Penny stepped into Betty Tanner’s clinic and glanced around. Like Tessa’s salon, a little bell dinged, announcing her arrival. The older woman was at the counter, laugh lines crinkling as she cooed at the gorgeous little white poodle in her arms. The dog noticed Penny first, yapping and growling like it was the biggest dog in the world.
Betty glanced up and smiled widely. “Penny! I didn’t know you were coming home!”
Tessa apparently hadn’t told anyone she’d be coming home for Christmas. Was that because she was ashamed of Penny? Or that she didn’t care? Or was it because she wasn’t entirely sure that Penny would actually show up?
“I just came in today,” Penny replied out loud, pushing away the shame of her thoughts. “Home for Christmas and all that.”
“It’s good to see ya,” Betty said as she set the dog back on the ground behind the counter. “How are you?”
“Good,” Penny said, letting out a somewhat relaxed breath. “Staying busy as always.”
Betty grinned. “Girl like you should take some time for herself, you know.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Penny said, hoping Betty wouldn’t press the issue.
“So, what brings you in here?” Betty eyed her. “I don’t see an animal with you.”
“Well,” Penny paused. “I thought maybe you might like some help for a few days?” She rushed the next words. “Tessa’s going to be busy at the salon until the Christmas shutdown and I figured I needed something to pass the time.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. Actually, there was enough truth in it that she almost didn’t feel guilty for it.
Betty frowned at her. “You’re trying to work through your own vacation?”
“It’s not really work if you love doing it,” Penny offered.
She looked like she was about to reply—probably to pry further into Penny’s intentions—but the bell dinged behind her, announcing another visitor. The poodle yapped at Betty’s feet, running her little heart out in circles around Betty’s feet.
As she turned, the blood drained out of her head, turning her cheeks icy and boiling at the same time. If possible, Jordan was taller than the last time she’d seen him. A little mutt of a dog—probably a border terrier mix—wriggled in his arm. In his other hand, he carried a dark wooden cane, leaning on it for support.
Stubble coated his jawline, like he’d forgotten to shave. The shirt he wore was a dark blue, with little white and yellow birds scattered across the fabric. Unlike the dark slacks he’d worn the night they’d met, he had khaki cargo shorts on now, revealing muscular calves. Or rather, one muscular calf and a boot on the other leg, obscuring it.
He stared at her for a long moment, but the wriggling pup in his arms stole his attention away before she knew for sure he recognized her.
“Jordan!” Betty exclaimed, coming out from behind the counter. “Who is that little mud ball?”
The counter door banged shut as she walked right up to the man and cooed quietly to the dog. The dog responded, flicking out its tongue wildly to her hand as she pet its head. Its tail was crushed against Jordan’s chest, but it still strained to wag it.
“Found him down the street. Not sure if he belongs to anyone in town.” Jordan’s voice vibrated right down Penny’s spine.
“He’s adorable,” Betty cooed.
As Betty bent down to lavish attention on the dog, Jordan’s gaze flicked to Penny. She couldn’t read the expression on his face. Those tropical blue orbs focused back on the vet. “I figured if anyone would know who it belongs to, the town’s best vet would.”
Did he remember her? Would he care to remember her? Or had she just been that night’s conquest?
“I’m not sure I recognize this guy, but this close to the highway, we always get a few strays in. People abandoning their pets and such.” She gave a sound of disapproval then reached for him. “Let me give this little guy a quick bath for you. He’s filthy. Then we can see about trying to identify him.”
As she took the little guy in her arms, her gaze fell to Penny, like she’d just remembered that Penny was there. “Oh, Jordan, have you met Penny yet?”
Well, shit.
A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “No, I don’t believe we have.” He extended his hand. “Jordan Levi.”
That fucker. Did he really not remember her? Or was he just saving face? She couldn’t tell. His face was a mask she couldn’t decipher. It was all smiles and charm.
She hesitantly took his hand. Damn, it was warm, encompassing hers completely. He held on to it a moment too long, which made her think he did remember that night.
“Penny, Jordan works down the street with Axel.” Betty waved absently at him as she opened the counter door and walked behind it. “Jordan, Penny is Tessa’s little sister. She’s been away at school the last couple years.”
“Ah, I see,” he said. His gaze didn’t leave her and neither did his hand, holding tightly to her. If she tried to pull away, Betty would notice.
Fuck. Of all the damn places she would run into Jordan again, did it have to be her hometown? How was this even possible?
Betty vanished into the back of the place, and Penny could hear cooing sounds as Betty got to work on the dog. She gazed longingly after her as Jordan tugged on her hand. “Well, what do we have here?”
She faced Jordan and swallowed. “You, apparently.”
