Fatal Heat: A Navy SEAL Novella Read Free Page B

thinking that I regularly take the whip to him, the way he’s reacting, when actually he’s spoiled to death. If it were up to him, my main job would be taking him for endless walks and feeding him. 24/7. But the fact is,” she switched her attention to her whining dog, raising her voice, “the fact is I’ve got a day job, which is what keeps someone in treats .”
    That was another word he recognized. He greeted it with a happy bark.
    She turned back to the tall soldier. “So, I apologize again for my unruly dog, and now we’ll get out of your hair.” She tugged at the leash and Max did his usual cowering act, as if she were the Angel of Death come to smite him. “Come on, Max. Playtime’s over.” She tugged again, walking backwards. Sometimes she had to literally drag him away from the beach, his paws leaving tracks in the sand. She’d gotten quite a few dirty looks from that.
    “He can stay with me.” The voice was low but his words carried.
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “He clearly doesn’t want to be locked up, not quite yet. And I—I have some free time. I’d be happy to take him for another walk. Keep him on the beach for a while longer.”
    She couldn’t help herself. She looked down at that scarred leg. When she looked back up at him, she saw calm in those dark eyes.
    “He won’t make me fall. I have good balance. He caught me by surprise but it won’t happen again.”
    “I don’t know… he doesn’t tire easily,” she warned.
    That earned her a small smile. “Neither do I.”
    Well, no. If he’d been a Navy SEAL he could probably outlast her rambunctious dog.
    She looked at him carefully, not in any way hiding her scrutiny. He stood still for it, face remote and expressionless, and let her examine him.
    Paige had no idea who he was, really. Though she complained often about Max’s rambunctiousness and complete lack of obedience, he was a joy. On days when work was going badly, which was happening more and more often lately, coming home to Max was the one bright spot in her day.
    She loved him fiercely.
    Though Max was a friendly dog, he’d had several unexpectedly hostile reactions to men. One, a colleague, had turned out to be a wife beater; another, a drunk; and one notable evening, he’d growled at a perfectly normal banker who’d come to pick her up for dinner. Max’s acumen was better than her own because it took her an entire dinner to realize the banker was a jerk. When he took her home, he wouldn’t take no for an answer, and it was only when Max growled—showing sharp, white teeth—that he had backed off.
    So she trusted Max’s reactions and what she was seeing now was trust and liking. His mouth was open in one of his exasperating, slobbering grins as he watched the dynamic between her and the human Max, tail wagging furiously.
    He was actually closer to human Max than to her because though the man was standing utterly still, one hand was still scratching behind Max’s ears.
    Small Max was a slut for attention, but he wouldn’t be reacting this way if Big Max were giving off bad human vibes.
    “He’s very important to me,” she said finally, still watching the man’s deep brown eyes, unwavering and intelligent.
    His head dipped. “Understood. He’ll be safe with me.” Max gave a sharp, happy bark. Her dog couldn’t possibly know what they were discussing but as far as he was concerned, every minute not spent in her tiny backyard and in the presence of his mistress and a new best friend was a happy minute.
    Paige sighed. The decision was made, she was just stalling.
    “OK.” She handed him the walking-with-Max equipment. Leash. Something less fun than the leash. “That’s the pooper-scooper.” She eyed him suspiciously. “You know how it works?”
    He turned it over in his hands, biting his lips against what looked like a smile. “No, but it looks pretty straightforward. I think I can figure it out.”
    She glanced at her watch and winced. Ouch. She had to