Page 5 of Wine & Dine

3

She’s hot for a mess

[Garrett]

Whoever this woman is, she’s a disaster, but when she looks at me with these soulful eyes, my stomach flips.

Well, this is interesting.

Most women blush and giggle when I mention a leash. I’m only kidding. Kind of. I mean, I’ve never collared anyone, but I’m not opposed to any kind of lockdown: handcuffs or straps. Although, this hot mess looks like she’d rather whip me, and it wouldn’t be in any way kinky. Damn.

Despite her disheveled appearance, she has potential. Those blue eyes match the sky, and her legs go on for miles. With her arms crossed, her breasts truss up, the nipples peaked from the wet T-shirt she’s sporting, thanks to my dog.

Nice work, Wally. Then I remember he bulldozed her over. I don’t know what came over him. My chocolate lab is normally a sappy wimp, but he took off for this woman like he was ready to eat his last meal. Thankfully, he’s not aggressive. He’d kill her with lapping and licking, not chowing on her. My mouth waters as my eyes lower to her breasts again. Speaking of lapping and licking—

“I’m Dolores. Denton’s sister.”

Screeeeeeeeeeech. There come the brakes on anything with this chick.

“Ah, Denton’s sister. He told me you were coming to stay at his place.” Something about his sister needing a vacation. Their mother dying. Shit. Say something, I internally growl, but words escape me. Her eyes make her look lost.

I scratch at the back of my neck when she doesn’t say anything either. We stand in awkward silence, neither of us moving. Her attention drifts back to the ocean while she shivers. A strange odor wafts off her body. She smells like a wet dog. Shit.

“I’m sorry again about Wally.”

“Interesting name for a dog,” she says, a twang of Southern in her voice. When she isn’t barking at me, it’s a rather sweet sound. She eyes the pup as he races away from us and then back. He looks like a rabid animal with a face too sweet for the wild. His running reminds me I flung his tennis ball, and he didn’t retrieve it. Maybe that’s why he plowed into her. Dolores was blocking his ball.

Ballbuster.

I bite my lip to suppress the humor I find in calling her such a name.

“His name is short for Wallbanger,” I explain.

Her head nods like she understands me, and a weak grin graces her lips, which are pink and plump although a little chapped. Then her mouth pops open with realization, and I’m thinking of a few things a mouth making such a perfect O could do.

“Incredible,” she mutters, huffing on the word. Turning away from me, she shakes her head.

“That’s what she said,” I mumble in retort, but she does not look pleased with my comeback. In fact, she looks like she wants to skewer me, so I cough into a fist to cover the awkwardness as her head whips back to face me.

Wally circles closer to Dolores’s legs, and she steps back. Her hands lower, palms held outward, as if warding my pup off before he can jump at her again. I’ve never seen him act so crazy. He slips behind her knees, and she steps forward, bumping into me while her attention remains over her shoulder, looking down at Wally behind her. Her hands clutch at my upper arms.

“You don’t like dogs?” I question, liking the feel of her pressed against me too much despite the wet dog fragrance. Who doesn’t like dogs? Apparently, her. Another comeback rests on the tip of my tongue until her head twists upward, and her eyes meet mine for the briefest of seconds. I can’t take mine off hers, but she averts her gaze quickly and follows Wally behind me, nudging at the back of my legs. My voice croaks when I speak. My tone lower than normal as I focus on her eyes, not looking at mine. “Then that seals the deal. We’ll never have sex because I only sleep with women who adore my dog.”

Her fingers dig into my biceps, still clutching at me although her eyes narrow. Her mouth falls open even farther, and incredible is the word I want to use to describe her. Incredible things I imagine that mouth can do.

“Your dog is your barometer for sleeping partners?” she snaps.

“Well…” I shrug all smug, and then her brows pinch with another thought.

“As if you’d be attracted to me.”

Huh.Not what I expected her to say although she’s correct. Wally is a good judge of character, and I’m not attracted to hot messes with disheveled, sand-filled hair who smell like wet dog, even if my dog is the reason for her being messy. Prepared for a snide remark and prepped for the banter, I didn’t care for the self-deprecating insult. She isn’t that bad. I catch her eyes again. There’s something in that azure color—lovely but sad—and I want to dive in to save her.

I shake my head. That’s crazy talk.

My heart thumps once, reminding me I’m an ass. Why am I flirting with her? Denton’s sister. Off limits. Shit. I place my hands on her hips and press her back, feeling strangely empty with the release of her body against mine. She drops her hands instantly, swiping them up and down the curve of her hips like she can’t get them clean.

“Hey, Dorothy, I’m—”