Chapter Five
Get your head out of your pants, Redmond. He had a task to complete and wondering about a sexy hook-up didn’t fit on the agenda. Although he knew he’d be contemplating the possibilities later.
Tag glanced around the small fenced area and spotted four goats at the opposite side about thirty feet away. Contained space, big enough to stroll across and around. He might have to bathe the dogs when they got home, but the layout was workable. “My goal here is to walk Pixie and Taffy in the proximity of the goats but not be confrontational so they scatter.” He grinned. “The nanny looks like she’s not moving too quickly these days.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t know much about therapy dogs. Other than seeing a news show or two about animals providing comfort in pediatric cancer wards or retirement homes.”
“True on both accounts.” He scooped up the dog with white-tipped ears. “Will you hold Pixie while I work with Taffy? Dealing with them both at the same time benefits no one.”
Malin held out the back of her hand in front of Pixie’s nose. “Hello there, girl. Remember me?” After the dog stopped sniffing, she brought the dog onto her lap. She ran a hand over Pixie’s forehead then stroked a floppy ear.
Tag watched for a moment to make sure the pair was comfortable with one other then moved a few feet away. “In order to earn therapy certification, the dogs have to complete ten specific tasks. Because of where we live”—he spread out his hands, palms up, to encompass the ranch setting—“I like to also get the small dogs comfortable around large animals. That way, they’re trained for all situations they might encounter in their new home.”
“Who are your target clients?”
He glanced her way and noticed Pixie lying in her lap while Malin stroked the dog’s head. Her shoulders weren’t so rigid, and her posture appeared more relaxed. “People like you.”
Her eyes shot wide. “Me?”
“Yup, people who’ve experienced a major upheaval can really benefit.” He decided to let her think on that. “Taffy, heel.” He kept his strides short as he walked in a straight line toward the fence. To his left, the goats stayed in place but watched. “Taffy, haw.” A foot or so from the fence, the pair turned left and walked the fence line. When he saw the goats sidestep or toss their heads, he changed direction, and then approached from another angle.
Taffy trotted at his side, seem unaffected by the presence of animals two feet taller and many pounds heavier. This easy-going dog had taken to his training program with gusto, and Tag was pleased with her progress. The reason he’d started them with medium-sized animals was due to goats as a breed of being fairly even-tempered. On each circuit, he glanced over toward Malin who now leaned against the barn way with her eyes closed. He walked close. “How are you doing?” Body language didn’t lie, and he could see her previous tension had disappeared. Now, she needed to acknowledge the fact and recognize the reason why.
She shook her head and blinked fast. “What?”
“Tell me what you’re feeling right now. Gut check and speak.”
Her brows drew down into a tight wrinkle. “I think you’re asking if I’m relaxed.” She glanced upward and smiled. “Which I am. Almost like I’ve finished off a big glass of Moscato.”
“What if you could have that feeling all the time?” Enjoying the sight of her lazy smile, he braced a shoulder again the fence rail.
“How?” Her eyes widened, and she tilted her head. “By becoming an assistant to your dog training program?”
An idea he hadn’t considered. His pulse notched upward at the idea of having her around for that many hours a day. Normally a guy who shied away from a constant relationship, he noticed that knee-jerk negative reaction wasn’t there. “No, I mean adopt one of these irresistible mutts. Training her through the final steps before the certification test would give you another focus.”
“I don’t know.” She pursed her lips. “A pet’s a big responsibility.”
“What’s the downside?” A horrible thought struck that made him take a step back-figuratively and literally. What if Malin didn’t enjoy being around dogs the way he did? Had he ever been interested in a woman who wasn’t a dog lover?
“Actually, while we were in Hank’s office, I realized how much I missed having a dog in my life.” She ruffled Pixie’s ears. “This little one slept on my foot.”
Silently, he cheered. “Good to hear. Why don’t you follow me home and I can run you through a quick lesson?” The request was bold in light of their first encounter. But the kiss had gone a long way to knock down her earlier resistance. He lowered Pixie to the ground and lifted Taffy into her waiting hands.
