Talk Hockey to Me (Bears Hockey #3) - Kelly Jamieson Page 0,87
study him with narrowed eyes. Is he for real?
He gives off an air of bold confidence and a reckless charm, but his smile is genuine and his expression sincere. That annoys me even more.
I reach out and rub Otis’s head. I’m not mad at him. “He’s not vicious. And it wasn’t his fault. He’s a baby. He just needs to be controlled better.” I give Easton a pointed look.
“I get it.” Easton holds up a hand. “I’ve learned my lesson.”
“How old is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“What? You don’t know how old he is?”
“Like I said, I got stuck with him.” After a beat he adds, “Although I admit he’s fun.”
“Of course you are. Aren’t you? You just need to grow up and learn how to behave.” I lean forward and kiss Otis between his big brown eyes. “You’re a good boy.”
“I don’t suppose you’d want a job dog sitting?”
I snort and flash Easton a sideways glance.
“Really. I don’t want to just get rid of him to a shelter.”
I give him a look with my chin down. “You don’t even know me.”
“Babe. You’re gorgeous, smart, and gutsy. And you like dogs. You rescued a dog that’s not even yours. You have to be a decent person.”
Heat washes down through me at the compliments from this hunk of hotness, but I laugh. “Wow, you do know me.”
He smiles too, a sexy bad boy smile that heats me up and makes my belly flutter.
“Seriously, you don’t even know me.”
He nods at Lola. “Someone else trusts you with their dog.”
“True.”
“I’d pay well.”
This piques my interest. Little does he know, but I’m in debt up to my formerly well-groomed eyebrows. But still . . . “What if I took off with your dog and your money and you never saw me again?”
“I wouldn’t be much worse off,” he says dryly.
“Ha.” I play with Otis’s funny ears. “How much?”
“How much what? Pay?”
“Yes.”
“Hell, I don’t know. Would you come to my place and look after him? Or take him home with you?”
“Well, since you’re obviously extremely trusting and naïve, I’ll point out that letting a total stranger have access to your home is probably not wise.”
He rolls his eyes at the “trusting and naïve” comment.
“So I would look after him at my place.”
“Okay. Five hundred dollars?”
I gasp. “You’re kidding me.”
He lifts his hands.
“For one night?”
“Sure. Except I won’t be back until late Wednesday, like really late, so it would be three nights. Five hundred a night.”
Holy shit. That would be fifteen hundred dollars. Is this guy for real?
I study him through narrowed eyes. He’s holding my gaze and seems honest. “Cash.”
“Sure. I can drop him off tomorrow morning.”
This is all weird. The guy can’t keep his dog under control. Except it’s not even his dog. And he’s kind of a flirty, cocky ass.
But watching him with the dog . . . he’s gentle, if a little awkward. And he’s willing to pay big bucks to have the dog looked after.
I’m trying to see the downside to this. Looking after a pup isn’t that much work. It’s not like I have much else going on. If I get the money up front, the worst thing that would happen is Easton doesn’t come back for the dog and I’d have to deal with it. “Okay. Deal.”
He lifts his arms in the air. “Yes!”
I grin.
“It doesn’t put me in a good bargaining position,” he says. “But I was desperate.”
So am I. “Well, worry no more. I’ll take good care of Otis.”
“Give me your address.” He pulls out his phone.
I hesitate. Giving my address to a stranger doesn’t seem very smart. Would it be wiser for me to go to his place? I gnaw briefly on my bottom lip. “Maybe I should pick him up.”
“Okay.”
I remove my phone from the pocket in my leggings and he gives me his address. His place is only a few blocks away, on Riverside Boulevard. Given the address, I’m pretty sure his apartment is a lot nicer than mine. Maybe he really does have fifteen hundred bucks to spare.
“And your name,” he adds, waiting.
“Right.” I shake my head. “It’s Lilly. Lilly Evans.”
I give him my phone number in case anything changes, which wouldn’t surprise me, because the way my luck is going that could easily happen. Let’s just say I won’t be going out and buying new shoes before I have that cash in my broke little hands.
“Can you pick him up around eight-thirty?” Easton pockets his phone.
“Yes. That’s fine. You can give me all the instructions.”
“Ha. Like I have any instructions for you. I had to google how often to feed him.”
I bite my lip on a smile. “Oh.” I stand. “Okay, Lola, let’s finish our walk.”
“Okay.” He stands too, still gripping the handle of Otis’s leash. “See you in the morning, Lilly.”
Otis strains at the leash, trying to follow us, apparently enamored of Lola, or maybe both of us, as we walk away from them. I guess that’s good if I’m going to look after him. Easton’s a bit of a jackass and Otis is not well behaved, but . . . fifteen hundred bucks. Okay!
* * *
Must Love Dogs…and Hockey is available at all major retailers.
Other Books by Kelly Jamieson
Heller Brothers Hockey
Breakaway
Faceoff
One Man Advantage
Hat Trick
Offside
* * *
Power Series
Power Struggle
Taming Tara
Power Shift
* * *
Rule of Three Series
Rule of Three
Rhythm of Three
Reward of Three
* * *
San Amaro Singles
With Strings Attached
How to Love
Slammed
* * *
Windy City Kink
Sweet Obsession
All Messed Up
Playing Dirty
* * *
Brew Crew
Limited Time Offer
No Obligation Required
* * *
Aces Hockey
Major Misconduct
Off Limits
Icing
Top Shelf
Back Check
Slap Shot
Playing Hurt
Big Stick
Game On
* * *
Last Shot
Body Shot
Hot Shot
Long Shot
* * *
Bayard Hockey
Shut Out
Cross Check
* * *
Wynn Hockey
Play to Win
In It To Win It
Win Big
For the Win
Game Changer
Bears Hockey
Must Love Dogs…and Hockey
You Had Me at Hockey
Talk Hockey to Me
* * *
Stand Alone
Three of Hearts
Loving Maddie from A to Z
Dancing in the Rain
Love Me
Love Me More
Friends with Benefits
2 Hot 2 Handle
Lost and Found
One Wicked Night
Sweet Deal
Hot Ride
Crazy Ever After
All I Want for Christmas
Sexpresso Night
Irish Sex Fairy
Conference Call
Rigger
You Really Got Me
How Sweet It Is
Screwed
Firecracker
About the Author
Kelly Jamieson is a best-selling author of over forty romance novels and novellas. Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy.” She likes coffee (black), wine (mostly white), shoes (high heels) and hockey!
* * *
Subscribe to her newsletter for updates about her new books and what’s coming up.
Find out what’s new…
* * *
Contact Kelly