Page 15 of Professional Consult

She looks at me thoughtfully. I wish she wouldn’t. I wish that she’d talk about her damn nails or designer purses or some award show.

“You know, aside from looking strikingly similar, you’d never guess you and Clint were related.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot. He’s all charm and charisma, and I’m a grumpy storm cloud.”

“Is that how you were as children?”

“Something like that.”

“I guess you were meant to balance each other out.”

I pull into my driveway and prepare myself for Lexi’s disdain. She holds the record for highest-paid child actor, bringing in millions of dollars before she was even a teen. There’s no way my small, one-bedroom house is going to meet her grandiose standards.

She bites her lip, which makes my damn cock strain against my boxers.

“Oh, I guess I never asked…do you live alone? Or do you have a wife and kids?”

“Do you think my place looks big enough for a wife, let alone an ankle-biter?”

“It’s plenty big, as long as you like the person you’re sharing it with.”

“You sound like a damn fortune cookie.”

She giggles, and I smile despite my intention to not get too friendly with my house guest.

I let her inside, forgetting that I have a one hundred fifty pound Rottweiler as a roommate.

“Easy, boy,” I warn, grabbing onto his collar so he doesn’t knock Lexi over.

“Is he friendly?”

“Riggs would never hurt a fly. He’s an ex-service dog that is living out his retirement years at Casa Bastwick.”

“Aren’t service dogs trained to take people down? Am I in danger?”

“If I say yes, would you go back to Hollywood?”

She plants her palms on her shapely hips. “No.”

This would be so much easier if she were ugly. Instead, she looks like a sinful slice of heaven that would sate my growing hunger. A hunger I’ve successfully ignored up until now, and will continue to.

Though her presence certainly complicates matters.

“He helped find people lost in the wilderness. Once he kept a small boy warm for days during a search. There was a blizzard, and Riggs got away from us. He never left the boy’s side, not even when he got hungry.”

“Oh…” She looks down at Riggs with adoration. “Thank you for your service.”

Another smile forces itself across my treacherous lips.

Riggs whines, wanting the pretty lady to take pity on him and lavish him with pets and attention. The last thing I need is for him to grow attached, so I drag him to the back door and let him outside, latching the doggy door closed so he can’t come back in until I’m ready.

“Let me show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

I take her to my room and grab some extra bedding to change out the sheets. “Bathroom’s across the hall.”

She looks around curiously. “Is thisyourbedroom?”

“It is, but not while you’re here.”