She straightened and adjusted the dog on her lap. “I don’t know.”
He rested a hand on her shoulder, feeling her stiffen at his touch. Instead of backing off, he rubbed a thumb along the ridge, wrinkling the soft cotton fabric. That she didn’t pull away encouraged him to press his luck. “The kennel isn’t totally complete, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in only a couple months. I’d like to show off the place.” Under his stroking, her muscles relaxed, and he lifted his hand and moved to put Pixie through the same exercise.
What he really wanted, no…what he needed, was to get a feel for how she’d fit in at the kennel—if she’d be intimidated by the noise and the activity, or if she’d dive in and help, like he hoped. He spent the majority of each day in canine company. Being around animals had always grounded him, and he wanted her to experience that same feeling and regain peace of mind. If he could be a part of restoring calm to her life, all the better. On a tangent where he walked facing her position, he saw her looking at her phone. Hopefully, she wasn’t being pulled away
“I have ninety minutes until I’m needed at the ranch to help with dinner preparations.” She scratched under Taffy’s chin. “Now you’ve got me a bit curious.”
Tag wanted to pump a fist in the air. Instead, he took a steadying breath and held out his hand. “Let me put my address into your contacts.” Although he didn’t doubt she could find the place on her own, he made sure to keep her car in sight as he drove home. He needed the visual connection and didn’t want to analyze why.
Anxious to get her working one on one with a dog, he kept the tour brief.
“What are the items in the backyard?”
“Agility work is a great tool for building rapport and trust between dogs and owners. These stations are the basic ones. Running through the activities make obeying the owner’s instructions fun for the dog.”
“Can you demonstrate?” She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “I think seeing the interplay would help me understand.”
That she was interested meant the first hurdle was passed. Malin wasn’t dismissing the potential adoption out of hand. Tag handed her Taffy’s leash. “Hold her, please, while I crate Pixie to keep her away from the action.” Grabbing a hip sack with training treats, he secured it around his waist, and unclipped Taffy’s leash.
Explaining each move as he worked Taffy through the equipment, he urged the dog through a solid tunnel, up one side of a steep ramp and down the other, wove through a set of six poles, and then up a ramp to a board raised four feet off the ground that she walked across and back down before jumping over two poles set at a one-foot height. He jogged Taffy back toward Malin, who grinned and applauded.
“That does look like fun. But I’ll bet many training hours are involved.”
Jazzed by her enthusiasm, he released Pixie from the crate and brought her close to Malin. “Because dogs love pleasing their owners, the training is not hard.”
“Really?” She gestured toward the equipment. “Could you get us working together in the short time I have left here today?”
“Obviously not on all the apparatus.” So far, he’d only trained Pixie on the weave poles. “But the tunnel’s fairly easy.”
“I’m not convinced any of these activities is easy.” Malin shook her head. “Do you know how long our family dog took to learn how to shake hands?”
“I never teach that trick.” He crossed his arms, glad to hear something personal about her background. “The dog gets nothing out of it.” He waved a hand behind him. “With these agility moves, they have the chance to run and jump which they love doing anyway. You’re channeling their energy.”
“I definitely saw that in Taffy’s attitude.” Her eyes glowed, and she rubbed her hands together. “Okay, show me how.”
He demonstrated the hand signals to put Pixie into a down and stay at one end of the tunnel and told Malin to walk around to the other end. “Now, crouch down and show her the treat you’re holding.”
Malin leaned over a little and held out her hand.
In that position, her body blocked most of the light coming through the opening. She wasn’t at the right level. “Get lower. Pixie needs to see you down at her level.” Tag moved behind her and brought his hands down on her shoulders to press her into the correct position.
Malin squealed and jumped to the side, wrapping both arms around her stomach. Keeping her head turned down, she sucked in quick breaths.
