I arrive at the shop at seven on the morning of our flight. I couldn’t sleep at all last night, imagining what it would be like to fuck Yessi, taste her sweet pussy, hear her scream my name, watch her come all over my cock.

How long has it been since I’d felt this kind of anticipation, this hunger, this desire?

But this woman doesn’t even like me.

Despite all my Instagram followers, I sometimes wonder if the majority of people even see the real me. I joined the Marine Corps because I wanted to help people and serve my country. But lately, it seems like the only person I’ve been looking out for is myself.

I trail behind Gidget as she trots into the store. I’m shocked at what a good dog she’s been in the two days that I’ve had her. She’s fully house-trained and hasn’t destroyed any of my furniture. She also loves to cuddle and watch movies with me, and even brings me her food bowl when it’s time to eat.

It breaks my heart that she would’ve been killed if I hadn’t fostered her.

Hugh shows up, disheveled and hungover. He murmurs something unintelligible when he sees me.

I slap his back. “Dude, pull it together. We open soon, and because I’ll be out of town for the pet expo, I need you to handle everything. Can you help me get these kennels ready for the dogs Yessi’s bringing in?”

His bloodshot eyes bulge. “Dogs? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“We already talked about this, remember? She runs a dog rescue, saving dogs from high-kill shelters. I told her she could keep the dogs here while we’re in Hawai’i, and we can feature her rescue dogs on opening day. Should be good for publicity.”

Hugh abruptly gets in my face; a whiff of stale whiskey envelops me. “Fuck no, Evans. I don’t care if you got pussy on your brain. The whole point of Doggy Style is that we’re billing ourselves as a high-end pet store. Purebreds and designer dogs only. We don’t want some mangy mutts soiling our brand!”

I stare him down. “Non-negotiable. I already told her yes. Besides, stop being such a dick. These dogs were going to die. We can still sell the puppies we have. I thought this entire concept was about giving our customers choices?”

He shakes his head. “Fine. But don’t get any crazy ideas. This is a puppy store, not some charity. We’re here to make a profit.”

I give him a scowl but hold my tongue. I’m not going to engage him, especially since I’m headed out of town today. This business is Hugh’s life—he doesn’t have a girlfriend, lives above our new store, and he left his old job to run Doggy Style full time. I owe him my gratitude—even if he can be an immature jerk at times.

“Are you still pet-sitting for me?”

Hugh squints his eyes. “Pet-sit? You mean house-sit?”

“No, I mean pet-sit. I’m fostering this dog right here for Yessi.” Jingling her leash, I add, “Her name is Gidget. She’s really sweet and totally house-trained. You won’t even know she’s there.”

Hugh shakes his head. “Nope, not going to happen. I just wanted to spend some time at your place chilling in front of that sweet ocean view and blasting your home theater system. I’m not going to take care of some reject dog. You owe me for making me work here while you run off to Hawai’i with your chick of the week.”

My jaw clenches. I should hand him his ass, but I can’t start a fight with him today. He’s usually not this much of a dick. Maybe he’s just stressed about the opening of the shop.

“Fine. Then you can’t stay at my place. I’ll just keep her here.”

“Whatever, man.”

I place Gidget in one of the cages out front, then head to the back room and prepare to sanitize the kennels. After I’ve gathered a brush and a bucket, I pull on some gloves and get down on my hands and knees to scrub the floors. The caustic bleach fumes make my eyes water.

Hugh follows me into the room. “What the fuck are you doing, dude? We have janitors for that shit.”

I glare at him. That’s true and all, but they won’t be in until later. I want the dogs to have clean kennels while they’re here. “Yeah, well, the dogs are coming in now, and this place is a pigsty. Get your lazy ass over here and help me out.”

He shakes his head. “Nah, man. If you want to clean when we’re already paying people to do it for us, that’s on you. You’re better than that.”

“No, I’m not.”

Fuck him. My dad taught me that I’m no better than anyone else. Success comes from hard work. I’m not afraid to get dirty and do some manual labor. Every breath I take is a blessing. Every day of my life, I’m thankful that I’m alive, and that I exited the battlefield in one piece and didn’t leave the Middle East in a flag-draped coffin like some of my buddies did.

Like Rafael did.

Hugh storms off like a petulant child. Sometimes, I want to strangle him. But I had begged him to work with me . . . a decision I’m starting to question.

I refuse to waste another thought on him. Time to focus on Yessi.

