No One Like You Read Online Free PDF Page A

tongue hanging out. There was no denying the dog his lunch. Now.
    Beth grabbed a pot holder from the counter, then removed the pan from the oven. Her mouth twisted as if she didn’t know what to do next, and she glanced at Ry for guidance.
    He reached beneath the sink and produced four dog bowls in assorted sizes. “Dish up the food, but let it cool for a few minutes. Atlas gets half the batch. Rue gets the next largest portion and the dachshunds receive the smallest.”
    He pointed to two elevated metal food stands by the wall. Neat, perfect, and ready. “Atlas and Rue eat there; Oscar and Nathan by the back door. You can set their bowls on the floor. Keep an eye on Atlas. Don’t let him steal anyone’s meal. Rue nips him to back off. He overpowers the dachs.”
    Beth nodded and then proceeded to follow his directions. She’d held her own during the meal prep. Rylan was pleased.
    He stayed in the kitchen while the dogs ate. There was one more thing left to do. He removed a white dish towel from a drawer and tossed it to Beth to prepare her. “Atlas wears his lunch.”
    The Dane went directly to her after he’d eaten. He tried to wipe his mouth on her shorts once again. She intercepted him with the drool towel—which he took as a toy. He grabbed it and started tugging. Tugging hard.
    “Is he always so playful after he eats?” she asked, her voice breathy.
    “Wait until you give him a bath,” he warned.
    She pulled a face but didn’t let go of the towel.
    “Don’t hurt your back,” Rylan said as she fought to keep her footing. Her socks slid on the hardwood floor. She leaned over so far he was afraid she’d fall. The back of her shirt fluttered, and he glimpsed her lavender bra. Her shorts rode up her butt cheeks. She had a tight little ass.
    He averted his gaze. “Give it up, Beth. Once you release the towel, he’ll lose interest.”
    The moment she let go, so did the Dane. “Good boy, Atlas,” she praised, visibly relieved.
    Ry pretended not to notice how exhausted she looked after the tug of war. Her bandana had loosened and her hair sprang free. Wildly so. Her face was flushed. The Dane outweighed her by at least forty pounds. Words instead of force were her only way to control him. He hoped Atlas would listen.
    “Stand firm with him,” Ry said to Beth.
    She looked at him dubiously.
    “He’s smarter than he looks.”
    “He has more expressions than a cartoon character.”
    That he did. Ry glanced at his watch. It was almost noon. He didn’t have time to fix himself lunch, so he grabbed a Marathon protein bar from the cupboard. His meal on-the-go. “I’m leaving,” he told her, ripping off the wrapper. He quickly went over his plans for the day, finishing with, “Text if you need me. I’ll stop by the house later this afternoon to change clothes for my date tonight. I’ll see you then.”
    The dogs trailed him to the front door. He patted each one then singled out Atlas. “Behave,” he said firmly. “Later, Beth,” he called before he slipped out.
    “Have a good day.” Her voice rose over the clatter of metal dog bowls as she loaded them in the dishwasher. “We’ll be fine.” She sounded competent.
    Fine didn’t last long. He wasn’t surprised to receive a text from her before he reached the end of the block. Seemed there was a tiny war going on at his place.
    Atlas is chewing on the leg of the living room couch .
    Then another text. Is he still hungry? Should I feed him again?
    And finally, he could almost see her frantically typing on the keypad. Where are his toys?

Two
    B eth’s stomach sank. She was going to be fired; she could feel it in her bones. The moment Rylan walked out the door, Atlas morphed into Jaws. He dropped down beside the living room sofa and began gnawing the front leg on the only piece of furniture in the room. His bites weren’t small; he’d taken the entire wooden leg in his mouth. Chips flew from his lips. The couch wobbled. Tipped forward. One green