folded his arms over his chest. “This I’ve got to see.”
Having something to prove now, Ashley walked across the grass to the chain-link fence and placed the toe of her shoe in the diamond-shaped spaces created by the wire. Next she stretched her arms up as far as they would go and grabbed hold. This wasn’t as easy as it looked, but she wasn’t about to admit it. She actually was able to make a move, but then lost her footing and was left dangling while she desperately clung to the fence. Her feet started to swing, but she refused to let go, although it was killing her to hang on. Pain shot up her fingers.
“Let go,” Dash said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“But Little Blade—”
“I’ll get him,” Dash said calmly.
Ashley released her death grip and allowed Dash to bring her down. He set her on the grass and she turned to thank him. The words caught in her throat as their gazes met and held for the longest moment. Her breathing went shallow and she suspected his did, too. She wanted to say something and found she couldn’t. Her throat had closed up and all she seemed capable of doing was staring into his eyes.
He seemed to be experiencing the same things, because he didn’t move, either. The attraction sizzled between them. This was happening way too fast. She hadn’t felt this strongly about anyone so quickly in, well…forever. For a moment it looked as if he intended to kiss her. The truth was she would have let him.
Reluctantly, he loosened his grip. Stepping back, ready to deny what had passed between them if necessary, she brushed the grit from her hands.
Frowning, he shook his head ever so slightly and headed for the parking lot.
Ashley was about to protest when he turned and took a running start toward the fence. He leaped onto the wire and bounded up. In a little more than two moves he was over the fence, landing on the other side in a squatting position.
Within a matter of minutes he’d collected Little Blade. He handed the puppy to her through the space where the dog had gone under the fence and then climbed back over as effortlessly as if he were climbing a ladder.
“That was a bad dog,” she whispered in the puppy’s ear. “You can’t go running off like that, understand?”
“Can we get back on the road now?” Dash asked impatiently, looking pointedly at his watch. “At this rate we aren’t going to be able to drive straight through. It’s already after three and we haven’t gone more than two hundred and fifty miles.”
“We can do it.” She hoped she sounded optimistic, but she had to admit he was probably right. With the puppy and other necessary stops it would take under twenty-four hours to make the drive. While that still gave him time to make the interview, it was going to be close. She and Little Blade were the ones slowing him down, and Ashley felt bad about that.
They climbed back into the car and she saw that Dash had made a soft bed for Little Blade with a sweater in the backseat. After his run for freedom, the puppy curled up on the sweater and promptly fell asleep.
Ashley waited until they were back on the road before she spoke. “Thank you, again.”
“No problem.”
“That isn’t what you said earlier,” she reminded him sheepishly.
“I’d hoped to make better time.”
“I know, and it’s my fault.”
Dash glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping puppy. “You had an accomplice.”
“But he’s cuddly and cute.”
“Both of you are.”
His whispered voice was so low that Ashley was sure she was mistaken. “Did you say something?”
“Nothing important,” he muttered, seemingly eager to drop the subject.
Ashley decided not to force him to admit what he’d said, but she was fairly certain she’d heard him correctly. Knowing that made her feel warm inside. Nestling in her seat, she leaned her head against the passenger window.
“Mom is going to be so excited to see me,” she said, thinking out loud. Already she
Having something to prove now, Ashley walked across the grass to the chain-link fence and placed the toe of her shoe in the diamond-shaped spaces created by the wire. Next she stretched her arms up as far as they would go and grabbed hold. This wasn’t as easy as it looked, but she wasn’t about to admit it. She actually was able to make a move, but then lost her footing and was left dangling while she desperately clung to the fence. Her feet started to swing, but she refused to let go, although it was killing her to hang on. Pain shot up her fingers.
“Let go,” Dash said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“But Little Blade—”
“I’ll get him,” Dash said calmly.
Ashley released her death grip and allowed Dash to bring her down. He set her on the grass and she turned to thank him. The words caught in her throat as their gazes met and held for the longest moment. Her breathing went shallow and she suspected his did, too. She wanted to say something and found she couldn’t. Her throat had closed up and all she seemed capable of doing was staring into his eyes.
He seemed to be experiencing the same things, because he didn’t move, either. The attraction sizzled between them. This was happening way too fast. She hadn’t felt this strongly about anyone so quickly in, well…forever. For a moment it looked as if he intended to kiss her. The truth was she would have let him.
Reluctantly, he loosened his grip. Stepping back, ready to deny what had passed between them if necessary, she brushed the grit from her hands.
Frowning, he shook his head ever so slightly and headed for the parking lot.
Ashley was about to protest when he turned and took a running start toward the fence. He leaped onto the wire and bounded up. In a little more than two moves he was over the fence, landing on the other side in a squatting position.
Within a matter of minutes he’d collected Little Blade. He handed the puppy to her through the space where the dog had gone under the fence and then climbed back over as effortlessly as if he were climbing a ladder.
“That was a bad dog,” she whispered in the puppy’s ear. “You can’t go running off like that, understand?”
“Can we get back on the road now?” Dash asked impatiently, looking pointedly at his watch. “At this rate we aren’t going to be able to drive straight through. It’s already after three and we haven’t gone more than two hundred and fifty miles.”
“We can do it.” She hoped she sounded optimistic, but she had to admit he was probably right. With the puppy and other necessary stops it would take under twenty-four hours to make the drive. While that still gave him time to make the interview, it was going to be close. She and Little Blade were the ones slowing him down, and Ashley felt bad about that.
They climbed back into the car and she saw that Dash had made a soft bed for Little Blade with a sweater in the backseat. After his run for freedom, the puppy curled up on the sweater and promptly fell asleep.
Ashley waited until they were back on the road before she spoke. “Thank you, again.”
“No problem.”
“That isn’t what you said earlier,” she reminded him sheepishly.
“I’d hoped to make better time.”
“I know, and it’s my fault.”
Dash glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping puppy. “You had an accomplice.”
“But he’s cuddly and cute.”
“Both of you are.”
His whispered voice was so low that Ashley was sure she was mistaken. “Did you say something?”
“Nothing important,” he muttered, seemingly eager to drop the subject.
Ashley decided not to force him to admit what he’d said, but she was fairly certain she’d heard him correctly. Knowing that made her feel warm inside. Nestling in her seat, she leaned her head against the passenger window.
“Mom is going to be so excited to see me,” she said, thinking out loud. Already she
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