Searching For Her Prince Read Online Free PDF Page B

sunlight.
    Amira got her first good look. “Isn’t she adorable? What do you think she is?”
    The dog was small, brown—the color of hot chocolate—and bedraggled looking, as if she’d been on her own through days of wet and dry weather. Her fur was muddy and there were leaves clinging to it, but she seemed to like the idea of Brent scratching her between the ears. She barked a few times.
    Brent ran his hands carefully over the dog’s body. “Probably a mutt—looks like part beagle. She’s too thin, but other than that, she seems okay. Nothing a good bath wouldn’t fix.” He examined her neck. “No collar or tags.”
    “What are we going to do about her?”
    “We can’t leave her here. She could eventually run into traffic, or someone might hurt her. She needs food and care.”
    “But if she belongs to someone…”
    “In case she has one of those identifying computerchips under her skin, we’ll take her to a vet and get her checked out. Is that okay with you? I know it’s going to cut short our jog.”
    “The jog doesn’t matter. We have to take care of her.”
    The smile Brent gave her almost made her melt. “It looks as though we’re both animal lovers.”
    “Yes, it does.” She was finding so many things about Brent that she liked…too many things. Their gazes locked, and the intensity in his eyes should have scared her, but it didn’t today.
    Suddenly the dog barked again, and Brent laughed. “It seems she wants our attention.” He scooped her up into his arms. “Come on, let’s see if she has a home.”
    An hour later a vet had checked the dog over thoroughly and agreed that except for needing a bath, she seemed healthy. There was no computer chip in evidence, and he asked Brent what he was going to do.
    “I’ll take her home.”
    “You’re going to keep her?” Amira asked, a bit surprised by that, since Brent worked so many hours.
    “Just for now. I know of a place she’ll be happy. In the meantime, I’ll get her cleaned up and fed well.”
    Back at Brent’s penthouse—a half hour later—doggy shampoo in hand, Brent led Amira into his bathroom. It was huge with black and white tiles, a shiny black enamel sink and a huge black whirlpool tub. He filled it while she cooed to the pup and fed her a biscuit they’d gotten from the veterinarian along with other supplies.
    “Did you ever have a dog when you were a boy?”she asked Brent now, as he checked the water to make sure it was the right temperature.
    He didn’t answer right away, just concentrated on the water flowing into the tub. Finally he said, “No, I didn’t,” and didn’t elaborate. Something in his tone alerted her to pain behind the simple statement.
    “You don’t talk about yourself easily do you?” Even though they’d spent all day yesterday together, she hadn’t learned much about him.
    “Usually no one wants to listen,” he said jokingly.
    Again she caught some truth behind his words. What makes a man bring home a lost dog? Maybe a loneliness in himself? Maybe knowing what it’s like to feel abandoned? “I’ll listen to whatever you want to tell me,” she said softly.
    Time ticked by in heartbeats. “I think right now we ought to name the dog,” he finally said. “Any ideas?”
    She’d learned already that Brent was good at turning attention away from himself, and she let him do it this time. “I think she’s the color of hot chocolate.”
    “How about Cocoa, then?”
    “That’s perfect!”
    Unmindful she’d been given a name, Cocoa put her paws on the edge of the bathtub and peered into the water. Amira glanced at Brent. He wasn’t watching Cocoa; he was watching her.
    His gaze held her hypnotized as his voice lowered and awareness grew between them. “Thanks for being such a good sport about this. It’s probably not what you envisioned for today.”
    With the huskiness in Brent’s voice, the sparks of desire in his eyes, she felt breathless, hot and altogether excited. “I’m