6. River

6

River

I lay down next to Kat, just as I had been doing all night. It was tough being this close without touching her. This was the first time I’d ever had a woman in my bed—usually, I was in theirs.

I didn’t bring women into my home, but having Kat here felt right. I knew how much I wanted her, but I wouldn’t let that happen. Her hair was a wild mess, and I tried to push it away from her face. She must have forgotten to put the scrubs back on because she was wearing nothing but a small towel, which was hanging off the bed.

When I opened my eyes, she was staring at me. I glanced at the clock. “I forgot to wake you.”

She smiled. “I’m the one who should apologize. I crawled into your bed and passed out. I’m like Goldilocks.”

I chuckled. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel so much better. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“You’re welcome. Would you like some breakfast?” I asked.

“No, thank you. I need to get home and put on my own clothes,” she said, smiling .

“So, will you keep chasing those big waves?” I asked, hoping she would say no.

“It would have been nice if I hadn’t gotten cut off. I don’t usually go after those big waves, so it was a surprise, and I was a little nervous when I saw it coming. I think I’ll stick to sunbathing on the beach for a while,” she explained, her eyes widening as she realized she wasn’t wearing anything.

“I think that’s a good idea. I’ll drive you home, but first, I’ll give you some privacy to get ready,” I said, thinking it was time for things to return to the way they were before Texas. I’d keep dating the long list of women I always did, and Kat could do whatever she wanted to do.

I didn’t want to get involved with Kat; sleeping with her would ruin our working relationship. She was too good of an assistant to lose, and I’d rather have her where I could keep an eye on her to make sure she was safe.

When we pulled up to her duplex, I was surprised by all the flowers around her yard and front porch. As we walked into her home, I noticed more plants inside. I loved it. The house was light and airy, decorated perfectly for the beach, which was only two blocks away.

“You have a green thumb,” I said, looking around.

“Yeah, it comes naturally. My mom taught me how to garden, and I have a raised garden in my backyard. My Mom was a hands-on mother. She stayed home to care for us kids. My brothers all know how to garden and cook. This is the best weather for growing all kinds of plants. Gage comes over to get his vegetables from here. If you ever need fresh veggies or fruit, you can take some anytime you want.”

I turned quickly, instinctively blocking Kat, when I heard a noise behind me. Two senior citizens stood there, looking at Kat.

“I knew something happened when you didn’t come home yesterday,” the plump, tiny woman said, hurrying over to Kat and completely ignoring me. She couldn’t have been more than four and a half feet tall, though that might be an exaggeration. “I can tell you were at the hospital by your clothes. Sit down and tell us everything.”

Her husband, or whoever he was, stopped in front of me. He was the exact opposite of her—tall, about six and a half feet, and skinny as a rail. “Who are you, and why is Kat with you?”

“Jack and Myrtle, this is one of my bosses, River Channing. River, these are my wonderful neighbors, Jack and Myrtle Freemont. Let’s have a cup of tea, and I’ll explain what happened,” Kat said.

“I already know what happened. You were the one who rode that big wave and got cut off by the other surfer. We heard about it, and when you didn’t come home last night, I told Myrtle it must have been Kat who got hurt,” Jack explained.

“When that man brought your car home yesterday evening, I asked him about it, and he told us everything. We’re glad to see you’re okay.”

“I’m fine; I just have a few stitches on my shoulder and a bump on my head. But thinking back to when I saw that boy on the surfboard, he didn’t know I was there, and his eyes were as big as saucers when he saw me. I don’t want anyone kicking him off the beach.”

I cleared my throat, and Kat glanced at me, smiling. “Come and sit down; we’ll have tea and cookies.”

“No, thank you. I have to get going. I’ll see you in the morning. If you don’t feel up to it, take another day off.”

“Another day? This is day three. Believe me, I’ll be at work in the morning,” she said, walking me to the door. “Thank you for taking care of me. ”

“You’re welcome.” I smiled as I closed the door, hearing Myrtle tell Kat not to let me go.

On my way home, I stopped by Lowe’s and bought a bunch of houseplants—mostly big ones, but also some smaller ones for the kitchen and bathroom. I even got one for my front entrance. Since it was still early, I went home and sat on my deck, watching the waves. I heard Gage walking over, and he handed me a cup of coffee. We sat there in silence until Gage finally spoke up.

“You’ve got it bad, brother. What are you going to do?”

“I’m not going to do anything. Everything will go on as it always has. I’ve had it bad for Kat since the moment I saw her, and I’ve been doing fine. Nothing is going to change just because I know her husband has been dead for over three years,” I said, trying to convince myself that I have to stay away from Kat.

“You can keep telling yourself that and see how long it lasts.”

I stood up. “I’m heading into the office. Are you coming, or are you taking another day off?”

“I’ll ride with you,” Gage said, standing up. He picked up our cups and took them inside his house before meeting me at my truck. “So, how was she this morning?”

“She felt bad for falling asleep in my bed, but she’s much better. I’m sure she’s working in her garden right now.”

“That reminds me, can we stop by her house and pick up some vegetables on the way home?”

“No, you can go there after you get home. I’m distancing myself from our beautiful assistant. I need to get back to dating my usual string of women, as Kat calls them,” I said, pulling into the parking lot.

The first vehicle I saw was Kat’s. “I told her to take the day off, but she never listens. ”

“She likes to stay busy; we all know that. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Let’s not upset her,” Gage replied.

