A Complete Game (Washington DC Soaring Eagles #3) - Aven Ellis Page 0,7
I need is in that carrier, I presume.”
I feel a burning heat pool in my cheeks. Brady’s smile widens.
“Correct. I have Willy and Petey in here.”
“Well, don’t hold back on me now,” he says. “I’m ready to meet them.”
Before I can even set the carrier down, Brady has dropped down to a knee, not caring that his dress pants are hitting the grass, so that he can peer inside at them.
I pause for a moment, distracted by the eager expression on Brady’s face.
“Look at these guys!” he says, grinning broadly. “They’re so cute.”
“They are,” I say proudly.
He shifts his gaze from the carrier to me. “I hope they like me.”
As I meet his stare, a jolt of electricity rolls through me. Along with one astonishing thought.
And I hope you like me, I think to myself. I hope you like me, too.
Chapter Three
Once again, I mentally swat the thought away as soon as it flitters through my brain. I’m working. Brady is working. It’s beyond unprofessional that I’m standing here ready to swoon because he’s showing an interest in my pets.
Or the fact that he’s beyond gorgeous.
I refocus on the shoot instead.
“I’ll open the door and let them out,” I say, gently placing the carrier on the rich green grass of the field. “They will want to run around on the field first.”
Brady smiles easily at me. “Sounds like you know your guys well.”
“I do,” I say, bending down next to the carrier and unlatching the door. “Hello, boys! Come on!”
As predicted, Willy eagerly shoots out of the carrier and launches into the sunshine, zipping through the grass. Petey follows behind, and they begin to frolic in joy.
Brady laughs and rises as he watches them zip back and forth. He comes over to my side, and as the wind blows, his scent carries toward me. It’s a mixture of cedar and citrus, and oh, God, I could drink in the sexy, masculine scent all day.
“What is that noise they’re making?” he asks.
“Dooking,” I explain, watching as Willy and Petey chase each other across the infield. I lift my head so that I can look up at him. “That’s the noise they make when they are excited or happy.”
“Dooking,” Brady repeats. “That’s so cool.”
“Isn’t it?”
Willy jumps on Petey, and they begin wrestling each other and rolling across the grass.
“Hey, that reminds me of taking down Brody when we would fight,” Brady says.
“I’m glad to know my sister Ari and I weren’t the only siblings who fought.”
“You would fight your sister?” he asks.
“Okay, so we didn’t wrestle each other, but we got into some amazing screaming matches during high school.”
“You?” Brady asks. “I can’t see that.”
“I might be fun-sized, but I am mighty,” I say, arching an eyebrow at him.
To my complete surprise, Brady bursts out laughing. A deep-down, full-blown, genuine laugh that is so beautiful and so pure, goosebumps sweep across my skin upon hearing it.
“You don’t think I can be mighty?” I ask.
“No, I can’t believe you called yourself fun-sized.”
“Like the Halloween candy,” I say. “You know, like the little Butterfingers or M&M packs? Fun-sized. I’m short, but I’m fun.”
“Brady, Addison, are you guys ready?” the photographer calls out.
Brady shifts his gaze from me to Willy and Petey, who are still dooking and running in circles around the field.
“They don’t look like they can be easily caught,” he says.
“They don’t need to be,” I reply. I whistle, and Willy and Petey stop dead in their tracks. “Come, boys!”
The ferrets run towards me, both of them putting their paws on my legs the second they are in front of me.
“Holy shit, that’s amazing,” Brady says, his voice laced with awe.
“They can be trained to do all kinds of things. Except to stay out of mischief, but then they wouldn’t be as fun.”
I bend down and pick up Willy. “I’m going to hand Willy to you. If you rub his chest lightly, he will love you forever.”
Brady nods. I hand Willy to him, and another brilliant smile lights up Brady’s face.
I feel myself melting upon seeing how gentle he is with Willy. Brady is huge, his hands are massive, yet he is stroking Willy’s chest with his fingertips in the gentlest of touches.
Damn, that’s a turn-on.
“Hi, Willy,” he says, his voice soft. “Aren’t you the coolest little guy?”
I pick up Petey and hold him close to my chest. “Let’s walk over to the mound,” I say. “If Petey seems comfortable, then you can hold him, too.”