1 Dog Collar Crime Read Free Page A

Frankie smile appeared, the one that could put General Electric out of business. Who needed light bulbs when Frankie smiled? Even his presence illuminated a room. He kept his dark hair short, but with enough length that it curled around a face full of yummy angles. When he chose to pleasure a woman with a look from his coal-black eyes, he did it with a focused intensity that made her feel like she was the only one in the county.
    Unfortunately for Lucie, Frankie’s massive good looks left people wondering what he was doing with her , Miss Completely Average. She wasn’t ugly, for sure. Her blue eyes were a plus, but her drab brown hair and lack of hips didn’t usually attract hotties. Nope. The only curves Lucie had were in the chest area. Luckily, Frankie was a boob guy. Then again, she hadn’t met many men who weren’t.
    They reached the top of the stairs and she made a left into the first doorway into her childhood bedroom. The curtains had been changed, but the white swirly-cornered furniture and light green wallpaper still remained, somehow, in pristine condition.
    She hated that wallpaper.
    Franked nudged her. “Are we going to stand here all day?”
    “Uh, sorry.” She stepped into the microscopic room and he pushed by her to drop the bag on the bed. The two of them, in there together, made the room beyond small. It didn’t help that Frankie wore her favorite faded Levi’s that clung to his lean body as if they were tailor-made for him. The Levi’s did it for her every time.
    “Are you okay?” he asked. “You’ve been edgy since you got home.”
    Edgy. Good word for it. With his protective nature, he’d love this one. “After my trunk show, I had a couple of dogs to walk. One of them got stolen.”
    He abandoned the duffel and spun to her, his face turning to stone. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
    She waved off his concern. “I’m fine. I was walking Miss Elizabeth and some goon knocked me over and grabbed her. I hit my head, but it’s not bad.”
    “Why didn’t you call me?”
    He stepped toward her, but Lucie held out her hand. “I called 9-1-1 and they sent a squad. The cop said there’s a dog theft ring operating in the city. It could be related.” Lucie pressed her palms into her forehead. “God, Frankie, that poor dog. I’m so scared for her. Plus, Mr. Darcy was bawling when I told him. He adores her.”
    “Screw the dog, Luce. You should get checked out. You could have a concussion.”
    He extended his arms to wrap her in a hug, but hesitated before folding them across his chest. She blew air through her lips. They simply stunk at being in limbo. As much as she wanted to draw comfort from him, it wouldn’t be fair. To either of them. “I don’t think it’s a concussion, but I made a doctor’s appointment. The cop said they’d call me if they find Miss Elizabeth. I’ll have to wait. I keep having visions of that dog being tortured. She was in my care and I let her get taken.”
    “It’s not your fault. They’ll find her.”
    He knew her too well. So not going there right now . “Anyway, the trunk show went well this morning.”
    He unzipped the duffel and opened it. One of her handmade dog collars caught on the netting inside the bag and Lucie gently pried it loose. “I sold all the rhinestone studded items. The coats with the fur collars also went. Otis loved the camo shirt.”
    “He tell you that?”
    She smacked his arm. “I could tell.”
    Of course, Otis was a dog. An Olde English Bulldog to be exact. Lucie had been walking him for five months and understood the flow of his moods. The dogs, with their unabashed love for her, had become the bright spot over these past months. Keeping on schedule with dogs wasn’t easy, but she looked forward to walking them each day. With the winter months over, she found joy in the crisp spring air, cleansing her of the negativity that surrounded her current life situation. The dogs had become her sanctuary.
    She held up the