Furious, Reese knelt down to the dog. “It’s okay, buddy. She won’t hurt you.” Tail tucked, his body curled tight and his brown eyes sad and watchful, Cash huddled as close as he could get to Reese’s side.
Reese stroked his back, kissed the top of his head. “Shhh. It’s okay now.”
Nikki realized what she’d done. “I wasn’t trying to hurt him,” she explained. “It’s just...I don’t want dog hair on my clothes.”
Reese barely managed a nod.
“What’s wrong with him, anyway?” Nikki gave a nervous laugh. “The way he’s carrying on, you’d think I beat him or something.”
Regaining his feet, keeping one hand on Cash’s head, Reese stared down at Nikki. “He’s a rescue.” Repressed fury had him talking through his teeth. “Someone had left him for dead, so no telling what he suffered before that. Probably abuse.”
Again she chuckled nervously. “I’m sorry. Really.”
“If being near the dog is that big of a problem for you, avoid me when I have him out.” Preferably she could avoid him always. But he wasn’t quite rude enough to say that. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Reese, wait.” She put one hand on his bare chest, the other at his side right above the waistband of his slacks. “Really, I am sorry. I’ve never been around animals much, and I can’t say I’m a fan. But I would never deliberately hurt an animal. I’m not a monster.”
Reese believed her. Taking his bad mood out on Nikki wouldn’t accomplish anything. “Thanks.”
“Maybe I could...” She looked at Cash with loathing as her fingers stroked through Reese’s chest hair. “I could probably try to get used to him.”
“There’s no point.” Beyond common courtesy and social civility, he had no interest in Nikki.
“But Reese...” Her thumb touched his right nipple. “Let me make it up to you.”
“Yeah,” he said, catching her wrist with his free hand. “Let’s not do that.”
“Please.” She licked her bottom lip—and went after his nipple again.
How she thought that was going to help matters, he couldn’t guess. He looked down at Cash and found the dog watching with a wealth of expression. “I should get Cash inside.”
“But I want us to get along. You know I do.”
She wanted more than that, but it wouldn’t happen. “You’re on your way out, and you’ve been drinking.”
“Only a little.” She leaned into him, her br**sts to his chest, his hand holding her wrist caught between them. “And I was just heading to the club. I’m happy to stay in if you’re...free.”
“I’m not,” he said as gently as he could. He suspected she operated under liquid courage. Sometimes two drinks could take away a lot of inhibitions or demolish good judgment. “And you shouldn’t be driving.”
“See.” Now she pressed her pelvis against him, too. “I should stay home with you instead.”
“Reese, there you are.”
Alice’s high voice startled him and Nikki both. They turned as one, and there she stood...barely dressed, her hair a little wild, her face pinched with antagonism.
Cash leaped toward her—and despite her obvious irritation, Alice knelt to receive him with a generous amount of petting.
Knowing how she felt about the dog, Reese was thankful she hadn’t been out during Nikki’s mishap.
Nikki looked at Alice, looked at Reese and turned back to Alice. “Well, well, Alice. You’re all out of sorts tonight.”
Standing with Cash at her side, Alice pushed her hair back. She’d pulled on a T-shirt, no bra, shorts and no shoes. “I’m fine.” She zeroed in on Reese, her gaze telling. “Are you coming in?”
If he went in now, he just might shout. Alice wasn’t a woman he wanted to shout at. At the moment, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with her.
Walking away wasn’t an option.
Reporting her antics to the authorities didn’t sit right either.
Making love to her until she moaned again... But, no. He had to deal with her recklessness first. He had to find a way to rein her in, to get to the truth, to uncover her every secret.
To keep her from getting into more trouble.
Nikki still clung to him—peeling her away wouldn’t be easy. Hopefully Alice would understand the circumstances.
He wanted everything from Alice, except jealousy or doubt.
“Why don’t you take Cash in with you?” He held out the leash. “I’ll be right there.”
She stood her ground with her narrow bare feet planted, the breeze ruffling her tangled hair.
She didn’t look at Nikki, and she didn’t take the proffered leash. In a chilly voice laced with steel, she stated, “I’ll wait with you.”
Great. Jealous regardless, and apparently ready for battle. Just what the situation didn’t need.
Nikki bounced her gaze back and forth from Reese’s frustration to Alice’s bold antagonism. Antagonism won.
Alice smiled, but it was not a friendly sight.
“Ooookay.” Twittering a laugh, Nikki eased away. “I think I’ll just excuse myself from this volatile domestic dispute.” She patted Reese on the chest—and Alice’s jaw ticked.
It fascinated him, this new aspect of Alice’s personality. Possessive. Forceful.