“Why would you think I’ll upset her?” I said, shaking my head. Everyone was concerned Kat would start crying again.

“Because you look angry. She wouldn’t be here if she weren’t feeling well,” Gage said.

“I am angry. I don’t want her working after what happened yesterday,” I said, taking a deep breath. I didn’t want to walk in there angry, so I let Gage go in first. Then, I forced a smile before entering the building.

As soon as I walked inside, chaos greeted me. Puppies ran everywhere, and Kat and Tag were trying to catch them. I knew she hadn’t come here to work because she was wearing cut-off blue jeans that barely covered her beautiful ass. How the hell did she get that all-over tan?

“Stop!” I shouted, and everything halted, even the puppies. “Who do these belong to?”

“After you left, I heard someone outside. It was a dog catcher looking for these puppies. He said he had their mother and took her to the pound. I had no idea where the puppies were until I went out back to pick some vegetables for Gage.”

She looked at Gage. “I put your vegetables in your office.” Gage gave her a thumbs up. “These babies were all hiding under my porch,” Kat explained breathlessly.

Her thick and wild hair hung down her back and over her shoulders. I wanted to run my fingers through it and pull her closer. Her scent was intoxicating, and I felt another hard-on coming on. Her face was flushed from running around, and I worried she might have a fever. I gently took her chin and felt her forehead. It didn’t feel hot.

“Did you just check to see if I had a fever?” she whispered, her sweet breath fanning my face before she grinned .

“Yes, your face is pink and sweaty,” I explained.

“That’s because I’ve been chasing these puppies. I had to drive my car with six crazy puppies jumping and peeing on my seats.” She glanced down at the floor, and there was that grin again. She couldn’t hide it before I saw it.

That’s when I noticed she was wearing house shoes. Then I looked down at my boots and saw a puppy sitting on my foot—or rather, peeing on it. I reached down and picked her up. She was cute, but I didn’t have time for puppies. Did I?

“Why did you bring them here?” I asked.

“I don’t want the dog catcher to take them. I’m going to get their mother out of the pound, and I wondered if these babies could stay here with you until I get back.”

“Is that poop in the corner?” I asked, noticing the mess.

“Bad doggy. You can’t potty in the office.”

“Kat, the pound won’t hurt the animals. They’ll find good homes for them. Dog pounds aren’t like they used to be. I know they make sure the animals are well cared for here in Carlsbad.”

“But the family will be separated,” she said.

“That’s what happens with dogs. You don’t think they find one home for all of them, do you?” I asked frowning.

“I hadn’t really thought about it, but now that you mention it, I guess you’re right. They’ll all go to different homes if they go to the pound. That’s why I will get their mommy so they can stay together.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to gather up the puppies. I held two while Gage and Tag took care of the others.

“They can live with me,” she said, her chin quivering. And damn, she wasn’t wearing a bra .

“Do you plan to go to the pound dressed like this?” I asked, pointing to her outfit.

She looked down and realized she was wearing pink furry house shoes. “I didn’t have time to change. Damn, can you go get the mama dog for me?” She pleaded, with those beautiful eyes gazing into mine.

“No. First, they keep the animals for three days before letting them be adopted. Second, I once dated the woman who runs the shelter, and I don’t want to see her again.”

“Why am I not surprised? Fine, I’ll take the puppies to the pound myself. Can you at least help me get them to my car?”

“If you think I didn’t hear the first part of your sentence, you’re sadly mistaken. I heard all of it.” There was that grin again. I wondered what she’d do if I leaned down and kissed her. Then her bottom lip slipped into her mouth, making her look nervous.

My gut clenched, and something inside me snapped. I did what I said I’d never do: I leaned in and took that bottom lip between my teeth, ready to drop the puppies before Gage took them from me. With my arms free, I wrapped them around Kat and pulled her as close as I could. I plundered her mouth, biting her plump bottom lip before sliding my tongue into the sweetness of her mouth.

I’ve kissed a lot of women in my life, but knowing I was kissing Kat right now nearly pushed me over the edge.

She let out a hot, sexy moan and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I cupped her ass with one hand, feeling her cheek through those short shorts, while my other hand tangled in her hair, pulling her head back to deepen the kiss until I heard her whimper.

Kat’s hands slipped under my shirt, and her nails trailed down to the top of my jeans. I felt her hand moving lower. I had to stop this right now.

“You taste so damn good,” I murmured against her ear. “I wish we could finish this, sweetheart, but this is as far as it goes. We work together, and it’s against the rules.”

“Fine, then you take the puppies to their mommy,” she said, leaving me standing there with a hard-on.

“Do you want me to throw some ice water on you?” Gage said, stepping out of his office.

“No, I’m taking that job in Iran. I’m getting those men out of there, and I’ll take two guys with me. I’ll be in my office working out the plan.”

“What about the puppies?”

“Can you please take them to the animal shelter? I was serious when I said I didn’t want to see the woman who runs the place.”

“Yeah, I’ll take them, but I’m going with you to Iran.”

“Okay, I’ll write down your name. I might step out of the office. I need to apologize to Kat for that… attack.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. She might not want you to apologize.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said, heading into my office and shutting the door. Ten minutes later, I was pounding the punching bag, planning everything out in my head for what we’d do once we got to Iran. All I could think of was how soft Kat’s skin was.