My hand shakes as I reach for my keys. What on earth just happened?

One minute, I was handcuffed to the door of Preston’s puppy store, and next thing I know, he’s offered to foster a dog for me. Now we’re on our way to pick her up.

Why did he volunteer to help me? This is a guy who’s about to sell puppies for a living, and now he’s going to foster an old Chihuahua? He has to have an ulterior motive. If he thinks I’ll stop protesting his pet store, he’s dead wrong. I’m not going to back off. I’ll still be there every day.

And that way, I can still look at him. 

What? Don’t judge me. I’m a hot-blooded American woman.

Dammit—why does he have to be so ridiculously hot? I mean, everything about him is perfection. His tousled dark hair is shiny, his skin is tanned, his arms are ripped and covered with tattoos. Decent tattoos, too. Hell, I’d love to ink him up myself. Maybe I’ll tattoo my name on his ass.

Stop lusting after him, Yessi. He’s the enemy!

I take a calming breath and think about all the dogs who will die as a direct result of his pet store. Rage pulses through my veins.

Okay. Back to hating him.

Preston places his hand on my wrist, and his touch immediately causes my heart to beat faster. “Let’s take my truck.”

“No. We can go in my car.”

He thankfully doesn’t argue, and I walk in front of him, taking the lead. But when we reach my car, I look in and frown at the seats, which are covered in dog hair and stained with dry vomit.

“On second thought, we can go in your car.”

He smiles, and I notice his dimples. Dimples. Drown-your-heart-in-the-ocean dimples, which highlight a movie-star smile. They’re unreal. 

“Sounds like a plan. I’m parked up the block.”

He leads me toward a side street. A group of ladies on the sidewalk is walking toward us, and they all simultaneously giggle when they see him, not that I can blame them. Like I said, dude is hot.

But Preston doesn’t even seem to notice them. Instead, he places his hand on the small of my back, and I don’t even feel the urge to swat away his hand. In fact, it’s quite the opposite—I enjoy his touch, despite myself.

One of the girls squints at him as she gets closer to us. “Oh my god, you’re Preston Evans! Hi! I’m Gigi. Can I take a selfie with you?” Preston flashes her that Megawatt smile of his, and I feel a twinge of jealousy.

“Nice to meet you, Gigi. It would be my pleasure.”

I step away so his fans can fawn over him, but he pulls me to his side, and I end up in the damn picture with them. 

Great. I pray I don’t get tagged in that photo, not that any of Preston’s groupies would recognize me. But if a rescuer sees that picture, I’ll lose my street cred.

“Ladies, I’m holding a grand opening in two weeks for my pet store, Doggy Style. I would love for you all to join us.”

I quickly shrug his arm off of me. “Us? There is no ‘us.’ I’ll be outside protesting.” I speak directly to the women. “If you all want a dog, I run a rescue called Pugs N Roses. We have plenty of amazing dogs who need homes.”

The girls completely ignore me. Maybe I’m invisible.

“We’ll be there for sure! Nice to meet you, Preston.”

“Good night, ladies.” Preston continues walking down the sidewalk, and I reluctantly follow him.

Remember, you’re doing this for Gidget. You don’t have to like him.

“Does that ever annoy you?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, not when they’re sweet. Sometimes, if they’re really drunk, I get annoyed. But I’m just grateful to have fans. They have given me the opportunity to support myself. After I got out of the Corps, I was a little lost.”

Wow. I’m surprised at how open he is with his answer. I wonder how he met Kira. She had already been a reality star on the rise before she leaked their sex tape. But I don’t want to get to know him better, not really. I just want to give him the dog and move on with my life. And I still plan to work on a more permanent foster for Gidget. I don’t want to be tied to Preston or have to depend on him. Being in his presence rattles me. 

He walks up to a brand-new, shiny black Ford truck and opens the door for me. I literally bite my tongue to stop myself from chastising him for opening my door. This is not a date. This is a dog rescue mission. Or a Paw Patrol, as the foster kids I volunteer with call it.

But then I think back to what Preston said earlier about me being offended because he called me sweetheart.

What’s wrong with me? Why am I so bitchy? Yes, he’s selling dogs, and so I have a valid reason to dislike him, but these days, I seem to fight with everyone. 

I force myself to say thanks. I expect him to tease me a little, but he just nods as he starts the truck.

“Where to?”

I resist the urge to cop a feel of his bulging biceps and instead type the address into his navigation system.

He reads the screen and gives me a side-eye. “You were honestly going to go there by yourself tonight? That’s a super sketchy area. How do you know this guy’s even going to give you the dog? He could lure you there and rape you. Or kill you.”

Well, isn’t Preston just a ray of sunshine. “Why are you so paranoid? The guy just wants to dump his dog. He’s not going to hurt me. Besides, I have pepper spray in my purse.”

He laughs. “Pepper spray? By the time you grab it, he could’ve already attacked you. Too bad I don’t have my pistol on me.”

“Your pistol?”

“Yes, my pistol. I’m a Marine. Trained as a sniper.”

This guy can’t possibly be more wrong for me. There’s no way we have anything in common.

Then why is his strong, earthy scent intoxicating me?

I roll down the window and look outside. I’m not in the mood for small talk, so I just focus on the traffic. After a moment, Preston clears his throat.

“How did you get into dog rescue?”

