a few minutes later—literally—Ashlyn returned dressed in jeans, flip-flops and a snug tank top. She carried a soft leather purse that looked like a small backpack and a sweater.
"That was quick,” he said, surprised. She shrugged.
"I don't fuss a lot.” She pressed her lips together.
"You look great. Except...” He reached out and tugged the elastic that held her hair back.
She put a hand to her head, combed her fingers through her hair. The silky stands fell into place around her face, and she looked at him warily.
"I like it down,” he said. “Ready?"
They climbed into his SUV. “Nice vehicle,” she said.
"Thanks.” He took the freeway to his place, although it wasn't that far, and he pulled into the front driveway of his home moments later.
"You live right on the beach.” She looked around. “Lucky."
"Yeah. I just bought this place a few months ago. I'm still having work done."
He unlocked the door and the alarm started beeping. As he punched in a code, Ashlyn heard scrabbling on the wood floor, and a huge golden dog charged at them. She gasped.
"Rocky!” Zach said, as the dog put his front paws on Zach's chest and tried to devour his face. He laughingly dodged the big pink tongue while rubbing the dog's back. “Rocky, buddy, I'm home. Now, down.” Obediently the dog returned to all fours and sat, long tail sweeping the floor behind him and his tongue hanging out of a smiling, panting mouth.
"I have to get him a treat.” Zach reached into a glass container on the table near the door. He tossed the biscuit into the air and Rocky caught it neatly then stood to crunch it, dropping crumbs all over the floor. Ashlyn watched with amusement.
"Do you like dogs?” Zach asked, looking at her hopefully.
She smiled. “I do. I'd love to have a dog. My mom still has the dog we got when I was twelve. She's getting so old, but she's still pretty healthy. What kind of dog is he?” She nodded at Rocky.
"He's part golden retriever, part something else. I'm totally guessing, but I think maybe some kind of terrier. I got him from the shelter a couple of years ago."
"He's beautiful,” Ashlyn said wistfully. “Someday I'll have a dog of my own. Will he let me pet him?"
"Probably. He's pretty much a big sucky baby, and he's protective of me, but he should think you're okay."
Ashlyn held out her hand for Rocky to sniff, and then gently stroked his soft head. “You're so handsome,” she said, and he looked up at her with melting brown eyes and smiled widely.
"Okay, my turn to change,” Zach said. “Go on in and have a seat.” The quiet told him Connor wasn't home.
He quickly changed into jeans and a T-shirt and slid his feet into leather flip-flops. It was a warm spring evening, but he grabbed a hoodie for later.
"You're quick too,” she remarked when he emerged from his bedroom. She was looking at his gleaming new kitchen. Top-of-the-line stainless-steel appliances and sleek maple cabinets lined the walls. Funky metal stools surrounded a large island topped with granite.
"You like my kitchen?” he asked with a proud smile. “It was just finished last week.” He ran a hand over the gleaming granite counter.
"It's gorgeous,” she said. “You must do a lot of cooking."
"Some,” he admitted. “I live alone ... usually ... so I don't cook much for myself. But I like to cook."
She turned to him, and his eyes moved over her. Damn. Just looking at her made him hard.
He picked up his car keys from the table near the front door and reset the alarm.
"I like your house,” she said. “I've always wanted to live on the beach."
"You live near the beach."
"Yeah.” She laughed. “That's all I can afford right now. And I need two roommates to afford that. But I'm almost done with school."
"Yeah?"
"I graduate in less than two months."
"It's been a long haul?"
"Well, sort of. I took a couple of years off after high school and traveled. So I didn't start college till I was twenty."
"How old are
"That was quick,” he said, surprised. She shrugged.
"I don't fuss a lot.” She pressed her lips together.
"You look great. Except...” He reached out and tugged the elastic that held her hair back.
She put a hand to her head, combed her fingers through her hair. The silky stands fell into place around her face, and she looked at him warily.
"I like it down,” he said. “Ready?"
They climbed into his SUV. “Nice vehicle,” she said.
"Thanks.” He took the freeway to his place, although it wasn't that far, and he pulled into the front driveway of his home moments later.
"You live right on the beach.” She looked around. “Lucky."
"Yeah. I just bought this place a few months ago. I'm still having work done."
He unlocked the door and the alarm started beeping. As he punched in a code, Ashlyn heard scrabbling on the wood floor, and a huge golden dog charged at them. She gasped.
"Rocky!” Zach said, as the dog put his front paws on Zach's chest and tried to devour his face. He laughingly dodged the big pink tongue while rubbing the dog's back. “Rocky, buddy, I'm home. Now, down.” Obediently the dog returned to all fours and sat, long tail sweeping the floor behind him and his tongue hanging out of a smiling, panting mouth.
"I have to get him a treat.” Zach reached into a glass container on the table near the door. He tossed the biscuit into the air and Rocky caught it neatly then stood to crunch it, dropping crumbs all over the floor. Ashlyn watched with amusement.
"Do you like dogs?” Zach asked, looking at her hopefully.
She smiled. “I do. I'd love to have a dog. My mom still has the dog we got when I was twelve. She's getting so old, but she's still pretty healthy. What kind of dog is he?” She nodded at Rocky.
"He's part golden retriever, part something else. I'm totally guessing, but I think maybe some kind of terrier. I got him from the shelter a couple of years ago."
"He's beautiful,” Ashlyn said wistfully. “Someday I'll have a dog of my own. Will he let me pet him?"
"Probably. He's pretty much a big sucky baby, and he's protective of me, but he should think you're okay."
Ashlyn held out her hand for Rocky to sniff, and then gently stroked his soft head. “You're so handsome,” she said, and he looked up at her with melting brown eyes and smiled widely.
"Okay, my turn to change,” Zach said. “Go on in and have a seat.” The quiet told him Connor wasn't home.
He quickly changed into jeans and a T-shirt and slid his feet into leather flip-flops. It was a warm spring evening, but he grabbed a hoodie for later.
"You're quick too,” she remarked when he emerged from his bedroom. She was looking at his gleaming new kitchen. Top-of-the-line stainless-steel appliances and sleek maple cabinets lined the walls. Funky metal stools surrounded a large island topped with granite.
"You like my kitchen?” he asked with a proud smile. “It was just finished last week.” He ran a hand over the gleaming granite counter.
"It's gorgeous,” she said. “You must do a lot of cooking."
"Some,” he admitted. “I live alone ... usually ... so I don't cook much for myself. But I like to cook."
She turned to him, and his eyes moved over her. Damn. Just looking at her made him hard.
He picked up his car keys from the table near the front door and reset the alarm.
"I like your house,” she said. “I've always wanted to live on the beach."
"You live near the beach."
"Yeah.” She laughed. “That's all I can afford right now. And I need two roommates to afford that. But I'm almost done with school."
"Yeah?"
"I graduate in less than two months."
"It's been a long haul?"
"Well, sort of. I took a couple of years off after high school and traveled. So I didn't start college till I was twenty."
"How old are
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