“And you,” he replied. A mischievous glint appeared in those brilliant blues. “Will you say goodbye this time, sneaky little mouse?”
“Cheap shot,” she hissed under her breath.
“So’s sneaking out after incredible sex without a goodbye.”
“I knew you remembered,” she whispered, pulling her hand back. He held on for a half second, before letting her loose. “What are you even doing here?”
“I live here,” he said, motioning out the door with the cane in his hand.
Jesus. He lived in her hometown? How fair was this? Why did they not talk about this that night? Shit, she supposed she hadn’t been up for talking that night. She’d been very drunk, very horny, and he was an excellent specimen of a man. Even standing there, her body was so attuned to his presence that she wanted to press against him.
His fist closed tightly around a long piece of dark wood and suddenly she remembered the boot on his foot. She frowned. “What did you do to your leg?”
His lips pressed together, and a wave of heat radiated from him. Was he angry at the question?
She narrowed her eyes back. “Never mind. You don’t have to tell me.”
“I broke it,” he said, somewhat reluctantly. “At work.”
“How do you break a limb working on a car?”
He shrugged. “I’m special. But at least I say goodbye before I leave a person I was just intimate with.”
“Still on that?” she snapped.
“Still waiting for an apology,” he replied hotly.
“Don’t be an asshole. You’d have done the same thing. You’re just mad I beat you to it.”
“Strangely enough, you’re not the first to call me an asshole today,” he said.
“Shocker,” she shot back.
“You know, it’s really not surprising you’re that harpy’s sister. Guess I should be glad I didn’t fuck her when I had the chance, too. It could have been awkward now.”
Wha—Was he serious with this? Had he tried to sleep with Tessa?
“She’s not a harpy.” Well, harpy was a little bit accurate… but he wasn’t allowed to call her that. He wasn’t family. “And you can go suck a grenade.”
“I’d rather suck something else of yours,” he replied, grinning widely. “There’s an alley on the side of this building. Want to go for round two?”
She glared at him but made no movement. He was standing in front of the only exit. She was pretty sure he was doing that on purpose, too, to keep her there, listening to his bullshit.
“I didn’t get to tell you ‘happy birthday’ that night. Hope you liked my present, though,” he said.
“You did tell me ‘happy birthday’ actually. Now get out of my way,” she demanded. “I’d like to leave.” His scent washed over her as she made her move for the door. Cinnamon? And something else she couldn’t identify. It was spicy yet not overwhelmingly so. Just enough to heat her body.
“Oh, no, we’re just getting started, darlin’,” he said, looming over her instead. He blocked her exit, moving like a dancer with that cane. To avoid touching him, because if she did, she’d be lost, she stepped back. It was the wrong move, because he walked her back with his big body until she hit the wall behind her.
Her heart thumped wildly as he placed one big palm against the wall over her head. He leaned in toward her, his body impossibly hot. His breath scalded her cheek. “Imagine my disappointment when I woke up, still naked and hard, to find ya gone, and the bed cold.”
“Stop it,” she whispered, though her voice was so weak even she could tell she didn’t mean it.
His lips were right by her ear, his voice a low rumble. “I had so much fun with you, little mouse. I really was looking forward to sliding into your body again in the morning before we said goodbye.”
She closed her eyes because he was too near, too hot, too much to look at. But it was the wrong thing to do. With her eyes closed, his body surrounded her like a heating blanket. His lips closed on the bottom of her ear, his tongue sliding along the skin.
She bit back a moan. How did he elicit such a reaction from her in seconds of seeing him?
“Stop,” she whispered again.
He released her ear, but he didn’t move away from her. Instead, he pulled back just enough to meet her gaze with those fiery tropical orbs. His body crowded hers as Doc Betty’s voice rang through the air from the back room. “Does this little guy have a name, Jordan?”
“I don’t know, Doc,” he said, his eyes not leaving hers. “I found him outside Miguel’s store.”
“You should give him one,” Betty said, her voice getting louder as she approached.
Jordan cocked his head to the side and grinned at Penny. He mouthed out, “We’re not done, little mouse.”
He stepped back; his knuckles white on the cane as he leaned on the cane for the support. Penny dipped under his arm, desperate to be far away from the heat of his hard body. He was too impossibly hot, too virile, too much man for her to be comfortable. If it had been even one more second, he would have cracked her wide open.
Betty appeared with the clean dog in hand. His matted fur was free of dirt now, a light chestnut color instead of the dull brown he’d had before. The dog wagged his tail as Jordan took him from Betty. “He likes you.”
“At least someone does,” Jordan quipped with a chuckle. His eyes met Penny’s in a knowing way that infuriated her. But fuck her heart, but it thumped as wildly as that dog’s tail as if it were as happy to see him, too.