I sigh. “Nope. We aren’t going to do this. I’m not going to just open up and create an emotional bond with you. I appreciate you for being willing to temporarily foster this dog, and I vow to get her into a permanent foster home as soon as possible, so I don’t have to see you more than absolutely necessary. But then again, fostering a homeless dog is the least you could do to make up for opening a pet store.”

“Gotcha.”

That shuts him up pretty fast.

He enters the freeway, and we spend the rest of the ride in silence. After almost thirty minutes, he exits inland. Damn, he’s right—this isn’t the best area. I’d never admit it to him, but I’m grateful he’s with me.

I text the owner that we’re outside his apartment complex.

Preston jumps out of his truck. I attempt to open my own door, but he does it before I can. I’m still shocked by his gentlemanly behavior. I haven’t exactly been pleasant to him, so I’m not sure why he continues to be so nice to me.

Gidget’s owner exits the building and pulls the little dog on a leash. She wags her tail, sniffing the ground excitedly. Poor girl probably thinks she’s going on a walk. Little does she know she’s about to be ripped from the only home she’s ever known.

I pause for a moment and remember being told one night by one of my foster moms to throw my things into a black, plastic trash bag and to wait outside because she no longer wanted me. I sat on the curb and cried, scared to death as the social worker picked me up and dumped me in another home.

I swallow my past and try to focus on Gidget. I don’t need Preston to see me cry.

I refuse to greet Gidget’s owner. “Do you have any paperwork for her? Shot records? Favorite toys? Her bed?”

He rubs his chin thoughtfully and belches before scratching at his balls. “Nope.”

Figures.

Preston kneels down and pets the dog. She immediately licks his hand. I try not to react, but my stone-cold heart melts a little bit.

In the meantime, I have the owner fill out the relinquishment form on our website from my phone.

Preston looks up at him. “Why are you giving her up?”

“I’m moving.” The owner stares at Preston. “Hey, aren’t you the dude who did that porno with that hot chick? You’re the man! Are you fucking this bitch, too? She’s fine as hell.”

I want to deck the guy. I even go as far as clenching my fist, but Preston holds me back. “Let me handle it.”

“Yeah, that was me. But the girl in the video wasn’t just some random ‘hot chick.’ She was my girlfriend, and I loved her. And not that it’s any of your business, but no, I am not hooking up with this beautiful woman. I’m here because I’m going to foster your dog, so she isn’t euthanized down at the shelter. Now apologize to Yessi for calling her a bitch, or I’ll beat the living shit out of you.”

Oh my god! Swoon!

Gidget’s owner shrugs. “Sorry, lady. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

I don’t accept his apology, or even bother acknowledging him.

Satisfied, Preston nods. “We’re done here.” He scoops Gidget up and cradles her to his chest, puts his other arm around my shoulders, and leads me to the truck, where he once again opens the door for me.

Situated inside the truck, Gidget curls up in my lap and gives me kisses.

Preston winks at me, and I want to crawl on his lap and kiss him.

I need to get away from Preston as soon as possible. I’m clearly not thinking straight, and the last thing I need is to go to his place to do a home check.

“Thanks for coming with me. I’m going to text the vet tech and see if she can open up the clinic and take Gidget tonight, so she can be vetted first thing in the morning. She needs a microchip. When they’re done, I can pick her up tomorrow, and we can do the home check then. Actually, Avril, the foster coordinator, usually does the home checks. I can have her arrange to deliver Gidget to you when Gidget’s ready.” Granted, Avril will probably fuck him, but unlike me, she won’t get attached. Avril doesn’t do relationships. Why can’t I be as cool as Avril?

“That won’t work. I head to Hawai’i in two days, so I want Gidget to acclimate to my place as soon as possible. Plus, there’s no reason for her to spend the night in the clinic if the vet won’t check her out until tomorrow. She can spend the night with me tonight, and I have a vet coming into the shop tomorrow, so I’ll bring her to work to get her checked out and get a microchip. I’ll pay for everything.”

Hawai’i? Is he going to the pet expo? I don’t want to ask. “You’re leaving town? So you can only foster her for two days?”

“I’m going to this pet expo. But don’t worry, my buddy Hugh is staying at my place when I’m gone. Gidget will be fine.”

Well, doesn’t he have it all figured out. I’m super jealous he’s going to the pet expo, but I’m not about to tell him that. And our rescue really can’t afford any more vet bills, so I’m glad he’s willing to pay for her medical care.

“Okay. Let’s go back to your store so I can get my car, and I’ll follow you back to your place.”

“There’s limited parking at my place because it’s on the beach.”

I roll my eyes. Of course, it’s on the beach.

“Fine. Can we at least grab some food on the way over? I’m starving.” And I am. I’ve barely eaten all day.

“Well, my offer still stands for you to join me for dinner. There’s this little Thai restaurant a block away from my place. We could eat there, or we could get take out if you want to get this dog home.”

Fine. I give up. “Thai’s fine. But I’m vegan, so I’ll order.”

“Great.”

He gives me the name of the place, and I peruse the menu on my phone. I call to order a few items, he tells me what to add for himself, and twenty minutes later, he runs inside the restaurant to get the food while I stay in the truck with Gidget. I pet her and rub her belly. Tears well in my eyes as I realize that she would’ve been killed tonight if I hadn’t intervened.

And if Preston hadn’t offered to foster her.

Maybe, he isn’t the enemy.

Moments later, he emerges from the place with a few bags. Then we take off in his truck, and he enters the parking garage for his place.

Right on the beach.

This is going to be some home check.