The instant his hands made contact, he realized his mistake. The guy at the robbery had attacked her from behind, and that move must be a trigger. “Sorry.” He forced calm into his voice. “Malin, I shouldn’t have—ˮ
“Don’t apologize. The problem’s mine.” She shook her head and looked up, her expression stiff. “I need to be going. Thanks for showing me your place.” Then she turned and almost ran through the house.
Dullness coated her gaze again. Frustration burned a hole in his chest. He’d been playing off her enthusiasm and wanted to keep her excited about the process. Damn. He pounded a fist against his thigh. Why had he pushed like that? His action could be viewed as thoughtless and uncaring, when what he felt proved to be the exact opposite. Now, he could do nothing more than stand and watch her disappear. What if he’d blown any potential chance?
****
The drive home passed in a blur as she drove on auto-pilot. The act of stepping onto the ranch’s garage floor made Malin realize she hadn’t even checked her mirrors for the black truck. Fifteen minutes spent driving unaware of her surroundings because she’d been fretting over how she’d fled from Tag. Stupid. Shoulders slumped, she trudged from the garage to the back door, disgusted with her behavior. How were her actions those of a woman who captained her own life?
She yanked open the slider, glad to spot an empty dining room. Voices sounded from the kitchen, and she headed that way. Scents of herbs and roasting chicken wafted in the air. The rasp of a male voice made her pause in the doorway. Seeing her sisters standing behind a broad-shouldered, blond man seated at the kitchen built-in desk proved his trustworthiness. Even if his sheer size dwarfed the small area.
He pointed at items on the laptop screen. “Here’s a wide angle shot of the front of the studio cabins. Where you three live, right?” He twisted to glance at Tilda, connected with Malin’s gaze, and lifted a hand toward his forehead. “Hey.”
“Oh, you’re back.” Jude skipped across the room and linked elbows. “Come meet Swede, who’s a friend of Rhys. He’s explaining where he put the camera do-hickeys Rhys left behind and how to operate the surveillance program.”
“Hello, Swede. Sorry I interrupted, please continue.” She stood several feet away as he demonstrated shifting the view from a single screen to one displaying four different spots on the property. Then he dragged the icon for the program that enabled listening in real-time onto the desktop. Because Swede talked her computer-related language, or possibly because he was part of the same company as Tag, Malin didn’t experience any trepidation about the computer tech’s presence. A positive step in the right direction.
“How long are the videos saved?” Tilda leaned a shoulder against the wall to speak with Swede. “Or does the next day record over the previous one?”
To stifle a giggle, Malin pressed a hand to her mouth. Tilda might be a wiz in the kitchen, but her computer tech awareness was a couple of decades old. Following Swede’s instructions was easy, and she was confident she could handle any questions her sister had.
Twenty minutes later, he stood. “The program’s a basic one.”
Jude slid into the vacated chair and flipped through the screen views.
Tilda moved to the kitchen island and slipped on an apron. “Sure you won’t stay for dinner? Seems like the least we can offer as thanks.”
“Nah, I want to get home to Allie. She promised me lasagna tonight.”
Malin looked up at the man who was about as tall as Tag but definitely more muscled. Interesting how everything came back to Tag. Malin walked him to the front door. “Thanks for your help, Swede. I’ll sleep better tonight knowing the system is in place.”
“Happy to oblige. Rhys might have only been in Montana for a short time, but he’s still a part of Brotherhood Protectors. We’d do anything for one of our own.”
“Good to know.” That several well-built men—skilled in protective techniques and not afraid to face down trouble—were only a phone call away was a huge comfort.
He dug a set of car keys out of his jeans pocket. “I already sent my contact information to the ranch email address. Don’t hesitate to call if anything goes wrong with the program.” He lifted a hand and swaggered down the walkway into the waning sunlight.
After the meal cleanup was done, Malin begged off watching a DVD with her sisters. They’d drawn straws for the one who’d take the security laptop to her cabin on a rotating basis. Tonight was not Malin’s night. Instead, she needed a long hot soak. The hot tub tempted, but she wanted privacy to figure out how to mend her friendship with Tag after her over-blown reaction to Tag’s touch.