How many dogs did she say she had? Eleven at her place alone? Hugh is going to kill me. Hell, I don’t blame him for being pissed.

After she went home the other night, I studied the website for her rescue, Pugs N Roses. The site was dated and sad, but my heart wrenched when I saw the pictures of the dogs they had saved—pathetic-looking shelter dogs who had seen better days. Reminded me of the street dogs I saw in Iraq.

Even if nothing happens between us, I want to help get Yessi’s dogs adopted. I just don’t know who would choose to adopt them when they’ll be displayed next to our puppies. I’m starting to see why she’s so upset about my store.

I blast some metal music and continue preparing the kennels. I place new beds, water, and food bowls in each stall. Just as I toss in the final toy, I hear the puppies yelp loudly. The barking lot has alerted me that my date has arrived.

I walk to the front of the store, and my breath hitches when I see Yessi standing in front of me, clutching the leashes of a bunch of dogs who are cowering, with their tails tucked in between their legs. A glimpse of Yessi’s hot-pink bra strap peeks out from under her black tank top, driving me wild with anticipation. Is she wearing matching panties? Does she have any other hidden tattoos that I can discover? I want to map out every inch of her body.

Yessi’s own eyes widen when she sees me, and I laugh to myself, belatedly realizing that I’m shirtless. I wipe the sweat off my brow.

Yessi’s angry scowl from the other night is long gone, replaced with an almost hopeful look. “Nice music, Preston. These are my rescue partners, Avril and Eden.” Yessi’s standing in between two other women—a trendy blonde and an earthy redhead. Both of them are beautiful, but I only have eyes for Yessi.

“Hey, Yessi. Nice to meet you, ladies. I’m Preston. I was just getting the kennels ready.”

The blonde checks me out from head to toe and isn’t shy or subtle about it in the least. “We can see that. Are you done, or can we watch—I mean, help?”

I laugh. “I’m done.” I take a few leashes and lean into Yessi. “I didn’t think you’d show up.”

“That makes two of us. But I’m here. We’re all grateful for this opportunity to get our dogs adopted.” She speaks stiffly, like she doesn’t really want to thank me, but is doing her best to be polite.

A tiny min pin with a frosty mug and sad eyes pees on the floor in front of me, his tongue darting in and out of his mouth like some nervous tic.

“Oh, Nemo.” Yessi bites her lip. “Sorry about him. He’s just nervous. I pulled him from the shelter the day I met you, and he just was released from the vet. I can clean it up.”

“It’s okay. I got it.” I grab some paper towels and some enzymatic cleaner spray and mop up the mess. This poor dog will definitely need some help getting adopted. I walk over to the racks of doggy couture and select a tuxedo jacket for him, and a pink, polka-dotted dress for Gidget. I tug the tuxedo jacket on the min pin. He looks much more regal now. Then I remove Gidget from her cage, pet her gently, and slip the dress over her head. She licks my nose.

Eden places her hand over her heart, and Avril pinches Yessi. Even Yessi cracks a smile.

Score—she’s softening to me.

Hugh finally decides to grace these women with his presence. “Hi ladies. I’m Hugh. Not sure what Preston’s told you, but this is a one-shot deal. We’re a boutique puppy store, not a hotel for homeless mutts.”

I shake my head, disappointed with how he’s been acting today. I expect more from him now that we’re working together. He’s coming off as such a jerk. And I’m shocked he didn’t even try to flirt with Avril or Eden.

A familiar scowl appears on Yessi’s face. She turns to Avril. “See—I told you Preston isn’t going to change the store.”

Avril opens her mouth, but I interrupt. “Ignore him. I’m a man of my word. I’ve set up the kennels for the dogs. Follow me, and we can get everyone situated.” I walk ahead of them and look over my shoulder to see Avril whispering something to Yessi, who just rolls her eyes. But once we reach the kennels, I turn around…and notice that Yessi’s lips are quivering.

“You did this for them? They can actually stay here?”

I beam with pride. “Yup. We have full-time kennel attendants and a vet who comes in once a week to check every dog. Every Friday, all the dogs will also be groomed. And we have a small outdoor space out back.”

Yessi reaches into her purse and pulls out a manila envelope and a plastic baggie full of medication. “I have every dog’s vaccination records and shelter paperwork in the envelope, along with a list of their daily medications. Most of them are healthy but a few are recovering from kennel cough, and some of them were recently fixed.” She tilts her head back toward the front of the shop, where Hugh is standing. “He’s not going to be taking care of the dogs, is he?”

