given him a punch to the gut he’d never forgotten. Nor had he forgotten the intense passion between them that they’d generated with just a touch. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off of her that night. Every time they had satisfied their mutual, aching need, she would touch him, or laugh at something he said and he’d want her again.
And damn! She’d been so responsive. Every touch, every sigh, every writhing moment was permanently imprinted on his memory.
Even now, looking at her in the beaten up jeans that were too big for her slight frame and the baggy sweatshirt that did nothing to hide those full breasts underneath, he wanted her.
“I came to buy a puppy for my niece,” he finally explained, forcing his mind to start working again. “She’s three and I’ve been told by multiple sources that you are the person who has the best puppies.”
Jemma thought about shaking her head, telling him that she didn’t have any puppies. But he’d already seen them in her barn. That didn’t mean she was going to let him get one though. “They are fifteen hundred dollars,” she finally said, tripling her normal price for a yellow lab puppy.
Damien didn’t even blink. “Do they have all their shots?”
Jemma thought about telling him he was an idiot for paying that much for a puppy but she stopped herself just in time. If he wanted to pay that much, she’d let him have a puppy. Lord knows she and Dylan could use the money!
“They have all their shots – I have the documentation.” She nodded towards the barn. “You can pick one out, write the check and I’ll pull the records for that particular puppy.”
Damien almost laughed. “Will you help me pick one out?” he suggested and almost threw back his head with delight when she practically stomped her foot with frustration because he wasn’t doing what she wanted.
“Fine,” she finally said. With jerky movements, she walked over to the barn, making a wide circle so she didn’t get too close. When they were standing in front of the stall with all the wiggling puppies, most of them golden but a few of them more white than yellow, she stepped inside, picking one up and smiling as the little guy immediately tried to lick her nose. “They are all great little puppies, but none are house trained yet,” she cautioned. “You said this was for your niece?”
“Yes, she’s three. Or she will be in a few days. This is her birthday present.”
Jemma pulled the dog back, almost hiding him from Damien’s reach. “Have the parents agreed to the puppy? Puppies are a huge responsibility. They take time and they have so much energy, it will feel like a miracle when they finally sleep.”
Damien smiled down at her. “My niece is in my care,” he said softly. “Her parents died two years ago. So yes, I’m fine with her having a puppy.”
Jemma still wasn’t convinced. “Where do you live? How will you get the puppy to her?”
“In a plane,” he replied, smothering his amusement at her concern over a dog. She was very protective, which spoke well for her as a human being.
Jemma backed up, shaking her head vigorously. “No. Dogs don’t get to go in planes. They go in the cargo hold. And that’s just mean! Those areas don’t have any temperature control and the dogs get scared and don’t understand what’s happening to them.” He started to open his mouth to speak but she interrupted before he could say anything. “And don’t even think about drugging this little guy to get him through the flight! The medicine could wear off and he would need water immediately. If the medicine wears off mid-flight, the dog doesn’t have any ability to tell you what’s going on. And that’s not even discussing any kind of waste issues the dog might have while in flight.” She stepped back, cradling the wiggling puppy protectively. “No. Not going to happen. You need to get a puppy closer to wherever it is you live.”
“I live in Italy,” he replied, looking down at her with laughter unhidden now. “And the puppy won’t be in the cargo hold. He can be with me in the main cabin.” He stepped closer. “But if you feel the need to protect the little guy, you could come with me. You could hold him the whole trip home.” His fingers trailed down her face, tickling her ear and causing the breath to