More than once, she picked up the phone to contact Suzanne but never hit the icon to complete the call. Time to rely on her own methods for dealing with the stress. Instead, she created a relaxing atmosphere with scented candles, instrumental music, bath beads, and a glass of her favorite Moscato. As soon as the door was locked, she removed the clip and shook her head to loosen the crimped wad of hair. Bending at the waist, she scratched fingernails over her scalp then stood and tossed back her hair. Then she shed her clothes and stepped into the bubbly hot water. A heady vanilla musk scent wafted into her nose.
Fifteen minutes into her healing—both physically and psychologically—bath, she was as pliant as a cooked noodle. Watching the ends of her hair float on the surface of the water was mesmerizing. Then inspiration hit. She stretched for her phone and hit Tag’s contact.
“Hey, Malin. Hang on.” A cacophony of barks accompanied his statements.
The next thing she heard was a muffled thumping. Was that his heartbeat? Weird, but the sound created an emotional connection. As she waited with the phone pressed to her left ear, she dragged handfuls of fluffy bubbles over her chest. Silky water caressing her skin was pure luxury. Wouldn’t having a certain someone close enough to scrub her back be the perfect indulgence?
Thoughts of what Tag’s tight body might look like naked fueled her racing pulse. She’d heard members of the Brotherhood Protectors had all been injured during combat. Did his skin have many scars, or was his injury internal? Would his abdominals be defined into six or eight matching slabs? Her cheeks heated, and her nipples tightened. Only hours ago, she’d been pressed to his hard muscles, her softness melting against his steeliness.
Desire swirled in her belly. She captured the terrycloth washcloth, trailed it over her hip, and between her legs. She rubbed the rough cloth over her delicate folds, exciting her clit to erectness. Would Tag have cut marks in his muscles over the notches of his hips? Sensation built and zapped her nipples tighter. Arousal hit so fast her breath rasped through parted lips.
“No, that’s too much. Only half a cup.”
Oh shit! She froze, her body teetering on the cusp. Was he entertaining? Who was there? Lost was her building orgasm. A stab of jealousy hitched her breathing. Maybe she shouldn’t have called on impulse. With her free hand on the tub edge, she levered herself to sit upright. “What?” Her voice imitated a frog’s croak.
“Sorry for the delay. A guy responded to my online ad for an assistant, and we got a late start on feeding time.”
“So, you already gave my possible position to someone else?” Where had she wrenched that teasing statement from?
Loud laughter carried through the phone line.
His laugh, deep and rich, wrapped around her and felt almost as comforting as being in his embrace. How she wished she was in the same room right at that moment. Were his eyes scrunched almost shut when he laughed? Did he throw back his head or hunch forward with a hand braced on a leg?
“Good one, Malin. But don’t you realize that hiring a kennel assistant is partly so I can see more of you?”
Although her blood heated, her reflex was to cover her breasts with an arm and glance around the room for hidden cameras. A reaction due to Swede’s instruction on the surveillance system? Or had the wine sent her thoughts straight to sex? “See more of me, or see me more often?”
Three seconds of silence ensued followed by a throat clearing. “Uh, I vote for both, if that’s allowed.”
The last few words were a sexy growl. Goose bumps rose on her skin. She needed to state the reason for her call before this conversation got out of her control. “Would you like to go horseback riding tomorrow or the next day?”
“Hell yes.”
She grinned at his rapid response. “I’m available tomorrow after the weekend guests leave around two or anytime on Tuesday.” Her words tumbled out so fast she sounded like an auctioneer.
He chuckled. “The earlier, the better. Tomorrow at two.”
“Okay.” She bit her lip. He’d decided so fast she couldn’t think of anything more to say.
“Sweet dreams, Malin.”
“Bye.” Smiling, Malin set down the phone on the bath mat then clasped chilled arms around her bent knees. Shivers attacked. The water had cooled during her phone call. As she climbed out and wrapped herself in a towel, doubts settled in her thoughts. Would Tag think her invitation was only for a casual ride? Or would he recognize it as her shaky first step toward getting to know him better?