hadn't been icy exactly... more like flame throwers.
    "So." He rested his napkin beside his plate and lifted his wineglass. "What do you want to do about the dog?"
    She was mad again. Instantly. Poor Licks, his new master didn't give a rip about him. She prayed for patience. "Mr. Fielding—"
    "Call me Rand, for God's sake!" he snapped.
    "Sorry, I was being polite. I was taught to—" She stopped, sensed he wouldn't appreciate a sentence ending with the word elders.
    He narrowed his gaze. "I'm thirty-eight. How old are you?"
    "Twenty-three."
    He studied her, rubbed his jaw, and looked annoyed for some reason. "Ned's only a year younger than I am."
    Puzzled, she managed a nonchalant, "Oh?" She didn't much care how old Ned was, but she was fascinated with Rand's age. Which, of course, made no sense at all. He was the least fascinating man she'd ever met. And he didn't like dogs.
    "How long have you two been seeing each other anyway? And don't you think he's a bit long in the tooth?"
    Tessa opened her mouth, but uncertain how to reply, nothing came out, at least for a heartbeat or two. "I'm not 'seeing' Ned in the way I think you mean. I trained his dogs. We're friends." She paused. "And as to how long his teeth are, as far as I remember they're quite normal."
    This time Rand opened his mouth, but instead of speaking, he laughed. A deep, rumbling laugh, with a hint of self-consciousness. But the effect was magical. The tight lines around his mouth disappeared, replaced by a matched set of sexy creases that formed deep arcs on each side of his mouth. The laugh carried upward to his eyes, lighting them briefly. He shook his head.
    "Did I say something funny?" she asked, confused by his laughter but captivated by the leftover grin softening his mouth.
    "No. I guess I used an expression that didn't make it across the age gap." He sipped some wine, looked at her over the rim of the glass before setting it back on the table. "Tell me about yourself, Darwin."
    Damn. She was feeling all warm and funny again. She forced her shoulders back. "I'd rather talk about Licks. What your plans are for him."
    He considered this.