I shake my head. “No. He’s just the manager here. I take care of social media, marketing, and financial aspects. One of the kennel attendants will be in later today, and she’ll give me updates on all your dogs. Hugh was going to watch my place, but he doesn’t want to pet-sit Gidget. Do you mind if she stays here?” I hold my breath, half expecting her to chew me out, but she surprises me.

“No. That’s fine. Gidget probably doesn’t want to stay with him, either.”

Eden escorts each dog into a kennel. “I truly want to thank you for allowing our dogs to be here for the opening. We would love to partner with your store. I really hope you’ll listen to Yessi and turn this store into a wonderful place for the community to save lives.”

I study the dogs in front of me. I assumed they’d all be mutts, but there are a few purebreds sprinkled amongst the sea of Chihuahuas. A brown dachshund rolls on his back as a fluffy poodle sniffs a beagle’s butt. Did the rescue really find all these dogs in shelters?

I have to admit I’ve never been to an animal shelter. I’d just assumed they only had old, sick dogs. A pang of guilt hits me hard—am I really doing the wrong thing after all? Contributing to the slaughter of homeless pets? Will this be my legacy?

“I’m looking forward to having Yessi teach me about shelter dogs.” My phone’s alarm goes off, and I pull it out of my pocket to silence it. “We have to head to the airport now, or we’ll be late for our flight. Ladies, thank you again. The dogs will be taken care of, and if you need to come into the store for any reason, please tell Yessi, and I’ll arrange it.”

Yessi runs her hands through her hair. “I’ll walk you guys out.”

Eden gives me a polite wave, then Avril hugs me. “Nice to meet you, Preston. Take care of my girl, or you’ll have me to answer to.”

Charming.

I tap Yessi on the shoulder to get her attention. “I’m going to hop in the shower really quick and meet you back down here.”

Her eyes glance at my body admiringly before snapping back up to meet my gaze. “Shower?”

“Yeah, Hugh lives above this place. Check out our store. I’ll be done in a few minutes.”

I race upstairs, strip naked, and jump into the stall. As the hot water runs down my body, I wonder what Yessi’s backstory is. Why did she start rescuing dogs? How is she still single? Some guys might be turned off by her strong opinions and convictions, but I find that attractive in a woman. I’m assuming that if she had a boyfriend, she would’ve told me two nights ago when I asked her to come with me to a tropical paradise. Why am I so drawn to her?

It isn’t love at first sight, more like an insatiable lust, a lust I haven’t felt in months.

Not since Kira.

But Kira longed for the limelight. And for the first time since I became infamous, I desire anonymity.

I towel off, get dressed, and head downstairs. Yessi is crouched down in front of the kennels, petting the min pin through the bars.

“You ready? We need to go.”

“Yeah. I just feel so guilty, leaving Nemo here. He was at the shelter for a month, then at the vet, and he probably feels abandoned again. He doesn’t even know what’s going on.” She stands up slowly.

And that’s when I see it. Her heart. Yessi doesn’t even know this dog, but she already loves him.

I wonder what it would like to be loved by a woman who cares so much about others.

Lately, I’ve been so wrapped up in curating my image to make this store a success that I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to focus on someone other than myself.

Maybe I have become a selfish asshole.

I gently take Yessi’s hand. “He’ll be fine. I’ll have the vet come to check on him today and I’ll make sure the kennel tech plays with him.”

Her eyes blink open wide, hypnotizing me. “Thanks for doing this for the dogs—no matter what your motivation is.”

“I know you think I’m a jerk, but I can already tell you’re a sweet, loving woman. Not to mention incredibly beautiful. Give me a chance, Yessi. You take care of all these dogs all the time—let me take care of you for a week.” As I speak, she stares at the floor, fidgeting with her nails. But then she raises her head to meet my gaze head-on.

“This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done. But you saved Gidget’s life, and you can save so many more.” She exhales. “I’m going to try to keep an open mind, but that’s all I can promise you. Besides, I’ve always wanted to go to the pet expo, and I really do need a vacation.”

That’s all I need. A maybe. I have a chance. Before she can object, I lift her hand to my lips and kiss it.

She doesn’t flinch.

I help her up off the floor, and we walk outside. I load our luggage into the limo, and we sit in the back seat. Next stop—paradise.